Tuesday 5 April 2011

Lambing Live

Unlike the program of the same name on the BBC at present, lambing for us is a rather quieter, if still rather all consuming affair. Lambing is such a funny time when you have a small flock of sheep. It tends to be a bit on the dragged out side and the majority of the time there is nothing going on... but you feel that you have to be there just in case! Sometimes it seems a bit daft considering that (touch wood!) I have never yet had to help a Shetland to give birth, but I just couldn't risk anything happening to one of my lovely ewes or their little ones and we drag ourselves out of bed in the small hours to check them, spend a fortune in fuel and sometimes have to camp in the stable.

So as a result, I have plenty of time to sit and write, at least for as long as my laptop battery lasts, and after this time for...
 getting to know Danny better...
catching up with Rosie and hearing all about what being mother of twins again is like...
and for swooning over her fleece!
Chris enjoys watching the lambs as they become braver and their characters develop...

and he is always impressed with how good the girls are at caring for the lambs, and how tolerant many of them are. Blitzen is NOT Girlsta's lamb!
The texels next door are just SO different from our dainty little Shetlands that they always make us laugh and Chris couldn't resist getting a photo for the blog.
His photography is really coming along now and the resident tree sparrows make excellent and obliging subjects.
Tolly doesn't understand why the little springy things are getting all of the attention when HE is clearly still top of the flock!

7 comments:

Michelle said...

Those Texels are rather scary-looking! I much prefer looking at YOUR sheep. :-)

Jenny Holden said...

Thanks Michelle, me too!

Molly said...

Jenny, those are lovely photos. We have lambing going on all around us as well. At least the weather is a bit kinder to them now. Hope your weather is good too!

Jenny Holden said...

Thanks, Chris takes the credit for almost all of the photos!

The weather here is atrocious this evening: gale force winds and lashing rain. Luckily the lambs have shelter and the ewes make sure that they use it.

Carol said...

I love the picture of you and Danny...I bred and raised a horse that I loved the same way.

Kelly said...

I wish I could sink my hands into your fleece, you have lovely sheep.

Bluestocking Mum said...

Hi Jenny

What wonderful photos!

I've been watching lambing life tonight with my youngest son. We have texels on the field in front of our barns. They are quite sturdy and robust characters.

Good to make your acquaintance formally. I'm Angel on the PC site.
And don't know why I haven't found your blogs before!

warm wishes
Debbie