Yesterday morning during chores Bauble's pretty little face made me melt, so I tried to get a good photo of her. That led me to photograph ALL the lambs' faces (except for Bridger's, since he's leaving soon), and then Blaise's for good measure, because she's a pretty girl, too – I just love her tiny ears (which Bauble didn't inherit :-).
Then after work and before agility class, I went down to check everyone's water and hay, and saw this:
Uh-oh; I must not have securely latched the boys' gate after refilling their water bucket yesterday morning. I didn't have time to get the boys back in their quarters and figured a few more hours wasn't going to change anything, so Sanson and Bridger got to hang out with Boop and Broadway until last night. Hopefully they were all 'just friends.' I'm not too worried; Shetlands are seasonal breeders, and I've never had one settle earlier than mid-September. But in those photos above, they look a little too . . . 'intimate.' Later, when I went down to do chores and segregate the "young people,' big mouth Broadway (seriously, the LOUDEST sheep I've ever had) was uncharacteristically quiet. Hmmm....
This morning Bridger, usually skittish and hyper-alert, was lying there like a man reclining in his smoking jacket. 😳 When I checked water buckets at midday? Boop and Broadway were schmoozing around in the Ram-ada Inn when they are usually out in the wooded lot.
Okay, so maybe I'm just a bit worried that 'shepherd's Christmas' and actual Christmas could both occur in December this year. If Sanson had been the only frat boy, it wouldn't be an issue; he was going to be introduced to one or both of these girls in a few months. But Bridger is their half-brother, and a second possible sire (who is bigger and more mature) means genetic testing to determine parentage. Oh well; I'll cross that bridge (heh) if I come to it.
The Tour de France/Fleece ends Sunday, and I think I'll finish the last of Rechel's roving by the end of that day. I've spun six 'turtles' of singles on my two Larks, and have 57g to go. That's too much to fit on a Lark (its toes were perilously close to disappearing with 50g), so I switched to my first Aegean for the final stretch.
We're still having assorted mechanical problems here. Our worn-out Kubota tractor is still dead in the driveway, Rick's vet truck was in the shop a couple days this week, and now Brian's car is dead at his place of employment. Rick is fabricating ramps so he can haul it home on our trailer, although I'm not sure why he doesn't haul it to a pick-&-pull place if Brian's assessment is accurate. That situation adds layers of complications and possible conflict to our lives, but I'm trying not to borrow trouble. "Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof," the good Lord said. And every day brings blessings as well. Like abundant cucumbers and zucchini from a neighbor's garden, a bouquet of roses from my sweetheart, and two sweet dogs to share our lives and provide entertainment:
10 comments:
All those adorable faces! Sheep and pup. A photographer's dream.
And sheep shenanigans! We had goat shenanigans last year and I was wondering if I'd have to do paternity testing. Is there a lab that specializes in livestock?
Bummer about the mechanical problems though.
Never (I say never!) a dull moment, is there. We've had a week of unexpected happenings that have kept us hopping . . . and exhausted. Taking time to smell the roses (your yellow ones are gorgeous and the animals faces adorable) is so important. And our "problems" (such as those mechanical vehicles we all need to keep going . . . arrrgh) are minor in our blessed lives.
Leigh, I've never had to do paternity testing before, but other Shetland breeders have mentioned using UC Davis. There are probably other options, too; I'll research more if necessary.
Are you going to share about your week, Mama Pea? It's nice to know that others don't have sunshine and posies all the time! 😉
Uh oh . . . Christmas babies sound kinda sweet - particularly since your weather is not as extreme as mine - but the possible added expense of genetic testing isn't ideal, I suppose. Vehicles. I remain so grateful that my 2015 Subaru Forester has turned out to be such a great vehicle for me. I suppose it doesn't hurt that it still has less than 38,000 miles on it. I took the train to work in the city (nearly) every day for close to 16 years. I kinda feel like I've done my duty as far as my carbon footprint. Having three vehicles in non-working order doesn't sound promising. Could there be a new one of something in your future?
Hi, there!
I just checked to see if you'd posted a new column, and yes! I found it!
I hope your sheep don't have any problems after their time spent together. Time will tell, if any pregnancies show up. I hope and pray that all will go well.
Sorry about your vehicles! That can be such a problem. I pray that all of them can be fixed soon!
The picture of Leo and Poppy is really cute.
Can you please picture all of your spinning for Tour de Fleece? My daughter has been spinning for tha whole month, too, using a small shuttle she made. It has gone well.
Jeanne
Just so you won't feel all alone, my car has been in and out of the shop for the last month. New brakes, new shoes, new hoses, new pads. Still haven't fixed it; same old noise keeps coming back. I think I have diagnosed the actual problem for the mechanics, but since I'm a furniture guy I really hate to do that. So.... We keep trying. 'Sufficient for the day....' Perfect!
Leo is a hoot, but Poppy still has my heart. The sheep - well Christmas may be coming early!
Cheers
All those lambie faces are so adorable! I'm glad you took time to take the photos. It'll be interesting to see if the "sheep shenanigans" will be giving your Christmas presents.
I'm sorry about all the mechanical issues. Seems like everything happens at once, doesn't it?
The cost of testing is certainly a factor, A. So is the possibility of problems due to inbreeding, since one of the two ram lambs – the bigger, hornier one – is the yearlings' half-brother. We'll just wait and see. No new(er) vehicles planned here. Rick's truck is back on the road, we can't afford a different tractor, and Brian is getting rides to and from work with one of us until he decides to get serious about his finances (he IS working full-time, but....).
Yes, Jeanne, I'll post a picture of my TdF spinning.
I will admit that Poppy has my heart, too, Tim. Leo has his own fan club in my guys.
There certainly seem to be 'seasons of trouble,' Mokihana. They are tests; they are only tests. 😉
Boys...
I loved that dish of yummy food you had. My diet is changing - for many reasons and I have moved away from most meats. It is a large learning curve for me.
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