A new year has begun, and so the fields in this corner of pastoral bliss in which I find myself are filling up with the winter lambs. Birds have lost their breeding plumages, and all the hatch years are now second year birds. It’s a while yet before they begin their new year of nesting, as their calendar is defined by different events than ours (though they too take notice of the lengthening days). The hills are being recarpeted in early green, most notably in the areas where they were grazed down in the year gone past, but spreading more and more to the hills where no graze occurred.
The ranchers may have their guns oiled and waiting, ready to protect their flocks, and I… I too am armed. I have my camera sitting holstered in its bag, ready to be drawn when something of interest alights in my path, or when one of these new born lambs gambols out from its mother’s protective shadow. And so I head out to photograph these new lambs who begin their lives as we begin our year…
Basking in the sun with mom and bro. Or sis.
Listening to what mom has to say
Galen Leeds Photography 
Love the light on all of these, but especially love everything about the last image, Galen! Beautiful captures! Happy new year!
Beautiful! You captured so many expressive images. The babies are so cute. Happy New Year!
Thank you. I hope you have a lovely year
Beautiful photos as usual. They are too adorable!
Thank you. They are so cute it is hard not to always be stopping to take their pictures
I missed your blog! Glad you are back. The photos are great, such cute little lambikins. I especially like the mom talking to the kids and the kids on the knoll. There are two black lambs, one with a big white splotch on his head down the street on Cypress…you can see them on your way to town from work. Also worth photos? Happy New Year!
Thanks. It’s nice to be back. Have a wonderful prosperous coming year
They are so adorable. Your photography is wonderful!!!
Thank you Cee
A fitting subject to inaugurate the first post of 2012!
The lambs themselves were instrumental to the timing
They are so cute. I can see why you want to capture their antics. Soon they will be frolicking about too, giving you many great photo opportunities. Nice images today, Galen, especially those backlit ones.
So much fun to watch as they frolic. When the rains let up, I will be heading out for some wild teenage lamb portrait sessions
Beautiful, and I so enjoy your poetic exposition.
Thank you. It was fun to write.
Excellent pics Galen! Love ‘the mum talking to the kids’ also.
Don’t know where you have been, but I have also missed your Blog.
Have a happy, healthy and prosperous NY
Cheers
Thanks Mark, it’s good to be back. Enjoy the New Year
good to see your blogs again. the lambs are sweet..see alot of stories here..favs are of the ewe in foreground in focus with the two out-of-focus lambs in background. and the lamb backlit by emerging (or departing) light. I get a kick out of the group of lambs where one looks like it is goingto”boing” into the air. i At my friend’s place I used to watch a cat lead the lambs under a fence and they would all trot across the yard in single file.
Grown sheep are such a contrast to the vivacity of the young lambs, that it is a joy to watch them charging and chasing about and going “Boing!” which is what one of the lambs actually did not too long after. You can see one of them airborne in this post about the invisible sheep. I hope you were able to get some images of the cat leading the lambs
Wonderful, wonderful images. Such beautiful lighting and some magical moments. I wish I’d taken several of these! I’ve been eying a field with many newborn black lambs and a red barn backdrop. I must stop and ask permission to get some shots.
Thanks. It’s a magical time of year, especially since I don’t expect lives to begin in the middle of winter.