主播大秀

Don't call me Nicky, I don't like it, but 'Nic had a little lamb' doesn't sound as good, and actually I've (we've) got ten lambs. Unfortunately the lambs who are twins have no mother. She achieved every sheep's ambition and died when they were a fortnight old. We scrounged some special lamb milk and taught them how to be bottle fed. For members of the sheep family they caught on quite quickly. We started keeping them in the barn at night, but they didn't like it and were very hard to catch. They are quarter Cheviot and three quarter Hebridean (don't ask why) and black and are growing horns and want to live outside. So Olvin built them a shelter using the curved roof bits off the pig ark that somersaulted away one gale and the metal frame got all bent, and a pen once he had collected the seven hurdles. I bought the hurdles when I wanted to be a proper farmer, and they mean we don't ever have to do proper fencing now, we just stick a hurdle in instead. But Olvin had to replace the hurdles with pallets (we collect pallets the way every body else collects fish boxes). Mr Pig took advantage of his pallet to push his way through a gap and nearly came in the house. Fortunately he isn't very quiet and he was headed off before he ate all the dog's food. So the lambs have a lovely run and a house and it looks a lot like a nativity scene, we just need a proper shepherd or two. Then yesterday the lambs were evicted! A hen appeared with ten chicks and took a liking to the lambs house and their hay and straw and bowl of creep feed so she fluffed herself up and chased them round and round their pen until they were trapped in a corner. The last time their creep feed was threatened Olvin killed the bird and made chicken burgers (very tasty but nothing like chicken) but the chicks are too small and too cute so the lambs will just have to get braver.

Back in the bigger world the Coll Run got mentioned in a weekend section of the Mail or Express or somewhere, alongside basking sharks and dolphins. Mackerel have been caught, scallops have been dived for and there are lots of yachts about, which must mean the forecast is good, and I need to decide what beer to get for the raft race. Any recommendations?