British Summer Time.

The clocks have gone forward, thanks to that strange phenomena known as British Summer Time, we suddenly find we have to get up an hour earlier than usual. At least in October when the clocks go back we get an extra hour in bed!

Sunday 25th March saw the days get longer, except they don't really, there are the same number of hours in the day only difference is it is an hour lighter at night and we get up an hour earlier in the morning so that makes the days seem longer, if you get my jist.

Shep had sheep to feed before heading elsewhere for the day, a sharp start was required to get on and move on so to speak. Sheep are accustomed to being fed at a set time and suddenly Shep turns up an hour earlier and on a misty morning........

It has to be said it was a beautiful morning, one which didn't see a soul astir anywhere, probably due to it being a Sunday morning with many adjusting their body clocks at their leisure, we don't all have that opportunity however.

This pheasant was awake if not somewhat dozy, trying to catch the weak sunshine which was valiantly attempting to burn off the morning mist.

The spider was no where to be seen, having a lie in, saving it's energy for whatever unsuspecting fly which might buzz it's way into the web once the day warmed up.

Sheep were taken by surprise, as was I, due to the fact I was struggling to see them. An hour earlier than they would normally expect to be fed they hadn't quite got themselves roused ready for breakfast and with visibility poor it was difficult to track them all down, 'twas just as well I knew how many sheep were in each group, a quick head count enabled me to drive further into the gloom looking for the few which were napping.

Sheep were eventually fed, taking longer than usual due to the visibility and early hour of the morning, then onwards Shep went to spend a day dosing sheep further down the valley. British Summer Time it indeed was, as mist burnt off the sun blazed down on us - this is the 25th March and the thermometer at Sheps back door recorded 23 degrees celsius!!! Can you believe that???

Young Kale wasn't too impressed to find himself locked in a livestock trailer, Moss was in there with him too but Kale thought he was missing out on something exciting and seemed to spend a great deal of time with his head stuck out of one of the ventilation slits, I would guess he had actually considered escaping from his captivity by this route and found his body was bigger than his head. The car was far too hot to leave the pair of them in and with bitches on heat on the farm it was far easier to have them barred up somewhere until they were needed or had cause to be released.

The buzz of bumble bees and singing of birds were drowned out by the roar of motorbikes, one of Tarset's downsides. We have roads which it would seem every motorcyclist in the North wishes to drive, once the weather picks up they are like midges, swarming upon us and shattering the peace of the countryside. Today was no exception. Fortunately for once the wail of sirens were not an accompaniment, there will be many sirens though over the summer months as blue flashing lights pick up the pieces of those unable to negotiate the roads - today we were fortunate.

Due to the farm Shep was working on being right on a busy motorbike highway it was necessary to fetch sheep under the road and into the pens,

they are able to walk along the edge of the Tarset burn below a bridge to reach the pens in safety. I was told today that the burn always has a dapply reflection on the underside of the bridge when the weather is really bright, I couldn't help but look up

Indeed the water was reflecting on the underside of the bridge.

 

The ewes managed to negotiate the busy road without too much bother, the burn was low and co operative.

Now one of these here swaledale ewes caused Shep some grief, I have no idea which one, I may write about the incident yet but I'll just say for now that I sustained a 'knock' in the pens, one which has had me pondering all afternoon as to how it happened and hoping that no one makes me laugh and definitely praying that I don't sneeze, cough or in fact perform any movement which may involve my ribs....

There was unexpected company in the sheep pens........

A new born lamb !

 

Then there were two!!!

She stopped at three - thank goodness!!

For all she found herself moved into a 'personal' pen I couldn't help but think that it must be like giving birth in the middle of a shopping precinct or such likes. Fortunate for her though that she hadn't been left back in the field as the first lamb came arse first (breech), with just a tail dangling out of the ewes backside. Lambs can be difficult to give birth to in this position and are apt to die due to drowning so both ewe and lamb were very lucky, especially as they aren't officially due to lamb until later in the week. Help was on hand and Shep lambed her first lamb of the season, the other two followed on at their leisure, with all three on the ground within ten minutes - not bad going! The ewe and her family then found themselves in a nice pen full of straw away from the hustle and bustle of the sheep pens.

As said, the days are getting longer, it was indeed a long day. To round it off a shot of the setting sun. Darkness didn't fall until 8pm. It is still incredible to believe we could be experiencing such weather so early in the year, enjoy it whilst it lasts is what I say!

Friday 13th........ Lucky for some!

T'is just as the day draws to an end that it dawns on me it is Friday 13th. Thankfully I'm not unduly superstitious or I may not have ventured forth today but t'was far too good a day to miss. A rosy morning once again with a crisp frost followed by sunshine - what more could anyone ask for?

Was luck on my side? Very much so, of that there is no doubt.

A venture out away out bye, heading onto neighbouring ground to hunt down sheep was the task in hand. Bike and I got stuck in a gateway, now that was fun! Huh! But hey, we got unstuck before the cavalry decided they needed to come and assist - yipee! Then the shepherd and I split, he one way, I the other. Within seconds Shep was stuck again. Aargh!.......

Out of sight of the cavalry and literally just yards from our point of parting I had to cut through a mini burn/slack/drain, what ever you fancy calling it. Basically bike and I had to drop down cross a couple of feet of running water and rise back out. I managed the drop down bit, bike wasn't to keen on the rising back out the other side, maybe due to that over cautiousness I am so capable of. Reverse was hit, the arse end of the bike rose back out of the water, forward gear engaged, more revs and off we would go. Or at least that was the idea.

Sure enough with plenty of revs we managed to cross the water and the front end of the bike rose up onto the banking.......... then we ground to a halt. Front wheels in mid air, rear wheels splashing in water and making no purchase - yipee! (That isn't what I uttered - honest!) Much pushing, grunting and cursing later I had somehow managed to dislodge the bike and ended up at a most peculiar angle in the water, the angle became increasingly peculiar as I attempted to reverse out of the situation which found me dismounted and trying desperately to keep all four wheels and two feet on terra firma, which involved even further cursing. Luck was with us, knees knocking, bike and I got extricated and we headed on our way. Albeit a totally different route than the one I was intended to take.

The different route had me stumble upon some sheep, which may well have been overlooked on the intended route - how lucky was that?

I didn't make the intended rendezvous on time - what a surprise! But not to worry, sheep were in sight and followed on, whilst the shepherd headed further out onto neighbouring ground.

I couldn't help but stop and photograph this cairn, t'was the pointy top stone that caught my eye, it appealed to me and so a quick shot before I continued on my journey. Could it have been at this point that I had lost sight of five sheep?

I headed out in the quest of catching up with those I had chased on when I was making my detour earlier in the proceedings but found I had to stop out on the top to take these shots

The view to my left (east)took in the Cheviots.

Behind me I had the Scottish hills

On my right was Kielder reservoir

and finally, in front of me the view down the valley towards home.

The photos don't seem to show just how clear the day was but then they were taken in a hurry before I resumed my quest to find sheep.

I headed in the direction of where the sheep ought to have gone, could not see them and turned back to be sure they hadn't stood still or slunk back to whence they'd come. Upon returning in the direction of where I'd expected them to be I noticed the other bike and some signalling. Sure enough the sheep had been cornered. Now I could have been sulky when the greeting I received was "You need to go to spec savers, these were just ten yards in front of you when you turned back and you went past five further back there" Instead I just grinned and thought how lucky it was that the other bike was coming from a different angle and had caught sight of the wayward sheep - nowt to do with my eyesight at all!

And so it was then that Friday the 13th proved to be anything but unlucky, the unluckiest part of the day would be the fact I had to travel on that particular neighbouring ground, a task I really don't relish but one which I survived. The day commenced with a beautiful sunrise and closed with an equally pleasant sunset - what more could you ask for?

1st December

Shep was heading into Cumbria today. Toast and coffee on the front seat of the car due to a refusal to climb out of bed. I was still managing to leave at the optimum time to arrive at my destination when expected I just hadn't allowed time for the porridge and leisurely cuppa, something to do with dark mornings and probably a late night.

I had an hours journey in front of me with headlights cutting through the gloom. Cumbria is west of where I live, now obviously I mustn't have been fully awake as I was driving along viewing the rising sun, very faint to start with getting stronger as time went by, it caught my interest as did the bird of prey which rose from the edge of the road with something dangling from it's talons. A fleeting glimpse of something the size of a sparrowhawk but what it was I do not know. My attention returned to the rising sun.

Why was I driving into a sunrise? Did I not say Cumbria is to the west. Does the sun not rise in the east? I was going in the right direction wasn't I? It has been known before to head off in the wrong direction, thankfully to date I have realised in good time and can't recall arriving at the wrong destination. I yawned and drove on.

I kept driving on, the colour was getting stronger in the sky in front of me, trees were silhouetted against it, ought I not stop and take a photo? Every time I considered this I had passed the photogenic spot - dithering, whilst still working out why I was heading east.

Eventually I found the sunrise was behind me, I was leaving it behind, probably even more distracting as it was getting very strong by this time and the urge to take a photo was getting equally as strong coupled with the relief that at last I was heading west. For years I have travelled this route, why this morning of all mornings I spent so much energy considering which direction I was heading I do not know, unless my body was missing that early morning stretch and breakfast, brain still heavy with sleep mebbes.

The urge overcame me and I pulled over into a car park designated for a historic site. Quite a large historical site really. Housesteads Roman Fort, built on Hadrians wall a stretch of which I was following along this particular route.

 

There you have it, the sunrise on the 1st December. Now what is it they say about red sky in the morning? Okay! we're safe - it's an orange sky, all will be well!

The day remained dry, cool but dry. Far better day than a day or two back when I got soaked to the britchy arse. I didn't quite end up doing the John Wayne walk that day but definitely had a very wet backside which gave cause for a 'phone call to local agricultural merchants to please deliver a new pair of waterproof trousers this coming weekend. There's nowt quite like one of those piss wet days to make one realise the waterproofs are no longer waterproof and believe you me, soggy backsides ain't the best of company.

The task in hand was to fluke dose a flock of mule ewes.

 

The ewes were run through a cattle race to allow me to manhandle them and give them their oral dose against them nasty little fluke blighters. Critters which thrive on wet ground and attack the liver of both cattle and sheep, critters which are becoming more and more of a problem in our area and possibly more so this year with the mild conditions which have been experienced of late.

 

I did grin to myself. The above is a suffolk, one of the tups which have been running with these ewes, he's actually just a lamb but a big one at that. The hanging lugs is what made me grin. How often do we say "it's hanging it's lugs" which basically implies the beast is off colour and here we have a breed which is meant to have 'hanging' lugs. By 'eck, I do think they're ugly! Give me a texel any day.

I also mused the fact that these tups services now appear to be no longer required, their job is done, fertilisation has occured and they now have the rest of the year to swan around and do nowt. How seasons vary, in Tarset some tups have only just recently been let out to the ewes, these boys were let out weeks ago and now find themselves redundant.

My return journey saw me heading east, (before turning off and heading west) it was too late for a sunset but I did see the glow in the sky which I had looked upon this morning and from the exact spot where I'd taken the photo - light pollution, a phenomena we are unaccustomed to in the North Tyne but one easily seen tonight as I looked towards the glow coming from the conurbations of Hexham and beyond to Newcastle, I preferred the sunrise this morning - far more natural.