spring at last

At last the sun is a bit more convincing and we can get out into the garden. The flowers are coming up under the birch trees and their leaves are just starting to come out. The grass looks a bit scalped, but will green-up quickly - I have only just been able to cut it.

The sheep are enjoying the new grass, they were even lying down in the shade of the hedge this afternoon. Here is Rosie with young Derby tucking into a meal. Below is Tina and Vicky, now looking quite big next to Derby. We await lambs from BaaBaa and Dolly - last as usual.

Lamb number two

Rosie had her lamb today, while we were out orienteering. We were told last year to make a note of what time of day a ewe lambed, as they tend to lamb again the same sort of time. Well Rosie sure did - young Derby here must have been born around lunchtime, as was Pippin last year. Derby is named for the song - the Derby Ram (http://www.mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=1537) and also because she was under the Lord Derby apple tree. We shall keep them under cover for 24 hours then let them out with the rest. Two down, two to go.

hare today...

how quiet is it in Pempoulrot?
This quiet - the rather blurry photo is of a hare that we saw this morning at 8.30. The picture is blurry because I took it through our (naturally spotless) front window.

first lamb of spring

The weather has finally decided to be spring and our ewe Tina had her first lamb yesterday morning. Here is Vicky, a beautiful black ewe lamb. True to form she was born in the early morning - I had checked on Tina repeatedly all the day and evening before, but she hung on till I was well out of the way! Tina is being a good, if rather anxious mother - not easy the first time. The other three ewes should lamb quite soon. Hopefully while the good weather lasts.