Tree Planting Sunday

Well, we're another day closer. Sunday's not my favourite day - we don't usually do anything with the sheep other than just feed them and check them, but when I know it's going to be busy soon, a quiet day isn't so bad really.

It was a good day for Skye today. She loves Sunday. We thought she needed a bit of cheering up after the bad news she got yesterday about the lambing so we all went off to finish planting trees in one of the new woods. There's nothing Skye likes better than a hole and she saw lots today. Tree planting is now officially her second favourite job, after fencing (you get some seriously big holes fencing) and she was even persuaded to postpone her resignation until Monday.

The Princess got stuck into some sort of mud bath treatment while she was pottering about the woods. She and Skye wondered off and, boy oh boy, I have NEVER seen anything get as dirty as she was when she came back. I had to look twice and was about to growl when I finally recognised her. Talk about trouble!! She had to be shampooed twice immediately we got home, the soft lump.

Still, we'll sleep well tonight - even Skye

Take care

Skye works it out

We've had a temporary blip in the proceedings.  Well, I jolly well hope it's only temporary, but today we've been working away at fences.  Fences!  How's that getting the lambing sheds ready?  It's very vexing, but I'm sure it'll turn out OK in the end.

Skye has worked out that lambing is approaching and has taken to her bed with "exhaustion".  Exhaustion?  I told her the only part of her body that was ever in danger of exhaustion was her jaw, and just as well I'm a fast runner as that got her up pretty quickly...but she says she's officially in hibernation now until June, and has asked Daisy to write a letter excusing her from all duties, but making sure she still gets a big bowl of supper every day (Daisy insisted on adding that bit to the letter).

I'm making sure I'm getting plenty of rest at present and once we've checked the sheep each day, I snooze in the tractor when we're feeding the cows.  It's a big responsibility being the only "sheep mover" for the whole of lambing (well, apart from the quad, but you can't just pick one or two ewes out with that great big thing).

Roll on April...

Take care

Attila the Westie

Oh dear...the little Westie has got herself into bother...again.  She's been out snouting about in the bushes and came back with a dead rabbit, and very pleased with it she was too.  Well you can imagine that didn't go down very well with Mandy.  In fact, it went down very badly indeed as the general conclusion was that somehow the stout little murderer had mugged the little bunny herself.

Anyway, she's in disgrace but I've got some really important things to worry about - only just over a month to go and SO MUCH TO DO getting finished up for the lambs...aaaaargh.  Skye fortunately hasn't yet worked out what's going on, but when we start repairing sheep hurdles I think she's going to catch on and then the grumbling is going to start.  I've already told her I don't need any help, but she never listens (unless it's the supper bowl going rattle, rattle, rattle).

Well, I'm off to watch Daisy worming her way back into Mandy's good books - she's so good at it's fun to watch

Take care

Zooming about getting ready for lambing

38 days to go.  I just can't wait. Luckily for all of us we're still not yet down to a number that Skye knows, but that wicked little Westie is threatening to teach her to count up to 50, and every time I leave them indoors I'm sure I'm going to come back to a depressed Collie.  It hasn't happened yet, but maybe that's because Daisy's not a very good teacher!

I've been keeping my hand in checking the sheep each day and we've had them in this week over a couple of busy days to sort them out and make sure all their injections are up-to-date.  We've still got to get the gimmers in again in a week or so, which I'm looking forward to, and we're starting to give all the ewes a little bite of feed so they get used to us walking about amongst them.

Our new wood is being planted and we've started planting some more fruit trees in the back field as well, which Daisy thinks is very exciting.  I'm not a great fan of fruit but she does love her apples and she's hoping that she'll get some pickings if they fall to the floor.  I'm not so sure though as she'll have the hens to compete with and they can be pretty determined little things...

Off to check sheep now...it's all go, go, go

Take care

Sheep scanned

Well, we've had the sheep scanned now. What an exciting day that was. I was watching very closely and know what all the different marks mean, twins mostly, singles, triples and one quad (poor Peggy, she's had four once before I remember). I can't wait for it all to start and am counting down the days now. 45 days (fancy having 29 days in February, how unfair is that). Skye is in denial about it all but fortunately she can't get anywhere near counting up to 45 (she's only got 4 paws) so she's got no idea how long we've got to go.

Anyway, it's been freezing up here recently. On Wednesday it was never above -5 and let me tell you, when you're pottering about without any furry boots that's pretty cold. But now cold enough to stop me wanting to go out. And Daisy? She loves the cold, funny little dog…

Here's a picture of us all contemplating a trip out. We're very comfy in our new beds and Skye is under strict instructions NOT to chew this bed. It's bliss – I never mind a busy day when I've got my comfy bed to come back to. 

Well, to be honest, I just love to get out and work. Joy, joy, joy
Take care