The last three days have not been conducive to wandering about with a camera. Why?
Because it has rained and rained yet again. The worst for thirty years. To be fair, we have not had it as bad here as other areas of the country. The news has been full of areas flooded out, some even getting hit three times and my heart goes out to them, here as I've mentioned before, being on a mountain has advantages because the water flows down past us into the Afon Ebbw where the team on the weir were unable to work on Monday due to the fast flow of the river and torrential rain all day. We didn't even get out and about on Monday, the mad mutt was obviously very miffed at this, heaving deeply disappointed sighs. He should count himself lucky that we were safely warm and dry inside. Yesterday wasn't much better, but what I thought was a dry break in the day, saw us getting suddenly drenched by stinging rain that felt more like hail. Dog unimpressed! Today we waited again until late this afternoon for some moments of sunshine and (shhh ... no rain) we grabbed the opportunity for daft dog to stretch his legs.
It looked promising ... sunshine highlighted the green pastures ...
but ... it was a window of opportunity with the net curtains of mist drawing in ...
as the sky started to look ominously dark and were heading our way and swiftly too.
Everything was turning darker fairly quickly and as it was the moorland was already soggy underfoot with the vehicle tracks looking like a string of deep pools. Thank goodness for wellies! But ... I had not prepared the upper body for what was about to happen. Yes ... I had only several layers and a warm fleece, not quite the protective clothing required to protect against the wind blown rain. We got soaked once again. But then in another moment of a glancing chance of sunshine I captured this scene ...
Balwen sheep in a corner of a field and ... some Welsh rams, it's tupping time again!
and despite what the weather may throw at us, they are eager to start a new generation. Ram sales are already happening around the country and on Radio 4's Farming Today a Blue Leicester ram was sold for 6.800 guineas. Yes you read that right, and ... it didn't happen in Leicestershire where you'd expect such a sale, but at The Royal Welsh! Our local Nelson ram sales are due on the 5th of October, but I doubt we will reach those heady heights. But ... new blood in our flocks will produce better quality lambs for our future. A wether, is a castrated male ram, very different from ... the weather!
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