Cat, what cat?

What a lot of mud we've got here at the moment...and it's certainly not glorious - I've had to have a bath twice in the last week and I'm not pleased about it.  Skye is staying indoors until it dries up she says.  She reckons she's got an allergy to getting dirty - allergy to work more likely - but it's not stopping Pie or me sorting sheep out and watching cattle.  Pie's alright really, and certainly gets them moving if they slow up

She's getting better with Tinker as well, or rather, Tinker is getting better with her.  They don't seem to mind each other at all, but if truth be told, I think Pie just pretends she can't see the cat, all the while hoping that no-one from the Jack Russell society comes calling.  Apparently being friendly with a cat is a definite no,no if you want to be Jack Russell of the year...poor Pie - she's always working away, looking for something to terrorise and just can't believe the cat's off limits

Lambs on the move

Winter's definitely on the way today - I couldn't see past my nose this morning for all the mist and rain.  It didn't stop us going out though, Pie and me - it'd take more than a bit of weather to stop us working.  The same definitely doesn't go for Skye, who just groaned and went back to sleep.

We had all the lambs to move today - I got them to the gate in the field they were coming out from and then little Pie chivvies them out of the gate if they look like they don't want to go.  It works really well, as long as Pie hasn't got distracted and gone off hunting, then I have to do the chivvying.  Anyway, today it worked a treat and we had them moved into a new field in a flash.

We'll just have to hope they stay where they're supposed to be, but Pie and Daisy have volunteered to keep any eye out and bark like crazy if one of the little rascals gets out.

Market day

I wish I could have gone today - three tups they bought, big Suffolk boys I'm told, but didn't bring them home.  Aaarrrgh!!!  Skye was chuckling when she found out, the old devil, and is now hoping they'll get stolen before they get here.  She's been busy looking for a burglar, but fortunately neither Daisy or Pip know where to find one so that's put a spanner in it for her.

I know they'll turn up - but maybe I should ask Daisy and Pie to go across and stand guard for a few days just to make sure nothing happens to them...it's a worrying time, but THREE...that's just fantastic.

Choosing more Tups

Oh what a lovely day - rained from the moment I was up and a sneaky northerly wind as well, but as far as I'm concerned it's one of the best days of the year.  Today they've been off to look at some new tups - Suffolks - and best of all, when they got back they were chatting about how many to get as there was more than one they liked.  Multiple tups...how good is that?  Pretty good, I'd say.

I've been busy explaining what a tup is to Pie - I took her out to see some in the field, but she wasn't that bothered..."Sheep, then" was all she said and then dashed off to bark at something underground.  How can she not be excited about more tups?  She must be spending too much time with Skye

Oh well, market day is Wednesday...I just don't know how I'll sleep until I know which ones we're getting

Pie's commando team

Two days wasted on this wheat now - you just can't image how slowly these combines travel.  Crawl up the field, sloooowly turn round and crawl back down it again.  It's driving Pie and me daft, but for different reasons - I want to get on with my other jobs, but Pie just does everything at 100mph.  She's been busy hatching a daring plot to get into the combine - she reckons she knows which pedal makes it go faster and says she'd let Skye in and plonk her on the pedal.  It's not a bad plan - no-one would shift Skye once she's down and we've certainly got plenty of time to think the plan up.  Oh well, if we're still at it tomorrow, I'll let them do it.

Apart from that, winter must be on the way - we've started feeding the cows now.  Skye, Pie and I go out to help

Wheat harvest

Thank goodness...the combine harvester reappeared today and we started cutting the wheat.  That's just been one of those boring jobs that hang over you stopping you doing other, more interesting jobs - I mean, who on earth would prefer to be cutting crops when you could be working sheep?  Anyway, Pie and I helped out taking the grain to the silo - she's quite good at counting so I gave her the job of keeping track of how many loads we had taken.  We were doing quite well, until she realised there were hares in the field and spent the rest of the day counting them instead.  I might just as well have asked Skye to count - at least we'd have got up to 4 (right front, right back..) - you just can't get the help these days...

Hay made

12 August 2012

I can't believe it. All this rain and still we've got the hay in for the sheep this winter. What a relief as they blame me if the hay's no good. Woolly little devils.

Pie came out with us while we were turning the hay. Well, you've never heard anything like it - turning hay is usually such a relaxing job. Up and down, up and down all day long. Great fun. Well, put little Pie into the mix and it's all squeaks and yaps marching from one side of the cab to the other looking for hares. She never rests even for a second - wore me to a frazzle

Roll on bedtime - have to get my sleep. It's sheep in next. I can't wait

Take care