Happy Easter

After a very much warmer week, Easter weather hit us and we are back to freezing around the place. That would be the hens and me. Dear husband never seems to feel the cold and our four friendly sheep look like walking bundles of wool. It's absolutely mind boggling how so much wool can grow out of an average sized animal! Mr. Chip is slowly changing into his summer coat but still has enough fluff left to fend off our silly spring weather.

Our "happy go lightly Eric" is packing his bags and moving on soon. Two hens will move as well, still not sure who they are. It feels sad and nice, at the same time, which is odd, to say the least. Eric has more humour than Monty so our funny guy is leaving home. All three of them are going to a beautiful, huge farm with no immediate neighbours to complain about Eric's spectacular lungs. Or so I hope... We do know that Darya and Lina will not move with Eric as they both love their sheep too much and would get sad without them. (And I would miss them too much...)

Easter is upon us; chocolate eggs and our own, oh so pretty eggs. Spring is arriving, nature waking up again.... The snow started melting on rocks last week and it looked so wonderful. Green moss and ferns, which we had not seen for ages, stood blinking in the bright sunlight. Half a day later the henhouse filled up with the muddiest, happiest bunch I've ever seen and all that was left of the rock displays was soil and upside down ferns. Our hens and cockerels are a demolition team to be reckoned with. I helped the fern to stand the right way up so we will see if they survive our lot.

Easter week brought ice onto everything again so the digging has stopped for a while. Monty and Eric are not the best of friends anymore and we are counting the days for the move. Poor Eric can't do anything right, according to Monty who is older but not the wiser! If Monty took a chill pill all would be easier. They can be almost civil to each other outside so the poor hens spend a lot of time ice skating and gliding around on snow. They seem to be relived when it's time to go inside to lay an egg. And they do not hurry out again - bless them.

When My wants a hug. Credit: Dasha Dimitrova

Easter is also a time for reflecting on life and that might be around the corner after that. With the world going hundred and ten in the wrong direction, we can certainly do that in abundance, if we choose to do so. Here the animals really come into their own right! It's difficult to be sad and blue when you are sitting brushing a sheep with Darya the hen balancing on your head. A moment is interrupted when My the sheep decides to hug you and you have nothing to say about that. My does not take kindly to the word no, when it comes to hugs so you just have to do as you are told. Animals fend off melancholy like no one else... Chocolate is quite a good remedy, too, for that. Dear husband just danced passed and left Mr. Chip standing stock-still, staring and wondering. We do not want to ask why a dance was needed but just take it as a positive sign and spring does give you a lift. Molly the sheep finds green grass uplifting too, so our lawns will soon be bare fields of mud...

We all want to wish you a Happy Easter, wherever you are and enjoy the holidays. May the Easter Bunny be with you and in a generous mood.... Mr. Chip believes the Easter Bunny is one of the hares he has been chasing around the fields, over the years and that's why he/she is so fit that everyone gets a treat delivered during Easter night. We try to humour him but for all we know he might be right. Who knows? Sending you all some Easter magic as that's what this holiday should be all about. Remember to duck for low flying witches and be well. I have not told our lovely animal that my plan is to live on Easter eggs this holiday. And to give something to those who go without, at the moment. Easter should also be about new beginnings, new hope.... "And lots of good food", I'm told by all our animals. They do not watch the news... Be well.

Text by Nina

Next blog post on the 2nd April.