
I took some lovely new pictures of Lilly at the weekend, she's been doing so well. She has merged with the flock in the hillside field, but still waits for me at the gate every morning and every evening, without fail, its my morning tonic.... she is so full of joy and there isn't a bad bone in her. This morning was no different.... she had one of her last bottles today as she was 3 months old yesterday and we are spaining all her compatriots this week, and as they will no longer be on their mother's milk, nor will she.
We both walked round the 10 acre field checking that all was well and giving those needing a cuddle their morning attention, although Lilly gets a cuddle every time so her sense of being very special isn't diminished!! We concluded with Willow, who has been getting special attention for the last month as her weight has been causing concern... she has been getting steadily skinnier. We dozed her for worms twice, and this morning I decided to walk her down the field, out across the lane and down into home field and on to the barn... for a short stay in intensive care! I took a poo sample for the vet and dropped it off this afternoon..... it seems that our local worms may be resistant to "white" doze so now we've got some yellow. We have given her some, together with some "gel-lite" that will help get her electrolytes back in line! ... and will monitor her, with another poo sample due at the vets in 7 days time.
She was a few yards away, tucked under a wall, I called to her, but she didn't stand up she just called back...... I went up to her and stroked her ears, there was something terribly wrong...... we picked her up, put her straight in the trailer...... While Nigel turned round I called in at Nanny McHawkins, across the lane, and asked her to ring the vet and to let them know we were on the way so they didn't close up and leave the surgery and we drove straight there.... Amy was waiting, I think she was expecting to see Willow not Lilly... we took her in and she was put on the table.... laying on her side with her little head in my hand........ I quietly talked to her... She was getting weaker..
Her lungs were clear, but her stomach was bloated, so Amy released the gas which had built up, but it didn't make any difference.... her breathing was shallow, I could hear it as me cheek was so close to hers...
We all decided that there was nothing to be done and the best and only thing to do was to assist her to painlessly leave this world without delay........... I held her until she took her last breath so she wasn't scared.... I couldn't believe it.
The thing was.... what on earth had happened in such a short time to cause such a dramatic end?....... so it was agreed that we should do a postmortem there and then.... Amy very kindly asked if we would like a cup of tea and if we would like to sit in the waiting room... "No" was the answer, I had helped Curley hamster give birth to Lilly at the end of May and I wasn't going to sit anywhere other than by her side during this last investigation into her little life.
I won't describe how this is done as I don't want to upset anyone with the details, all I will say is that she was perfect.... everything was exactly as it should be, except one thing.....
Two years ago we had had a lamb die unexpectedly and I had attended her postmortem... she had suffered a twisted bowel... one of two that happen on average in the whole of the Yorkshire Dales each year... it's very rare... so we were all dumbfounded to find out that poor Little Lilly had suffered the same fate........ There is nothing that can be done... there is no fault to be placed... its just one of those awful things.
On returning home I emptied her bottle, and poured the rest of what was made up for the morning down the sink..... My morning visit to the field tomorrow will be very different, the little lamb at the gate will be missing, and I will have to take my solace in the other little faces in the field, Minnie, Pixie, Honey and Bunny and Tear Drop.. and Mitsie of course will need her massage... and Peewee will need a cuddle ......
We start lambing again in November/December with 13 Dorsets and the whole cycle starts again....... there are more ups than there are downs, and my walks round the fields that are so full of affection will have to suffice until the lump in my throat disappears....again....