Winter Retrospective


Winter_sheep_at_gateSix 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.

Cate_sheep_winter_breakfast

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 able to feed them outside until an ice storm in February put a nasty glaze on all surfaces.  Walking the fields became impossible and the sheep were then fed indoors.

Winter_breakfast_high_pasture

The above was taken during one of the early storms, back in November.  The Leicesters were still up in the high pasture, so I had to truck hay and water up the hill.

Cracker_sheep_marching_in_snow

Frozen water buckets, gates that wouldn’t open, barn doors that wouldn’t close properly, never-ending shoveling and plowing . . . it’s amazing really that I haven’t relocated the flock to Florida.

Even with its hard edges, there were moments of rare beauty that seemed to make up for the punishing weather.

Winter_sunrise

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copyright 2008, Barbara Parry, all rights reserved.