Well, now that the snow have gone, everything back to the MUDDY days. YUK! I hate it! As the boys come working with me in the farm, meaning, they go in and out a few times a day just to keep up with me being in and out to feed chicken/ponies/sheep ... The worst thing is, the water pump in the family bathroom was leaking, although we got the replacement but we can't get it fit correctly without tripping the electric in the house! Mmm ... that makes me very grumpy. Especially this time of the year when I needed it most. I don't like the puppies catching any bacteria off the big boys, so I want to keep them as clean as possible, meaning washing them a few times a day! TIRED!
It wasn't a big wash out like I was hoping it will be, thank God for that but we had enough MUD already. The temperature is ridiculously warm! It was up to 15c yesterday, WHAT? I don't even need my fleece on! The fields drain off very well although underneath it is full of water :) So long it didn't show off on the surface, I am happy.
Puppies are growing fast and well. I can't imagine people that have 5-6 puppies in the litter. 4 is struggling for me. I wanted to make sure all the pups are well handled, I think this is what a sheltie puppy needs. I can see changes in them since they come home to me. They all well handled now, anyone can pick them up easily and holding them the way they want to. This litter is a bit slow with associating with toys. Ziggy & Storm are the only two that is really into toys. They will pick anything and play with it and run away with it. Isla and Spirit seems a bit slow in developing :)
One thing that this litter amazed me is their toilet train. They are just brilliant, they know where to go to and I hardly need to clean up on the floor/carpet. Also, I have no trouble weaning them off. Sunny is getting very fed up with them. They now have their little needle sharp teeth :) Sunny just wanted to get away from them :) Sipzie surprised me by wanting to clean the puppies. I thought she will be rough with the puppies but no, I was wrong. She tried to be gentle although sometimes got a little clumsy. She is better a mama than Sunny :) And Sipzie is younger than Sunny! I think the age makes no difference, it's the nature.
Pups are 3.5 weeks now and they have more toys to play with. Ziggy and Storm are the most outgoing ones. They have no fear whatsoever. Isla beginning to come out of herself this week and she has been climbing over things on the floor. Spirit is still a bit reserved and he likes his own little corner.
Oh well, I know most of you must have been bored with the snow by now. I have never seen so much snow since I've been in England. The heavier snow we had in London a couple of years ago only last for 3 days and then it was a big wash out. Now, I am not looking forward to another big wash out! I think it will flood with the amount of snow we have here! Last week, when we had the blizzard for a couple of days, some part of the farm has accumulate more than 12 inches of snow!
We have more than a week of snow now, last week was crazy, snow, snow and snow, every single day! This week, the weather was up and down. We had some very cold weather and today is warmer than usual. Still very cloudy though. Not sure is it going to snow again or rain? Weather forecast for tomorrow is more snow!
Finally, a group photo in the snow :) It's hard work to get Seny to sit still like that for a photo! You know, you have to at least a few attempt to get a decent photos! A good sit/down wait is needed :)
I had a fright yesterday driving the car. I was desperate for some shopping! The chicken has ran out of food and the cat food is very low. I thought I will go and get some shopping done since we have no snow for a few days, the roads should be clear of ice. The roads were absolutely fine but the problem is the track leading up to the Farmhouse. We have a bend from a long stretch track that you have to left and slightly slopping up. We always restrict ourselves to drive 10mph on the track, just to respect everyone that use the track. Normally it's ok but there's a dog walker and her dog running loose (there is a place where you can walk your dog from the track), I stopped for her to get her dog and that was a big mistake (but what can you do other than stopping?), when the car comes to a halt, you lost your power up the hill. When I tried to gain the power again, it was too late and the car starting to roll backwards and I lost control of the steering wheel, the car just skidded! There is a ditch and the neighbour's fence with the sheep and horses in the field. I didn't know what to do. The break wasn't working either. I sat in the car thinking what damage I am going to cause! Suddenly, the car stops! I wasn't in the ditch and I wasn't in the neighbor's fence. The car wasn't even straight either but I was lucky escaped! Phew! I have to say, I was in between frustration and scared! I am not going to drive unless the snow is all melted for sure! God knows what will happened. I am so glad that I live with some lovely people around me and they all come to help!
One thing I've noticed, I have to put more layers on living in the country! I've never wear more than one pair of sock when I was living in London but now, I have to at least put 3 pairs of socks on! Yuk! My foot are frozen!
this is me lying down on my snow bed after a hard day of being a shepherdess!
I am not complaining, I love snow and I have so much fun with the shelties in the snow. At least, they are pretty clean after their walk and play :) I am so glad that I work for myself, I love being working in the farm! Never thought I will be a farmer one day but surrounded by animals is better than surrounded by people. Animals are so simple, you feed them and they love you, never a cross word from them. They love a bit of fuss and cuddles. I have never thought I can get around with a sheep or a horse and now they are my best pal beside my lovely pack of shelties. They are all used to the shelties running around in the field or beside me while I work with them.
I've also noticed that I am not an Agility addict anymore. I used to spend most of my time thinking about Agility ... planning which shows I am going to; planning which training days I want to do; trying to do too much at a time ... but now, I'd loved being living on the farm, working with the animals and do a bit of agility training with my dogs but most of the time, they (the shelties) just following me doing jobs around the farm. They are so much happier to be able to run around and helping me with the animals.
Sonic is one funny boy, he's a real crown, his little little antics made me laugh so much. He was well socialised to animals when he was little. I thought he likes the cats so much because we have a cat. As a puppy, when he met a stray cat or neighbour's cat, he always wanted to go and say hello and of course those cats will try to tell him off but he couldn't care less, he still wanted to say hello to them. When we first have the chicken, he was amazed by them and now he wanted to lick them and play with them. He is particularly fond with one of them, whenever he sees her, he wants to lick her and tease her to play with him. His way of teasing is to get the chicken to peck him! He loves the horses and sheep too. He will go close to Smasher and lick him all over and poor Smasher is used to him now and let him do whatever he wants to do, so sweet. He now starting to do it to the sheep. The sheep are very funny too. Some of them will come right close to him and they lick each other over the fence!
the light brown chicken is Sonic's favourite:
and here is Sonic playing with neighbour Molly :)
Here are some photos of the shelties in the snow, I have plenty of good photos but I think it would be too much to put them all here :)
Sing is calling the wild
Oh yes, I suddenly realised some black and white photos will be nice :)
and here are some of my sheep photos :)
meh ~
sheep getting ready to do agility :)
and here are some of the horses ;)
That's enough for you now :) Next blog, puppies update ... they will be 3 weeks tomorrow!
