Is Spring here??

Hellooo...A lot has been happening up here - illness (Jonathan in bed for a week with a nasty virus, then my friend here also with the same thing) more snow yet gorgeous Spring-like days too (see pics below) and this week, half term. Today is stunning and we had a lovely walk to Melmerby to our favourite cafe, the Village Bakery. To walk along with the fells one side of us and the Eden valley the other (and a latte to look forward to!) was just paradise..
There have been signs in the last couple of weeks that spring is coming - something about the 'air' and the birds singing, and the horses seem more interested in the grass, as do the sheep (the hay feeders are still sometimes quite full)
I had the vet to Dinky last week just for a check up as she is so old and I want her to be as comfortable as possible. He agreed she is quite stiff in her joints and also that she has cataracts (though she won't go blind yet) He recommended the anti inflammatory Bute as an ongoing thing (though may try the No Bute as a healthier option - didn't tell him that - I can tell he has absolutely no truck with anything 'alternative'!) but the main thing is that we can't ride her at all  : - (    We haven't ridden her a lot because she isn't shod and was a bit stumbly at times, and I wondered about her back, but in the summer we have had fun on her round the fields. When I used to get her in from the valley, I would take a lead rope and find a hillock to jump on from and ride her up bareback, so I will really miss that! But I know she could stumble and not be able to right herself.. We will need to think about this one as Morgan has expressed an interest in riding again...and I will definitely miss it if I can't do it at all.. Watch this space!
The other thing that happened recently was a spot inspection of the sheep by Defra - foolishly generated by a computer that sent them out to us only a few months ago! Anyway it was all fine - a very nice woman went through the paper work while we got the sheep in, and then she checked their tags. It was a gorgeous day and the sheep stood calmly in the pen enjoying the sunshine. I was able to give them lots of strokes and enjoy the Herdwick wool - it is amazing.. Surely almost criminal that wool goes mostly to waste these day and isn't valuable? 

So here are some photos from the last week..

The one below was taken last Wednesday before Beth and I got back from Yorkshire - it was so bad by that time that I couldn't get the car up the track and we had to trudge up in a blizzard!

                                                         

 In the wood...

And this was the next day..

One of the 'pet lambs' looking hopeful

I love this tree - when it's wild and windy, I don;t know how it stays upright.

And here's some 'Spring' - the sun was coming through the kitchen window onto these..

And here's a bulb called Rosalie! (the name of my niece)

These were taken today - the boys galloping down the hill at different times (thinking it was bucket of nuts time)

                                                                    

 The old girl's looking good...

and in the wood... the stream glinting in the background.

Colin waiting to come in.. (no he hasn't been on the slide!)

WHY??? (That's Jonathan's scarf round Robbie's neck)

And last but not least of course...Red the Menace in the yard, looking gormless as ever.
She has been on heat and her and Jack have driven us mad - the panting, licking and humping (usually her on him!!)   OH. MY. GOSH. (very polite for me)

Must do a proper post on the dogs - and Simba, of course! and the pigs...


Bye for now,

Sally

Proper snow!

We woke up to a proper snowfall this morning - must have been snowing all night.. Very exciting and we didn't know whether the kids would get to school. They were pleading with us to let them have the day off for sledging but Morgan's bus eventually turned up (respect!) and although we heard that Beth's bus was cancelled, we took her down to school.. (cruel parents!) Jonathan and I then went to the stone circle Long Meg, which is very near us at Little Salkeld..

                                                   The big stone herself, Long Meg.. (and me)

                                                             What's Jack doing??

Back at home, I didn't know how the horses would respond but they were keen to go out - Pickles galloping! and soon had heads down eating. The donkeys as ever were curious, following me about the field.

The next pic is hilarious - Billy, as ever following me close, got in the way just as I took the photo of Robbie and Dinky in the background, Great close up of his 'tuft'!!

 And here are a few of the sheep, round one of the feeders..

And just to end...these are pics I snapped of Red yesterday, obviously waiting for ...what???

And a close up - just to show the taped seat. Chewed of course by guess who???

The word 'ridiculous' doesn't begin to cover it...

Bye for now,
Sally

Snow in the Eden Valley

Hi from snowy Cumbria! We haven't got loads, but more up here than in Penrith  - and enough to make it all look really fresh and white - a nice change after the muddy, dull and damp days over the Xmas period. I don't think the sun came out at all for 2 weeks!
It started to snow on Sunday afternoon - that really silent snowing that is so atmospheric. We had friends here from London and we joked that if they had been getting a later train back they might have had to stay! but even though there was soon a covering, (and more by next morning) it was not enough to be a problem. It all disappeared once some sun came out but started again last night - a gorgeous frosty evening with a beautiful new moon hanging in the clear sky - and the snow seems set to stay today but we will see. The weather here changes so quickly - which is maybe why I bang on about it so much!? and that it really affects us, I suppose.  We are much more conscious of the elements, perhaps, than if we lived in a city...

 Blencathra in the distance...

\Looking towards Appleby and the Yorkshire Dales..

The Lakeland Fells

Snow on the house and car,,(fascinating!?)



So, the tups have now come out of the fields with their girls and feeding is much easier - Colin and the tup lambs in one bit of the farm and all the ewes together in one field..(some are this years lambs who won't produce till next year and the others hopefully will have lambs in May) The sheep are mainly reliant on their hay racks whilst the fields are covered in snow, but because it's not that deep, they can dig a bit too.
The horses went out yesterday and because the snow had gone by afternoon, the were able to get some grass. They also 'dig' for grass, which I think is good for them - makes them 'work' for their food like they would in the wild.. Dinky is funny however - clearly doesn't like the grass in the valley and wants to go in one of the top fields where the grass is better. So she comes back up the track to stand looking over the gate! big hint...Fancy having 11 acres of valley to wander round in and not wanting it! However Jonathan doesn't want the field to get too chewed up by the horses, and we need to save the grass for the sheep when they are nearer to lambing..(so limited access, Dinky - sorry!)

Heads down - can't be too bad..

Looking down the track..

'Are you ready to go mum?'

I went for a walk round the valley last week, thinking how everything seems so 'dead' (not helped by the dull weather) but actually, this is how it is meant to be, isn't it?  Nature regenerating herself by resting. All that life force that becomes the activity in Spring is still there, under the earth, just waiting.. I love that miracle! and it made me realise that possibly it's why christmas-time doesn't work easily for me. Maybe people also should be resting - reflecting and just 'being' whilst the nights are long and dark, instead of rushing about shops and being busy and sociable (and usually stressed!)
So that's my little Thought for the Day! I heard the birds singing the other day and the days are definitely getting lighter so although we have a long way to go yet - and all sorts of weather (snow, rain, gales??)  Spring WILL COME!!!  Yay..  And this is where we are 'meant to be' at the moment....
bye fir now,
Sally