Still Bleating on.....

It's all about sheep around here.  Lambing is coming to an end and the first lot have been moved out into the big field.

Well, Easter came and went very quickly - Hot Cross Buns

Easter Eggs

and now we're back to sheep, sheep and more sheep.

My little pen of four lambs has now increased to 12 - and it isn't really a lot of fun, although thank Goodness we've had such lovely weather.

Four times a day I have to wash up all the little bottles

The aim is to get all the lambs confidently drinking from the bottles on a rack, but because they come to me in dribs and drabs (no orphans, just rejected by their mums) they are all at different stages, so instead of me looking serenely on as they fill themselves up, this is the reality

all pushing and shoving and trying to get the bottles off of each other

But slowly they are getting the hang of it, and yesterday I managed to get four on the rack

and this morning eight,

so things are improving.

As far as the war with the rooks is going, Jonathan set up an ingenious tunnel into the chicken house that we hope will be so daunting they won't risk going in.

It certainly terrified the chickens - only one dared to come out this morning.

Away from the animals I am persevering with my Skype piano lessons.  By the second lesson I managed to tape the phone up to the piano quite successfully, and I thought all was going well.  My teacher said she was having trouble hearing me though, and asked where the microphone was on my phone.  Well, I had no idea, and she suggested it could be on the bottom.  Well, off course it is, and turning the phone onto the side meant she could actually hear my beautiful playing.  This solved another of life's mysteries for me too.  I'd always wondered why young people always hold their phones horizontally when they are talking to someone - I thought it was a strange affectation, but now I know they are talking into the microphone.  I shall now be far more patient when my mother tries to talk to me through the TV remote.

What else am I doing in these long, isolated days?

A bit of knitting

with thanks to Ros for finding me a nice, simple sweater pattern,

a bit of quilting

and a bit of crochet

which is well past it's due date and I need to get finished.

A Good, Good Friday

One a Penny, Two a Penny, Hot Cross Buns - Good Friday means time to get baking!

I got up early to get the buns started and then, while they were rising in the airing room, we decided to take part in the Lambourn Open Day.  Apparently Lambourne was jam-packed, with people queuing for 2 miles to visit Nicky Henderson's yard! - so we were happy to visit Pat Murphy and Jo Davis' yards which are two doors along!

Most mornings when I am letting out the geese and chickens I hear "Morning Joanne!" (or Happy Christmas or Happy Easter Joanne!) and look into the lane to see Pat and Mel riding out.

This young horse was born in their hay barn, and will spend the summer in the paddock across the by-way from us.  We hear him and his friend thundering around in the early evening.  Last summer I was driving home when I saw that Reuben had got out in the paddock and was horrified to see he was rolling around with the foal.  I sped up the road and was so relieved that it was actually Bertie, Pat's huge German Shepherd, that Reuben was playing with.

Glebe House Stables are immaculate, and it was lovely looking at all the beautiful horses.

Pat has laid it out so well, and even put windows in the back of the stables as well as the fronts so the horses can look out at the fields when they are in.

And then we came home, and it was so warm we ate our Hot Cross Buns outside on the terrace

 

It's not supposed to be so fine tomorrow, So I'd better get out now and start tidying up my raspberry patch!

A Foggy Walk

I woke up this morning knowing I had to tidy up the airing room, do a load of washing and ironing, do some food shopping, spring clean the workshop and take the dogs for a quick walk.

So I took Millie down the drive for a quick walk,

looked around at all the thick fog (which wasn't there when I let out the geese and chickens this morning), and decided to keep on walking!

Millie and I headed up the byway to Rogers Wood.

and looked at all the storm damage (are we on storm Zebedee yet?)

 

With Easter fast approaching I was reminded of how every Good Friday I'd make Hot Cross Buns and we'd have a picnic in Rogers Wood - whatever the weather!

 



 

Anyway, Millie and I walked on - and it was strange not to be able to see where we were heading

 

or where we'd been!

And the telegraph wires disappearing

Even at the trig point, which is the highest point around here and normally you can see right across to Inkpen and beyond, we couldn't see a thing!

 

But as we came down Lorne Hill the fog was starting to lift

and the sun was shining by the time we got back to the drive

 

 

Very pleased to see the pair of ducks which have taken residence - little ducklings soon, I hope.





 

Easter

This morning I took my mother over some Hot Cross Buns.  She said she'd bought some from Marks on Thursday - they were handing out tasters and she said it was the most delicious bun she'd had in years.  I said "that's because for the last 30 years you've had to eat the ones I bake".

 

Well, they've all been eaten now, but I plan to make an Easter Plait tomorrow.

Whilst most people are enjoying a relaxed Bank Holiday, Jonathan's been working his socks off.

He's put the ewes to lamb in the back paddock with the Alpacas - Big Boy and Barney come up every time a ewe lambs - they are fascinated by it.

and then brings them down to the paddock behind the house once they've lambed (it's a bit more sheltered).

and they stay here for a day or two before they go out to the big field.

The two at the back are as spotty as Dalmatians
 

 

 

Because it was warm I let the pet lamb have a run around in the grass

She was very curious about everything.

Off to pick up George tonight - can't wait to hear about his adventures on Lundy.

 

Happy Easter from Lorne Hill Farm!