Scarlett O'Hara

We ran out of kindling. Everything here is soaking wet so sticks just weren't doing it. While throwing hay down the chute,my eye caught the pile of old chairs Bill had purchased at an auction years ago. Representing many centuries and styles, the chairs were in all forms of disrepair. AH HA kindling. Openning the loft door, I began pitching chairs out into the barnyard. That's when I felt akin to Scarlett O'Hara and began reciting lines from Gone With The Wind. (Scarlett tells Prissy to burn the fine family heirlooms in order to keep warm.) These weren't exactly fine family heirlooms but I'm sure there is a lot of history in those chairs. Oh well, no more searching for dry sticks! The best part is I now can get thru the loft up to the hay without climing over piles of chairs. I'm inspired to read Gone With the Wind again too.

January Thaw!!!!

Warm...sunny...and great. Working in the barn is a joy on a day like this. I had hoped to get the Bobcat out and clean the barnyard but the mud is so bad that I'll be mired down on my first trip out to the dump site. (My brothers think it amusing that I love to drive my skid steer loader.)Instead I just worked in the barn and prepared for lambing. Two BFL ewes look really close. Guess the nights of walking to the barn several times will be upon me soon. My friend Emma who is 77 and has raised sheep for 50+ years tells stories of lambing 500 ewes and weeks sleeping in her quarters in the barn complete with cot,heater and coffee pot. Makes lambing about 60 ewes seem like a piece of cake. Emma lambs about 20 now because can't give up the joy and excitement of lambing season. It's like Christmas going out to the barn each time to see what you'll find. I use monitors so the sounds give me a clue as to what to expect but seeing newborn lambs up and about is so rewarding. I tell people I work for 5 cents and hour raising sheep but it is such a joy...most of the time. Like Emma, I couldn't imagine a year without lambs and all the joy, frustration,anxiety and exhaustion that goes with it.