My Life as a Short-order Cook

Anyone who knows me knows I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. A WHOLE lot of time.

I’ve baked professionally.  I’ve done some catering. I preserve food for our winter-time eating and customer sales.  I’ve made most all our bread for well over 20 years.  I’ve been on meal duty since 1984. I've gone so far to say "food is my life".

I love baking and trying new recipes. I read cookbooks like novels and you better not get me started on all the pretty pictures and delicious entries on Pinterest! I don’t even mind the relentless pressures of putting interesting/nutritious meals on the table every single day. 

All the time spent in the kitchen has made me a noteworthy cook, too.  I know that sounded fairly presumptuous, but this is not just my opinion…

Last week, we saw a fella in town whom we hadn’t seen in years…15 years in fact.  He recognized and greeted the Boss. When the Boss asked if he remembered me (as I look FAR different than I did all those years ago), he said, “oh, yeah…I remember…you can COOK!” Proof that the way to a man’s heart (or at least his memory) is indeed through his stomach.

However…

Any cooking adventures have been put on hold. Recipe experimentation has ground to a screeching halt.   I’m still putting meals on the table, but I don’t have any extra time for “pinterest-ing”, or even cookbook reading.  

At present, if you see me with a mixing bowl and whisk, I’m not in pursuit of some new and wondrous dessert or even some scrumptious new casserole. I have no plans for any sort of culinary experimentation. And, I'm probably not even making supper.

No…I’m just mixing up lamb bottles. Again.

Since you always give the “customer” what they want, there is not much variety at this café. Make that NO variety.  They don’t want ambience.  They’re not at all concerned with presentation. Just give us our bottles and give them to us NOW! RIGHT NOW!  BAAAAA!

I must admit, I miss the challenge of new things.  The monotony of bottle after bottle is more than a little mind-numbing.  But, this too shall pass.  In another month or so, the lamb bottle marathon will be a distant memory.

Six times a day, I pull out the bowl and the whisk and the milk replacer…measure and mix and stir and pour.  Then, I hand deliver the meal.

Come back and clean up the mess. 

…and do it all again just a few hours later.

ORDER UP!
BOTTLES!
NOW!

The bottle lambs are a demanding bunch who never leave a tip…or a positive review. (and are next to impossible to photograph!) On the other hand, they don’t complain or demand any sort of challenging menu with expensive ingredients.






I take that back.  You have any idea how much a bag of milk replacer costs?! It's worth it's weight in gold.

yes, there is milk replacer in our living room!

And, as of Tuesday night, their number increased by one.  Yes, now I have an entire flock of bottle babies. Five little lambs think I am their mother.  It’s kind of ridiculous.  But, it certainly beats the alternative.

meet lamb #5

So, please excuse me, if you will…I hear  another order being placed.

BAAAAA!

I can't tell if he's licking his lips
or sticking his tongue out at me!

Wonder how to feed a lamb?  Or multiple lambs?  Watch this video that the Boss shot the other day.

But, be very...very quiet.  The babies are finally sleeping!

my "hospital pen" is filled to capacity
they are moving to the barn SOON!

Sunday Walkabout 1-18

This has been a long, tiring week.  And, depending on your perspective…either a long tiring week where bad stuff happened…or a long, tiring week with a positive outcome.

Let’s go for the latter, okay? Because despite any bad stuff, the tiredness and frustrations, it really was a good week. Although, I will warn you in advance…this post is going to be very rambly…the tiredness has affected my brain as well as my body.

Short story…the POSTIVE outcome stood at 16 at last count. (we’re about halfway)

Lambing season officially began about 10pm on Sunday. 

phone pic of first 2015 lamb

When I went to the barn for my last check of the night, there was a newborn little ewe lamb. Her mother was working to clean her up (and doing a fine job, I might add).  However, this other ewe wanted in on the action.  She was butting new mama and licking and talking to the newborn, too.  The atmosphere became quite tense as the ewes fought over the baby.  It took me a minute to realize what was going on.  The second ewe, Flo, was also in labor.  Often, when a ewe is in the early stages of labor, she will attempt to “steal” another ewe’s lambs.  She was so intent on this baby, that if I hadn’t known better, I may have attributed it to her and penned the families wrong.  It didn’t require the Wisdom of Solomon to know whose baby the newborn was, she looks very much like her mother, Habeebi.  Yes, I did say Habeebi. Like Klinger’s imaginary camel in the “Last Laugh” episode of M*A*S*H.   

I’m pretty sure I should take a minute to explain that one. (I think I have explained this before, but, I’m not sure where…and it is kind of funny…or at least lets you see just how…well, odd…we really are here on the hill.)

We have one sheep unlike the others.  She is a speck.  Speck is not a breed, per se, but a coloration variation.  By breeding a dark-faced sheep, like a Suffolk or Hampshire with a white-faced sheep, like a Dorset, you get sheep with some speckles on their faces and often a lighter color on their furry parts. Sometimes these speckles show up in later generations. It is simply one of those interesting anomalies that occurs with some regularity in the natural world.

There is a separate class in the sheep showing world for this anomaly.  Back when sheep showing was Blondie’s life, she decided she NEEDED to show a speck.  So, she bought this sheep she called Shania. (she had a whole flock of country music themed lambs… Shania, Garth and Trisha…to name a few)  Shania went to the State Fair and did quite well. But, her show days behind her, she joined the flock as a breeder.

At some point, someone pointed out her resemblance to a camel.  As a cross-breed, she lacks the dramatic black face and white wool of our Suffolk flock.  She’s more of a mousy brown. She also has a long, narrow face.   This resemblance was noticed right after we had seen the M*A*S*H episode with Klinger and his imaginary camel. I think you can check it out here. The name stuck.  And, the Boss seems to get endless pleasure from doing Klinger’s camel herding noises when we’re working sheep.  Keeping things amusing is part of his job description. (or that's what he says)

Anyway… (told you I would be rambling…)

In the tussle for mothering rights, one of the ewes got a little over zealous in her cleaning and bit the end of the baby’s tail off. As the ewes clean up the newborns, they lick them all over and nip the long, dangling umbilical cord with their teeth.  Occasionally, they mistake the tail for the cord and bite that off too! (Yee-ouch) While we do remove the tails from our sheep, this is definitely not our preferred method.  Poor baby was bleeding fairly badly, so I went ahead and banded the tail above the injury and applied blood-stop powder. Ultimately, no harm done.

By this time, Flo’s labor had become more intense and she went off to do her thing elsewhere (I was glad to see her go…she kept butting me as I tried to keep her from the new family)

Now Habeebi had two little babies, and after checking her bag (for milk) and dipping the babies’ umbilicals in iodine (dries them up so germs don’t enter), the new family went into a jug.

Off to check on Flo.  She managed to have her own, very large, lamb without any assistance. I would like twins every time, but a big single with no human intervention is good, too.  They were tucked into their own pen.

By this time it was 12:45am and I headed to the house where I promptly crashed on the couch. Choretime was going to come all too soon.

Tess has first dibs on the couch
here, she's watching a lamb in a box

yes, my kitchen IS a mess!

I’d like to say I hold it all together very well during lambing season. But, between the lambing checks, my downed sheep “patient” and the extra chores (washing lamb towels, “de-hayifying” the washer and dryer) I don’t seem to get much else accomplished. There is hay on the floor and lamb towels on the table.  And I won’t deny having to clean sheep manure off the kitchen floor. But, that’s okay. It’s all part of farm life. I will get back with the program next week. (well, sort of)

The Boss’ online friends are quite interested in our farm life and thought they wanted to see a sheep birth, so they asked him to make a video.  When the next ewe went into labor, we both went to the barn to wait and watch and make a “documentary”.   Personally, I find birth an amazing process and am truly grateful that we get to be active participants in so many miracles. 

But, it is a little gross and gooey, so be forewarned.

The rest of the week slipped by without incident.  We sent out our winter sales email, recorded the orders and responded appropriately. And, my sleep deprivation didn’t cause any errors. (yay)  I realize I’ve said it before, but…our customers are awesome!

Friday was a big lambing day. You can read about it here. 

Saturday is our town delivery day.  This went without a hitch and we headed back home.  The rest of the day was fairly uneventful.  It consisted mainly of feeding babies…and feeding babies.  With four bottle babies requiring 6 bottles a day, I am not doing much else.  Thankfully, this schedule will be reduced in a few days as they can eat more at a time.  By next week, they will have moved to the barn and will getting just four bottles a day.  …and my life will return to relative calm (ha!)

Checking the lambs in the barn, one group looked a little too thin.  Newborn baby lambs are skinny (they plump up within a week), but these looked cold and were all hunched up.  Examination revealed that their mother had a major blockage in one of her teats. This meant the babies were getting very little to eat.  A little human intervention was necessary to clear this up, and a course of antibiotics prescribed for her.  (this morning everyone seems better) Seems a shepherd's work is never really finished. 

Just before bedtime, there were a couple more arrivals.  Big, healthy ram lambs and no shepherd intervention was required. (that’s the way to do it!) 

That brings the total to 16.   9 boys to 7 girls.

And, that was the week here on the hill. I think.  I’m certain my brain fog caused me to forget more than a few things.

I think he has a new favorite!

Today will be a round of tagging and tailing, more baby bottles, turning the new families out with the flock and cleaning the jug pens.  The rest of the ewes are due to lamb within the next week, so we need to be ready.

the lambs have started their gymnastics practice

That means the upcoming week will be interesting at best.  We’ll try and fit the town run and a bunch of errands in around the edges.  It’s time to get some more seeds started…and it might be nice if we worked in the hoophouses.  Oh, I forgot to mention the Annual Farmers’ Market meeting...and…

I think I better find time for a nap!

Hope you’re having a Happy Sunday!

Thanks for stopping by!  Come see us again real soon. 

 

the end of a busy week

Well, That's NOT What I Expected!

I knew I heard “sheepy baby talk” the moment I walked into the barn.

There is a very special noise that mama sheep make as they bond with their new babies.  It’s fairly hard to describe, but once you hear it, you know it forever.  And, when you do hear it, you know that there are new babies somewhere in the barn.

Sure enough, there was one newborn with the penned ewe. “Roberta” was having a hard time keeping up with the flock, so she was on “stall rest” until she had her lambs. (which was happening right NOW).

But, I heard voices from elsewhere in the barn.  Where?  Here they are!  Doris-the yearling was busily cleaning two little lambs in the lower part of the barn.  Well, well, well.  I only expected a single from her! It looked like she had things under control, so I left her to her duties of ovine motherhood.

Another check of Roberta revealed that she had laid down to push…and well…couldn’t get back up again.  I got her back on her feet. But, it didn’t seem like all her efforts were having ANY effect.  Time to get the Boss for some muscular back-up.

My internal check revealed that there were two other babies inside.  They were very large and all tangled up.  Instead of being in the diving position, the first one’s front foot was turned back (without correction, he was never getting out).  Not wanting to wait his turn, #3’s feet were trying to get out, too.  With fairly little difficulty, they were re-positioned and delivered.  Good night! What a crew!  Over 30 pounds total!  Poor mama!  Nope, I didn’t expect that one, either…

After chores, as I penned the yearling and her lambs, one looked more than a little punk.  She was really little, so she didn’t have enough body mass to keep her warm.

doesn't everyone carry lambs inside their jackets
on their way to the kitchen?

She went to the house in my jacket and much to Tess’ annoyance, was settled in a plastic hopper by the woodstove.

Tess' disdain was palpable

A short while later, she returned to the barn, where she was accepted by her mother as if nothing had happened at all.  Can’t say I expected that reaction.  I was worried it wouldn’t go so smoothly.

Doris and her lambs are reunited

My afternoon check revealed that more babies were happening…right now!

Finally, after nearly two weeks of extra work and worry, it looked like Charlene was finally going to lamb.  My guess was triplets.  Maybe quads?  Since she hadn’t gotten up in over a week, this project was going to take a whole lot of effort on the part of the shepherds.

But, first…

Girlfriend is having HER babies. Girlfriend has always been one of my favorites.  She’s actually more like a goat than a sheep, in that she’s very friendly and personable.  She had the first one with little difficulty. 

It was a nice little ewe lamb.  There was obviously another one coming, but things seemed to slow down interminably…and she started baa-ing loudly. 

It was time for an “intervention”.  

Keeping an eye out for developments for Charlene, I attended to Girlfriend.  The next baby had these big, long legs and a fairly large head.  Once we got his shoulders through…he slid out easily.  But, wait!  There’s another one! The second set of triplets in less than twelve hours.  And…nope…didn’t expect THAT either!

With the triplets on the ground, we left Girlfriend to clean and bond, while we turned our attention to Charlene.  I really couldn’t see how this one was going to end well.  She’s been down for over a week, the stress of her condition was causing her wool to “break” (a sick/stressed sheep can lose its entire coat of wool…this will eventually grow back, but it’s more than a little distressing to have a naked sheep), she was not looking at all well.  Although she was contracting, she was making no effort to move either of her back legs, so delivery was going to be up to the Boss and me.

Working on our knees since she was still lying down, delivery was not an easy one, despite the fact that the babies were right there, just waiting to get out.  The first one was a nice size and seemed healthy.  Charlene showed absolutely no interest.  I went back for the next one. He was backwards.  I may have said a few choice words.  Okay, no maybe about it.  I did say a few choice words.  Since she was lying down, gravity was not working with us.  There was no way to reposition him…so…I said a prayer and pulled him out backwards as quickly as I could.  You really do NOT want to deliver a lamb this way.  Once the umbilical cord is broken, the lamb takes its first breath.  If its head is still in the mom, it gets a lung full of mucus and glop.  Amazingly, this didn’t happen.  Another exam revealed…there were no other lambs. As in…she was that huge and that incapacitated for TWINS.  And, I seriously didn’t expect THAT!

The twins had a combined weight of 24 pounds.  Big babies, but we have had bigger without incident.  Charlene was fairly unresponsive. No, make that totally unresponsive.  She never even nosed the babies.  We had both hoped that delivering the babies would cause her back leg movement to return.  We were wrong. She began to look weaker and weaker.

gathering up "my" babies

I took the twins to the house to warm by the stove. The Boss looked at me knowingly.  “Well, looks like ya got yourself some bottle babies…” I think he chuckled a little.

He headed out to finish up chores and I turned my attention to Girlfriend and her new family.  I tucked them in a jug with hay, food and water and headed out to feed the rest of the flock.

That’s when I heard it. BLAM!

What the?

For some reason, Girlfriend decided she didn’t want that ram lamb nursing her.  BLAM!  She rammed him into the barn wall.  He shook himself and stood up.  BLAM!  She butted him to the ground.

Now, just a daggone minute there, sheep!  I won’t be having this kind of stuff!  I pulled the baby to safety just as she tried to butt him again.

Well, now, I certainly didn’t expect that.  She’d lambed before.  I have one of her daughters. Maybe she just took care of girl babies. (I had a goat like that once) I’d just put him in the box with my other little guys. By the time you get one bottle baby...two bottle babies...what's another one? We headed to the house.

When I returned to the barn I heard more noises.  Lo and behold, Girlfriend was butting the other baby into the wall.  Sometimes a ewe will decide that one is enough.  And, apparently that is what Girlfriend did.  I removed the second lamb and all was right with the world.  The first baby is doing fine.  Girlfriend, however, just earned herself a one-way ticket to the stockyard.  She’s never raised more than one baby…and now I think I know why.  While it may sound harsh, there is just no place on the farm for a bad mother. Did you read this one?

Okay, so…it was a very long Friday.  We had ten lambs born…and four of those are living in the shop and are beginning to think I am their mother.

four lambs in a playpen with a heat lamp
welcome to our crazy life

It's a gross understatement to say...

Well, that’s NOT what I expected!

  

As a postscript to this very long story:  Charlene’s condition worsened, and she had to be put down on Saturday afternoon. In addition to that, one of the triplets succumbed in the early morning.  While most folks think farm life is beautiful and bucolic and things are always wonderful, (and most the time it is)  I’ll be real honest here---some days farmlife is just plain hard. 

Why in the World Do Sheep Have Their Lambs in the Bitter Cold?

newborn lamb - 2015
(TLWomack image)

As I struggled into my coveralls, coat, hat, gloves and boots for what seemed like the hundredth time that day to head out to check the sheep, braving the frigid temperatures and gale force winds, I couldn’t help but think of our customer-friend’s recent question.

WHY in the world DO sheep have their lambs in the bitter cold?

At first glance, it really doesn’t make much sense. The poor sheep! And, surely it would be easier if I didn’t have to put on 87 layers of clothing just to go outside.

Then I realized I’d never covered our personal reasons for wintertime lambs.  So, sheri b, this one’s for you!

First, it’s necessary to understand that sheep are seasonal breeders.  Unlike some animals who will reproduce no matter the season, a ewe’s estrus cycle is determined by photoperiod (length of daylight).  Most sheep are short-day, or late summer/fall breeders.  For more information you can visit  this site. Reading through the entire site, you may find out more about sheep breeding than you ever thought you'd want to know! (and I can assure you, there's a lot more!)

This seasonal breeding means that most lambs will  be born during one time of the year, generally from mid-winter to late spring. (there are some breeds that will procreate out of “season” but, our Suffolks are traditionalists…) This means that lambs are just naturally some of the first young animals born. Now you can understand why fresh lamb became part of the Easter celebration.

But, WHY would we knowingly choose January? Don’t the poor lambs get cold? Don’t WE get cold? I mean, it’s snowing out there right now!

We’ve thought long and hard about this...done our research...and learned a lot through trial and error. We’ve tried spring lambing.  We’ve tried field lambing. Both had disastrous results. The lure of the fresh green grass makes for inattentive ewes. (they forget about their babies)  The warm, damp weather can wreak havoc on the young lambs’ immune system. (the lambs get sick and die) …and then there’s the pressure of keeping up with our planting schedule and the Market season. (there are just not enough hours in the day)

In short, here on the hill...January lambing simply works best for ewes, lambs AND shepherds. 

ewes chillin' by the barn

During the winter months, the grass goes dormant.  The only thing for the sheep to eat is hay. So, they are hanging out at the barn, waiting for me to deliver their meals.  The close contact allows us to monitor the ewes’ health and assist in birthing if necessary.  By choosing to lamb while the ewes are at the barn, we have far more control of the situation than we would if they were out in the field. This is the best option for our ewes.

taking bottle lambs to the barn '14

Being a good shepherd requires a lot of close, personal contact. This is made much simpler when the sheep are at the barn. Believe me, traipsing through the fields in the dark of night looking for lambs or ewes in need of assistance is not fun. (not even a little bit)  Once lambing is over, the needs of the flock are fewer and by the time they go out on grass, we need only check them at chore time.

Since the ewes have their lambs in the barn, the lambs’ survival chances are excellent. The barn provides shelter from the wind and weather, and strategically placed heat lamps provide some warmth for newborns. (for the record…the barn is NOT heated...heat would indeed cause more health problems for the sheep)

checking out the newborn 

While the lambs are “ewwy, gooey wet” when they are born, the attentive ewes clean them quickly and most newborns are up and nursing within ten minutes of birth.  Within hours they are nibbling hay...and at just a week old, they are racing around the barnyard.

this lamb hasn't quite figured out the hay eating thing

barnyard lamb races
two week old lambs

snow just adds to the fun and games
two month old lambs

The lambs born in January will grow rapidly and weigh at least 50 pounds when the entire flock returns to grass in late March or early April.  Robust, hearty lambs have the ability to withstand the parasite pressure of the early spring.  All sorts of nasty little creatures make their homes in the moist grass of springtime. (there is a definite down-side to pasture-raised animals)  As the sheep graze, they ingest quantities of the oocysts from the earth that then make their homes in the sheeps’ intestines. Too many of these microscopic creatures and the lambs will die. (the issue of internal parasites is another subject for another time)  But, with a fairly good body mass, the animals can withstand the ill-effects of the blood-sucking parasites. (although careful monitoring is still necessary) But, this is only possible if the lambs are a couple of months old and have had time to grow prior to turning them out to pasture.  This is the best option for healthy lambs. And, a healthy flock is our ultimate goal as shepherds.

lambs on grass in Springtime

lambing season apparel
-TLWomack

Since winter is our “down-time”, we can adapt (somewhat) to the (sometimes) round-the-clock duties of the lamb barn. By charting the breed dates, we know with some accuracy when each ewe is due to lamb.  During the two to three week of lambing, I check the barn every four hours. (yes, even at night) I realize there may be other ways to check the lambs, but I feel confident with my totally hands-on approach. When it is very, very cold, or it looks like there may be some “action”, I will check every two hours. There have been times when I’ve spent long stretches of time in the barn (regardless of the time or weather)  Sleep deprivation is no stranger.  Since winter lacks the urgency of mid-summer, it doesn’t matter (quite so much) if I am tired and somewhat incoherent at times (although I try real hard not to be grumpy, too). By limiting our lambing season to a couple of weeks, my survival is pretty much assured.  This makes January lambing the best option for shepherds, too!

January’s weather doesn’t always cooperate with our plans.  Some years we catch a break and lambing occurs during the “January thaw”. Other years…well, Murphy’s law applies.  You know “if anything can go wrong, it will”. Thankfully, that isn’t often.  But, it’s important to note that the low pressure that accompanies precipitation seems to always bring the close-up ewes into labor as well. So, it’s not unusual to spend a snowy or rainy day (night) assisting births.












While the barn is not luxurious, it provides a great deal of shelter from the elements. The weather is actually more of an issue for the humans than for the lambs.  Once a lamb is born (and dried off) the best place for it is with its mother (and her life-giving milk) and its wool will insulate it against the winter winds.

And, there you have it. 

Our sheep lamb during the cold winter weather because it is actually the best solution for all involved. It’s our assurance of healthy ewes, hardy lambs and happy shepherds.

                                               ...and ultimately...very tasty lamb chops!

Want to read some more about sheep and lambs here on the hill?

Check these out.
The Miracle of Birth

Baa-baa Black Sheep

Overnight Delivery

A Day as a Shepherd

Just Call Me Maaa-aa!

Wordless Wednesday

-TLWomack image

Sunday Walkabout 1-11

ice crystals on the hoophouse

It’s been a long, cold week here on the hill.

Long because it’s January and lambing season is upon us. Not that we’ve seen any lambs just yet…no, lambing season is far more checking than it is action. All those trips to the barn at all hours make the season seem to stretch out interminably sometimes.  But, by doing an actual physical check of the barn, I am aware of any impending catastrophes. (and video monitors are too expensive) I do end up feeling a whole lot like Fred the Baker of “vintage” commercial fame.  Watch this video...

 and imagine he’s saying “check for lambs”, and you have a pretty good idea what I become this time of year…although even the thought of going outdoors for any period of time requires a whole series of clothing layers, making a trip to the barn a fairly big ordeal. And, don’t even consider going to the barn without dressing for the weather!

it just LOOKS cold

And it's been a cold week, because…well, that pesky Arctic air mass has moved south once more.  I know, I know…it’s January. It’s supposed to be cold.  That doesn’t mean I have to like it. (and I don’t) And, honestly, the cold has been noteworthy. The wind has been a constant factor this week as well, so the “real-feel” temperature has been well below zero, even during daylight hours. But, like I said, it IS January, so we’ll just make the best of it. We just allow some extra time for dressing and un-dressing each time we head out. But, with all the putting on and off of layers, our productivity is greatly reduced.

Despite the cold, the lack of sleep and the constant putting on/ taking off of outdoor apparel, a few things happened around here in addition to the 87 barn checks and the hourly gathering of eggs. (okay, 87 barn checks might be an exaggeration…but, we did check eggs on the hour on the coldest day)

The week started with a bit of excitement as the Boss and I attempted to get into town, run errands, make a delivery, pick up feed and parts and groceries and get back before lunchtime. (that didn’t happen so we ate in town)

all the wind has Gus on constant alert

While we were getting ready, the dogs were getting all worked up about something out front.  Remember last week and their raccoon encounter? Read this.  I figured I better find out what was going on. After I put on forty-seven layers of clothes, I headed out.

Down toward the creek, in the thick underbrush, I spotted something black.  It wasn’t too large, and my first thought (considering the crazed dog barking and the location) was a bear.  Black bears have indeed been spotted in Mbrook with some regularity, so my guess wasn’t too far afield.  However, as it ambled up the hill, I realized it was a black Angus calf, a fairly good-sized Angus calf.  It wandered along, found the neighbor’s driveway and headed over for a visit.  Since the neighbor has big dogs and even bigger glass windows, and has had a few “bovine encounters” in the past, the Boss called to give them a heads-up.  No one answered.  A few minutes later, the neighbor called and said she didn’t get the message until AFTER she let the dogs outside…and yes, the calf was indeed there.  As we discussed the possible ownership of the calf, I saw a pick-up heading up the lane.  The “calf posse” was on the case and headed for the rescue.  Did you  read THIS great cow story? 

No bear...just a wayward calf

I excused myself and went out to alert the search party as to the whereabouts of the calf.  It took an extra minute to get my coat and boots and they were headed back down when I got outside. I waved. They all waved back.  I waved again…they waved again.  (It’s a friendly community, but really…) “Hey!” I hollered.  They all said “Hey!” back.  Come on, seriously, guys?  HEY!  This time I waved both arms.  SCREECH.  The driver hit the brakes and the cow chasers in the back lurched forward. “Y’all looking for a calf?”   OH,YES!  They declared in unison.  I pointed in the direction of the calf’s last known location.  They thanked me and headed down the lane.  They parked and fanned out through the woods. Any other time, we would have joined the search, but we had places to go and things to do…

I reckon they found the calf since they were gone when we got back from town and the calf hasn’t shown up again. While I thought it was an amusing start to the week, I’m pretty sure the sentiment was not shared by the cow-posse. But, they certainly can’t complain about being bored.

With the town run completed, the Boss turned his attention to the barn where he needed to create some jug pens for lambing season.  I’m sure I’ve explained “jug” pens before, but in case you missed it..JUG pens are just small, temporary pens we put the moms and newborns in after the lambs arrive.  By spending a couple days in close quarters, the new family has time to “bond” and we can keep a close eye out for any problems.  You can read more about that HERE. And, for the record, I have NO idea why they are called jugs.

jug pens in 2012

With one ewe already in the “hospital”, the arrangement was altered slightly.  For those of you wondering about “Charlene” from this post.…she’s still hanging in there.  She’s not falling over anymore, and we’ve gotten through one of the two weeks until her babies are actually due. We have developed a little routine, and she’s being very cooperative. However, my expectations are not very high at this point. But, keep thinking good thoughts…

The jug pen construction got the Boss thinking about how he could improve the electrical wiring in the barn.

 So, after another trip to town, he started re-wiring.  By this time the bitter cold had arrived, so I ended up helping a little, so his fingers didn’t actually freeze.

new wiring going in

checkin' out the new electrical work

obviously you do not recognize good help when you see it!

 And, of course, the ewes had to offer some “assistance” as well. Even though that job wasn’t really in the plan for the week, it will make things nicer in the barn.

Since it’s really too cold to work outdoors, I tried to focus on other stuff. I did manage to get all the starting dates planned for transplants and the big seed order arrived Saturday.  Now, it’s time to catalog the seeds…and count the days until seed starting can begin.  We do need to clean and organize one greenhouse, but it’s far too cold for that right now.

The bitter cold also precluded any thoughts of picking greens for this week’s delivery.  I think the plants only thawed out for about two hours during the week.  And, quite honestly, picking in frigid conditions wasn’t at all appealing! But, we had another great week of sales.  Our customers are great!  And our winter sales method works incredibly well for all involved.  I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to be able to do something you love for a living and have so many people express their appreciation for your efforts. 

...and we have great views, too!

Now that the wiring is completed and the jug pens are arranged, all we can do is WAIT for the first lamb to pop.  I really thought we might be seeing some yesterday, but thankfully I was wrong.  I say thankfully because yesterday was really cold, and the temperatures are supposed to moderate some over the next few days.  We’re actually going to be above the freezing mark for a while. Perfect weather for lambing!

Snuggled down in the hay, Tess is waiting...

Ready to spring into action, Sissie is waiting, too

this gives you no idea how BIG "Girlfriend" is...
but, she's waiting, too!

Here’s hoping you’re well and warm and enjoying a 

                Happy Sunday!

…wherever you are.

Thanks for stopping by…be sure to come back and visit us again real soon!

sunset on 1-6-15