Posie's Blog. Tales of island life on a hebridean hill farm

Posie's Blog. Tales of island life on a hebridean hill farm

Monday 30 April 2007

The Happy Sheep


I sat and had a coffee with the happy farmer on our bench this morning, soaking up the views and the sunshine.

Later as I went for my run, I became a shepherdess. The happy farmer, quad bike and dog, were gathering the sheep and lambs off the hill so that the lambs can be marked with keel over the next few days and have their ears tagged. As I made my way up the far side of the hill so as to avoid them I ran into six cheeky sheep, lambs at foot, who had managed to escape from the farmer and his dog. The chase began; sheep are incredibly ‘nifty’ on their feet and very skilled in avoiding being rounded up. They didn’t herd together, one chose to split up and make a run for it, so I ran for it too, chasing her over the rough ground, catching up with her and steering her down to the lower slopes, and back in the direction of the other sheep, who were incidentally well hidden, as they clung to the rocky slopes of the hill, out of sight. I managed to round them up and follow them across the boggy ground. One old ewe gave up in the end; she turned and faced me, stood her ground and would not budge, so I had to leave her, there was no way I could have carried her. Her lamb followed the crowd though, to the gate where the happy farmer and his dog were waiting.

We stopped for a bite of lunch and then the happy farmer took the quad and trailer to collect the missing ewe, she got to travel in style to the front field where she was reunited her with her lamb.

Sheep gathered the happy farmer is rotovating the vegetable patch, potatoes will be planted tomorrow.

Until next time…

12 comments:

Milla said...

I must start running again, I use all and any and every excuse to avoid it. Mental as much as physical and always something else to blame. And, yes, I do use an iPod.

Suffolkmum said...

A sheperdess as well as everthing else, I salute you! Like Milla, I need to get back into the habit of regular running. At least it's nice and flat round here!

Inthemud said...

You sound very fit, all this running and rounding up sheep. I think the ewe had a the right idea, wait for thr lift!!

toady said...

I couldn't run a temperature at the moment, you sound so fit and healthy. Lovely blogs. Toady

muddyboots said...

We call hubby, happy farmer as well, in fact l think nearly every one round here is known as happy farmer, l don't think we're being cheeky! oh - it's too sunny, of - it's too dry, oh - cow calving, oh - where's the tea then? he he he he!!

Tattieweasle said...

Ah sheep that suddenly stand their ground - happy memories as agric student in dim and distant past. I thought I liked them because they were smaller than me - then met obstinate matriach muleXsuffolk - I was never quite so cocksure again....!

Woozle1967 said...

I envy you the running. I can't do it at all now my lungs are so kna**ered. The mind is willing but the body and all that..... Something I used to take for granted when I was young and fit, and when my nan said that if you could have a wish granted from Wealth, Health or Happiness, she said go for Health, because the others can come if you have health on your side. Wise words. And I do love your blogs and pictures.xx

Milkmaid said...

Sounds like our place I end up doing the running round whilst the boss sits on something shouting at my, like I were a ruddy dog or something, ah country idyll

Pondside said...

Who knew that those lovely cloud-white sheep could require such a lot of energetic work? You'd better keep on running if you are going to go on engaging in this pastoral life!

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

great blog as usual. envy you your ability to run etc. used to run but never got back into it after we moved here and now think it would be the death of me - too many hills!

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