Andrea Meanwell, a farmer in Tebay, Cumbria, shares the rhythms of spring lambing season alongside a personal loss. Her flock gives birth across the hillside while she conducts evening rounds starting at 8:30pm, timing her checks before darkness falls. Sheep naturally isolate themselves at dusk and dawn when labor begins, so Meanwell drives her quad bike along the railway line to locate expectant ewes. From the high ground, she observes the M6 motorway lights cutting through the landscape below.
The article weaves together the cycle of new life emerging on the farm with an unnamed goodbye at the farmstead. Meanwell marks the passing of a 14-year-old companion, described as alert until the end. This personal loss occurs during lambing season, a period demanding constant attention and vigilance. The piece captures how farming life demands simultaneous engagement with both death and birth, loss and renewal. Meanwell's daily work across the Cumbrian hills continues despite her grief, reflecting the unrelenting demands of shepherding livestock through vulnerable seasons.