Today I'll be spending most of the next two days off the farm. Work at the Wellness center and then a board meeting. It accumulates into a whole day. A whole day of not germinating pepper seeds, of not going through the garden plan, of not finishing the green house of not working with the animals. Its the hardest thing in the world to leave when there is so much work that has to be done. I try to find the balance but right now the balance is tilted. Farm work is the most important thing right now requiring the most thought and work, but that doesn't mean everything else stops. I wish it did.
But the work will be here when I get back and the world probably wont end, it just feels like it might.
The meanderings of an accidental farmer
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The woman in the mirror
I got a glimpse of myself in the mirror as I was washing up after assisting Martha one of our Southdowns birth the hugest baby girl. My tired face, dried lips, slightly sun and wind burned face and my once neat cropped hair, now shoulder length and wavy held back with force by a dark blue bandana. I looked hard at myself. It’s hard to believe I’m looking at the same person that moved here six and a half years ago. The eyes that look back at me seem full of fear when I take deep notice of the wrinkles around the corners of my eyes. The eyes that say, “what happened?” I look closer making out the details, then my eyes softened and I see myself, the shepherd, the farmer, the cook, happy, joyful and full of gratitude.
It takes a while to wash the ‘J-lube’ off my arm past where the latex gloves were. A friend recommended it for assisting with birthing and I must say she was spot on. A huge difference it made. It’s funny how things like the right kind of lube can just make your night. It’s been a busy couple of weeks, the days tend to blend together during this time, it’s all about lambing and taking care of the animals, getting ready for planting and pulling the farm together at a time when it seems more natural to be cuddled up next to a roaring fire with a good book. But instead I negotiate the elements, make my way through the mud and try to keep my chin up.
As of this morning we have twelve lambs. More on the way. Most are female. The wooly sheep generally are easy but their lambs are so large. They turn out to be good mothers but they are not interested in cleaning the lamb off after it plops down behind them. It’s the strangest thing. The lambs are large and strong and hungry so they are loud, loud enough to wake the dead or wake Kasey who lives right next to the barn. This time I had my alarm set for 1 am. So at 12:30am when I found myself wide awake, I went ahead out to the barn to give a check on Martha, she had told me earlier it would be soon. Sure enough she was in labor and having quite a time of it.
First it’s the inventory. Nose, hoof, hoof. Check. This is a correct birth, so what’s the problem? It’s stuck. I pulled gently, Martha was happy for the help, I pulled harder. I made sure there was nothing in the way like an elbow, more lube, pulled again this time she grunted and pushed, a leg came through this is all I would need to make more room and the rest came out with one slow even pull. At first I thought I had a dead lamb, tongue out to the side lifeless. I cleared its mouth and nose and it sprang to life with such force I almost fell over. Up on her feet looking for milk covered in a thick slim. Martha was not impressed. She licked a little on the top of the head, and walked away, came back licked a little more and then just looked at me. They made cooing noises at each other so I took the little one and we headed into the house for the wooly spa treatment.
I’ve only had to do this to the Southdown lambs, and I only do it because I honestly feel I have to. The moms will not clean them off and when its 20 degrees out, it’s too much to ask this lamb to clean and dry itself, so I choose to help rather than find a frozen lamb in the morning. So, off for a hot shower and a blow dry. When baby is all dry I take it back out to mom and the eating begins, mom seems content and ready to nurse the thing now and I can get cleaned up and go back to bed. I dream of goats breaking into the milk parlor and chasing them out. What a life.
It takes a while to wash the ‘J-lube’ off my arm past where the latex gloves were. A friend recommended it for assisting with birthing and I must say she was spot on. A huge difference it made. It’s funny how things like the right kind of lube can just make your night. It’s been a busy couple of weeks, the days tend to blend together during this time, it’s all about lambing and taking care of the animals, getting ready for planting and pulling the farm together at a time when it seems more natural to be cuddled up next to a roaring fire with a good book. But instead I negotiate the elements, make my way through the mud and try to keep my chin up.
As of this morning we have twelve lambs. More on the way. Most are female. The wooly sheep generally are easy but their lambs are so large. They turn out to be good mothers but they are not interested in cleaning the lamb off after it plops down behind them. It’s the strangest thing. The lambs are large and strong and hungry so they are loud, loud enough to wake the dead or wake Kasey who lives right next to the barn. This time I had my alarm set for 1 am. So at 12:30am when I found myself wide awake, I went ahead out to the barn to give a check on Martha, she had told me earlier it would be soon. Sure enough she was in labor and having quite a time of it.
First it’s the inventory. Nose, hoof, hoof. Check. This is a correct birth, so what’s the problem? It’s stuck. I pulled gently, Martha was happy for the help, I pulled harder. I made sure there was nothing in the way like an elbow, more lube, pulled again this time she grunted and pushed, a leg came through this is all I would need to make more room and the rest came out with one slow even pull. At first I thought I had a dead lamb, tongue out to the side lifeless. I cleared its mouth and nose and it sprang to life with such force I almost fell over. Up on her feet looking for milk covered in a thick slim. Martha was not impressed. She licked a little on the top of the head, and walked away, came back licked a little more and then just looked at me. They made cooing noises at each other so I took the little one and we headed into the house for the wooly spa treatment.
I’ve only had to do this to the Southdown lambs, and I only do it because I honestly feel I have to. The moms will not clean them off and when its 20 degrees out, it’s too much to ask this lamb to clean and dry itself, so I choose to help rather than find a frozen lamb in the morning. So, off for a hot shower and a blow dry. When baby is all dry I take it back out to mom and the eating begins, mom seems content and ready to nurse the thing now and I can get cleaned up and go back to bed. I dream of goats breaking into the milk parlor and chasing them out. What a life.
Monday, February 8, 2010
OK, is this a joke. I turn my back for a minute and it starts snowing. Huge sloppy flakes. I had plans today that did not include this. I know, I know. I was warned. I refused to believe it. My bad. Today mother can be by herself. I'll stay in and watch her. Oh, that is until the ewe I have in a quiet corner, decides to lamb finally. Yesterday would have been more preferable. Now I'll be in and out of the barn all day. I'm not complaining mind you. I just sound like I am.
I'm so going back to bed.
No not really.
I'm so going back to bed.
No not really.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
making peace with mother
Excuse me if I ignore the forecast for rain today, and forgive me if I refuse to acknowledge the snowflakes that might be headed our way, and beg my pardon if I seem not to notice that I’m covered knee high in mud. But I just don’t have time to pay attention to you, Mother Nature. Not now. Not when the green house needs to go up and seedlings started for spring planting. Not when lambs are born early and fields need plowed. I won’t be sitting at the kitchen table looking longingly for a ray of sunlight through the rain streaked window, elbows folded palms holding up my chin waiting for you to tell me it’s time to go outside. I won’t be holding a cup of hot chocolate between my cold palms watching you from a distance, even though it seems that’s what you’re asking me to do.
It’s me and you today Mother, I hope you don’t mind the company.
It’s me and you today Mother, I hope you don’t mind the company.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Meet Jr
This is Jr, Yesterday morning when I was blogging he was asleep on my lap. Right before I left for work in Stillwater I put him back out with mom hoping something would 'click'. Kasey called to tell me he had the wanderlust and was out wandering by himself again and I was sure I'd be sticking a bottle in his hungry mouth when I got home.Much to my surprise when I did get home he was attached to moms teat! Yea! I checked on him several times and he and mom have been very very close. Thanks goodness a full night sleep.
All is quiet, another morning of peace. I wont get used to it.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Breathing is not optional
I went out to the barn this morning and everything was fine…..Whew! I can enjoy my coffee in peace.
Things feel so crazy to me right now, I’m really feeling the stress of, one; having a new puppy who is absolutely into everything and seems to be all teeth, and a lamb who is in the kitchen right now at my feet bumping my hip for milk, while the little puppy is jumping and bouncing and knocking the poor little chap over. Every time I turn my back there’s a mess, lamb/dog , pee/ poop. Ugh! Not to mention about 25 ewes are showing signs of lambing.
The lamb is in the house with us not because his mother rejected him but because he has rejected his mother. I have never seen this happen before. But before starvation could set in I decided to bottle feed him. That’s not entirely uncommon but definitely undesired. Most of the time if I have to resort to this I can generally leave the bottle baby with his mom and they can experience all the other things that come with the lamb/Ewe relationship. But noooo… JR here is off exploring on his own and winding up in some very peculiar places, He’s just about driven his poor mom to a nervous breakdown trying to keep up with him and calling him away from danger. So he’s here with me where I can keep an eye on him. I’ll have to make a special area for him tomorrow obviously he can’t stay in the house forever. Right? I might have to bring him to work with me. I wonder how that is going to go over? He’s very adorable.
The snow and Ice is melting rapidly and has left a muddy sloppy mess in its wake. Between the slop, the lambing ewes, lamb clean up and fostering I feel like I am just crawling with bacteria. Ewh! God I love summer. I am very grateful though that this last winter storm didn’t knock out the power here as predicted. I must say I’m having trouble getting rid of the many buckets of water which still sit in corners of the house. Just in case. I feel like I’m still in emergency mode. I really need to relax. Really.
Things change very rapidly around here. Now the puppy is asleep in my shirt and the lamb totally crashed in my lap. All is quiet. For now. Just for now. I drink my coffee with the vigor of a busy day. I saw my Chiropractor a couple of days ago and he reminded me that stress, even more than sheep wrangling can throw a body out of alignment. He reminded me breathing is not optional.
Things feel so crazy to me right now, I’m really feeling the stress of, one; having a new puppy who is absolutely into everything and seems to be all teeth, and a lamb who is in the kitchen right now at my feet bumping my hip for milk, while the little puppy is jumping and bouncing and knocking the poor little chap over. Every time I turn my back there’s a mess, lamb/dog , pee/ poop. Ugh! Not to mention about 25 ewes are showing signs of lambing.
The lamb is in the house with us not because his mother rejected him but because he has rejected his mother. I have never seen this happen before. But before starvation could set in I decided to bottle feed him. That’s not entirely uncommon but definitely undesired. Most of the time if I have to resort to this I can generally leave the bottle baby with his mom and they can experience all the other things that come with the lamb/Ewe relationship. But noooo… JR here is off exploring on his own and winding up in some very peculiar places, He’s just about driven his poor mom to a nervous breakdown trying to keep up with him and calling him away from danger. So he’s here with me where I can keep an eye on him. I’ll have to make a special area for him tomorrow obviously he can’t stay in the house forever. Right? I might have to bring him to work with me. I wonder how that is going to go over? He’s very adorable.
The snow and Ice is melting rapidly and has left a muddy sloppy mess in its wake. Between the slop, the lambing ewes, lamb clean up and fostering I feel like I am just crawling with bacteria. Ewh! God I love summer. I am very grateful though that this last winter storm didn’t knock out the power here as predicted. I must say I’m having trouble getting rid of the many buckets of water which still sit in corners of the house. Just in case. I feel like I’m still in emergency mode. I really need to relax. Really.
Things change very rapidly around here. Now the puppy is asleep in my shirt and the lamb totally crashed in my lap. All is quiet. For now. Just for now. I drink my coffee with the vigor of a busy day. I saw my Chiropractor a couple of days ago and he reminded me that stress, even more than sheep wrangling can throw a body out of alignment. He reminded me breathing is not optional.
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