Our Very First Shepherd Hut Guests

After months of planning and preparation (and much fussing about today!) 

we have finally welcomed our first guests to Pry House Farm Shepherd's Hut.

Sleep tight! 

Lambing Time - Half Way and All Help Gratefully Received!

Suzanne bottle feeding a pet lamb.  They never stay 'pets' for long as we like to 'mother them on' as soon as possible. Best for the lamb and good for the ewe that has lambed and lost.

Tom likes helping and riding!

Different kind of helping.  

This ewe thought she would 'help herself' to a bite of sugar beat from the store in the yard!

Shoo!

Little Gem helping by encouraging a bit of mother and baby bonding!

Fleece & Feathers in Firs Lambing Fields

Early evening is the perfect time to quietly walk around the lambing fields

At this time of year there are so many wonderful things to stumble upon 

like this beautiful nest belonging to the Lapwing.

The air is full of bird song; the call of the peewit (Lapwing), the chatter of the Oyster Catchers and the clear warbling song of the little Skylark (pictured)

 

but best of all new life is only moments away. 

Keld Community Orchard Update

A Community Space Created by Community Spirit

Its hard to believe that the project only began in January however

everybody's hard work and enthusiasm has paid dividends and now ......

....... the space has been totally transformed.  In the foreground a raised viewing / seating area has been created and on the right the original cobbled path has been exposed.  A range of fruit trees, shrubs and soft fruit bushes have been planted and finally a grass seed mix has been sown.

Now we have to let mother nature work her magic but while we wait there is still plenty to do.

A local resident is busy making two benches and we want to add colour and fragrance with herb planters.  In late summer we will be planting bulbs.  To achieve these as aims we will be appealing for sponsorship.  If you would like to register an interest in sponsoring a bench, a drift of bulbs or a planted herb box please contact me at glenda_calvert@hotmail.co.uk

Down on the Farm with Jacqui, Chris & Becky

It was such fun sharing a lambing morning with our friends from Keld village.

Turning twins out into Lowside this morning.  Chris had plenty of willing helpers.

 One of a pair of twins needed a bit of 'topping up' ....

 

Never in all my days have I ever seen such happiness and enthusiasm.

The Good, The Bemused and A Small Miracle!

Wednesday 12th April and at Pry House Farm we officially start lambing today 

however we already have a mixed bag of early birds!

Pry House Farm's first lamb and what a good start.  

A fine, strong, single gimmer - exactly what we hope for.

A shearling with her first off-spring looking a little be-mused (I remember the feeling well!)

This ewe had a very tiny lamb born about week too early but hey! what a little trier she is.

She is the sort of lamb that Chris shakes his head at and calls a 'bad little bu**er' 

but I call her Scraplet!  And motherly devotion? Its mother is besotted with it.  A joy to witness.

Turned out at only a couple of days old the young, sweet grass on home field will help the ewe to produce plenty milk and the dry stone walls & deep ghyll in the field provide shelter & safety.

Golden Plover

 

Golden Plover

So lucky to spot this beautiful little bird, so well camoflauged in the grasses & reeds

 up in Harkers hay meadow.

Hillcrest Cottage in Bloom

Spring comes a bit later in Swaledale.  In April the daffodils are at their best.

South facing and well drained most things do well in Hillcrest's garden.  I particularly love the purple pom-poms and the fritillias.

 

 

And the white ones too!

There is a profusion of primroses in the garden but look how these have seeded themselves in the wall.

The Old Stone Buildings Still Have Their Uses

The land behind Lower Greendale Cow House drops down to the river for water 

and the walls provide shelter from the wind.

The hay mew end of the cowus makes a good sheep house for our 

White Spots twins.  They get hay and sugar beet every day.