It's been a hard winter. It's been a run of difficult winters actually.
So these early sunny, summery days - all the lambs and calves and weaners are full of it of course but the warmth seems to fill up the oldies with life.
There are just points in the day where everyone is playing. Sheep with lambs, cows with calves, the dogs and me and the dc. All moved by the same rhythm.
My oldest dog sunbathing on the hillock watching over her adopted brood like an old matriarch. You can almost feel her satisfaction at a job well done.
Sitting with my feet in the stream, watching the fish and water boatmen. Frogs and toads shouting and kingfishers darting like flashes of light.
Meadow flowers being courted by bees and butterflies. Ten minutes peace to sit in the grass with butterflies landing on my head and all the bees fly up to pip hello & see if you're interesting. Listening to the grasshoppers & if you're very lucky seeing an Adder.
The first time you see the young Badgers out
Shooing off all the ruddy deer. I pretend to be cross but I actually love seeing them.
Seeing many and various children unleashed. I could watch kids be fascinated all day and just running and jumping and tumbling about. That little bum out squat they do to investigate something. Never fails to cheer me up.
A couple of these posts have made me grin - Deer's made my lip wobble with sentiment!