Sheep shearing

This year we decided to join with our new neighbour at La Coste (Christian) and get both our flocks sheared at the same time. We took the sheep up to La Coste in the morning and penned them. The shearer arrived in the afternoon and after shearing Christian's 30 or so sheep, it was our turn. Our sheep were getting stressed by now and started to misbehave. Despite their small size our sheep showed there strength and even the shearer had a job trying to hold them. the wool is lovely but because of the struggle the sheep looked like they had been attacked by a lawnmower! We and they were glad to get home. A couple of days later I neatened them up with the hand shears. Our surplus rams will be off to the abattoir soon, unless there are any local offers to have them as lawnmowers.

In the woods, I came across the nest (hole in a tree) of a middle spotted woodpecker. In the UK we have the lesser and great spotted, so this is a new species for me. Have tried several times to get photos of the parents feeding the young through the hole but they are so observant as soon as I am within 20m of the nest they spot me from the treetops and sound alarm calls, refusing to come close to the nest.

Also spotted a small emerald moth and a frog (couldn't identify it).

A few days of rain and no architectural work has allowed me to get on with some work in the house. The first steps towards fitting solar hot water panels - reorganising the utility room with new shelves, a spot of decoration and installing the solar pump and controller.

I've also got back onto the loom and after a 6 month absence have started threading the heddles.