Day: March 18, 2014

We are counting down to Zelda and lambing, just a few days away. The ultra-sound we saw last week showed all of the ewes (save Kim, who lost her lamb) are bred, Zelda by far the closest, the vet thought a week or two at the most. We are ready, the ewes have all been given their shots, our lambing kit arrived yesterday with vitamins and boosts and lamb’s milk if we need it, we have syringes and I ordered an electric- heated tail docker and cauterizer (I prefer a clean cut to the elastic bands, which I think are the most painful). We have a stall ready with heat lamps, sheep grain and vitamin salt.

I am looking forward to seeing Zelda as a mom, poor Red.

The farm remains an ice pack, rain and snow storms followed by frigid weather, Red and Maria and I had to skate, crawl and pray our way to the pasture gate. I find little about our farm frightening, but the ice frightens me, I fell so any times at the first Bedlam Farm and feel it still in my back and knees and from the concussions I suffered. Rose saved me several times from falls by waking me up and nipping at my ear.

I know falling is a serious threat to me here, I know so many people here of all ages up here who have broken wrists and legs and knees here, the emergency rooms are filled with fall victims, the ice is so slick and hard. Even Red had to scamper delicately across the ice to get to the sheep and Maria had to hang onto the gate to keep from sliding or falling in. This too shall pass. This is the first year in many that I have not fallen once, although I’ve had a bunch of close scrapes. I mean to keep it that way. I respect falling, and the one great thing that has come from it is that I am a master at falling and protecting my camera, I’ve learned to let my back and head take the fall and hold the camera out and land on my chest or stomach. It’s an instinct now.