Winter feeding

February.  Farmer is on full scale feeding duties.

From frost to haze

Unfortunately I wasn't able to go out in the car today, I didnt have an excuse to go to Dervaig - even though I could see the low lying cloud/fog lying over Loch Cuin from here. There is a tiny dip in the hills above Calgary beach and you can see through to where Loch Cuin lies.  It was beautiful enough here, waiting with the hoggs in the field in front of the house for Farmer to appear with their feed. 

Frost on the ground, and the sun slowly trickling down onto the raised beaches as it rises above the hill behind me.

Farmer took advantage of the hard ground to 'dung out' the cattle shed.  This is the first trailer load, from the bull pen.

Down at Haunn, sunshine on lichens and a changeover in East Cottage.

Then off to collect the marmalade for this year's guests, and this extraordinary light, I thought the lens on my camera was smeared with dirt, and had to check it, but it was an almost solid but very fine mist with the sun coming through.

On the way home a purple haze..

Missed (photo) opportunity

A few days ago I saw one of the blackface tups sniffing around a Cheviot ewe in the Black Park.  Farmer told me quite definitely that I couldn't have because the tups were all two fields away.  Then we went away for the weekend.

Yesterday as we were driving somewhere he asked me why I hadn't told him that I had seen a tup in the Black Park....  (His humour, as you know, is quite quirky). He had no idea how he came to be there, as the (other) tups were all two fields away.

This morning he and noble assistant Cap went to feed the ewes and catch the tup.

This is where the missed (photo) opportunity comes in. It all happens very fast.

Quad bike, trailer, dog, feed bag. Into the Black Park. Sheep come running. Tup is with them. Carrying a 20kg bag of nuts for the ewes, Farmer gets close enough to grab the tup.  Drops the bag. Tup runs for it.  Farmer hangs on.  He and tup in a tight wrangle on the ground. Nuts spill out of bag.  Ewes rush in. Farmer on ground with tup in his grasp surrounded by ewes fighting over the pile of spilled nuts.  Farmer puts tup in trailer.  Tup jumps out. Farmer goes in for the catch again.  Tup back in trailer and Farmer drives off at high speed so the tup can't jump out.  Relieved that no one was there to witness his undignified start to the day.

We wait to see if the tup is back with the ewes tomorrow.  (If he is, rest assured this time I will be there with the camera.)

It has been very cold today, as the wind is biting.  Lovely to see the blue sky in between the showers.

It is a busy time for bookings just now, as everyone across the country seems to be thinking about their summer holidays.  We still have spaces though, so do have a look at the availability if you think you might want to come and stay this year.

The last 3 winters we have undertaken big winter maintenance and upgrading projects, and so it is a real relief not to have so much on this winter.  Having said that, Shian is having its redundant chimney taken down, Duill is getting an extra window and the schoolhouse is getting new windows and doors, but no major gutting or re-fitting thank goodness!