Our manly truck

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I don’t post much about our farm life, because Cabol is so much better at making things sound interesting and stuff. But I thought I would write about our trip today into Roanoke to pick up a large crate – it was free on Craigslist, and who can resist a 6′ x 5′ x 2′ wooden box on wheels? It was about an inch too long to shut the tailgate…or at least it was until I pushed it really hard. Good thing that bedliner in the truck is flexible plastic.

The side says ‘Pageant of Peace Tree Star’. That must have been for one hell of a big christmas tree. We’re not sure what to do with it yet. We had thought maybe a sheep shelter of some sort, but I think it’s too narrow for them to want to go in. I can always use it for storage up in the workshop – or maybe we can add some shelves and keep plant stuff in it!

Crate and Truck

Lamb Update and Other Random Stuff

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The lamb seems to be doing better.

I’m fairly confident the lamb is a ewe, so I’m gonna go with that until I see boy bits on her. She is still wobbly, but she’s up and about and seems to be eating. I gave her some nutridrench for some oompf. I became concerned about Pumpernickel, though, because she seemed to be making noises when she breathed. I checked her eyelids, and it looked like she needed wormer. Andy also talked to the vet who recommended some antibiotics in case it was respiratory stuff from the weather changing to wet and cold all of a sudden. So, we got her medicated this evening.

In other sheep news, Sadie knocked off one of her scurs (teeny horns) and bled all over the place. We sprayed her with bluekot stuff (sorta like liquid bandaid), but she’d already somehow gotten blood on Pearl’s face and on Pumpernickel’s baby.

Look…a picture of Pearl, her twins, and black lamb.

I pulled a few weeds in the garden. The lettuce and carrot seeds seem to have sprouted. Or it could be weed seedlings. While I was there I saw that finally (yay) some asparagus shoots are coming up out of the new patch. Maybe I didn’t kill them all after all. We’ve also picked a few asparaguseses from the old patch.


Will you be there tomorrow?

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Pumpernickle gave birth to a tiny lamb this evening. I’m not sure if the lamb will make it through the night, and I don’t want to go down to the barn tomorrow to find out.

Little lamb was born in the rain and is very small. We tried to get them both into the barn and out of the rain, and it was very stressful for us all. I don’t know how long before we got home the lamb had been born, but it was very wobbly and shivering. Pumpernickle didn’t seem quite as attentive as Pearl and Sadie. I took my t-shirt off and tried to dry the lamb off once we got it into the barn. I don’t know if I should have done that, but it seemed like a good idea to get the lamb dry. I gave it some nutridrench. We saw the lamb nursing a few times and heard slurpy sounds. The lamb’s mouth feels warm. Why does it still seem so weak? Andy has to help it stand to nurse. Is it eating when we aren’t there to help?

I didn’t want to disturb them with a flash to take a photo, but I want a picture of the lamb while it’s alive so I took one picture, but I don’t feel like posting it right now. It’s a little white lamb with a black spot on one of its legs. I think it’s a girl, but as usual I’m not sure.

Update – Thursday morning: Lamb made it through the night and was on his/her feet this morning when Andy went to check. Still a little wobbly but dry and not shivering. We’re keeping mom and baby in the barn today, and I’ll be staying home to watch them and help if needed and possible.


The Saga Continues (and Ends?)

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Yesterday I bribed Andy into bra shopping at Walmart (I told him we could get some soda). He has a good eye for finding the nursing bras in amongst all the racks and racks of other bras. I guess that’s another talent of his to list on his resume along with having freakish catching reflexes and being a fount of useless trivia.

Alas, not even Walmart with its billions of items at everyday low prices had the right sized nursing bra. Well, that’s not quite true. They had one. One that was the right size. But it was a super-lacy underwire, and even though I know I could probably take the wire out, I didn’t want to. Plus that lacy stuff looked itchy. (That sort of kills the drama of me bemoaning the lack of bras in my size, doesn’t it? Oh well.)

Andy asked me what size I was looking for (I’ll tell you, I’ll let the secret out! I’ve been hunting the mysterious 42D!), and when I told him he paused thoughtfully.

“How about a 42DD?”

I glared at him and said something about how the bra would be all flappy and sure maybe I could keep my wallet in there plus a pack of crackers and a few grapes, but no.

“How about a 40C?”

I can’t wear that even now, Andy.

“Hrmm…,” searches the bras for some more options. “I’ve got it! How about a 40DD!!”

I bought a pair of sports bras. (Get Two for One Low Low Price!) I am happy to note that when I took them home and tried one on, not only did it fit around, but it also had enough room for extra bosom without being so roomy as to need packing peanuts to take up the slack. This will do for now, I think.