Expectant

These sheep are expectant in two senses of the word. In the next couple of weeks they will give birth. They crowded around me in eager expectation that I had brought feed to the field. The grass is very poor and they were struggling to graze.

I love the detail in their woolly coats.

I walked from home today and did a longer circuit than I have been doing. I watched a small suckler herd with a magnificent bull, see extra. He had been enjoying the contents of a lick (one of those plastic buckets that contains a salt lick with essential minerals in it). 

Have you ever tried touching your nose with your tongue? He did it with ease!

I met Steve from the RSPB at Geltsdale. He brought me up to date with recent sightings on the reserve. The black grouse were almost decimated last year, but has doubled last year's numbers this time. (Yes, we stood well apart.)

Covid 19 musings:
The government said it has enough personal protective equipment for the NHS staff, (it just needs distributing),  but the desperate pleas from staff show this to be untrue, (or the distribution system is broken).

Why should anyone believe the government?

The government says there is plenty of food in the food chain?

(I happen to think that is true) but why should anyone...............


Why has cat food doubled in price since January? Surely this can't be related?

People are flocking to the countryside - in groups - they don't yet believe what is happening, but some hospitals are full.

Back to the title of my blip - expectant. It's not the word we would use for our state of mind, because it implies eager anticipation. What should we say? Dread? A sense of inevitability?

I thought that this made interesting reading and allowed a little hope to creep in to our thinking.