A farmer in Tebay, Cumbria, marks the death of Moss, a 14-year-old farm dog who remained alert until the end. The piece appears in the Guardian's Country Diary column, written by Andrea Meanwell.
Meanwell describes the rhythms of spring lambing season on her farm. Ewes lamb outside and naturally separate from the flock at dusk or dawn. Each evening, Meanwell conducts rounds starting at 8:30pm, knowing darkness falls by 9:30pm. She drives a quad bike to check on sheep scattered across the hills, including two that moved toward the railway line. From her vantage point, she can see both north and south across the landscape. The M6 motorway's truck lights remind her of human infrastructure cutting through the rural terrain.
The article balances the arrival of new lambs with the loss of a longtime working dog. Moss served the farm for 14 years, embodying the practical relationship between farmers and their animals. His death marks an ending as the agricultural cycle continues with spring births. The diary entry captures the emotional weight of farm life, where productivity and loss occur simultaneously, and where animals remain essential partners in daily work.