Getting Busy

Lambing is now well underway with most of the pens full. They stay in the individual pens until feeding is established and they are ready to join a group.

Wednesday night was particularly busy with a rush of lambs born between 2 and 4 am. So yesterday morning I went out with older daughter to help her get sorted out.

While we were bottle feeding lambs and feeding the ewes about 4 or 5 more ewes had their lambs. Amongst these was one ewe that had triplets and one who had just a single. Triplets are always a lot for one ewe so one was taken away immediately and given to the ewe with one. It is important that the ewe thinks it is her own so the secretions from her are rapidly wiped onto the foster lamb. An empty bucket has been used to do this. 

Once the mother had met them they were taken out for her to clean as normal. Hopefully she will accept it as her own.

No doubt the next few days and nights will be equally busy with more lambs appearing.

Take Three Thursday: Red in Nature

Today I am joining Mary-Lou in her Thursday meme taking three photos with a common theme. Today I have been inspired by the camellia outside my window which is currently covered in blooms. They are bright red, a notoriously difficult colour to photograph. I am not sure this shows the true colour.

I have then searched through my recent photos. This is one from our visit to Larnach Castle on the Otago Peninsula, New Zealand. A Bottlebrush tree in the castle gardens.

This red toadstool was also in New Zealand under a tree in Queens Park, Invercargill. 

We searched for the pixies but couldn't find them!

Primrose Time

It's that kind of time of year around here when there are primroses everywhere. When you drive along they are in the hedgerows. You glimpse banks of them in quite unexpected places. A few days ago I went to see how they are looking in our quarry. I wasn't disappointed. There were lots of random clumps of them.

Then what we refer to the Casualty bank was covered in them. 

                                                                     

So do you know why we call it that? I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned it but it was used some 20 odd years ago in an episode of Casualty. It was before we owned the quarry and was the setting for a bit of schoolboy bullying when the culprit (a stunt man in reality) was pushed down that bank.

Primroses aren't the only flower to be seen. There are a few oxlips about.

Then of course there are a multitude of stunningly yellow celandines.

The catkins are out.

Then a few bits of Old Man's Beard still cling on.

A Canny Logo

I have made a couple of visits to a local garden centre lately. It is an independent family run nursery that can always be guaranteed to have some quality plants. It's logo is a watering can with a giant one on the side of the road outside.

The entrance in the car park is equally novel.

With a great weather vane.

There are watering cans wherever you look including outside the loos.

Watering cans also make could plant containers.

I have an old one planted up in the garden. I promise you a photo soon.

Memos, Mail, Me and Monday

Well we have bounced around to Monday again and my goodness what a beautiful weekend it has been. The sun has been shining and we all feel a lot better for it! So sending a sunny wave to Sian and all the Monday bloggers!

So what has dropped through the letterbox this week? Mainly bills, statements and the usual amount of trash which heads straight to the recycling. There was however one very important envelope which I somehow knew had to be saved till Sunday for opening. It was of course a Mother's Day card from the absent student. 

It was Mother's Day or as my Gran always said Mothering Sunday here in the UK. The absent student had already given me a lovely bunch of tulips when she was home last weekend. They are still looking beautiful.

Older daughter is what you you might call "a chip off the old block" or her father's daughter. She had dashed out and bought me some delicious chocolates. Flowers though? Why would you want to go out and buy flowers when the florist is sure to be charging over the rate because of the special date particularly when the whole garden and drive is covered in tempting daffodils? She was caught in the act by her auntie "thinning " the flower borders but they still look lovely to me especially with the classy bow.

Don't worry Lady Ella they were from our gardens and not from the side of the road!

In they Come

Now that the ewes have come close to their time the lambing shed has been prepared and the expectant mum's have come in.

They are now in the dry and ready for action!

Meanwhile older daughter's calves that she bought last year have spent the winter in the shed. They will soon be able to go out in the fields when everything is a little drier.

The First

Part of being a farmer is being prepared to change plans at short notice. Older daughter was planning to go out last night. Her last job before finishing for the day was to check the sheep. They are getting close to lambing but are still out in the field. She came dashing in to say one was lambing and that she would need to go back before her night out.

So after getting changed for the evening it was back into her overalls and back down the field. I went with her as it was dark by now. Luckily the lamb was born so ewe and lamb were brought back to the farm.

Every year it is a little bit of excitement when the first lamb is born. She has had a healthy looking single.

So the cycle of life begins again.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Spring

I am joining Nancy today with her photo a week challenge. The subject this week is Spring. The daffodils are everywhere at the moment and don't they just look gorgeous. I took this last week in my mum's garden.

Take Three Thursday: A Clock in Three Parts

Do I need to apologise for taking you back to Prague? It's time to join Mary-Lou with her meme choosing three pictures with a theme. I have chosen the three parts of a clock. First however I shall show you a picture of the whole clock.

                    

 

When my daughter visited Prague last summer I was very interested to see her pictures of the Prague astronomical clock and was looking forward to seeing it. The oldest part of the clock was made in 1410. It has been added to and restored over the centuries. It is situated on the wall of the Old Town City Hall on the tower that I showed last week.

The top of the clock has windows that open each hour and a parade of 12 wooden figures of the apostles appear. When they finish the cockerel crows and then the bell rings the hour.

The rather macabre characters around the astronomical clock also move. The astronomical dial depicts the medieval idea of the Universe. The dials show 4 different times; Old Czech Time, Central European time, Babylonian time where the length of an hour differs according to the season and Sidereal time. This clock is the only one in the world able to measure Babylonian time.

The most modern part of the clock is at the bottom and is the Calendar clock. The centre shows the symbol of Old Prague town. Every single date is itemised around the very edge of the clock with the current day marked at the top. Further in are symbols of each zodiac sign and each calendar month.

So much to read in one clock!

Shall I be naughty and show you another picture? This is the view of the clock by night.

It's Spring

It has been very chilly the last day or two but at least the sun has been shining. There was a definite feel of Spring about as I drove to Nailsea. The daffodils look beautiful as you climb up onto Backwell Hill.

They look pretty good in our drive too.

The Final Choice.

The time has come to show the final choices for Eileen's Winter Photography Scavenger Hunt. It has been great fun taking and choosing the photos. It has been equally good fun looking at everyone else's choices.

So here goes with the final line up. 

1. Layers.

The remarkable layered rocks on the west coast of South Island New Zealand known as Pancake Rocks.

2. Raindrops 

We all see plenty of these!

3. Key. 

A typewriter on the window sill of a bar in Prague where we stopped for a late afternoon beer. Can you spot anything a bit different about these keys?

4. A signpost with an image of an animal.

I couldn't choose a favourite! All found in New Zealand.

5. Fur

It has to be this figure of the faithful and hard working collie at Lake Tekapo, New Zealand. A monument to the invaluable part these dogs play in sheep farming in the Mackenzie region.

Or feather.

Again in New Zealand. The only penguin we saw at Curio Bay.

6. River

The amazing Huka Falls on the Waikato River, North Island New Zealand. 

Or Canal

The first stretch on the Certovka canal as it branches off from the River Vitava in Prague.

7. Glassware 

Some Bohemian glass in a shop window in Prague. The glassware looked particularly enticing by night when the windows were lit up.

8. A seasonal treat.

Christmas seems a long time ago but this festive stall had all sorts of festive treats on offer in the Southgate Shopping Centre in Bath. 

9. Diamond 

A diamond shape incorporated into a window in the entrance to Chew Stoke Chapel. I spotted this when packing away after this month's lunch club for senior citizens.

10. Winter weather.

This sign comes out each year when we have potatoes for sale from September to March/ April. Any hint of snow will bring the customers flooding in to stock up with a large bag to keep them going in case the weather gets worse.

11. A photo taken outside at night.

This fairy tale picture of Tyn Church is from The Old Town Square in Prague. It was our view while sat eating our supper outside.

12. A market

We came across this in Tekapo, New Zealand. It is the loading ramps of an outdoor sheep market. We were not sure whether it is still used but we could imagine the thousands of sheep being transported here and held in pens ready to be auctioned.

Or market stall

Some tasty colourful snacks for sale at a stall by the river in Prague.

13. Cogs

The intricate workings of a pocket watch.

Or gears.

This shows the two gear sticks on the classy little four wheel drive which is used as a work horse around the farm. 

14. Repetition 

A large number of flip flops as part of a Sculpture at the Headland Sculpture on the Gulf on Waiheke Island, New Zealand.

15. Hands

Touching the plaque of St John of Nepomuk on Charles Bridge, Prague. It is said that it will bring you back to Prague again.

16. A memory of your childhood.

Our beloved childhood rocking horse. Ridden and adored by many children.

17. A church with a tower or spire.

The cathedral of Saint Vitus has two spires and a tower. Only one spire is visible in this view taken from the busy courtyard of Prague Castle.

18. Tools 

My choice for this is a little obscure. This is the Statue of Justice on the roof of the Guildhall, Bath. She holds in her hands the 'tools' of justice. A sword representing the power and strength of justice and the scales to represent the balance and fairness.

19. Bird table 

Made by my daughter.

Or bird feeder.

I love this home made feeder hung in a tree in Petrin Park, Prague

20. Cold

A glacial cave at the terminal end of Fox Glacie, New Zealand. Imagine the temperature of that melting water.

21. Hygge

An impromptu gathering in Old Town Square, Prague to watch the bubbles. A feeling of community and well being is seen in the watching crowd.

A. Pine cone.

One of the many by Lake Tekapo.

B. Shadow.

It has been suggested that this is Mary Poppins. I'm afraid it's just me!

C. Angel

I have shown these angels climbing Jacobs Ladder on the front of Bath Abbey before. This one appears to be a bit of a fallen angel.

So that's it! All over for another year. Many thanks to Eileen for hosting this and I look forward to popping over to see everyone else's finds.