Category Archives: Sheep

Frozen Fingers

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Not great photos today. It was too bloomin’ cold and my fingers felt like they had frozen off.  I am currently sitting at my desk playing soothing music while I thaw out – my feet are on a hot water bottle and I have one on my lap.

Anyway, this morning produced a lovely surprise – everyone was together.  Even Madge is coming out of her shell, which is something I never thought I would see.

Gussie is rather taken with Maggie – he is ginormous now, possibly the biggest of all the sheep.  Quite the heffasheep.

Maggie spends a lot of her time in the hill field with Gussie and Dahlia which is fine – as long as they turn up for breakfast so I know they are alright and not lying somewhere upside down in the 30 acre field.

And Lambie remains, well just Lambie really.

We had a sprinkling of snow this morning with a few snow/hail showers all day.

In the afternoon I went into my shed to finish a sheep while watching a Hallmark Christmas film (my determination to find some Christmas spirit and inspiration).  Pepper was having a non-eating day and quickly learned that, if she made sick noises by the door, I would let her outside and then, free at last, she could run off hunting, probably looking for more carrion to eat.  Wee turd.  I am not pleased with her one bit.

Doing the afternoon chores afterwards (I now start at 3pm as it is dark by 4), I fed the ducks/hens, put them to bed and then poo-picked the Shetland ponies’ track.  Newt nearly had the wheelbarrow over (I would’ve happily throttled him if he’d succeeded) and I honestly think my fingers have never been so cold.  I am going to find my freezer-food gloves for tomorrow. I never want to feel like that again. I felt sick with the pain.  Once finished, I went to bed to huddle and warm up.  Monster came to annoy while Ted whined on about “what time is tea?”  Pepper sensibly stayed away.

Oh yes, Pepper said she could only eat cat food for tea. Give me strength.

Buckets and More Buckets

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My day started as it meant to go on mostly with many buckets.

While I fed the others at the top of the field, Haakon was still struggling to walk, so I broke the habit of a lifetime and took his breakfast bucket to him.  I walked him over the stream and then I put his bucket down so he had to eat with his hooves in the running water.

Haakon accepted my idea as doable and proceeded to eat his brekkie while his poorly hoof soaked in the clean cold water.

Later, I went on a dog walk. I was looking for some sheep therapy.

Dahlia immediately came up for a chat.

She is always very inquisitive and I regretted that I hadn’t brought any carrots with me for everyone.

Dahlia’s son, Gussie, is not dissimilar either.  Food is also important to him.

It was so nice to see that they are very happily integrated with the others now, even to the point of going into the shed to be fed if they want to. It only took just over a year!

Lambie had little to say on the matter.

But Maggie came up for a lovely chat.

Later, in the afternoon, just before it got dark, I went down to the field with hot water in a thermos, two buckets and various bits of necessary kit.

Luckily, only the Shetland ponies were close by which meant they wouldn’t try to steal Haakon’s food.  They wouldn’t dare.

If Bibble and Kolka had been closer, it would’ve been a battle. I know that.  I can’t say Haakon is any better but at least he is not worse.  He is getting around the field in his own way. If he decides not to walk much, then it doesn’t matter as there is long grass everywhere and company.  I think, at the moment, I was rather he was outside pottering gently.  He is happier with his friends.

Shetland lambs by the door

Lambie and Bert Baby pics

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This winter, I have the unenviable task of going through all my digital photographs as my hard disk is full and my computer is full. I will admit that I have been putting this job off for about ten years but the time has come and it must be done.

Yes, there are lots of photos to throw away, but there are also a few to keep too.  Amongst everything for 2015, I found Lambie and Bert’s old baby photos.

This is Lambie, probably a few days’ old.  He is still dirty.  He loved the open oven door.

Heat from anywhere was always welcome.

This is Lambie and his “Mum”, my darling BeAnne.  It has been very strange seeing photos of her.  I struggle and still can barely say her name out loud.

Lambie and our stallion, Taktur.

Lambie meeting the Shetland ponies. Seeing photos of Storm has also made me very sad.  There is a huge gap in the herd.

OH, Loki (another sadness) and Lambie in the garden listening to the music.

This was Lambie’s favourite box for being outside.  He hated fresh air but this was the compromise.

And when it became very obvious that Lambie needed a friend to teach him how to be a sheep, we got Lambert.

When he first arrived, ‘Bert was a hard nut.  He had lived with other sheep, like in a proper flock, and he thought Lambie was a total drip.

(he may have had a point!)

Daisy and I took them on a dog walk.

‘Bert’s favourite food was Daisy’s hair (he had an eye infection).

Yup, definitely a bit of a drip but a pretty one.

‘Bert and Lambie quickly became friends.

    

I love seeing these photos.  Other photos of animals that were loved but now gone is very hard, still.

A Tad Feisty Out There!

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It’s a tad feisty out there.

These photos are from breakfast first thing. The light was not great.  The big ones are savyy and know never to lift their heads until all food is finished, or they will lose their buckets to the wind.

One of the sheds offered a sheltered wall and I hid the Vitamin and Fivla behind it.

For the others, they all stopped bickering and ate their food quickly. Even Newt shared which is unheard of.

It was a day of wild hairstyles!

I could see that the container was used overnight (poo evidence) and was pleased the ponies have learned that they have options, especially when it is raining.  Even using the container as a wind-break in their new track is their favourite place to stand.

Around every corner is a sheep staying out of the fierce wind.

There is plenty of grass around the house and in fields so they make their own choices, usually leaving ‘Ster behind. He hates going under certain fences and then finds himself all alone in the world and I have to sort it out.  There is pitiful baa’ing at my front door.

During the day, the horses ignored the wind while Fivla and Vitamoobag stood at the bottom of the valley with a dry stone wall taller than them for shelter.  I know for a fact there will be no wind down there.

And at the moment outside, it is an ambient F10 with a bitter north wind.  I am bored of this now, thank you.

The North Wind Doth Blow

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As I write, the wind is gaining strength but my plan is go day-by-day through this storm.  Like the train in Dumbo, “I think I can, I think I can“.

My only priority is that Iacs gets his pills daily and everyone else is safe, that’s all I want.

And if the electricity could stay on as well, then that’s a bonus too.

And, as I am now have a shopping list of all my requests, that all the outbuildings and our roof stay intact or at least on.

As I was on my way out of the door (going to work on a friend’s website), I found this lot had let themselves back out of their field – quite the woolly escape artistes, they are when they choose – and were posing for an album cover.

I’m not sure what the name of the band is but I expect they all know.  Something to do with wool or food.

The Shetland ponies have made camp behind their containers – a very sheltered spot with grass and bucket of water.  I am refusing to worrying about them.

They are tough and healthy – much more so too than last year.

Even Tiddles looks good.

So, that’s me, off to put the ducks and hens to bed for the night.  The wind is going up a notch overnight and then the fun really begins.  Buckets in the wind!

Let me count the ways I love winter….. ah yes, none.