tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20307185572916956892026-06-19T22:32:47.203+01:00Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.comBlogger1580125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-20316723362767664662026-06-17T18:30:36.882+01:002026-06-17T18:30:36.882+01:00

I wanted to take Ida out with one of the sweet boys (as I call them). One easy way to choose between the two of them is just to walk up to the gate and call for them both, and then whoever comes to me first gets to go for the walk. This time Wee Matt noticed me first. I was planning to use this as a halter training session for Ida, but she was very happy exploring on her own - I didn't feel like

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-78149075703791058582026-06-15T15:45:00.000+01:002026-06-15T15:45:00.116+01:00

I received the usual greeting when I visited the pets one Sunday evening - either Billy or Wee Matt leading the charge. This time it was Billy.Imelda.Ivy.  Kerry. Heidi. Billy. Ivy and Iris being very cute sisters. Kerry. Wee Matt and Billy enjoying the whins.   Iris. Ivy again - from day one, she's been very photogenic. 

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-71683518252282420252026-06-13T15:38:03.698+01:002026-06-13T15:38:03.698+01:00

I took the long lens out to take some photos of the flock at sunset. Of course as soon as I arrived in the field, everyone run to the shady spot.Out of the shade, the light was lovely.Flossie and Patricia.Bella and her two lambs.Patricia.The lamb I call permanently startled.Flossie.Martha and her lamb.These weren't quite the photos I was hoping for, but I think I got a few nice ones in the end.

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-45908265564386438532026-06-10T18:46:00.000+01:002026-06-10T18:46:00.113+01:00

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-81677958617285448192026-06-08T18:48:25.035+01:002026-06-08T18:48:25.035+01:00

The first batch of pet lambs (barring Ida and Ivan) to be treated to an evening wander were Erin, Ruby and Ilsa. The daffodils were still out when these photos were taken. Here's Erin:Ruby.It was the first time outside for these lambs. They weren't sure what to make of things at first.They felt brave enough to do some running around.Ilsa, the youngest, was a bit more clingy and would hardly leave

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-73195363412413798892026-05-28T22:07:07.391+01:002026-05-28T22:07:07.392+01:00

I love flowers but can't garden for the life of me, so when the daffodils bloom on the lane every year I am very happy to see them.Halter training for Jim started in the yard. I thought I'd take the opportunity to introduce him to the daffodils.The pets wanted to join in the fun too.For being a good boy, Jim got some off halter time too.  Wee Matt really felt like he was missing out.I

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-81716884080184351782026-05-18T22:22:53.658+01:002026-05-18T22:22:53.933+01:00

Hello and welcome to my very long post about lambing - every year I fall behind with posting on here because lambing keeps me so busy, so to start with getting back on track again I'm going to condense everything that happened in the shed into the one post. There will be lambs!This lamb was an early one. I fell instantly in love with his permanently startled expression.His proud mummy.Lots of

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-38912336716395440162026-05-06T18:43:00.000+01:002026-05-06T18:43:25.458+01:00

I got a new camera lens for my birthday. I was keen to get it out to try. It's a wide-angle one, wider than I've ever had before. Billy and Ida joined me for a wee walk.The wider angle is good for selfies.And big landscapes.Ida was enjoying the freedom.I like this one because we're all in it - it's like a bonus wee puzzle to spot us.Ida did a little bit of exploring on her own.But not for

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-50421395676554146142026-05-01T22:25:00.004+01:002026-05-01T22:25:44.261+01:00

I took these photos on my birthday in early March. I was lucky that my birthday this year was one of the nicest days we'd had in 2026 so far, and of course I wanted to round off the day with a quick visit with my dearest woolly friends.Primrose and wee Ivy. In for that all-important drink.Irving.Esther's distinctive silhouette.Imelda, Astrid's ewe lamb.Ivy.Tess with the babies for size

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-80441365871750526452026-04-29T18:27:00.001+01:002026-04-29T18:27:00.127+01:00

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-36477814043490760082026-04-20T18:23:00.001+01:002026-04-20T18:23:06.549+01:00

At the end of February, after some halter training around the yard, I thought Ida was ready for a walk out and about - I know I certainly was, having kept the sheep at home during the Bluetongue scare in December, and then Dad's injury and poor weather leaving me far too busy to walk sheep anywhere in January. The weather was mild on this day, and I thought that a wee walk in Tollymore would be

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-57481201378240875432026-04-12T18:02:00.003+01:002026-04-12T18:02:39.173+01:00

Just some photos of baby Ida on a little walk. She took to the halter pretty well and is always happy to join in with whatever I'm doing.          

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-76222910707742879392026-04-09T18:56:00.001+01:002026-04-09T18:56:08.366+01:00

The seemingly endless rain that dogged us throughout January and February wasn't so endless after all - we were forecast one and a half days precipitation-free, so the lambs, two weeks old by now, were chucked out into the field. Irving, Astrid's tip lamb. Ivy, one of Primrose's girls. Even with her slightly deformed lower jaw, she's a cutie. Astrid.  Ivy is very photogenic. 

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-64289241982969049622026-04-06T21:40:00.000+01:002026-04-06T21:40:04.925+01:00

I wound up with two pet lambs from my six pet ewes. I called them Ida and Ivan. One Sunday afternoon in February, between showers that plagued us all month, I dusted off the lamb-sized snoods and took some photos of the lambs in the yard. Ida was wearing a green snood because it was my late granny's favourite colour, and Ida is named after her. Ivan was very hard to photograph - he wouldn't

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-91870051393128903432026-03-27T21:18:00.001+00:002026-03-27T21:18:23.015+00:00

The first day of February was mild and dry compared to the cold, wet slog that was January. I finally had some spare time to take Billy and Wee Matt for a short walk around sunset. It was the first walk we had of the year. After a tough winter, it was just wonderful to sit in the field with my sweet boys. It's hard to believe, but despite being the furthest travelled sheep on the farm, Billy

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-16498573564322277262026-03-05T22:19:00.002+00:002026-03-05T22:19:48.148+00:00

There's a small field where Blue Belle spends her winters, at the bottom of the Dump Field. By January this year she had it all eaten and she looked so sad (a tiny horse with a long face, I know), I took pity on her and let her join the ewe hoggets. She was so much happier to have some sheep to boss around. Her high spirits were lovely to see. One Sunday I took the camera out to get some photos

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-64879289894878758722026-02-15T11:43:00.000+00:002026-02-15T11:43:36.569+00:00

I had six ewes set to lamb early this year. Vera went first - she needed help with a big single tip on 17th January. I got them both into a pen, but Vera wasn't very interested in him and the lamb didn't make any efforts to stand. Over the next 24 hours, I kept checking on them both. Vera was a first-time mum, and she had lots of milk, but the lamb didn't stand until the following day. When he

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-3177484398227032332026-02-04T22:05:00.002+00:002026-02-04T22:05:14.481+00:00

The ewes and tips are still at Bannon's Land where they spend their winter. Now that Christmas is over, we're in the wettest, most miserable bit of winter - it's raining half the time, cold and muddy. Soon these sheep will be coming home and before we blink, lambing will be upon us! In the meantime, I took half an hour out of a slightly less hectic day to sit at the feeder with my camera and see

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-81862805027200122062026-01-23T22:22:00.000+00:002026-01-23T22:22:08.669+00:00

On the final day of 2025, we awoke to a big frost. There had been a few recently, but after my dad's injury just before Christmas, I had been dashing off every morning to feed the sheep at Bannon's Land. I decided on this morning to take the time to visit the pets with the camera.   Tess.     Everyone was pleased to see me.   Billy and Primrose. 

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-723622572877090922026-01-08T21:54:00.001+00:002026-01-08T21:54:00.182+00:00

Winter is so often grey, wet and cold, so to have a day that's a bit warmer with blazing sunshine is a special treat. I was out feeding the lambs with the dogs and brought the camera. I had the idea of filling the feeder and sitting on the ground beside it to see what I could get. I didn't intend for everything to be so backlit, but I think it worked out well. The ewe lambs were looking for

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-36103423649622841072026-01-07T21:52:00.001+00:002026-01-07T21:52:00.120+00:00

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-72279615023569324572025-12-30T21:48:00.000+00:002025-12-30T21:48:50.875+00:00

The few days leading up to Christmas were very busy for me. On the 21st, Dad had managed to fall out of a tractor cab and break five ribs. I was therefore at home and in charge while the hospital kept him in for a few days for close monitoring and pain management. I kept our animals fed, made lots of bale deliveries, and ate lunch whenever I had the time. I collected Dad on Christmas Eve, and we

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-29570957571490995982025-12-26T21:38:00.001+00:002025-12-26T21:38:00.125+00:00

Shortly before Christmas, I took Poppy out to see the Christmas tree in town. The trouble is, the town is very distracting! I managed to get a few photos of Poppy with Christmas lights in the end. I hope you had a lovely Christmas if you celebrate, and if not, I hope you had a lovely Thursday.

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-80336190486779368262025-12-23T21:55:00.002+00:002025-12-23T21:55:35.228+00:00

I spent some time with the pets. It's one of my favourite things to do. They have a bale of silage now, which they are loving. Astrid said hello. Rosie was ignoring me. She was busy. Astrid had something on her face. Fern coming over. Tess. Billy. Tess and Helly. Helly. Sweet Billy. Helly. Vera relaxing. Rosie finally came over for some treats. Titch. Kerry.

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2030718557291695689.post-34868043310418252212025-12-17T22:21:00.000+00:002025-12-17T22:21:26.784+00:00

I had taken Wee Matt for a walk in a forest - twice - so I thought it was time to see how he coped with a busy town. He was also testing a prototype halter that I'd made, so he was a busy boy. We managed to get parked on the main street, so there was no building up to being next to so much traffic. In typical Wee Matt fashion, he didn't seem to mind. He was only interested in treats. We met a

Ruthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17993614760240750546noreply@blogger.com0