Three Signs that Summer's Here!

The three following things that have occurred over the weekend mean that it is officially summer - hooray!

First of all a pan of Elderflower Cordial is waiting in the larder to be bottled up tomorrow.

Secondly......the sheep have been freed of their winter coats!

We finally had a few hours of dry weather yesterday afternoon so we drove all 250 sheep and their lambs into the barn.  They have to be dry, and have empty bellies when they are shorn (they drop dead during shearing if they are full).

The caravanners had hardly any sleep because of all the bleating, but they didn't seem to mind.

Then Tom and the Kiwi shearing with him arrived this morning at 7.00 and set up all their equipment - which includes a radio blaring out rock music.

Then they set to work

As each sheep was shorn Jonathan and Coco rolled up the fleeces

and packed them into the bags

 

 George kept the sheep moving along to have their turn, and sending their lambs out the other way

It's such hard, hot work

But worth it when you see the sheep all looking cool and happy in the field

So that was that - by midday Tom and Kiwi were on their way to the next farm, and 250 sheep and a farmer were feeling pretty good about life!

The third sign of Summer was what I saw in the grass when I took the dogs out

a lonesome little glow worm!  Hopefully there will be a gang of them soon.