Lucky White Rabbits - March Already

2026 is just beginning for us. Late 2025, Chris’ Dad became ill and deteriorated over a few months. He died in January. Then Chris and I both had a bad dose of flu which lingered until mid February. 

Sometimes I think life happens to keep you in a holding pattern. You tread water but can’t make headway until the time is right. The floodgates seem to have opened again now.

While all this was happening snowdrops popped up. Although I went to get the hens up every day, apart from two, I was so under par with flu that I just did the basics. I didn’t venture to the orchard to see the profusion of snowdrop clumps. And, worst of all, I had no energy to do any shepherding. 

I managed to cuddle a couple of cade lambs who needed extra TLC, while I was sitting in Phil’s kitchen. But I watched, leaning on the gate, as Phil fed round in the shed. It’s only been the past two or three weekends that I’ve done anything useful. 

Bramble had a single, who I named Bracken. She was a really good Mum. The two of them are now out in the field. I visited with Blue who still loves me and followed me back to the gate not wanting to say goodbye. 

Tinkles delivered two lambs yesterday morning. She’s not happy with one of them. A first time Mum, she’s probably thinking one is quite enough, thank you. She’s in the shed. Hopefully, she will accept lamb number 2. I gave her a pep talk today - the one usually reserved for adoptive Mums. I like to think it works but there are other factors, too, so who really knows?

As with every lambing season, there are ewes and lambs who stay with you. Rosie whose twins died before delivery but they still had to be born. Amazingly, she recovered and became even more cheeky. Very like Dot Dot, my pal from last year and the year before. 

Cookie, one of the cades, was the sweetest lamb I’ve come across. Phil tried an adoption but it didn’t work. For a brief time, she adopted me. I picked her up and cuddled her as I checked round the shed. She tucked her head into my neck. When I put her down, she followed me around. One day Phil announced that she, and two other cades, had gone to another farm where two ewes had lost their lambs. Good news for Cookie, but sad for me.

It’s always these stories that you remember. The lambs with no issues blur into the flock. Which, as Phil says, is good news. 

This is phase 1, the earlies. Around 10 of the later earlies (yes, it's a thing), are in the paddock and yet to lamb. The numbers are dwindling rapidly. Phase 2 starts at the end of this month so I get two bites of the cherry, which makes me very happy. For now, the farm is quiet. The cows and Zippy are settled. A calf was born to Treasure on Friday. There are four ewes in the shed who will be off to the field imminently. 

The cycle continues. It teaches me every year about going with the flow and a lot about letting go. Those lambs you adore, sooner or later will be gone. But, every now and then, a little miracle happens and you bump into them somewhere - perhaps on a trip out to feed or check them. You have to take the wins where you can.