Monday 19 January 2009

Camoflage and concealment


We are often asked where would we be without our animals. Sitting on a beach in Antigua is my usual response given the costs involved, but seriously, whilst we might be richer financially we would be a whole lot poorer emotionally without our eclectic gang of dependents at Rock HQ.
It had been a busy and interesting day at work, Paul confirmed that the business plan to win the lottery and pay the mortgage off was one step closer to success with a ten pound win ready to be frittered away on more tickets, and so paid work day over we set about tending to our smallholding.
Despite a cold wind knifing its way through the gaps in my gortex jacket which made the prospect of a sun drenched Antiguan beach seem just a tad more appealing than trudging through slush and mud whilst trying to protect my self from the hailstones all was well in my world.
The horses had got over their high jinx of the weekend and were genuinely pleased to see me, at least they were interested in me until their dinners were laid out before them, then they were only interested in getting their noses down. William did have a moment of panic when I couldn't undo his padlock and had to leave him greedily eyeing his bucketful as I tried to find the ubiquitous WD40. Mucked out and well fed they had a few minutes each quality time before I set off to walk the dogs down the lane.
Fate was smiling on me, in the darkness I managed to find the torch I dropped in the lane two days ago, a quick rattle and an optimistic press of buttons and it emitted its pathetic finger of light skyward. Now I had a torch I could check my favourite time wasters the piglets. They were top to tail in the deep straw bed, very content and very asleep. Up on the bales of hay I found a nest of eggs, a Black Rock hen clucked noisily as I took them. Fantastic, fresh eggs are in short supply this time of year at Rock HQ.
As I walked back up the track a shooting star flashed overhead, this evening was getting better and better.
All jobs done I took the dogs to the kennels and dished out oversize portions of dog food to the magnificent seven. I went past the ever diminishing hay stack again to turn off the anti aircraft lights. It made a noise.
Not the noise you usually associate with haystacks, as a rule bales of hay are fairly quiet. These weren't. These definitely went "Baaa".
Nothing looked out of place but after a cautious investigation that involved me prodding strategic points with my boot I discovered the culprit.
Hercules.






Given the weather it seemed a shame to evict from his cosy hidey hole. He really milked the sympathy vote as he stomped off towards the Cauldron to find the rest of the flock.


No comments: