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Hi Everyone,
If this week could be summed up in one word it would be---Lambs! It is definitely lambing season, and every time we turn around there are new lambs being born. So far we have five bottle lambs. They all are twins, but their momma only accepted one of them. Therefore, we adopt the little abandoned lambs and have quite a nursery. They are truly a full time job right now with having to feed them four bottles a day. When they are weak, we may have to feed them every twenty minutes. This is the time of year when we truly need about four little children---for they have all the time in the world to feed lambs and play with them. Tonight as we were bringing the sheep in for the night, we were reminded of the advantage that a bottle lamb is for the shepherd. We couldn’t get the sheep to come in out of the field, and then Smoky moved to the front of the line, and all the sheep followed her as she led the way to the barn. Smoky was one of our bottle lambs about six years ago, and she is the most friendly sheep we have, with Chocolate Pie following in close second.
Monday found us working in the garden weeding the roses that border the front of the garden. Years ago we were tired of weeding the rose bed, so we covered the bed with weed cloth and covered the weed cloth with mulch. Well, the mulch turned to dirt, and the coastal grass crept in and set roots through the weed cloth. We tried to weed the roses, but it was always next to impossible because you couldn’t get the roots out of the weed cloth. So, Mom decided that it was time to pull up the weed cloth. It was a very heavy job---one we were very glad that we had Steve’s muscles to help us. It was really neat to see a weedy matt, rolled up and a nice bed of dirt left behind. Why didn’t we think of that earlier?
Tuesday Mom and I milked the cows, and then Steve and I bottled the milk. Then Steve and Mom worked on the little people barn that Mom is building for our upcoming field trip. I bottled the kefir, and then I headed up to the sewing room to get some much needed sewing done. After lunch I continued sewing, and Mom and Steve headed to the garden to get some compost put into the freshly weeded garden beds. When I was done with my sewing, I practiced my piano and worked on the orders for the Jacksonville delivery. Then it was time for dinner.
Wednesdays usually do not have much to write about, but last Wednesday was a day that was packed to the fullest. We started the morning off with breakfast and some house cleaning. Then we headed out to milk the cows. While we were milking, the builder came over to ask Mom to come and show him where the windows and doors go in our Poultry Kitchen. Shortly after that, Papa came up to tell Mom that there were two sets of twins born in the sheep barn, and one of each was being abandoned by their mothers. Mom finished milking her last cow, and headed over to show the builder where to put the windows and doors. Then before she could make it to the sheep barn the inspector showed up to get the paperwork done for our poultry license. I finished milking the cows, and then I headed to get the packing order sheet ready to pack the milk for the Jacksonville delivery. I helped Steve bottle the milk, and then we packed the order. Once the order was all packed and the receipts done, it was time to teach my piano students. I spent the afternoon catching up on some ironing---although, I didn’t get it all finished. I also was having to eye dropper a little lamb every 20 minutes. Finally around 4:00 it started to suck on the eye dropper, so I took that as a good sign and gave it the bottle---where it finally began to nurse from. At 5:00 Mom and I headed outside to get the evening chores done. We had to feed the dogs, close the garden tunnel, lock up the turkeys, bring in the calves for the night, and bring in the sheep from the green field into the sheep barn for the night. Once all the sheep were brought in, I heard a little lamb cry. I realized that it was coming from way out in the pasture. Time was ticking fast—for we were supposed to leave by 6:10 in order to get to church on time. We now had five bottle lambs, and three of them were new that day, and were not happily drinking their bottles. We had to work to get the lambs to drink something, and we had to grab us a bite to eat. We were a little late in leaving, but we did make it to church after all. We had a guest speaker, and we didn’t get home until about 11:00---and then the chickens needed to be locked up and the dogs needed their doggie biscuits. Then before we could go to bed---those lambs needed another bottle.
Thursday Mom and I got the cows milked and the milk bottled. Mom headed to weed in the garden and I made kombucha. After lunch Mom and I both headed to the garden to weed in the garden tunnel. It really was a very nice relaxing afternoon. Weeding is honestly very refreshing and relaxing.
Friday Mom and I milked the cows and then the goal was to head down to Gainesville to buy some herbs at a Garden Nursery where they grow everything organically. First off we had two sets of customers show up, then as we got ready to leave we realized the sheep needed to go out. Once all the sheep were out to pasture, we found another abandoned lamb. We brought her up and tried to give her a bottle—sadly she didn’t make it. Then as we came back from the barn, one of Papa’s old work buddies showed up---but Papa was running errands in town. It was noon before we finally got to leave for the nursery. We were able to buy some creeping thyme, parsley, sage, lavender, cutting celery, fennel, onion chives, and some winter savory. When we got home Mom worked some more on the little people barn and I worked on the orders for the Gainesville delivery.
Saturday found us outside at 7:30 bottle feeding five little lambs. By 8:00 we were back inside and ready to start cooking breakfast. Moises showed up early to work, and since we were running late, I was grateful that he could put all the equipment together. After breakfast, Mom and I milked the cows. Then Mom worked with a little lamb that had gotten caught upside down behind a panel. It gladly took a bottle, and once it was back on its feet, Mom was able to take it back to its momma out to pasture. I bottled the kefir and packed the Gainesville order. Then I put some lamb roasts in the oven for dinner, and got the receipts printed for the delivery. Mom worked on the little barn, and I headed to the garden to plant the herbs. I thought that all I had to do was to plant the herbs, but I found out that first I had to rake off the old wood chips, put new compost in the beds, and attempt to kill two ant beds---all before I could plant the plants. The thyme likes to grow in rocks, so I lined the bed with weed cloth, planted the thyme and then Mom and I filled the bed with pebbles that Mom got from her brother in Missouri years ago. I then closed up the tunnel for the night, and harvested some rutabagas and greens, a head of lettuce, a purple carrot, and some green onions to cook for dinner to go with the lamb roast. Before we could start dinner, the lambs needed fed again. Mom had to clean up her building mess, and then she had to run to tractor Supply for some more lamb milk replacer. While I worked on dinner, Papa was having his own trials. The animals needed more hay, and half the sheep had escaped their field and joined the chickens and Sheba. Some of the hot wires were broken, so he had to repair the fence. The sheep didn’t want to come in for the night, and the calves got lost in the dark. It was 8:00 before everyone was ready to eat dinner---not to mention bed!
It is now a new week, and I am ready for bed, but we have been enjoying visiting with my sister all evening—so typing has been real slow. J My friend Lydia came home with us from church today and the plans are that she will paint the little barn and help us get ready for the farm tour. I hope you have a great week---and stay warm.
Serving you with Gladness,
Tiare