Snakes Alive!

Today started on a very positive note (thank you GHN, Mother, The Aunt and The Chippendales!) but it has gone rapidly downhill!

Took Mother to Stur this morning and heard about yesterday's adventure.  She had gone through the hall and see a very large snake scooting towards the shoe rack.  This would have been enough to send me screaming down the road never to return!  Mother, however, is made of sterner stuff and, arming herself with a large broom and a bucket, she managed to capture the snake and headed off up the hill with it.  This proved trickier than expected as the snake insisted in trying to writhe its way out of the bucket.  It was returned to the undergrowth eventually but I shall be keeping my eyes open as I do not want to encounter it or it's friends!

I then made my way back to fleece sort as I have a buyer for some fawn and to check the animals.  All alpacas were fine but I found a horrid sight in the field with the sheep.  Yesterday morning all the sheep were in for ear tag and feet checking and everyone was fine.  Last night Sam checked them in the evening and they were still fine.  This morning I did the water and I am pretty sure everyone was fine - but I cannot swear I did not miss one so the incident could have occurred in the night.  In the top corner of second I found a very dead Number 31.  She had been attacked and the whole of her back end eaten away - even the hip bone had been ripped out.  I did find the bone hanging by some ligaments to the top of the stock fence in third field and it looked like something had jumped the fence carrying it and it had got caught.  I really do not think a fox could have brought her down as she was a big sheep who had twins the last two years.  It might have been a dog but I don't think she was mauled in the right way for that.  You may think me silly but I would not rule out a big black cat and there have been reports of them around the hill.  I am looking for tracks this evening but the ground is so dry it is unlikely I will find anything.  I am very sad about this sheep as she was one of my favourites.  I could give you a picture at this point but it would be very gruesome.