Is that your sheep?

Is it too early to be anticipating Spring given that it's only the 17th January? How typically English that we should go from -10 degrees one week to +10 a couple of weeks later. Needless to say the ice is all gone and the frostbite a distant memory. People have even noticed a few early signs of Spring – apparently all around the Marina a whole army of ducks have been seen pairing off, quacking their way off into the sunset together. Now the other thing that happens in Spring is that sheep start to lamb – a very busy time if you're a sheep farmer. I'm only mentioning it because I'm still chuckling from something that happened on New Year's Day. Chris in brokerage had popped up to the house with Sophie, the fluffy white Bichon Frise dog to drop a birthday present off for Anna. We had a "bit of a do" on New Year's Eve and had few friend's staying over – the youngest of which was little Halle, who, nonchalantly wandered round the table, took one look at Sophie, marched up to Chris and demanded to know...."is that your sheep?"