Every time I am outside, Maggie looks for me and comes running over.  For a hill sheep she is very tame and this makes me remember that this time last year there was one sad black ewe who stayed around our gate asking me to let her in.

How did she know I would? Why did she want to live here?  She had made a decision and stuck to it while the rest of her hill flock wandered away. Every time I went outside there would be a small thin black sheep waiting for me on the other side of the fence.

Ok, Maggie likes food but she genuinely likes people.

At the moment, I spend far too much time thinking this-time-last-year and trying to remember how my life has been enriched by my rescue animals.

For a hill sheep (notoriously wild and unhelpful), Maggie is very tame and knows her mind.

This is Maggie (and Harrel’s) time in my thoughts.  They are my constant reminder of the “this time last year’s” plus the crappy sheepy politics that went with it (’nuff said but we won).

This time last year, I didn’t know Maggie and Harrel-the-Barrel.

They have enriched my life and I am grateful for them for doing this.  A reminder to always help when no one else will.

Thank you everyone for all your input. Lots of useful links and possibilities.

A friend sent this link to a squirrel wax seal ring that has been commercially reproduced and looks remarkably similar.

From the website:-

“Handcrafted using the impression of a mid-1800’s British wax seal. This whimsical ring features a squirrel with the text framing him reading ‘Ever Gay’.

Squirrels are emblematic of one who may plan for the future, but is unafraid to take advantage of the moment and willing to seize the day.”

So then OH and spent the afternoon trying to see if there were actually three letters near the squirrel rather than acorns and also if there may have been any writing around the other side too that has been worn away.

I think not. and we made a bad job of it using a different method – a teaspoon-with-wax-pellets-on-the-gas-hob. The mince-pie holder produced a better quality of wax to work with. Anywho, I will email the company with the ring to ask if they know anything about the original seal.

Meanwhile, I will keep researching and looking for information.

It is a rainy day so I thought I would do some family research on a little box and its contents I found at Mum’s and brought back with me.

The small 4″ x 3″ cardboard box held together with old sellotape – from Messrs Combes & Van Roden, 1113 Walnut Street, Philadelphia.

The contents plus a folded up letter, an explanation bit of paper and a silver seal.

The seal is of a squirrel sejant eating or cracking a nut sitting on a branch, with possibly 3 nuts close by.

This is the letter…..

The Cedars
West Chop
Martha’s Vineyard
Massachusetts

July 2 1927

My dear Kate
Do you remember a Seal I wore on my watch chain? It was given me by Ellen Terry, and had been the property of Lord Nelson. I have no document proving this: While …..

Terry’s statement was positive, I had it examined in London and was told it was made in Nelson’s time. Then I asked Combes and Van Roden Jewellers in Phila(delphia) to send this to you.
It should be in England in your possession. Wear it, do with it as you will.
We have much cold stormy weather, with some fine days.
People are coming, so are other mosquitos!
I can’t help it. Too cold for me to swim yet.
Keep well and happy.
With love affectionately
E.P.
Edward Parker Davis

If you can make out the words or see any I have got wrong, please tell me so I can correct this.

For Christmas, Floss had given me, amongst other lovely things, some sealing wax pellets.  So without a small melter, OH and I looked around and he ate a mince-pie and I used the holder.

It wasn’t melting very quick or well, so OH improvised a lid!

And eventually with some additional matches and cursing, we managed a good waxy blob.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered to lick the stamp first and ta-da!  Now only two nuts and a something else.

I have looked everywhere on the internet for Lord Nelson’s family seal and came up with just this. Not very squirrely really.

I researched Ellen Terry and any relationship to Lord Nelson and found only this in a book titled Edith Craig and the Theatres of Art By Katharine Cockin.   I have emailed the NY Players Club to see if they have a Nelson Collection as well as anything gifted by Ellen Terry.

So, anyone into English heraldry?  If so, can you help?

Is this really Lord Nelson’s seal or is it a case of London Bridge spanning Lake Havasu in Arizona all over again?

(Btw, I think I love seals and sealing wax. I want my “family” crest. I shall get designing – I see sheep, Shetland ponies, two terriers, a large cat…..)

The sheep have many strings to their bows, one of course being  their extensive Icelandic horse training skills which have been honed over the years from watching our horses.

Or it could be that they are sheep have snuck in to eat the dropped hay left from when the bales were moved from the back of the van to the stable?

Daisy and Efstur were also using the school.

I had popped in to say I was off to see the Minions, but Daisy asked me to stay and just take some quick films of Efstur in tölt so she could see his progress afterwards on screen. A useful training tool.

Meanwhile there were also sheep everywhere which Efstur did his very best to avoid or ignore but to meet Lambie as he went around the corner can be a bit of a surprise for everyone.

Lambie of course was on great form.

While Maggie preferred to stay outside today.

Training was intense and everyone worked hard.  The sheep know their stuff and put Efstur and Daisy through the paces.  No slackers here!

Job done and we all went home.  Daisy and Efstur better for the expert knowledge of sheep.

I was just nipping down to get something out of the big chest freezer that lives in OH’s shed at the bottom of the garden when I saw this lot hanging around.

I stopped for a quick chat trying hard not be diverted.

Today was not a day for diversions.

I had far too much to do.

But, but, but… they are all so gorgeous.

So I contented myself with Christmas noses over the garden gate and went back to my work.

Once all the chores were done, it was time for morning champagne and to open our Christmas presents.

The whole family was involved.  A lot.

After lunch, half the family took Pepper out for a walk, while we took Ted out separately on a lead.

It was very clear and very cold.  That is Fair Isle on the horizon. A rare sighting for us.

And a beautiful sunset to the finish a lovely day.

Merry Christmas everyone xx