Breakfast at sunrise

A buzzard (wrong lens) fly past.

The Duill lochan had a fine layer of ice this morning.

Farmer had to rugby tackle one of the tups this morning as he had twine on his leg.  Brownie took advantage of Farmer being otherwise engaged to start his breakfast before everyone else.

Into the Haunn field, and the ewes were waiting.

A sprinkling of sheep

It has been a beautiful day.  We woke to a powdering of snow - other parts of the island had A LOT more. 

The sun was clearly on its way, but it takes a good while before it reaches the fields below the house, where the hoggs were waiting for Farmer.

8 Barnacle geese flew off as we approached.

We made a trip to Dervaig to the shop, where we collected our paper. There was not going to be a postal delivery today as the roads are too bad.

The Loch Cuin narrows were looking lovely.  As were the snow flakes over the fields just before Calgary.

We had seen this dead ewe yesterday on the beach but couldn't see her ear tag to see which farm she might have belonged to.  The Black backed gulls and Hooded crows were enjoying the carrion.  Today Farmer went to have a look.  She was one of ours.  He will go and get her tomorrow.  It does sometimes happen that they graze out on to the rocks and get stranded, or washed into the sea.  Not good.

Once home, the dogs needed walking and Farmer wanted to show me some drainage he needs to do in the Coronation Meadow.

We stopped off to see the new colours in West Cottage bedroom and bathroom, which look very smart.

And the ewes in the Black Park seemed to be enjoying the late afternoon sun as much as we were.

Alice was in a very friendly mood.

And as I looked back towards Haunn and over to Tiree there was an ice rainbow.  A lovely end to the walk.   Farmer closed up the cattle shed and got the dog food onto soak.  Back to Dervaig to collect Daughter before the temperature dropped too much, and froze the wet roads.

Stormy moments

There has been terrible weather all across the country over the last week or so, so we have not been alone.  It is a relief though that the winds today are down to more normal breezy (30mph-ish) speeds - and we are lucky we have not had any snow. 

Here are some moments from the last couple of days.

And today..

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!