Lambapocalypse and Other Farm Scenes

My foot was slow to heal and I was quite a bit of a limpy mc'limperson for a number of weeks after the initial injury...but it seems I didn't break anything, as now my foot is basically as good as new. I did have to miss a milking or two, and certain tasks that I enjoy doing - like hay delivery and sheep wrangling - were a bit more challenging. Lambs continued to be born in February and March. On this night I came down and found all the sheep out in the field instead of in the barn. At first it seemed like it was going to be a quick check with no lambs, but after standing and watching the sheep's eyes glow in the reflection of my head lamp, I heard the faint sound of a lamb making some of its first bleats. And so began a rather epic birthing. I picked up the lamb, which I used to entice the mother to come into the barn for the remainder of her labor.

And soon enough another lamb entered the world.

And then another.

I left to go get some lamb-related thing and when I returned, yet another baby had made its way into the world. Four babies!

We turned out more weaned sheep at some point. Man they look so little and clean! They are now decidedly larger and dirtier.

If you get down at the same level as the lambs, they will clamor to give you a smell and a lick...and a hair tug or back massage.

Pickles, onion soup and wine for my weekly letter writing at a bar night.

Korean banjan on my day off.

Sometimes you get stuck in feeders and look out into the distance.

A view from the ferry.

After a Ballard market a few weeks back I met up with T. and we enjoyed happy hour oysters, which included a heart shaped one.

There has been a fair amount of eagle action on the farm. I've tried and tried to take a semi-decent photograph of the eagles soaring and swooping, but it's not easy with a iphone. Sometimes the most majestic of things are for real time eyes only.

We may or may not have planned to wear matching outfits. (We did plan it).

Moving the oldest lambs to a new pasture is always an event. A fun event that involves vaccinations and wrangling.

They settled in nicely.

I visited M&A and their little one at some point. This is M. doing something with honey and vinegar.

H. with a newbie.

Skye and her baby.

H. milking out colostrum so we could feed the baby.

How to get a ewe to follow you anywhere.

I think Paisley (with the freckles) is one of our prettiest sheep. In this photo she's flanked by her mother and grandmother.

And in this photo Paisley is making it clear that she's still pretty miffed about the whole milking protocol.

W. has been working only a little on the farm this year, and lives elsewhere, but she comes by to socialize from time to time. On this evening I believe there was a bit of singing done and then this glamour shot.

Rainbows are very good.

Rodo enveloped in my sheep skin.

S. and me at a fire party that may have gotten out of hand.

We're selling more of our Tallulah cheese, which is sooooooooo goood.

So many babies.

S. and I put up more fencing and the lambs were only interested in inspecting the tractor.

Susanna was our last older ewe to give birth. She just got bigger and bigger. It was crazy. She chose a wonderfully sunny day to do so. I helped pull one out, which was kind of cool.

Lamb right after birth is in need of a good mother licking.

Susanna got help in the licking department, whether she wanted it or not.

Another likes/dislikes painting. She likes peanutbutter and staying up late, and does not like being woken up in the night.

Epoisses is a lovely cheese indeed.

Never gets old really.

A quick visit after a market.

H. in a giant bucket.

H. trying to persuade the ewes they want to come back to the barn with us...not go in the field behind her....it did not work.

I painted a bowl.