Oh, the Glamorous Life I Live!

I know you're all sitting out there wanting to live my life. It's so terribly glamorous, what with my Farm Girl Spa each morning, muddy pedicure and all. But I've only been telling you half of the story! The cute half. The diabetic overload, sweet half. But in reality...

Bessie is prone to sticking her head through the fence...and getting stuck. Not just once, but several times. Look at that big hole in her ear! That happened on her second day here. You'd think she'd learn, but no. I am unsticking her daily.

You want to come visit? I've got something for you to do. Aside from unsticking Bessie. Sheep poop. It piles up around the place like nobodies business. Well...I guess it's the sheep's business. You'll need to grab Blake (Darling's name for the pitchfork) and start shoveling up the old bedding and wheeling it out into the garden. Battling flies all the while, of course.

Make certain you get it spread evenly around the plants.

Then you can mend the fences. City Boy would be more than happy to hand that job over to you. Not that he minds terribly doing the work, he's just not happy about the camera aspect of it all. He's camera shy, my City Boy. You're not camera shy, are you? You wouldn't hide, making it nearly impossible for me to get photos for the blog?

Oops! The Tax Collectors have realized there's activity that they've missed. Better impose the Mend A Fence Tax.

While they're at it, they figure they'd better install a compost for the garden tax. Plus charge me for their contribution (poop, that is.) That'll be two cookies each. Make that two cookies and a cracker filled with peanut butter.

Another load of compost heads to the garden. Don't you just love my wagon? City Boy bought it for me. Can't say my man isn't a hopeless romantic...

It's deworming time now. We use a paste product that is applied with a syringe into their mouths. Nasty stuff. They do not like it.

Okay, so Carrot likes it. Alot. He won't let go of the syringe. Darling must offer a deworming tax. Quiet Storm is not so cooperative. And just so you know? The back end of a horse is way more businesslike than the back end of a sheep; you'll be expected to clean that up as well.

By now it's dinner time. Taffy stands patiently as the boys grab a quick bite.

Okay, okay...I just couldn't help a little cute!

And the winner is.... Stormin' It Up!

Being as Quiet Storm is Darling's horse, I felt it only fitting she should select this week's winner. And who would it be? Rachelle!

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Yesterday they held parent conferences at Darling's school. You may recall me telling you she was going back after a couple years of homeschooling. She was all excited, but after a day she decided she didn't really want to be there. So we cut back the on how many classes she's taking and that does appear to help somewhat. She's got just two teachers, and one of them wasn't there. So we spent something like, oh, a minute and a half with the teacher who was present. He said she has a good attitude and comes in with a smile, and that aside from a few holes, she's doing well.

After that taxing, exhausting and emotionally stressful event we came home to find three ewes staring into the sheep shed. Taffy was not among those staring. Being in my 'dress up and go to school' shoes, I couldn't walk through the gate(too muddy), but did go up alongside the fence beside the shed, and from there I heard Taffy's voice. Baaaa....baaaa...baaaa...in a tiny little whisper meant for mamma's and babies. I ran to get my boots, Darling ran for the camera...

....which means you get to see the whole, bloody event!

This is what greeted us as we walked into the pasture; one very new and very yellow lamb. With floppy bunny rabbit ears. Taffy was lovin' all over her new baby while he tried his best to get up and move. Newborn lambs can walk within minutes! And we complain when our children are walking before they turn one...

I had no idea how long ago she'd lambed; obviously not too long as he was still quite wet. I sent Darling off for some towels and walked in to inspect. Which is when I saw...

...oh...icky.

Before I could set the camera down and step in for a closer look, she gave a push...and out came lamb number two!

Another ram lamb; he was born breech, but so quickly that there were no ill effects. Taffy pulled the sack off from his face and I stepped in to pull a bit more away from his nose so he could breath. Darling was back out with the towels by now, so she took my camera while I wiped and inspected.

The bad news here is that no one guessed the correct lambing date! The good news is I'll have more photos up tomorrow, along with a new contest for you all, so be sure to come on baa-aack, y'hear!

A Wild, Wild Day

Name This Photo!

The afternoon was so lovely that I just had to move sheep and let Quiet Storm out to play for a while. I thought you may enjoy seeing Darling's Muddy Monster at play.

Let's run this a-way!

Now we'll trot that a-way...

Snort! I'm done now.

We had issues today. Not that Quiet Storm was bad, she was just feeling good and showing off. City Boy was out working on the gate between paddock and pasture; Quiet Storm felt it necessary to stand nearby and do her Lipizzaner tricks. This created a somewhat nervous City Boy! I didn't blame him, to be honest (and perhaps that's why I was on the other side of the fence?)

Once Quiet Storm settled down and went back to her placid self, I began contemplating allowing Sunny out. Mind you, she hasn't been out of the paddock since she's been here, which was Feb 4. And while I can get her to walk up to me while I've got grain in my hand, she's not the easiest catch in the world.

For those of you who've not read about Sunny, she's our most recent adoption and still a bit on the wild side. She doesn't like to be touched, but she knows who carries out the hay in the morning! I decided to take my chances and bring her out into the field. I've got to tell you, it's a scary thing letting go of a horse after they've spent time cooped up; scarier still when they're wild like Sunny. You just never know if they're going to slow down for fences.

Sunny sniffs green grass for what is probably the first time in over a year.

At first I held onto her lead rope. She snorted a bit (she always snorts), holding her head high. Every muscle was tight as she walked into that pasture. She doesn't lead very well, but she did manage to follow me as I showed her what the fence looked like, praying she didn't just rip right through once loose.

Light on her feet, but listening, she followed me to the front of the pasture, looking at sheep and watching Tait. Then she saw the neighbor's horses, and despite my best efforts, off she went, lead rope flying alongside!

Of course, I was totally calm, cool and collected as she flew down the length of the field, then came back straight at me at a dead run. Totally!

Okay, well maybe not totally. But what could I do? She was loose, she was running, and the only thing I could do was take her picture! So I did.

After several minutes of racetrack action, she finally slowed to a trot and made her victory lap.

Hey, Mom, did I have ya worried?

I let Sunny hang out in the field while I finished up a few other outside chores. She didn't want to be caught and I think it took half an hour before I managed to snag that lead rope. Once I had it, though, she followed me placidly back to the paddock where dinner was waiting.