Winter 2008 in the meadow & woods

Wow, Can you believe it?

I just am not ready for winter to be here, although we have had a very cold fall. Since thanksgiving the pond has been frozen many days. I always worry about ice on the pond, Mr Kitty, our real house cat has fallen in through the ice more than once. One time making a path thru the ice about 20 feet long before flying into the front door.

My sheep are doing well. Yes, I still have sheep. The great pyrs are sometimes sleeping in the barn, sometimes on the front porch. We put all the lights on inside the barn, and one outside too. That's besides the safety light we had installed on a light pole in the yard outside the barn. We hope between the barking dogs and the lights, that our wandering non-house-cat kitty will stay away from the ewes. It seems ridiculous in 2008 to be worried about a big kitty eating sheep....but we are remote. At least the snakes are all asleep in the cold weather. We lost two ram lambs out in the meadow this fall. At first, I thought it must be a lone coyote....but the second one was definitely our kitty. A neighbor from the same valley told about following the kitty down the road one day...."he was a big one too"....we haven't read about any more sightings in the local news tho. We moved the remaining boys up by the ewes. There are five out there now, and I have one to pick up who was breeding away from home. I was surprised that more of the girls didn't seem to be interested in our ram lambs. The only thing I can say, is that older ewes are definitely horn-snobs. The bigger the horns on the rams....the more they are interested. So unless some ewe backed up to the fence, and some ram figured out a method.....they should be unbred. Don't laugh....last year our 8 year old ewe taught a yearling ram the fence-method of breeding.

We are still waiting to hear if we are closing this month on the deralict vistorian house. Did I mention that Missouri house prices are down about half this year? And the rumored lay-offs are going to decimate this county.

But the real reason, I am writing is to say Merry Christmas to all of my friends out there....especially the ones who helped me by taking some sheep this past year. I know they are better off away from this valley, but I miss them....and if I am late on transfers, it's because reading all their names makes me sad.

This is a photo of Curly Locks, she is gone now to the big green pasture....but we will all miss her. Curly Locks, you were a good ewe...and pretty too, and your lambs will live on. Curly Locks was AgAa....and was born a twin to a perfect little sister, Ballet. Ballet was a yuglet sokket AaAa, but Ballet was paralyzed. I am going to think of Curly Locks and Ballet reunited and running together thru that big green pasture in the sky.

Here's wishing you all a worderful spring, with lots of lambs bouncing in the green pasture outside your homes.