Loved reading this over breakfast in the garden enjoying all the birdsong and insects darting from plant to plant.
It took me right back to my childhood in N Ireland. Dad was a farmer and as children we loved all the activity of shearing day. It was often a travelling group of Aussies or Kiwis who turned up- very exotic to our young eyes - and your description of the sheep being manfully wrestled to the ground was spot-on! I was more involved in the feeding of them, with Mum, and as always she rose to the task producing mountains of sandwiches and fruit cake and gallons of hot sweet tea. All manual workers seemed to have sugar those days, no need to even ask.
Time to get on with some more gardening tasks earmarked for today, but thank you for putting a smile on my face with your beautifully evocative words. X
Oh thank you Lizzie! I was worried that this was a bit off piste and people would think this was a load of boring waffle, so your comments have really cheered me!
I love your childhood stories, maybe you should write a book about them??
What a brilliant experience! I’ve had fleeces from Matthew when the sheep were shorn here once. They do make a great mulch - but just keep an eye out for slugs as I did find some hunkered down under the fleece last year!
Loved reading this over breakfast in the garden enjoying all the birdsong and insects darting from plant to plant.
It took me right back to my childhood in N Ireland. Dad was a farmer and as children we loved all the activity of shearing day. It was often a travelling group of Aussies or Kiwis who turned up- very exotic to our young eyes - and your description of the sheep being manfully wrestled to the ground was spot-on! I was more involved in the feeding of them, with Mum, and as always she rose to the task producing mountains of sandwiches and fruit cake and gallons of hot sweet tea. All manual workers seemed to have sugar those days, no need to even ask.
Time to get on with some more gardening tasks earmarked for today, but thank you for putting a smile on my face with your beautifully evocative words. X
Oh thank you Lizzie! I was worried that this was a bit off piste and people would think this was a load of boring waffle, so your comments have really cheered me!
I love your childhood stories, maybe you should write a book about them??
We occasionally used to get groups of Kiwi shearers around here too - very popular in the pub as I recall 😍🤣
I loved this. I'm a townie and it was wonderful to access this whole other world which you describe here. Thank you.
Oh that's lovely to hear! I was concerned that this was a bit dull and only weirdos like me find it interesting. Thank you!
Very happy to hear Goose has company again. :)
He's had a new lease of life!
What a brilliant experience! I’ve had fleeces from Matthew when the sheep were shorn here once. They do make a great mulch - but just keep an eye out for slugs as I did find some hunkered down under the fleece last year!
It was a very fun day, although I was battling a bit of a hangover so it was quite an effort to keep beding over...
🤣 I can only imagine the joy of collecting the mucky fleeces with a stonking hangover!
It was definitely a moment of mind over matter!