Good Friday Fun on the Farm

We spent yesterday in the Lake District at a friend’s farm. It’s the third time we’ve done it during a lambing season and the boys absolutely love it. As well as getting treated to a warm welcome and a huge feast (including rhubarb and raspberry crumble which was one of the best combinations EVER!), the farmer allows the boys to get stuck in with the animals. We went up on the fells to herd sheep into different fells, rescue small ones stuck between fences, and reunite lambs with their mothers.

Ace is in his element in environments like this. It’s about doing, not talking – using intuition and all the senses to engage, and learning with his hands. We brought a lamb down from the fells that had been rejected by its mother. He carried it all the way back himself and sat cuddling it at the bottom waiting for the farmer to return. He kept reading the number sprayed on its side and whispering to it; ‘One hundred and twenty three. I will remember your number and then I will know you.’ I think he’s logged it for our return next spring J

In the barn with the parentless lambs:

Scooby was keen too:

Turtle and Rocky were more cautious and kept their distance but they were all very keen on the idea of these:

Thankfully so was the farmer and unexpectedly gave Richard the key to the other one:

I don’t know who was more excited, him or the boys (although once they got up on the hills Scooby was clinging on for dear life screaming ‘This is the best day of my life! This is better than Christmas!!!’, so maybe actually the boys won):

Turtle got to ride up front with the farmer:

Me and Baby headed back to the farmhouse for a peaceful rest while they spun round the hills for forty five minutes.

They arrived back dirty, windswept and tired out – just as a day out for boys ought to make them.

And an extra highlight for me was this. As we were wandering, Ace spotted a piece of wood and ran excitedly to his brothers yelling, ‘I found it! I found Jesus’s cross!’

We turned to look and there he was with this:

For a boy who is short on words but big on actions, I love what he’s captured here, especially this ‘power’ shot J

Thankyou so much, our farm friends!