WHERE DID SPRING GO? FOOD AND STORIES,

I couldn't believe my eyes yesterday afternoon....well you wouldn't would you, after having a few lovely settled spring-like days. There was an icy nip to the wind  on Friday 10th April, with temperatures hovering around 9 deg Celsius.  Admittedly, you did feel the wind chill, which is not unusual. But, when I saw sleet hitting the last items of washing drying (or, so I thought) on the line, on Saturday, I was almost thunderstruck.  

Today, I awoke to blindingly bright sunshine and blue skies. Without a by-your-leave, the brightness disappeared; I had to switch on house lights!  Since then different kinds of showers have raced in on the back of each other.  We have had snow, sleet, hail and icy rain blobs. If I am honest, it took my psyche a while to absorb today's changed and constantly changing weather patterns.

Lambing at the farm next door is going apace, the damp and cold is not good for the new lambs.  Instead of being introduced out into the fields quickly after arriving in the world, they will have to be sheltered till weather conditions perk up.

This is not a day for a meander, not that I am quite in a position to do that yet...what with foot recuperating from trauma.  I've developed a cool style in limping. A visit to the cinema is planned for tonight,which means our evening meal will have to be one that that is " One I prepared earlier" to coin a TV cook's phrase, and which, will be good when it is re-heated.

Our meal won't be  like this one.

One of two films I hoped would arrive at our cinema has done so.  Suite Francaise is a book I read about three years ago. It is  very beautifully written by Irene Nemirovsky, who had an extraordinary ability.  She was one of the millions who were murdered in the concentration camps in Europe in World War 2. Irene was a young vibrant talent who had so much more to give and who, like so many people, was lost to us.  I am interested to see how Irene's book has been interpreted for film.

SCENES OF RURAL IDYLL

Our sheep farming neighbours have roughly another six weeks of lambing to go. They started the process about the end of December.   I heard the farmers had  lost one ewe in the week, and from what I saw, one big lamb at the weekend.  Apart from that, they appear to have had a successful lambing so far.  In the last week there have been three sets of triplets, which are being taken gentle care of. The lambs, though small, as you would expect, are good looking ones.  The main 'orphans' this year, seem to be where a ewe has udder difficulties, or rejects one of her lambs.  The farmer's wife said that between the three types of sheep they rear, they'll have something like 1400 four-legged animals to husband, including the mums and some rams, till the next lamb sales.  With the sales in mind, the farmers sort out which ewes and lambs are kept, which rams stay intact for breeding and for selling on. Most first year lambs that are kept, are moved to other fields and are not bred from till their second year, when they are more able and physically matured.

Some years ago, an early lamb, (December-January) was, by August, interested in a well-endowed ram .  The two animals were in different fields though able to muzzle and sniff, I am sure. However, the well grown, but still agile young woolly lady jumped the dry stone wall  and love was requited.  As the farmer's wife was relating the story to me, she explained  with irritation, that it wasn't the ram's fault, it was "her's,  the lamb's fault.  If she hadn't jumped the wall and tempted him ............"   (There's an old moral in this tale).    The eventual birth was a good single lamb and the 'teenage delinquent' developed into a model mum.

LITTLE LAMB

The new lamb was rejected by her mum. She has found a foster mum while other suitable arrangements are being sorted out. 

May I introduce little Ella to you, as she was introduced to me.

While a new woolly family is awaited, Ella lamb will be bottle fed and closely watched over by her carer.

ALWAYS IN THE WRONG PLACE.

Our neighbour the farmer hasn't been able to start ploughing anything.  Temperatures here have been so difficult and the ongoing ice and snow cover on the ground, till today, hasn't helped.  Today might have been the first opportunity, as everything has suddenly become soggy and drizzly. It's been what we call a 'dreach' day, a wonderfully onomatopoeic adjective. The soothsayers say more very low minus temperatures are on their way next week.  I do hope they are mistaken.

Lambing has been progressing in the large barns.  The first good looking black lambs, from two gorgeous Suffolk sheep, arrived late December. The mums, who were bought late last year already pregnant, were were chosen by the farmer's primary school aged grandson. I reckon he has a good eye for stock already.  During term time, grandson 'farms' every weekend.  It was great for him to see the lambs, now a good size, playing out today under the watchful eyes of the ewes. Grandson would have been involved in their movements in and out of the barn, loving every moment. I have been thwarted from getting pictures of these ewes with their lambs.  They always manage to position themselves where there is an obstruction.

Meantime, the other woolly ladies in waiting are bedded in the maternity ward, (the barn) many ready to go into labour and others in the throes of delivery.  Weather permitting, we might soon get sight of lots of gambolling lambs.

This long cold Winter is difficult for everyone. The farmers need to keep their stock nourished; swedes grown by the farmers, play a large part here.  We haven't had so many generous gifts of vegetables thrown over the fence into our garden like in previous years.  It is an indication, I think, of the prior requirements of the animals.

A lot of hay bales have been carted around,(strictly speaking, moved around on lorries).  Again, these are for the animals, and if there has been a poor growing season the year before, or there is insufficient hay on a particular farm, the farmers have to find hay wherever they can obtain it and at a cost.  Fortunately, last year, we had a mild, if not sometimes, long damp Autumn, which encouraged growth and harvesting at a level that was not possible in previous years.  Without a doubt, it has been needed.