Sheep

Sheep.

They are possibly the daftest animals on earth. They are conclusive proof against evolution. If beasts evolved, sheep would know that:

1. wandering in the middle of the road is bad,
2. when the shepherd comes with the scissors/medicine/anything else, it's good for them.
Thousands of years of domestication, and not one tiny sign of any sense.

Anyway, despite all that, I give up many, many days a year to help my uncle work on them.

Work on them? With them? Around them? Whatever.

My uncle's sheep are Blackface. That's the name, of the breed, not a description of the sheep. Although they do mostly have black faces. No lack of imagination there. To be honest, it's the only breed worth having.

These are the pride of the flock. Rams we (well, my uncle plus me..) have brought up from tiny wee lambs.

Well, when I say worth having, it's from a point of view of personal preference, not financial gain....

 Anyway, last Saturday was one of those sheep days. We dosed the pregnant ewes, and shifted the lambs from the croft onto the machair. 

This isn't a pregnant ewe, but it was the closest I could find. This picture is from last year's lambing season

The bible says a lot about sheep. Christ is called the Good Shepherd. It compares Christians to sheep, who need constant guiding and feeding. Left to fend for themselves, they waste away, and put themselves in dangerous places. (Matthew 9:36) Yet we have a Shepherd that not only showers us with blessings, but gave His life for us. (John 10:11). For that, He deserves our very best, lacking though that may be.

These are not Uncle's sheep. I just added it to show WHY we have Blackfaces, and not these....... other breeds. These are Texels.

 

 

The Machair

It is beautiful outside today. The sun is shining, the breeze is soft and you can smell Spring in the air. I even saw a lamb.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the lamb, but I do have some photos of the machair. And some of the beach, but I'll keep them for later. 

A quick geography lesson. The machair is the expanse of land between the village crofts and the beach. It's sandy soil, but it grows plenty of grass and anyone with a croft in the village can put their animals on it to graze. It's home to plenty of game (well, a gazzilion rabbits), and I like it.

That's the lower part of the machair.

The stone.... thing is a fank. Lotsa gates and fences and walls for sorting/holding the sheep

The fence between the upper machair of my village and the next village's machair

 Muran grass (marram in English) grass. It covers a good area of the machair.

In the spring and summer, the machair is covered in a blanket of yellow and pink and red and purple flowers, but at this time of year, it's green. And kinda brown, with some straw-y yellow thrown in.  


I'm so glad I don't live in a city, far from open spaces and greenery. I love this island!

Welcome

Hi. Welcome to my blog. This blog will be a source of inspiring, fascinating, and intellectual conversation for you all.

OK, reality check. It won't be. Sorry.

Actually, I've no idea what it's gonna be about: ask me again in a years time, if I'm, or even less likely, you're, still here.

First post, gonna keep it short. I listen to this guy to relax-he's amazing. His talent is incredible

He converted me to Classical, and he's still the best I've heard. In my opinion.

Signing of now

DR