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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It’s been a busy twelve hours.  I’m short on sleep so I’ll show now and tell more a little later . . . . Pansy & new lambs:  Pucci & Gucci Curious flock checks out the new arrivals: Above, Donatella (using brother Gianni as a pillow). A smug looking Hugo, almost a week old. No pics of my latest arrivals, born around 6 this morning.  Buttercup delivered a ewe and ram: Chanel and Dior. By now, you have probably figured out this year’s name theme. ********************************************************************************************* copyright 2008, Barbara Parry, Foxfire Fiber & Designs.  All rights reserved.
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My week began with a barn check at day break.    The sound of rustling straw via the audio monitor pulled me from sleep, so I decided to head on over to the barn for a peek at the ewes.  It’s early April, maple syrup season is winding down and my barn, brimming with expectant mothers, is still void  of lambs.  It feels a little weird. An inspection of the birthing ward revealed nothing out of the ordinary.   As the sun filled the barn the girls were shuffling back and forth along the feeders, eyeing me, hoping for an early
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Six inches of fresh snow on Friday.  Although the calendar says spring, clearly winter hasn’t released its hold on New England.   Ordinarily winter is a season I enjoy.  This year’s impressive (record-breaking) snowfall amounts dampened my enthusiasm, however.  While I hope we have seen the last snow of the season, I’m taking this chance to share some scenes and observations from earlier this winter. On days when the sheep were reluctant to leave the barn, feeding hay on fresh snow was one way to get them outside for some exercise.   Sheep love chasing a toboggan full of hay.  I was
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It all starts here . . . Shearing day marks a new beginning at the farm each year.  On the heels of winter, our shearer Andy Rice arrives in the morning, clippers ready to relieve the sheep of the heavy fleeces they’ve been wearing all year long.  Ten to twelve pounds of wool covers the back of each animal and some can barely see through the wooly top knots that have grown down over their faces. A seasoned crew arrives to help.  The procession to the shearing barn is a bit like a parade, minus the floats, with our llama
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Evening chores in late November.   At dusk I fill the mangers with hay,   top off water buckets and call the sheep home for the night. The maidens charge at the sound of the dinner bell, while my llama Caitlyn approaches more leisurely. After bringing in the ewe-lings I make the rounds, checking water, filling feeders in each barn.  My last stop is at the top of the hill, a group of  leicester ewes who are grazing the last of the high pasture. As I head back to the barn, darkness sets  in.    Late fall marks  the end of grazing
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I  must admit, autumn is my favorite time of year.  By late August, summer’s familiar green backdrop becomes tiresome.   When September rolls around,   I love that each day adds a new splash color to the maples on the ridgeline or on the verge of the pasture.  As the month unfolds, the colors become more vibrant.   The sheep become giddy as the temperatures drop, springing across the pasture for no apparent reason. Attending the Eastern States Exposition (a.k.a. the Big E) is a favorite fall ritual for me and for many living in the Northeast and especially western Massachusetts.  Vying for
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