Buon pomeriggio!

Buon pomeriggio!  Last night saw me venturing out - a rare occurrence!  It was the start of my Italian for beginners course and I am hoping to make a little progress with my woefully inadequate Italian.  I had thought there would be a little more work on speaking and a little less technical stuff but it might get better..  Strangely, one lady on the same table also lives in Leigh - with only 14 in the class that seemed quite a coincidence!

At the moment whenever I think of Italian I am reminded of our recent Methodist harvest festival.  Monday night is the eagerly awaited auction of produce and it is always a hotly contested affair with some quite frantic bidding for tins of beans.  The Boggy Farmer seemed desperate to get a bag of pasta and the price rose quickly which was surprising as he does not seem a pasta sort of man.  He did look a little confused when he received his hard fought prize and the mystery was solved the following day when it emerged his hearing was not 100% and he thought he was bidding for a bag of parsnips!

No Italian photos but this was an interesting one I found.

For years I have driven past the pound at Okeford and wondered at the purpose behind it and then a random internet trawl turned up this picture.  Apparently, stray animals would be herded into the pound to await rescue by their owners and this photo was from the restoration ceremony.

HELLO!!

Hello!!
Really find it hard to believe that the last blog I wrote was way back in February and I was in the middle of lambing - not an easy lambing year either.  Sadly, I had some problems with toxoplasma which caused some abortions in the sheep and some who gave birth to strange little mummified things.  In the end there were 72 lambs but a few were fairly weakly - all should have moved on by now but I still have eight who will be here until the end of the year!  The rest grew well and have either gone to market, been sold as breeding stock or as pets.  Thankfully, my favourite little wether (number 21) was bought as a pet - I really could not have taken him to market!

In has been such a long time since I wrote last that we are already into preparations for next year's lambing.  The rams are in and a fair few are already marked.  I have a new ram this year called Alfie - a blue texel - he is only young so time will tell what he manages.

We have finally found a few days to paint the outside of the house.  It is still in progress but is already looking much better although the house sign is a bit of an issue!

Hay making went smoothly.  In fact it went very well as Sam and Kristy were both here to help and no equipment broke down.

I think, as a catch up just a few photos might be good as there is too much to write and it would get a little tedious for any readers who are still here!  So- in no particular order .........

Charlie gets 3rd place at Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show!

Cruella gets a trim to remove hair balls

Hay making

One of the two cria born this year

A day learning how to use a sheepdog

Two little favourites

Shearing - hard work but we did it

Sam having a go at knitting a hat

An attempt with some dyed alpaca yarn

Number 21 - the lamb that smiled!  Now in a pet home

Dorper lambs

Tiddler - now in Italy

Lambs!

A lesson in lamb shearing!!

Ups and Downs

I am now so tired I am not functioning correctly and sleep is alluding me!  Lambing has had a sticky start but appears to be improving.  So far I have 16 lambs and two ewes I have just checked who look like they might produce in the early hours - looks like another brief night for me.  Here are a few of the ones who are here -

 

As you can see I have my first ever caesarean - she is recovering well.  I had to feed the lamb for a few days as it was very weak but has managed to feed on her own for the first time tonight.  The little sick one in the towel has recovered and is now jumping round the field with mum - let's hope things will now go more smoothly.

 

If I blog again fairly soon, it will mean lambing is a little less tense!

More twins

Dreary day today but brightened up by the arrival of twin ewe lambs  - six so far but, after the next two, we have a bit of a wait for the rest of the flock.  Not a bad thing as I am now trying to find another five alpacas to send to Italy.

 

 

The alpacas that went the time before last are currently enjoying snow!

 

 

First Lambs

Very happy to say first beautiful pair of lambs born at 6am this morning and not a bad day for them as the sun gradually came out and the heavy rain had stopped.  No problems with their birth and their mum is so sweet - protective and attentive but has no problem with me giving them a little cuddle!  They have the longest legs I have seen on one of my lambs and are very placid.  Mum is a Suffolk Mule and Dad is Kane, the Dorper ram - first lambs we have had from him and I rather like them - just have to see how they grow.

Wide load

And they are getting bigger!!  This must be twins - poor Hope is looking very uncomfortable!

Bitterly cold on the hill today.  Luckily, no ice, as it has been vey dodgy making it up there in the morning.  There are two spots where my car wheel spins like crazy and every morning I approach the hill with dread.  It was cold though, definitely glove weather.

Almost lambing

I have managed to complete a pair of arm warmers in the dyed yarn.  I think they will be alright but they are even more orange than I hoped.  I have now dyed some a sort of heather colour which I think will be better - just got to knit some up now and see how it turns out.  Slightly delayed on that knitting though as I am creating a range of knitted book marks!  I know, rather a strange idea, but I think they will look quite nice in the end.  Also in the middle of three scarves and two shawls - if I could only stick to one thing at a time it might look like I am making a little more progress.  All is going to slow down in a few weeks anyway as my first lambs are due.

 

And it would be very helpful if they didn't keep getting stuck in the hedge!

 As usual lambing is going to be more drawn out than I had hoped and I don't think I will ever reach my goal of everyone lambing within a two week period!

The mystery of the carpentry springing up in the village was solved this afternoon by Mother - I should have guessed the smart new sign and the very snazzy BVM box were the work of the Knight!  Excellent job!!

Market tomorrow with a few left over lambs from last year - always a bit sad!