Of all the signs that spring is truly with us, I think the sight of lambs in the fields has to be the best. The one that brings warmth to my heart on even the coldest morning.

These, across the lane in our neighbour’s farm, were a little earlier than planned, but they’re looking healthy.

If nothing else, they’ve been born at a time when the weather has been mild, if very wet.

One ewe had a single, another triplets, and I know the farmer was pleased to see the mother taking to all three.

Like many others, it’s quite likely that we’ll be enjoying roast lamb this Easter Sunday….. is it in poor taste to mention that here? Does it detract from the rural idyll?

I don’t think so. One can, of course, debate the rights and wrongs of eating meat at all – but without the sale of spring lambs, how does a rural farm, on poor soil, make any money? Do we want our farms to survive or not?

We can enjoy the appearance of these pipe-cleaner-legged bundles of spring energy, and rejoice at the sign of spring, and also appreciate the fact that farming is a business, and an increasingly tough one at that.

But I feel I’ve perhaps strayed from my original thought when I saw these….

Aren’t they cute?