Day 5 of this gale and we are all heartily bored of it.
The animals have had enough. Everyone is soaked to the skin and alternating between eating or sheltering. The weather forecast changes hourly so I don’t know when it is likely to stop and give us all a break.
I tell myself that if I brought the horses inside, they would hate it and all rush outside, looking for green grass to eat (while pooing everywhere). So instead, they have their fields with lots of shelter and grass. The daily breakfast buckets are also bigger with extra treats to keep up spirits.
The sheep refuse to go into any field, so they are around the house (outside, mostly) and follow me everywhere looking very hopeful.
Very hopeful indeed (this is Edna – she of indeterminate age and no teeth who is the biggest scrounge I know, though I did find myself taking off my wellies in the porch with Lambie who had managed to barge his way in looking for something to eat!)
In the miserable dreich afternoons, I sit in my shed with Pepper trying hard not to eat my weight in the last of the Lebkuchen (my favourite biscuits), drinking tea and making a sheep.
This family are made of Harrel-the-Barrel’s Shetland black wool which I recently ran through the drum carder.
I have two curly families too.
And then, after sheep making, I do the evening chores – putting the ducks and chickens to bed and checking the sheep have everything they want for the night.
The huge mineral lick is a huge success and they are ripping large chunks out of it – probably because it is molasses based. Sugar addicts all.
And then I tell myself that at least it’s not snowing……