July????

Good grief!
Can it be July already?
I find that hard to believe.
It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day chores, that we forget to think ahead.
Yes, fall is coming!
Breeding pens, hay piles, barn floors, shots and worming....when do we find time to do all these things and have time for our families too?
I am right now, in the swing of delivering lambs to their new owners. When we lived in Wisconsin, it seemed everyone mostly wanted to come visit our farm, and see all the sheep. Out here in the middle of the woods, I feel guilty asking anyone to drive all the way here and back again in one day. We live with roads that ride the ridges of the Ozark hills. They are a cross between a roller coaster and a tilt-a-whirl ride. Yes, even after three years of driving and riding on these roads....I can get car-sick while driving. And don't even talk about riding in the back seat! So I am meeting the new sheepy owners halfway if I can drive that far.
I am in the middle of first and second CDT shots on the lambs.....and may have about a dozen who don't have their first shots yet.
It has been raining in Missouri lately. That means any time after our hay got in the barn. Because the hay got in the barn, my old wool is outside in the yard....and is frequestly wet when I open the bags to skirt any "nice" fleeces. People who know me, understand what I mean by old wool......I sell lambs. For that reason, my wool is secondary to the sheep.....and largely ignored as a crop. But I can't really leave piles of wool in the back yard. Think about a few years of shearings....with about 100 sheep a shearing....and you will understand a big pile!...so I AM working on it.
Have you noticed how quiet the lists have been? I am guessing most shepherds are dealing with those family things, like graduations, weddings, and reunions. I am planning a trip back to the library when I go to the civilized cities....and I may need a trip to the big mall too. We do have a big town about two hours away from here....but you know how often a shepherd has 6 hours with nothing to do? That's right....you do.
It's July, it may be time to make a list....so you can fit in your family time, and still fence a new breeding pen for that good looking ram lamb you had born this spring. You may need to plan ahead now....who to give your life savings to...in order to feed that hay to your pet sheep. If you start with a list of what to do yet before breeding....and then add those family times, and fencing and building projects....you may find it doesn't all fit into the next few months....Oh well.
Enjoy yourself....have a bbq....find a sitter and go on a visit anyway. Don't get so involved in farming chores that you let the rest of your life go by without some fun.