Happy Birthday, Liv

A whole year old!

Waiting for Santa

...or, Why The Blinds Need Drawn

Bored

Ice everywhere. Been like this for the past week. It's treacherous just for the dogs to go out to the bathroom. Sheep are locked in the back field so that they have access to the barn, but I'd really like to get them out front where some of the field is bare and graze-able. Instead, they tip-toe to and from the round bale out back, nibble at the burn pile, and attempt to dig through the ice to get down to something edible. I tried to move them sans dog, verrry carefully across the ice and down the chute, but upon arrival at the entrance to the front field, I had bodies flying everywhere and panicked bleats for help; too steep, too slippery.

"Please help...can't walk!"

Bored.

Last year at this time we had a foot and a half of snow on the ground. Pretty sure I'd rather have snow than ice.

They must really like being pregnant

It's been a week and no new lambs. There are some ewes that are gigantic and have udders like Jersey cows, plus we're in the midst of a winter storm coming through, so I would've sworn that at least ONE would go! But, no.

Only mom with the ram twin

Gabe on lambing watch

"What drop in barometric pressure? We're holding them in."

Lambing '10

Has started! Too bad I was expecting it to be "Lambing '11"...as I wasn't planning on babies until February or March. See, I purchased 20 ewes and ewe lambs from a friend, and based on when they've lambed previously, I didn't expect that things would be any different this year. I certainly don't blame her, she was gone for the whole summer, and apparently there was a ram breakout event in August that I wasn't aware of until...3 days ago.

Dad had been visiting for a couple weeks and had been doing a great job learning how to do sheep chores.

He has to do things without a dog (for now!).

Well I didn't even think to have him look for big bellies and growing udders (considering I *thought* they had another month or two), and the day after he left, I went out in the morning to find twins!

I also found this:

You'd think lambing in December in VA wouldn't be such a bad idea.

I've been working like crazy rearranging e-net, waterers, feeders, and corral panels, making jugs, getting more feed, and ordering supplies. I'm an obsessive planner and had everything laid out beautifully in my mind...ultrasounding, trimming feet, crutching, vaccinating, conditioning...and now none of that has happened and I'm flying by the seat of my pants.

Oh well, here we go.