Sunday Walkabout 2-1

icicles at the barn

Can you believe it’s February?

Already?

Time sure flies when you’re…

                           …making bottles for the lambs…

"lamb bar" in action

That’s pretty much how I spent my week. Making lamb bottles.

Honestly, I’ve never seen so many lamb bottles! The babies did graduate to a 4-10-4-10 schedule. That’s a feeding at 4am and 10am and then the repeat for the pm. This makes my life much less frantic and is a great milestone in their development.

Other than that, our week was far from exciting. We did the usual farm stuff…the feed store…the dump…cleaning out the barn…weekly sales run…

                                   …and waiting.

We’re still waiting for the last two ewes to lamb. (the lambs weren’t even “due” until yesterday…so, it’s not like they’re late or anything) I have to say I’m really over this project. I’m so tired of the nocturnal checks and the worries. On the positive side, all the lambs are doing well and the band of bottle babies is thriving. I am keeping track of their progress and will write a post about my experiences as a “mom of quintuplets” at some point. I meant to weigh them all Saturday afternoon, but crashed for a couple of hours on the couch instead. The Boss said I must have been desperate for the rest…and he wasn’t kidding. I’ve spent an awful lot of time at the barn in the past week.

morning at the barn

ewe in "hospital" pen

My many trips to the barn are due in part to the ewe in the hospital/observation pen. She’s requiring a lot of time and attention, and given the outcome with the last “patient”…hopes are not high.  She’s one of the last two due to lamb and in addition to her ailments, it’s kind of a bother when there are a couple who aren’t in sequence with the rest of the flock. (these babies should make their arrival within a day or two at the latest) But, we can be thankful that lambing season doesn’t stretch on for months like it did in the old days around here.  Before we developed our present flock, we had a ragtag bunch with no consistency and uniformity, which affected their breeding and the lambing schedule.  Believe me, checking for lambs (and lambing issues) nightly for months got really tiring, particularly during the bad weather that we seem to always have during February. (and the lamb chops were nowhere near as delicious!)

that's a lotta lambs!
(and that's not all)

a photo of the photographer

the lambs are really growing

I think this lamb may be a little like Gus
he's eating a stick!

lambs exploring the great, big world

yes, we have a lamb that wears a sweater...
and, yes, he IS known as "Mr. Rogers"
(story to follow)

…speaking of weather…

just a skiff of snow

icy view out the back door

snow on North Mountain

I am exceedingly grateful that the weather never got as bad as had been predicted. We’ve had some snow, some ice and LOTS of wind (that’s not unusual…I’ve said before that views, views, views equal wind, wind, wind) but, nothing major. From my perspective, this was a good thing.  

Taking photos of ice crystals ALWAYS includes a Gus photo-bomb!
(yes, that is his huge nose plastered against the backdoor)

Although, it’s just a matter of time before someone somewhere points out that we need some moisture. (the someone might even be me)   We’re down for the year…and someone somewhere will start worrying about the upcoming planting/growing season.  That’s always the way.

And the growing season is fast upon us!

As we were waiting for our customers to arrive for our weekly drop-off downtown, it occurred to us that there are only 8 more weekends before the Farmers’ Market opens for another season! Eight weeks. YIKES! While I know we are both looking forward to Market season and the delicious fresh foods of summer…we still have LOTS of things to accomplish before Opening Day. (better get crackin’!---like…right now!) I see myself spending a great deal of quality time spent in the greenhouses in the very near future. A whole lot of time. The Boss has a couple of repair/re-model jobs to complete. We also need to make a fieldtrip to the grower supply store and the Boss must order the rest of the seedstock for the season. Seeds to start…ground to prepare… The “off-season” sure does fly by!

Isn't this gorgeous?  I can't wait!
-TLWomack image

We did manage a trip to the Draft to check out B & J's goat kids.  One doe had TRIPLETS...they are the teeniest, tiniest goats I have ever seen. 

The kids' goat had kids...
this has got to be the tiniest goat I've ever seen!
-TLWomack image

Sorry to say, but, that’s it…that was the week on the hill. Really.  That’s all. (it certainly seemed like we did more!)

Waylon in Winter

Mid-winter is hard…motivation seems to go south when it’s cold and gloomy. The hoophouses are just plain sad looking (I’ll spare you a photo, it’s too depressing)  It’s too early to get crazy in the greenhouses…but, there are only 47 days ‘til SPRING.  The first day of Spring here in the Valley is really just a date on the calendar, it’s generally still very cold and wintry when March 20 makes its arrival. But, even “a date on the calendar” gives us some hope of warmer days and green and growing things! …and the assurance that we made it through another Winter.

If you thought you were having a rough day...it could be worse!
(don't worry, he got "un-stuck")

Hope that you’re having a Happy Sunday!

…wherever you are….and whatever you’re doing.

Thanks for stopping by!  Please come back for a visit real soon.

 

"...morning has broken..."