Wood in water, sheep in hand

This image captured my eye at chore-time this morning. Love the floating wood (courtesy of Brian) and the trees reflected in the ice.

This evening I sat in the fold near the heat lamp and loved on the girls, trimming up the shaggy tufts left by the shearer in the process. Bronwen (top) and Bramble were first in line for attention, as they always are; you can see how much Bramble appreciated having her back scratched - she's smiling!

Katie didn't want to admit her desire, but finally succumbed to a good, all-over rub-down.
"The shepherd-lady got awfully personal at times, but okay; it DID feel good." Yes, Katie, I AM looking for clues to help me figure out what to expect in a few weeks!

Even old Inky asked for her share of affection, which I happily provided:

Annabelle has yet to voluntarily seek human contact, but she's gotten a lot calmer about human presence since she's been here. Daily grain hand-outs have certainly helped - she gets downright pushy for her share! Today I caught and haltered her, and then proceeded to rub and scratch to show her that humans could please more than her tastebuds. It went well; she went from cautious acceptance of my hands to reluctant rapture when I found the itchy spot on her withers. After I slipped the halter off, she stood quietly a few moments longer while I gently stroked her face.
I think we made real progress!

That's it for today; a lambing contest starts tomorrow at . . .