British Wool please!

Today I managed to miss two important appointments due, I have to confess, to monumental incompetence on my part.  Perhaps my brain has taken a holiday, frightened at the prospect of yet another birthday looming large on the horizon.  Don't they come around quickly?

Anyway, a consequence of not being able to do what I should have been doing meant that I was stranded in a most spring-like Newcastle for a couple of hours with time to fill.  Although I spent most of that time walking in the sunny parks I did remember that Phil is in need of a decent, warm coat.  Naively believing Marks and Spencer might be the place to supply this need I entered its hallowed halls in search of woollen coats.  I cannot begin to tell you how disappointed I was to find that every single one of them was made in China.  China!  Whatever happened to British Wool?  Actually I know what happens to it - most of it is exported to China!  Needless to say, Phil still doesn't have a coat.

However, the subject of British Wool leads me nicely to a new sheep of the month - another third of my delightful delivery from the wonderful Joe.  And here she is - a beautiful, black, Bluefaced Leicester.  Isn't she just gorgeous?  And her wool will definitely not be going to China!

Unfortunately all is not well on the sheep front.  We are experiencing a rather severe case of 'silage eye' which basically means that a number of my sheep are temporarily blinded.  I say 'temporarily' with more hope than conviction, since, despite regular treatment, the blindness has lasted for more than a week in some of my poor darlings, and one, I feel certain, will never recover the sight in at least one eye - a further seven sheep are very badly affected, although two are showing signs of recovery.  To make matters worse, those that are unaffected or recovered are having to spend their nights outside to avoid any more spread of the infection, and every morning we awake to yet more snow.  Makes you glad you're not a sheep...........