Busy busy busy......

I look down at those pictures in the post below and can still remember that searing heat and the desperation to get in the shade. It was the last really hot day for this year I should think. The following Saturday found us off again on the sheep trail. Following an advert in the local paper we wound our way down into Herefordshire, which strangely enough is not a county I have visited very often, other than getting lost in fog in Leominster once, and I think I had better gloss over that.

We found Kington but didn't have time to explore, so it is on my list to return for a closer look in the near future, but it looked very unspoiled, very quirky and quaint.

On we went into the hills following signs for various religious denominations - United Reformed Chapel one way, Anglican Church the other. We found the address and met some lovely people and admired their flock of Badger Faced sheep so much we bought six young ladies and were soon on our way home with them in the truck. This is the shepherdess that decreed NO MORE! But they are just so beautiful, we bought two last year and they have proved to be lovely mothers, need no intervention with lambing and just grow into such lovely unusually marked ewes.

Today it was off to AE Housman country -' Clunton, Clungunford, Clunbury and Clun the quietest places under the sun...' not when there is a farm sale they're not! Landrovers clattering past with trailers heading off in search of a bargain. We followed the signs and found the field for parking and were soon in amongst the throng following the auctioneers along the rows of sheep hurdles, old machinery, troughs and fence poles. We veered off and went to look at the sheep, lined up in their age groups, marked and coloured accordingly. I was soon back to people watching....an old lady with wispy hair fascinated me, she was at the last farm sale we were at. She smiled secretlyas she passed a knowledgeable hand over the backs of the sheep yet she looks too frail to wrawl many about, and she was soon off to the machinery .....oh well! Wonder if that will be me in years to come? The shepherd came to find me with that eager look of a shepherd who has spotted the possibility of a bargain except I had left the cheque book at home --oops! (on purpose but dont tell him will you?)

Clungunford was on my list to have a closer look at, so we parked by the village hall and despite the faint drizzle a closer look I intended to have! Off we went down tracks, up alleys, across footpaths - nowhere was sacred - this was a shepherdess in action ...'plain nosey' he says! Yes I agree, but how is one supposed to get to the heart of a place without being inquisitive? 'Now if there is a burglary here tonight we will get the blame!' he mutters.

We found the Church dedicated to St Cuthbert - the same St Cuthbert as in The Farne Islands no less, famed for his ability to tame wild birds he is usually depicted with birds at his feet. A lane alongside the church led us to the mystery of the Clungunford Motte. A wonderful carved wooden story board in the hedgerow tells the story of how the Rector went out one night with a pick and shovel to search for treaure and pots of gold and changed the shape of the motte forever 'now known to the local folk as 'Bum Hill' and yes that's what it does look like! Did we laugh!

Home again and for shepherds and shepherdesses there is still work to be done, the little ladies have to be injected with Heptavac seven in one to protect them from 7 of the miserable sheepy ills thay can fall foul of. I jabbed myself one year and a few days later was unable to move my neck so thought I had better own up to the Dr. He said I would be OK for braxy, pulpy kidney and all the other ailments but had probably OD'd on the tetanus which was why I had a stiff neck! He laughed ! No sympathy there then!

All jabbed and tagged as the rain set in, just one more job to do, and that meant moving a tup lamb out of the range of ewes all about to come into season - he has come to live with a neighbour's goat until he becomes minted chops and lamb shank in the freezer. Bonnie the goat took one haughty look at her new friend and carried on eating as he sniffed round her rear end- the words coming out between chomping grass sounded very like 'dont even think about it you stupid liitle boy sheep!'

Another busy day draws to a close with the log burner lit and the shepherd snoozing away with two of the cats aboard as usual ....zzzzzzzzzz Tatty cat and Charley Stripe trying to stare each other out but falling asleep in the process.