Anne-Marie Hamilton writes about farming in Cambridgeshire

Anne-Marie Hamilton farms in Cambridgeshire. (Image: Newsquest)

The farm currently seems to be attracting livestock that insist on bouncing around. It started with the sheep, who seem to be incapable of simply walking between fields. Instead, they charge through gateways, leaping with sheer joy as they reach fresh grass.

Their happiness is infectious, and it is hard not to share in their pleasure as they explore new pastures.

The second ‘bouncer’ proved rather different and, in fact, gave me quite a shock. I was tidying the garden and lifting some dead leaves under the hedge when a virulently-yellow frog with black polka-dot spots leapt out.

Despite his unusual colouring, according to the internet he is a common frog, which is rather a surprise as I thought that, like Kermit, all frogs were green.

I suspect that the third new ‘bouncer’ in my life is not going to change his ways any time soon. He is a little rescue terrier that we have taken on as, very sadly, we lost our dear, elderly fox terrier, Tommy, shortly after he last appeared in The Hunts Post.

The house and farm have felt extremely empty since he died, so when we heard that Fred was looking for a home, we decided to take him on.

As we normally have older rescue dogs, I had completely forgotten what it is like to have a very young one to care for again.

He is like a jack-in-a-box, specialising in vertical take-offs and landings, and is so enthusiastic about life that it can be quite exhausting.

He is proving to be a wonderful watchdog, and is beginning to adapt to farm life but, sadly, his ambitions to become a sheep dog are extremely unlikely to be fulfilled any time soon as he gets far too excited every time he sees a sheep.

For their part, the sheep totally ignore his antics, which completely confuses him. I suspect that it will be a while before his sheep-herding ability improves.