4^th March

The happy farmer has come to the conclusion that it’s a great life if you live on a farm. He went out of the door this morning to begin the feeding rounds and was met by our two lodgers, busy clawing and digging up the flower beds. The hens have taken to roosting in the fuchsia bushes outside the cottages, much to the amusement of our guests, and having flown down from their cosy perches were indulging in a bit of ‘gardening’. No amount of coaxing could persuade them that the hen house might actually provide a bit more warmth and shelter from the winter storms; no we have two hens who have determinedly sat out the long winter nights, roosting precariously high up on the branches of the fuchsia bushes that line the farm yard, through all of the wild winter storms. They must have good sea legs up there in the gales!

The happy farmer is secretly perplexed that those two ladies are still around; he was convinced they would not survive the harsh winter weather when the two of them turned their beaks up at the hen house he carefully constructed for them. Luckily the other ten or so hens have remained in their quarters, for the time being. These two characters however have happily greeted the farmer at the doorstep each day, clucking at his feet demanding their breakfast, leaving parcels where he treads. If the sun shines at all you can find them digging and burrowing into the various troughs of bulbs, or the flower beds, uprooting the contents as they go, making themselves a cosy nest to bask in a little warmth from the winter sun.

Walking into the shed the happy farmer is greeted by the pottery cats, stretching and meowing, as they stir in the cosy nests they have made in the hay bales.

Mudcap, the Highland cow, gleefully manages to tiptoe across the cattle grid each day to help herself to a fresh bite of grass at the side of the single track road. We are of the understanding that she was a ballerina in a former life and is now heading for stardom as a super model. She happily poses for the clicking cameras of the passing tourists making their way along the road to the nearby distillery, and gives a nod and a wink to the distillery boys as they drive past on their way to work.

This morning the happy farmer had to take a second glance as he made his way through the sheep on the quad bike to feed the gathered flock.

‘There’s a lamb’ he thought….’THERE’S A LAMB?!’

 Lambing isn’t due to start for at least another four weeks ….and so the happy farmer arrived home, the first ‘bleating lamb’ of spring tucked under his arm……

Until next time…..