It's finally here, the silly season we have been preparing for! Lambing time has started in earnest so the farming team are incredibly busy. Reinforcements from the village are turning up on a daily basis as our neighbours have kindly worked their shifts to help with the pet lambs. The lambing 'student' arrives on Monday - I say student, Brian has been coming to help out while studying veterinary at university in London for the last 10 years. He's been qualified for four years now but we still manage to persuade him to come back and help out and of course we can't forget the little apprentices! They can't wait for the Easter holidays to start next week so they can get involved.
Here's a little video of them from last year explaining their duties - they haven't forgotten!
Meanwhile the hut team (that's mum, Emma and me!) continue with the daily duties of cleaning, changes and of course mum can't help but add more flowers! She's planted daffodils and now that the garden is just beginning to bloom again with early signs of Spring, the flowers are appearing in every available vessel!
We love our rural location in the countryside. Although it is our workplace, it is relaxing and beautiful in every season. Lambing time is very labour intensive and incessant, evening shifts are a necessity, it's like having a newborn child, getting up every couple of hours to check the ewes, put the lambs and mothers in individual pens and being on hand for any animal the might need a bit of extra help. Yet there is so much satisfaction with every lamb that is born, cared for and reared here. As they get stronger the ewes and lambs will be turned out into the cricket field and you will see them frolicking down the valley as they grow in confidence to leave mum behind and run with the other lambs having fun.
We're lucky in that if I can manage to get the children to have a day off from their farming duties, there is so much to do and places to visit. We're a big fan of Woldie's Lavender and Nature Farm, which re-opens for the 2022 season this weekend. There's fish to spot, butterflies to identify and a brilliant maize with games to try in different locations and a woodland walk with dens to build along the way. The children love riding around the lavender, watching the purple glow on the miniature railway.
In the other direction there's Sledmere House, it has a fantastic playground and small petting farm as well as seasonal events including their Fluffy Tail Trail over Easter. The grounds are stunning, designed by the renowned Capability Brown and the house is open once again for the Spring/Summer season.
We've still got some Easter availability so have a look and get booked in and if you see a tired looking farmer or children in boiler suits, give them a wave and a smile, it might just get them through the next night shift!
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