Pulling over in the car to snap the sheep grazing on the front lawn of the farm I was met with a noisy baaing from the biggest sheep there as if it objected to being the centre of attention!
Saturday, 9 February 2013
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Spring lamb
I drove past the farm today, at the bottom of the hill that still has mounds of snow from over a week ago. And what a charmingly refreshing sight delighted me; five little sheep in the front garden of the farm were keeping the grass short with their munchng. Spring is most definitely on it's way and I can almost imagine the swallows returning - the best part of the year for me.
Today was forecast as minus fifteen degrees with the return of Arctic snow across the country but we seem to have escaped it with just a few short blasts of bitter wind and momentary sleet that soon cleared. At present it's impossible to say from one day to the next what the weather will be like but as long as we are wrapped up warmly and keep getting our tiny eggs from the nesting box we are happy peeps!
Today was forecast as minus fifteen degrees with the return of Arctic snow across the country but we seem to have escaped it with just a few short blasts of bitter wind and momentary sleet that soon cleared. At present it's impossible to say from one day to the next what the weather will be like but as long as we are wrapped up warmly and keep getting our tiny eggs from the nesting box we are happy peeps!
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Wise words
How do mothers become so wise? I spoke to mine today about the fact that, even with warm temperatures and downpours, we still have two foot high piles of snow at the bottom of the hill. She told me that it's advisable to pack the snow into as large a mound as possible because that way it thaws more slowly doesn't cause flooding. Makes perfect sense once you are told it, doesn't it?
Last week was the RSPCB bird watching weekend - it's when the charity asks member of the public across the country to record the highest levels of birds in the space of one hour. Luke got his bird watching binoculars out and sat patiently for his sixty minutes recording the coal tits, finches and the other birds that arrived. Seeing as how fifteen years ago Gold finches were not found in British gardens it showed how times change as they were the largest amount of any species to visit us that day. But this morning, when the greater spotted woodpecker and the long tail tits arrived Luke complained to them, "Where were you last week?" I think he wanted the kudos of having those lovely birds on his comments form.
I always am reminded when hearing about the RSPCB or the RSPCA (Royal Society of the Protection of Birds/Animals) that David Attenborough commented, "The British love their animals. They have a Royal Society for birds and animals but only a National Society for the protection of children!
Last week was the RSPCB bird watching weekend - it's when the charity asks member of the public across the country to record the highest levels of birds in the space of one hour. Luke got his bird watching binoculars out and sat patiently for his sixty minutes recording the coal tits, finches and the other birds that arrived. Seeing as how fifteen years ago Gold finches were not found in British gardens it showed how times change as they were the largest amount of any species to visit us that day. But this morning, when the greater spotted woodpecker and the long tail tits arrived Luke complained to them, "Where were you last week?" I think he wanted the kudos of having those lovely birds on his comments form.
I always am reminded when hearing about the RSPCB or the RSPCA (Royal Society of the Protection of Birds/Animals) that David Attenborough commented, "The British love their animals. They have a Royal Society for birds and animals but only a National Society for the protection of children!
Weather watch.
This weather really has put a spanner in the work when it comes to doing some gardening and writing my blog. We still have dirty great lumps of snow at the bottom of the hill, scooped up by the farmyard tractor over a week ago and originally reaching five foot high. This week we've had two days of blazing sunshine and a day and a night of torrential rain (plus, thunder, lightening and hailstones last Sunday evening). I've spent a few minutes cleaning the windows and brushing down the deck but there's nothing I can do in the garden as it's totally waterlogged. I have moved the little hen's run to a cleaner patch of ground and given them new sawdust for their house. Yesterday they enjoyed a whole day scrubbing around in the garden and dustbathing in the greenhouse. I bought some black grapes and cherry tomatoes that we shared with the hens. It's hilarious watching them pick them up then run like mad for a quiet space to put them down and eat them. They look like lots of little clowns with those rotund red' noses'.This good food should compensate any naughty grub that our neighbour Jack can't help but put out for them. Cake and pate seem to be his favourites!
Lunar was subjected to a bottom wash too. Now she is laying she seems to have developed a mucky bum so we scooped her up and plopped her up to her tummy into a sinkful of warm water. I held her whilst Luke gently teased out her dirty down. She was unceremoniously popped outdoors once her ordeal was over and very disgruntled she was too but once she had dried out she was pristine again.
The first of our bulbs has emerged into the daylight. Early miniature Iris with a cheerful yellow dot in the middle of the ovate purple flowers give me hope that one day soon we will have a productive garden again.
Lunar was subjected to a bottom wash too. Now she is laying she seems to have developed a mucky bum so we scooped her up and plopped her up to her tummy into a sinkful of warm water. I held her whilst Luke gently teased out her dirty down. She was unceremoniously popped outdoors once her ordeal was over and very disgruntled she was too but once she had dried out she was pristine again.
The first of our bulbs has emerged into the daylight. Early miniature Iris with a cheerful yellow dot in the middle of the ovate purple flowers give me hope that one day soon we will have a productive garden again.
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