Death by Sheep

A whole week without creativity...unless you call getting 29 escaped sheep out of forestry creative!

Hubby and I have been looking after 32 sheep, 3 goats, hens, ducks and a turkey for neighbours. It's been great fun. Knackering but fun.

If you want to learn about animal husbandry, forget James Herriot, ignore the old 'Emmerdale Farm', and watch Shaun the Sheep! It's exactly what sheep are like!

It's been an informative week. 

I've learnt how to feed sheep without being trampled; how to treat minor foot complaints; when to call the vet; how to get sheep to follow you; how to steer them and most importantly, how not too (they weigh more than you do!); how to get stuck going through a barb wired fence with a herd of sheep on my heels; how to get unstuck whilst keeping hold of a bucket containing sheep food , as said herd overtake me (and not one of the buggers stopped to help me!); how to check for prolapses (because sometimes 'lamb beds' come away when ewes are heavily pregnant); how to rescue lambs who have climbed into their hay rack (only to find they didn't need rescuing after all because they could jump out); how sheep antibiotic spray turns your hands blue: how to calm a sheep when a vet shoves his hand up her bum; and just when you think you have had enough, how to scratch them behind their ears when they want you to make a fuss of them, nudging you if you stop making a fuss of them before they are ready, making your heart melt!

And we mustn't forget the turkey who loves cuddles or the hen who wants you to carry her around all day, with you stroking her like a criminal mastermind strokes a white furry cat rofl, or the goats who sulk if you forget their apple!

Animals are much more aware than we give them credit for!

It was tiring but my, so much fun.  I wish I could back to tell 7 year old me, busy playing with her Britain's Farm Animals, that one day she would get to do it for real!

It's at the end of a treatment cycle and I had an infection so when their real mummy and daddy came back, I'm afraid I was bed bound for a day or two.

Just before sheep duty took over however, I had another play with my acrylics. The photos are nowhere as vibrant as the real pictures but I LOVE this abstract art form!

Hopefully, after a couple more nights sleep and chemo on Thursday, I can do some more and actually do some stitching.  I've got a couple of things I want to get finished, including an embroidery piece I started when I visited the Irish Embroidery Guild.

Fingers crossed for some crafting!

Until then, I would like to leave you with some beautiful flowers my children surprised me with for Mothering Sunday.  I wasn't expecting a delivery so it was a real pick me up.  I also had lots of chocolates but they seem to have disappeared!

What more can a mother ask for?

TTFN xxxxx