On the downhill side of the dairy the pasture slopes toward the dell. There is a brook fed by several springs. Grasses and multi-flora roses nearly obscure the view of the brook now, but you can hear the rushing water, especially where it tumbles through the rocks. The sheep don't go there, since we have yet to run secure fence around the perimeter of the dell. The slope pasture is where the lambs and ewes spend much of their time now, at least until I move them across the road to the upper pasture. There are several pastures adjacent to
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Sheep traffic has worn a muddy line along the pasture's upper edge. I follow in their hoof steps and walk the mud-slick path each morning, inspecting the flock.  Observation: the lambs have caught on to grazing – big time.   They beat the mother's to the pasture gate and practically jump over each other in impatience as I fumble with the gate latch.  In a wooly rush, they spring out into the field.  More  confident, less dependent of their mothers, they bunch together, a mini flock within the flock, shoulder to shoulder, heads to the ground.  Boosted by recent rains, 
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The month of May is a time when I could really use a clone- so one of me can keep tabs on the lively group of lambs and their ravenous mothers  at the farm – while the other me takes the farm on the road.  Each spring I become a fiber road warrior for the series of festivals that are circled on the  calendar from April through June. New Hampshire is always my first show of the season, and it's a special one for several reasons.  When my business was very much in the fledgling stage, NH  was my first
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It’s official.  Lambing’s done.  I have a severe case of  lamb-lag brought on by  five weeks of not sleeping through the night, heading to the barn at all hours, eating sporadically.    Our last lambs arrived during this past week.  Holly was alone in the barn to help the last set of twins into the world, while I was out of town.   She called to tell me they were on their way and then handled everything beautifully on her own – her first solo delivery.  I’m so proud of her. This year’s lambing spanned four weeks.  35 lambs, 9  ewes
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Yesterday I found this pile of lambs napping just inside the barn door after a very busy morning.  A recent discovery has caused a flurry of excitement within the fold.   With the milder days I have been allowing the lambs access to the small yard adjacent to the birthing barn.  Their initial response to setting foot outdoors for the first time is one of amazement and tentative curiosity.    Although they have been able to see outside through the panel in the barn doorway for weeks, clearly it had never occured to them that they could ever actually go there. 
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I stepped outside the birthing barn this week to tend to the rest of the flock during this warm, dry weather.  Time for Butch and Sundance, our Angora goats, to move to their summer quarters at the top of the hill.  Since it’s quite a hike and the boys are still wearing their heavy winter coats,  we all took a little ride. Getting them into the Highlander took some bribery.  Bananas were involved.  Once on board, they seemed to enjoy the ride.  Surprisingly, getting them out of the car took some coaxing.   Myopic and in dire need of shearing (next
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Two thirds way through lambing season, my brain is a bit fogged from long hours in the barn, lack of sleep and sensible meals, and a general sense of disconnection from the outside world.  Mental fuzziness really affects decision making – but not always in a good way – as proven by the events of this weekend where I made a decision that seemed like a good idea at the time . . . . . As we had suspected, once we had started bottle feeding Issey, his mother wouldn’t have him back.  The dilemma – where to keep one
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Good news!  At 12:30 am  Issey was on his feet and looking for something to eat.   He had his first bottle feeding while standing beside me in the pen and continues to grow stronger and more alert.   He’s getting a lot of attention from us, but his mom is not showing much interest in him, although she seems to sense he belongs to her.  It looks like we’ll have a bottle lamb,  unless she has a change of heart.   At least his brother seems bonded to him – from all the time spent together under the heat lamp. Issey having
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I love barn mornings.  First light, soft and diffused,  filters in through the clerestory on the barn’s east side. Clustered in little pods, the lambs nestle in the straw, bathing in warmth. Light fills the space.  Lots of languid stretching as the lambs shake and rise, some more reluctantly than others . . . .and within minutes the barn comes to life.   Ewes paw and call for grain.  Lambs begin to rustle and race.   It’s one of my favorite moments.   .  . . Although this morning, one lamb did not rise. Issey was second in a pair of twins born
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My day started at 2 a.m. with the arrival of a pair of Cormo ram lambs, Valentino and Armani.   By dinner time, another six lambs had landed:  Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin & Blass,  Polo & Hilfiger joined newcomers Lagerfeld, Karan, Burberry and McQueen.   The idea to name this year’s lambs for fashion designers came to me while watching this season’s Project Runway program on Bravo.  I don’t want much t.v. at all, and trust me, I am no fashionista, but I became hooked on this show last year and tuned in each week to watch Heidi Klum announce who was
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