First of all, I am overwhelmed by the number of fantastic suggestions for naming this year's soon-to-be-here lambs. Thank you to everyone who has written a blog comment or sent an idea via email. Some of you are thinking way outside the box. There are serious themes, cute themes, arty themes, nature themes, geographical themes, political themes, religious themes and literary themes. Clearly, we're going to have some fun with names this spring. I'm holding off on deciding for a few more weeks. Stay tuned here to discover this year's name theme – and the lucky winner of our contest. I promise to let you know by the month's end. Until then, keep the ideas coming – and thanks for the help!
Today we took a passel of yearlings along with a few adult chaperones on a little hike up the road to the Big Barn where this group has a big date on Thursday morning with the shearer. Big Barn is the warmest and most protected of all our buildings. An alley of windows allows sunlight to stream in all day. Sturdy doors shield from the perpetual north and westerly winds. Here this group will stay, cozy indoors after shearing, until they've grown a new set of woolly long-johns.
Moving between barns means a jaunt down Reynolds Road, which bisects the center of the farm. Fortunately, sheep don't "get" roads, otherwise they'd be off to Greenfield. For them, the road is just another path leading from one building to another. Straying doesn't cross their minds, especially at this time of year, with no tempting grass in sight. I lead the parade, holding a grain pan, just in case.
Would you like to come along?
Like a well behaved troop of girl scouts, we go out the gate and single file down the road.
Twenty-nine lambs in the middle of the road is a traffic stopper. My neighbors are somewhat use to this sort of thing.
We take a left at the Carriage Barn and head down the little hill . . .
and into the Big Barn.
Lots of excitement. New pen, new hay feeders, new neighbors. Hey, where's Barb with that grain pan?!
"No more snacks, you'll spoil your dinner!"
This group will look much different the next time you see them.
By the time Holly and I fed the rest of the flock and buttoned up the farm for the day, the sky was dimming. I made it home to the top of Patten Hill in time to watch the rising full snow moon.
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