Tag Archives: Lambie

11 Today!

Happy birthday to Lambie. Today he is 11 years old.

Lambie was born prematurely in a filthy storm during the night and found, along with his twin sister in the field, having been abandoned by their mother, who wanted little to do with them. She had no milk and was not well either.

Things were not great to start with. Lambie’s sister promptly died and then his mother. Lambie was bottle fed, which he did very badly and unenthusiastically. Then he got joint ill and couldn’t walk. I fashioned a small coat to keep him warm out of a sock (and, yes, I still have it!). There were numerous vet visits and injections. He was very good about everything. A dear little chap.

Lambie had two mothers – our wee dog, BeAnne Duvet who he adored.

And me, who he tolerated.

To begin with, Lambie lived under the stairs in the kitchen and had regular bottles which he hated and drank very little from.

He was part of the family and my neighbour, who babysat him when I went to town for supplies, managed to house-train him, which was quite the achievement. There was also the prescribed physiotherapy to get him walking as the joint ill took its toll and did much damage – he has awful arthritis.

Lambie obviously moved out of our house when we brought him ‘Bert to be his bestie and then ‘Ster and then others……

So, happy birthday to Lambie. How he got to this great age, I will never know. It has been uphill all the way.

Channeling his Inner Edna

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Some of you may remember Edna. A hobbit-like ewe who enjoyed her many breakfasts.

Always, Edna would follow me back after breakfast to have another one. It was her routine and we duly obliged because she was very old, had no teeth and asked politely. Edna was the only sheep ever allowed legitimately in the feed shed. Others are not encouraged.

But now Lambie has decided to channel his inner Edna and, instead of following everyone else out into their field, like he has always done all his life since time began ….

….. he now doubles back and today I found him by the feed shed, looking hopeful.

That little face – how can I say no? No one could be that mean, surely.

So, because Lambie is now the oldest of the sheep, and because he asked so nicely and because I think he looking a little thin, and because I have the word MUG tattooed on my forehead, I fed him another breakfast and he got fresh water too, because he is drinking more, I’ve noticed.

I can see this becoming a routine. Edna would’ve approved.

Every morning, when I go back thinking my work here is done, and put the empty buckets back in the feed shed, there will be a not-so-little Lambie waiting for me looking hopeful. I know it.

And just as Lambie was finishing up his second breakfast, ‘Ster appeared out of nowhere.

And then ‘Bert quickly followed behind him and Lambie left them to finish up the last crumbs. I told them all to go back to the field like I had originally planned, please and they ignored me.

Scorned

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I appear to have tonsillitis so all bets are off and all plans cancelled. I am just doing the bare minimum, ie feeding the horses, ponies and sheep and about to put rugs on everyone because winter is returning for the weekend. Meh.

Lambie is being a bit strange. Well, stranger than usual. He followed me back from his field while everyone else was going out for the day and I ended up giving him two more breakfasts because I felt sorry for him. He did look very pathetic all alone in the world.

Later, when I was on my way out to feed a friend’s cat, I found Lambie all by himself. He didn’t seem to mind, though, and I offered him another breafkast, which he refused and I even told him that if he were around later, he could come and doss down in my shed while I worked. We could watch “The Other Bennet Sister” together.

With that thought, Lambie got up and left to find his real friends. A part of me was pleased he wanted to rejoin his flock and a bit of me feels somewhat scorned.

So much for my kind offer of company. I think I will go back to feeling ill again.

First Visitors of the Year

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Today we had our first visitors of 2026.

They brought carrots.

Everyone loves carrots.

First we visited the Shetland ponies. They came running when I showed them the carrot bags.

Then we walked over to the field with the old horses and ponies.

Haakon and Kolka thought all their birthdays had arrived at once.

Iacs was not in a people mood so OH took him his fair share and he stayed far away. His choice.

Fivla and Vitamin were very happy to see carrots.

Apparently Fivla is the one who is going home with my visitors – everyone always wants to take one away.

And Ted probably in the luggage too whether they want him or not.

After a glorious “picnic” lunch – which my visitors kindly brought for us (the best type of visitor in my book), we went to talk to the sheep who were coming home. At first, everyone suffered horribly from “stranger danger” so I brought some food and Harrel quickly got over his fear.

As did his mother, Maggie.

Lambie refused to chat but Maggie, Bert and Harrel were very sociable. The food helped but the sheep genuinely wanted to talk. I always enjoy introducing them to folk – sheep are very under-estimated. Each one has their own character. Maggie was enchanting.