A Strange Springtime 2020

- Murdock's lambs born Tuesday 24th March -

This is a strange start to Spring 2020, living in Covid19 isolation measures. In this weird time I'm trying to stay distracted from the negative news cycle with the goings on here at home. I'm a home body, so as long as I get to see my animals and spend some time outside with them each day, I can keep sane and entertained. And I'm living in my parents house, so I have company. My new routine is working from home in the week and spending time outside with the animals on weekends.

Over the last few days, we've had gloriously warm, sunny clear blue skies. It's been amazing weather to meet Murdock's two new lambs (now there are 4 babies) and three new horses who've just arrived on the yard.

- Murdock and her babies and plenty of poo -

- Panda (front) has a black nose and Moon (behind) has a pink nose -

- Skittles and Murdock together with their lambs -

- Oscar doesn't find new lambs as exciting as I do -

- Skittles lambs are two weeks old
they’ve have grown significantly since they were born -

Life at Home...

While we're living in lock down I'm responsible for food shopping once a week. The three of us at home are adjusting to being around each other almost 24/7. Apart from an occasional supply run, we really are here all day. It feels really strange working at home, then going out to the animals and waving hello to people from across a field. Knowing that for the next while at least, we can't get close to each other. No catching up over a cup of tea or making plans for summer. This eery atmosphere reminds me of the movement controls we had during the foot and mouth outbreak when I was a child.

I love living in this Village and I'm grateful for the freedom we have in open fields and footpaths around us. If we weren't allowed to leave our homes I don't know how I'd manage. And if Oscar wasn't walked, his guilt trips would be unbearable.

- Kiwi and the chickens sharing breakfast -

- Kiwi, the chickens and Oscar sharing breakfast -

The three new horses are polo ponies and they're here for the next few months. Two mares and a gelding; Ayla, 2 yrs old is an inquisitive dark bay mare, Circa, a beautiful almost black bay mare and Ramon, a light bay gelding. Ramon loves a good head scratch and some fuss.

By early Spring every year, I'm desperate for a little sunshine. When the sun's out I like to take my big DSLR camera around with me or use my phone to capture the day. I've being taking photos of the beautiful light and Spring growth and the animals all recovering from a long wet winter. Kiwi's out of his rug during the day, the lambs are growing more independent and the new horses are settling in with their sheep companions.