Sunday 14 February 2010

Mollie the Sheepdog, Chinese New Year

Our sheepdog Mollie is being kept very busy these days with moving the sheep out to the fields each morning and back again in the late afternoon. She is very quick and works very well; the Farmer loves her and she adores him and as we have always found, a really good dog is essential to the running of the place.
Lambing is now well under way after a very slow start. We have had  lots of sets of twins which are all doing well.
Ewes and lambs are the most difficult creatures to move. The ewes are concerned with protecting their lambs and the lambs don't know what they are expected to do, so Molly has to be very patient and not get too close as she will then get butted, quite aggressively, by the ewes. Trying to move ewes and lambs is so frustrating for us as well as the dog...the ewes spend all their time going round in circles trying not to lose sight of their babies while the lambs totter behind on their long wobbly legs, in complete bewilderment.

Last night the Farmer & I were out to dinner with some friends who live in beautiful hidden valley down a very long track. Arriving there in the dark was lovely as one comes down the very steep track through woods, round a sharp hair-pin bend and there was the house glimmering through the darkness with tiny strings of lights in the windows. Just like something out of Grimms' fairy-tales though not nearly as scary!
We had a superb Chinese meal that our dear friend J. had cooked to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Apparently we are now in the year of the Tiger.

1 comment:

  1. Hello Jinsy,
    it's so pleasant to read your little stories that are so lively told. Looking forward to new ones every time. Because of the pictures and yor way of describing things it will be feeling as if we are going to visit a familiar place this summer.
    Keep it up please
    Bye bye from Holland

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