Living the Dream: Lost car keys is nothing compared losing a horn

I noticed Brock, one of our sheep sitting alone at the opposite side of the field to the rest of the sheep, who were all in the shade. I watched her each time I passed by and she always seemed to be on her own.

In order to get closer look at her I penned the sheep up. On one hand, what I found was a relief, but on the other it was a mess.

Brock had somehow caught her horn on something, or she and her brother Stanley had been having a scrap. The horn was hanging off and blood was pouring down her face.

I had a word with Emma, one of our vets, who gave me some great advice and I set to work patching her up to look like a pirate. She is now doing very well once again, even without one horn. I’m not sure if it will grow back or not, but she’s still beautiful either way.

After me thinking that we were almost done with the swallow families for 2016, I found this week that we have two very young broods on the go and they are growing up fast. Now I’m Looking forward to watching them take their first flight, as they take that leap of faith off the side of the nest, what a sight!

Around four weeks ago, I needed to nip out to the local farm supples shop. “I’ll take Wendy’s car,” I thought. Big mistake.

After using her car, which really isn’t a problem at all, I happened to misplace her car keys, which certainly is a problem. Although we have two sets of keys, they cost such a lot to replace so of course I searched everywhere. I even resorted to having a rummage in the wheelie bins, just in case.

I couldn’t track the whereabouts of the keys up until lunchtime, but that’s when it all went hazy. Roll forward four weeks and with no keys found, there I was walking the dogs through the wooded area behind the house which is home to my hammock. As I passed the hammock I walked over to see what debris had fallen into it from the trees above. In fact there was no debris at all, only a set of car keys, in a puddle of water. Relief, but yet grief as they were full of water.

I immediately ran around the outside of the house, through the garden, getting just close enough to press the ‘unlock’ button. Hurray! It worked.

It was then that it all came flooding back to me and I realised how I had slipped away in the early afternoon one day for a sly 40 winks in the hammock. That must have been when the keys dropped out of my pocket.

Oh well, lesson learned. Note to self: next time check your pockets ahead of taking a cheeky kip.

I was taken by surprise when I came across something in the greenhouse this week. It was something that I had not seen for a good many years, but once again whisked me back to being a kid - cabbage white caterpillars.

Isn’t it funny what triggers old memories?

Scout, one of our border terriers, got into a spot of bother this week when he decided that it would be a good idea to cock his leg up on our gardener Simon’s strimming helmet.

Fortunately Simon did see the funny side, but Scout was suitably reprimanded for his unruly behaviour.