Romance, mystery and sheep hoof gizmos.

I forgot that it was St Valentine's Day. Today being a Monday, and all.

There was the usual flap and faff getting dressed, breakfast, catching the runaway three year old who finds it hysterically funny when you manage to get one of his socks on in the kitchen and the other when you have caught up with him in the upstairs bathroom which seems so terribly far away. I may have wheezed a little.

There was a burst of activity getting them packed into the car, kisses and waving at the door.
The little one was going to nursery, The Farmer and Rosie off to the market in Stirling (which is miles away from us but sadly, now the nearest market).

There was a special sale of machinery, tools and Things You Will Find On A Farm But I Have No Idea What They Are Called.
The Farmer was after a special crate which catches an individual sheep, holds them steady then flips them up so you can inspect and trim hooves and things. The machine we currently have is The Farmer who has to bodily heft the sheep and hold them while I waft like the Lovely Debbie McGee, waiting for the inevitable hoof in the eye. And that big Wensleydale tup is massive.

Once things around here had been done, I felt at a bit of a loose end. It is strange to have time alone. You know the feeling when you are flat broke and tend not to look at things then you get money and it does your head in a bit as you could spend it on so many things?
Well it was like that but with time as collateral.

I wandered about and huffed and puffed, irritating myself. I wish I had gone to the auction sale too but it was too late to be rueful.

I took stock of the state of things outside and wish I had not. Everything looks rough after the winter and there was no colour anywhere. The Scots call this time of year "The Dreich End" - the drab end of the year. Cold, drab and miserable.

Some paperwork got sorted but my heart was not in it and I kept looking out of the window.

Eventually, when they all returned, Rosie was all sparkly eyed and had a lovely bag covered with rose prints. "Oh, open it, Mum, open it"!
There was a card which said "To Mum from a secret admirer"...........There were also some chocolates in a heart shaped box.

The Farmer came in, walking and kicking his wellies off at the same time so his sock looked about two foot long.
He had lilies and more chocolates. "We never got the sheep crate but I got a wee thing for the cattle".

I dare not look as the last 'wee thing' looked like a nuclear reactor but with more parts. I think it is for sorting out grain but it probably has a fancy technical name and I will never figure out how it works. When it is up and running, I will waft past and say "Oh, aye" then go out again.

Tonight, we opened the chocolates and enjoyed some. Sheep hooves and dangleberries were far from our thoughts.

I wonder who my secret admirer is..... ;)