This has been on the cards for a while -- and I wanted to do it to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the blog -- but that didn't happen...  :)

For numerous reasons, I am de-Googling my internet life.  (If this strikes you as an odd thing to do and you are wondering why, here's a good explanation...)  Therefore, this blog is now moving/has now moved to https://bwlchyrhyd.wordpress.com/.  Please update your bookmarks.  Also, please note that there's a handy feature on the new blog where you can sign up to get an email when there's a new post.

What's up here now will remain here for the time being, but all new posts will be over at WordPress, so update your bookmarks, etc...

Massive photo dump time....  I have been taking lots of photos -- just haven't had time to sit down and edit and post them!  In no particular order, we'll start with this lovely shot of the evening sun on the fields -- we have been having some amazing weather lately -- I actually had a T-shirt on for a few hours!  :)

First strawberry of the season -- let's hope we manage to get enough this year to make jam!

But in the meantime, they are a lovely addition to my current breakfast of champions:  Homemade yoghurt, rhubarb compote (our own rhubarb), hazelnuts, fresh mint (from the garden) -- the only things in this bowl that we didn't produce here are the milk for the yoghurt (a house cow is still on the list, but a long way off yet), the hazelnuts (but our hazelnut trees are making progress, so I hope that one day...), and the sugar in the rhubarb compote (I did vaguely think once about trying to grow sugar beet and make my own sugar but that is probably a step too far!)...

Speaking of rhubarb, now that our plants are established enough that I can harvest with impunity, it's in just about everything I'm making now -- like this rhubarb cake!  

Danny's been working on the fencing on the last few fields because I need more grass for my sheep.  This of course means lots of old rotted fence posts to get rid of -- they are so dry and they burn SO hot!

It also means we've now got piles of wire waiting for the wire skip...  (Rachel -- this is why I laughed...)

It occurred to me the other evening that I spend lots of time photographing and talking about my flock (of sheep) -- but I'm neglecting Danny's flock!  Here he is trying to persuade the cockerel to let him put the food on the ground first!

Also, new addition to Danny's flock on Saturday in the form of four lovely little ducklings, hatched by one of our hens...

And in case you were ever curious (not!), here's what ducks having sex looks like!  :)

And lots and lots of lamb spam...

Was that too much?  Surely there is no such thing as too many photos of lambs...  :)

The lovely weather has helped the leaves back on to the trees...

We're making progress on getting the slaughter/butchery shed set up and ready for Pete the ram.  This is a sink that was full of dirt in the garden.  Danny's plumbed it in and now I have running water in the shed!

Managed to find time for a few more swims in the sunshine....

And sneak peek of what you will see if you come to the Dance Show on 1st June -- me on pointe!  Never thought I would be able to do this at this age so quite pleased with myself!  :)

And just like that, after three and a half weeks of walking that field every two hours, White ewe has finally lambed -- twins -- unassisted -- and we're done!  15 lambs from 10 ewes so I'm happy with that...  :)  And I'm REALLY happy that we're done!

Here are the lambs from yesterday -- this is Doggie's lamb -- girl -- black with adorable little white whiskers all over her head and face!  She is going to become part of the breeding flock when she is old enough...

And this is Eyebrows' lamb -- also a girl.  Very similar marking-wise to some of the commercials, but her wool is thick and curly -- she will also be bred from when she's old enough.

Chicks are getting big, but not too big to fit under Mummy hen and poke out from under her wing!  :)

Figured out how to do a video -- this is last night at bedtime and poor Shy ewe is having the worst of it but she doesn't seem to mind!  :)

And I'll leave you with last night's moon...  There is also a ewe and her lambs in this photo if you look closely!  :)

The one I've been waiting for -- before 5:30 this morning, Doggie -- my FAVOURITE ewe -- had her lamb unassisted -- will have confirmation (and better photos) tomorrow, but I am fairly sure that this is a girl -- a black girl, from my favourite girl!  Woo hoo!

And then, right next to her, is Eyebrows -- and I can see that there are no feet out so she is going to struggle so I gave her a hand (in dressing gown AGAIN)...

But she knew what to do, and as soon as I'd put the lamb in front of her face, the licking commenced...

And before you know it, the lamb is up on its feet!

Here's Doggie & Eyebrows together with their little black lambs...

General lamb spam -- there will be more of this in the coming weeks...  :)

And here's Shy Ewe's lamb from the other day, making a pained face as he's just been banded...

But look at what beautiful wool he has!

13 healthy lambs so far -- 5 girls and 8 (former) boys.  Just White ewe left to go now!

And it's time for another action sequence!  :)  Yesterday morning, first light, Brown Ewe -- who once upon a time (three weeks ago) I picked to go first (ha ha ha ha ha) -- with a string of mucus hanging out of her...  So half hourly checks until 8am when I finally saw this -- so I stood and watched and photographed and murmured words of encouragement...

C'mon Brown Ewe -- you can do this -- one more big push....

And then she stood up and out it slithered!

And before the lamb was even fully on the ground, she was already turning around to commence the licking!  :)  Yum, yum, freshly hatched lamb goo...  :)

Anyhow, I went in to have my breakfast and give her half an hour -- and came back to twins!

Here they are, up and dry and drinking...

And here's today's close up after tagging -- one is a girl and one (was) a boy...

These are Curly's from Tuesday -- both boys -- I seem to have a lot of boys this year for some reason...

AND, reward for those of you who have carried on reading thus far...  :)

Up until now, the lambing has been following a very strange pattern:  

Shy Ewe lambed on Tuesday 15/4 followed by Black Ewe two days later.
Greedy lambed on Tuesday 22/4 followed by Dolly one day later.
Curly lambed on Tuesday 29/4 followed by Brown Ewe two days later.

So after Brown Ewe lambed, with four left to go, you can see why I was thinking it was going to be another two weeks before they all went...  :)  But thankfully I was wrong and Shy Lamb had her first lamb unassisted this afternoon!  Will tell you its sex tomorrow but isn't it a lovely little thing?!  And she did it all by herself!  Well done Shy Lamb!

In other news, we had some lovely weather on Wednesday and I managed to find time for a swim (#21 of the year)...

11 lambs born, 3 ewes left to lamb...