I started my day with a trip to the gym which was nearly the only ordinary thing about yesterday.
When I got home, my boomerang son met me with the fact that we “have a very limping big white sheep” which was the start of my unusual day. I assumed she managed to get a foot caught in her coats which happens occasionally. Not so! After some work, I managed to get her and another sheep into a partially empty stall. It is at times like this, you find doors that don’t work and other “fun” farm chores needing attention.
Diagnosis: prolapsing started. Vet called. Meanwhile I stayed at the barn since I had a stall that I needed to clean and had actually started the day before. This stall floor hadn’t been cleaned in 6 weeks, so there was a lot of wet, matted, decomposing, heavy hay. I worked on that until lunch, ran home, made lunch, mopped two floors, ran to the grocery for half a dozen items, and came right back to the job. Intermittently, I was keeping track on what was going on with this sheep.
The vet was here about 1/2 an hour and a friend came to help. Now the two sheep will stay in this 10 x 12 stall until she lambs in 2-3 weeks (sheep always need a companion). The extra hay has been removed so they have more room. I will check on them 2-3 times a day. It appears there will be 2 or possibly 3 lambs. We don’t have long to wait. This is why I always like to have another stall ready to go. One just never knows. I did finish cleaning out the other stall, and have 5 more to go. 3 have deep winter bedding which means it is about 2 feet deep in places and will take a lot of time and effort unless I get lucky and find someone needing a few dollars. Now that the weather is warmer, I need to clean the stalls every 2 weeks
Yesterday was definitely not an ordinary day, and I stayed and worked there until 4. I came home and fell asleep. It has been years since I worked that long and hard. As I continually point out to my DH, “the sheep will keep us healthy as they make us use our muscles and we have to get outside daily”
And if I didn’t have them, I probably would have done more shopping, or sewing, or even house cleaning. There definitely would not be some unusual muscles complaining today. And I would have had my blog done yesterday, instead of so late.
However, I love this way of life and am so thankful to be living here. Enjoy the day. Company will be here shortly.
Is it winter or spring, or perhaps half way in between? The Christmas cactus, that actually bloomed at Christmas, is once again blooming. Today though the winds were cold, the hoop house was warm.
I’m trying to squeeze a few minutes of sewing into each day, with some days being more successful than others. I’m ready to start putting this quilt top together now. It is “Spool Souffle” from the Fat Quarter Shop
And to add to the fun we have around here, Beau tried to get through this gate as I was trying to keep him from getting through. Now the rotten post is being held up by the latch. Just another something to keep us from getting too comfortable. I think this summer will include replacing many posts.
The New Year mystery quilt is totally finished at 42 x 60″ for a lap quilt. I’m linking up to Elm Street OMG http://www.elmstreetquilts.com/2018/01/one-monthly-goal-january-finish-link-up.html
My fingers get so cold when working outside that I purchased these heated gloves from Amazon. There is a place in the cuff to put batteries which will heat the fingers. I was so happy with them for about an hour as they actually were warm. After an hour, the batteries died. I really need gloves that will keep my fingers warm for longer than that so will do more research. But while they worked, they were wonderful. Today I cleaned stalls for more than 2 hours and it is important to have warm fingers. Otherwise, they hurt too much when I come in.
Today, DH felt a real need to go to Costco, because we hadn’t been there this year yet and this Parkinson stuff makes him worry even more than before. So while he was putting on his shoes, I started out to the car. You don’t have to guess who bolted past me and past him, going from one end of the house to the other, with a pause in each room as if looking for something. Juliette won! She toured the entire floor (without mishap) before I could get her turned around with animal crackers. Then out the back door and up to where the other sheep are, she followed. She is now a sheep again, in the pasture with the other sheep. Grain does wonders.
Juliette (a Ouessant sheep) thinks she is a dog, having been raised that way. And apparently DH thinks that I need pe(s)ts help with the taxes with which he is not willing to help. Twice today, I had to leave what I was doing to usher Juliette and Beau out of my lap. When the dogs get in, they head for Mom – who spends more time with them and provides for their stomachs. They know! Juliette got in once, but was ushered back out before any mishaps. I’m not willing to find out if she is potty trained, but have you ever seen a sheep that was? She doesn’t want to be a sheep today, so she can spend the night with Beau and go back to being a sheep tomorrow. It’s the little things that make farm life interesting. The taxes are progressing nicely and one more day should finish them, and then I have promised DH a trip to Costco.
This was my New Year’s Day quilt and what fun. I didn’t measure because I was so sure I knew how wide it was. When I got to the last row, I realized I was 2″ short, so took it off the machine, added the fabric, and put it back on to finish the quilting. I know, measure twice or thrice.
Check this out – at Thanksgiving, we were the same height. He turned 14 the week before Thanksgiving. Looks to me like he is going for tall.