Pictures of our lovely calves

Sean and Greg with their orange bucket

Greg still looks hungry while Sean is sleepy

Pictures of the new little lamb having a drink

Little lamb is having some milk while Winnie stands guard

Pirate is being patient and Winnie has lost interest

Our new babies

Lately, we have had some new additions to our farm family. Beautiful cuddly babies.

On Saturday we had a lovely girl lamb born to our ewe called Pirate (she has big black patches around both of her eyes). Both mum and baby are doing very well. The lamb has fitted right in to the gang of lambs that wander around together. They jump and play with each other and wander as far away from the ewes as possible. All the while their mothers keep a watchful eye. Winnie, the alpaca, is supposed to be the guardian of the flock but, sometimes he can be seen to be chewing on grass while looking in completely the opposite direction to which the lambs are heading. We haven't had a lamb taken by a fox in a while though so, he must be doing something right.

Our other babies are two calves by the names of Greg and Sean (named by the children, after friends of ours). It does seem quite silly to be calling out "Here Greg, here Sean" when I go out to feed them their milk. They are two weeks old and need to have milk twice a day. When they spot the orange bucket from which they suck their milk, they get very excited! I love their 'cuddles' and see them as a sign of affection when in actual fact, they are merely hungry! They will suck on anything within their reach. Even each others' noses. They have tried to suck on the dogs ears and noses but, the kelpie and collie were not impressed.

It is lovely to be around them as they are so gentle. Their eyes are big and wide. They bat their eyelashes when they are sucking on the milk teat. It really is gorgeous to watch.

The Three Little Pigs are at it Again!

On Friday afternoon just gone, I received a phone call from my lovely neighbour Stephen, from Cloud Farm. He politely informed me that there were three little pigs at the top of his road ( this being approximately a kilometre from our farm). Immediately my thoughts turned to the previous week...

I had been walking along the track towards the pig pen and not long before I reached the pen, I stopped and hid behind a nearby tree. I could see Elf (our Border Collie) and Inu (our Kelpie) on the outside of the pig pen fence. On the inside of the fence, Spot, Pinky and Fudge were nose to nose with the dogs. It looked like they were deep in discussion. There was the occasional grunt, as if to acknowledge a good point made. Tails were wagging excitedly. The five animals looked as though they were planning to orchestrate some kind of secret operation. In my position behind the tree, I was able to observe their goings on for a minute or two. After that, I decided to let them know that The Boss was around to quash any plans of escape that they may have. They quickly dispersed at the sight of the human approaching...

Now, facing the dilemma of  three pigs on the road, I remembered their little gathering. My suspicions became reality and I felt duped! Had the dogs helped them escape?

Forming a plan in my mind as I gathered the necessary bits and pieces, I called to the boys. They were instructed to go down and open the pig pen gate, then proceed to the yard gate and stand guard. They did their job well.

My Mum had come for a visit and a cup of tea. She certainly got more than that. I asked her to carry a bucket of pig pellets, and I grabbed a loaf of bread. Together we set off up the hill towards Cloud Farm. It was a long walk up the steep hill. The weather, which had been lovely and sunny, suddenly turned cold, dark and started to rain. It was an ominous sign. Would we make it in time? Did the pigs have plans to reel us in and then dart off in some other direction? We trudged on and on... 

Finally we reached the spot where the three scoundrels stood grazing on grass at the side of the road. Stephen (our loyal neighbour) gave us a wave. By this time, the wind had started to pick up. I called to Stephen to thank him but, he could not hear me. He waved again, smiled, and then climbed into the warmth and comfort of his car, and drove up into the clouds. 

The pigs looked up towards us, their ears flopping in the wind. Their sharp vision focused in on the bag of bread. I had their one weakness in my hand. Food! The three of them came running towards us. Ears flopping, tails wagging, grunting and squealing with delight. Pinky lunged at Mum, who was holding the bucket, and nearly knocked her over! I acted quickly and threw some bread pieces on the ground. This worked well. The pigs followed the bread trail eagerly...Wee wee wee, all the way home!

The boys were waiting at the pen, they secured the gate once all three escapees were safely inside.

The three masterminds have been contained once more but, they are not to be underestimated. They are clever, and choose their moments wisely. They must be kept under close surveillance. There are other animals here that may be influenced by these three trouble makers. 

Consequently, the weekend was spent reinforcing the pig pen fences!

Glorious Sunshine

Today was a most beautiful day. The sun was warm and everything was crystal clear. When the air that we breathe is fresh, we can experience a kind of clarity. It's so lovely to see your world on a clear, sunny day. Almost all troubles can be forgotten when the glorious sunshine grabs our attention. It's just a matter of noticing the change.

Spreading the sunshine is easy. It can be as simple as just smiling at someone that you pass in the street. I know that if someone smiles at me, I cannot help but smile back. It's contagious!

Even the animals seem to smile back at me...! The flowers lift their heads, the trees sway in the breeze...! Colours are brighter. Everything seems at ease.