Revision and Matings

Sam and I have had a very busy day of field maintenance (Sam is on exam leave but more than 10 minutes revision at a time seems to cause him to incur strange illnesses).  In addition to bouts of revision we have also been doing the highway code in preparation for Sam's tractor test on Monday - something he is more nervous about than anything else (I am also exceedingly nervous but now know how to check coolant levels on a John Deere, maximum speeds, the correct way to reverse round a corner, the MSM routine . . . ).  I have now decided that despite signs to the contary, no babies are coming until they are officially due which means Crispie and Cassie are first and don't reach 330 days until 24th and 22nd June respectively.  I shall therefore not mention births until then!

I will, however, mention mating!  I am having a little trouble with Emily who I don't think is pregnant.  We tried a couple of times last year but she would not sit and when she did it was brief and reluctant.  This year we had a little investigation and she was very tight - Dude didn't get in very well and kept falling out.  We tried a gentle bit of lubrication but I was worried not really knowing what I was doing.  I thought maybe we had solved the problem but now I think not so I took a little advise from The Gynaecologist this evening and following this had more of an exploration  - she is keen to sit now but I am still not sure I have quite cracked it!

Carl is outside welding up the Shepherd's sheep race at the moment as it sustained a little damage - it's a bit of a rush job as he needs it for tomorrow!  Sam is now helping him, having first helped me with Emily - although most of the time he was doing something in the corner of the barn which was of great interest to the girls - and totally incomprehensible to me!