Our weekend was filled with rain, snow (approx. 4 inches), and cold weather. Now it is over, we’ve picked up the pieces, and we are hoping for springtime weather. Dad is up on crutches and even able to drive the car and 4-wheeler. It is soooo nice to have mobile again.
We tended to chores at Mom and Dad’s as usual. Some of the sheep were let out to pasture so it was a chore getting mamas and babies in, but eventually they caught on to the idea. We didn’t get home until after 8:00 and still had a ewe we needed to tend to. She had been in labor since 5:00 with no progress, so let the fun begin. I went to pull the lamb and made some progress. Dh was getting impatient and insisted he try (I was so determined to pull it myself). It’s a good thing I gave up the fight it took both of us pulling and mama pushing to get the little (not-so-little) guy out into the big world. He is doing well although a bit of a crier. Usually babies cry when they are hungry, but not the case. He’s just a bit of a baby : ) It’s a very adrenaline pumping experience to pull a lamb, but when you step back, take a deep breath, and see that little creature staggering to it’s feet it is all worth it. Texels are GREAT mamas! I can’t say enough about the way they mother their babies. I love to watch them! Katahdins are the same way at dd’s. They love those babies so much.
My cousin, his wife, and their son came over to Mom and Dad’s last night. He brought over lots of bales of alfalfa for our sheep and dd’s. It was so nice of him to haul them over on his semi so we didn’t have to make multiple trips with the truck and trailer. His wife wants a bottle lamb really bad, but my cousin is not going for it. Their son isn’t old enough to take care of it himself, and Cris is afraid he will end up with one more to-do on their farm.~Smile.
We tried goat’s milk for the first time. We are really struggling with it. I want to like it so much, but both of us are having a really hard time. I am really not comfortable with the idea of owning a Jersey (although I love them) feed, transportation if hauling is required, and their size for handling (in comparison to sheep and goats) worries me. So, we are still toying with the idea. I thought maybe we could use the goat’s milk to make soap, ice cream, kefir, cooking, etc and still go to the dairy near our house for cow’s milk to use for drinking and for cream to make cream cheese and butter.
My boss, who led me to believe it was not a good time for me to take time off (even though my dd broke his ankle and needs some extra help right now) took another day off work. That makes two days off for him since he told me I couldn’t take any time off work last Tuesday. Dh is really upset. He even mentioned selling our only reliable mode of transportation so we could afford for me to stay home and tend to the house, animals, and him. It’s ironic as I was thinking the same thing after I left the family’s house wear we got the goat’s milk. They are a beautiful, large family (Possibly Amish? I hate to just assume, but they are very much homesteaders to say the least). I am just intrigued by their way of life. Although my husband and I will probably never revert as far back as horse drawn buggies. I would like to start back peddling in our way of life and getting out of debt and no longer financing anything is our first BIG step.
That is just a summary of the last couple of days at our house. Dh is requesting I take a day off work this week to catch up. I think he is noticing our barren fridge and the fact we have eaten cold sandwiches for dinner one too many times and thinking a day off would do us both some good.~Smile. After getting to bed late, getting up last night at 1:15 with a crying baby lamb, and up again for work at 4:00 a day off doesn’t sound too bad.
Have a great week!
A Simple Prairie Life 