Spot and Susie, born last February to Pinky in difficult circumstances lived in the paddock with their sister, Surprise (who was unexpectedly born in August). As Spot and Susie are young we didn’t expect them to lamb this year. Hey ho! When we went to feed the sheep late this afternoon we found an EXTRA lamb in the paddock. Born to Susie – mother and lamb are now safely tucked up in a barn with water and straw and hay. I’m not convinced that the lamb is feeding but she looks well. I’ll take a view in the morning and get her started on a bottle if needs be.

The blossom is covered with bumble bees and honey bees and butterflies. It’s a world of its own.

7 Growing chicks and mum into a new, bigger run and the two mums and five babies follow on into the vacated premises

Some of the 8 plus eggs a day that our lovely hens are laying

I think I mixed half a cup of sunflower oil with half a cup of golden caster sugar plus three eggs. Beat well then add a cup and a half of self raising flour, a cup of sultanas and a cup of blackcurrants. Bake at 160 until cooked and add some sugar on the top for the last five minutes of the baking

He came to us as a scrawny youngster but Jeremy had seen Tufty’s father and hoped he would be a chip off the old block. He was indeed and this year he has, so far, fathered 20 lambs. The growing lambs are climbing all over the bales of hay and even sleeping up on high.