Woollies

 

Mother's Day present from Sara. It's lovely.

 Monday, March 15 

Spring = lambs. To the BBC it certainly does. Last night's Countryfile was devoted to all things sheep, lambing at Adam's Cotswold farm, the wool trade, sheep that do not require shearing, and the plight of sheep farmers now that it costs more to shear a sheep than the fleece fetches. Farmers are bound by law to shear their sheep once a year, for the health of the sheep.

Zwartbles sheep and twin lambs - Stalham 2021

 

When I was growing up, shearing in May was a time for excitement and celebration.. My father was one of the local men asked to help shear the sheep. By hand clippers, I still have dad's, wrapped in an oily rag. 

We kids were also welcomed. The boys would chase around the straw floored pen wrestling the sheep to the waiting shearer. Girls were in charge of the tar pot and brush, ready to dab any cuts on the sheep.Only once did I volunteer to do the catching and wrestling. It was hot, messy, hard work - and I got covered in sheep muck. After a year or two I was promoted to fleece rolling with the farmer's wife. Tail, leg and neck parts neatly folded in and then the fleece rolled into a small bale, added to a well packed sack. The lanolin in the wool was very kind to the hands.

Best of all was the farmhouse tea afterwards. Ham sandwiches, the meat and bread home produced, cakes and biscuits. All workers welcome.

Dad also helped with rounding up the sheep from the mountains beforehand, riding either Bolas the pony or Dick the carthorse. In retrospect I don't know how he fitted everything in. Night shift at the mine, council meetings and brass band practice with the odd bit of trout fishing and rabbit hunting thrown in. He would have been happier farming, but as the oldest of nine children, the better paid job was more important. Another reward was a few rows of potatoes and swede planted for him, and then delivered by the farmer in the Autumn. The sacks saw us through the winter. I was privileged to ride in the trailer, and help deliver the veg.

'Our' Blackcap is singing, and feeding again. He's been missing for a week or so. Up to four Siskins and a pair of Brambling are also making regulat feeding visirts. More amorous toads have added to the pond wildlife, still no sign of any frog spawn. We've always had frog spawn.

Tomato and leek seeds have sprouted, the onion sets have been planted, the first potatoes will be planted on Friday. Spring is well on its way, as is the next easing stage of lockdown. After March 29. we can drive further afield legitimately, looking for those much anticipated first migrants. Wheatears are the first joy.

Many Black-headed Gulls now have their full dark brown hood.

 

We have also booked a Scottish holiday, in September, another enjoyable target. Four nights at the Grant Arms followed by five on Ardnamurchan at Heatherbank guesthouse. All the hotels on the peninsula involve climbing stairs to the bedrooms We've stayed at the one level B and B before, finding it very comfortable and scenically situated. We shall make at least one day visit to Mull, easy from Strontian.