Spring Has Sprung

Spring has well and truly sprung and we are enjoying the most beautiful weather. Sitting in  the garden this morning, still in my dressing gown (it IS well secluded), with a cup of tea, I listened to the glad singing of birds in the trees, the buzzing of bees awoken by the sun,  and the baaing of lambs.

I love  lambs. I love watching them take their first faltering steps, staying close to their mothers' sides.  I love watching them grow in confidence, wandering off and then baaing 'til they find their mothers again. I love watching them play, chasing each other in mad games of 'tag' around the field, and most of all, I love watching them jump.

It's Spring

I've been busy of late and there are a couple of blog posts waiting in the wings - the photos are taken and the words are in my head but I just haven't had time to write them.
In the meantime, I just had to share a couple of pictures of the lambs which arrived in our neighbour's field today.Aren't they just the sweetest things you ever saw?
We all have signs which tell us when Spring is here. The lengthening of the day, the crocus and daffodil bulbs pushing out of the earth and opening into bright colourful blooms, the blossoms on the prune and cherry trees. 
I know that Spring has really arrived when the lambs appear. I  love watching how the ewes keep a careful guard over their babies, how the lambs quickly become confident enough to wander away from their mums' sides to graze and play. And how they play! I could watch for hours as they run and chase and jump. I fill memory cards with images of cute lambs, clutter up my hard drive with wonderful woolliness.

Spring Lambs

I love spring. Not just because it heralds the end of winter - although this year the weather remains unseasonably cold - but because the fields around our home are filled with the cutest lambs. And
as the fields fill, so too do my memory card as I can't resist the temptation to take photographs
of these beautiful babies.

My husband, who grew up in a city, can't understand how I can coo over these lovelies and then go home and tuck into a dinner of roast lamb and mint sauce.

With out going into the arguements for and against vegetarianism, I guess my farming background means I take it for granted that certain animals are reared for the table. But I definitely want them to be well cared for and feel, that of all the meat that ends up on our plate, lambs probably have the most natural and careful life of all - although admitted a short one.