Bill McCarthy wrote:This morning, after a coarse night of rain, you’re up early before dawn to check on the new
lambs in the field. As the sun creeps above the horizon the lambs are gathered together in a huge batch and there they are running up the fenceline at full pelt, they stop, then they run back again only to repeat the drill. Then their mothers call them to order for a brief feed. They have doubled their weight in a fortnight. One of the true joys to witness in the spring. I never tire of it.
We had a roof that had blown off a shed into a field, which the lambs liked to stand on, so we left it.
One day I watched them playing a game where they would walk 20 yards away, stand in a group, suddenly race at full pelt to it, and the last lamb to arrive would be denied access by the others as “the loser”.
There was lots of jostling on arrival, but all playful.
Once calmed down, they’d all wander back to the start to play again.
Was one of the most amazing things I’ve seen. The organisation, the communication and the joy.