I really think it is finally spring!
I saw this little guy lit on my butterfly bush yesterday. We have huge bumble bees swarming everywhere and the tulips and lilacs are blooming. We are sneezing our heads off because of all the pollen. My black Suburban is a pukey yellow/mustard color from all of it. They are even predicting storms, hail, and tornado warnings Monday night - must be spring here in Arkansas!
Here is another sign spring must be here. This is new for us this year. It is lambing time!
This little guy was born to Olivia Thursday morning and caused my husband and I both to be late for work. He is another Border Leicester/Shetland cross. Our lamb count is up to 3. Only about 19 more to go! My dibs are on Princess and Lydia, two of the Shetland ladies. Both are swollen up tight in their tummies and their udders. We have also been keeping the road hot between here and the vet's office. One of the Shetland girls is just plain sick, and we figured out once she was sheared that she was VERY boney under all that wool, so she is being treated for all kinds ailments. The tiny baby goat, now dubbed Tiny Tim, wasn't thriving, but with some tiny doses of medicine and his wild mama's surprising patience, he is improving slightly every day. Then Beau, our little BL ram showed up with a lovely swollen spot on his face. Of course, being new to raising sheep, I read in Storey's that it could be nothing, all the way up to our entire herd was going to be infected with a deadly disease. Off to the vet we went again. Turns out it was probably nothing, but he is quarantined and on antibiotics just the same. On that same note, we have a new vet in town, and I am so happy he is willing to see our barnyard full of critters!
I have also been playing in the dyepots again. I have two shows coming up, one is the "Airing of the Quilts" here in Greenwood at the Historical Society and the other is Spanker Creek Farm in Bella Vista. Both will probably lean more towards handspun yarn than plain fiber, and I realized our stock of yarns were sadly low. Then when I started looking for something to spin, I realized our roving stock was sadly low, too! So off to the dyepots, and back to multicolored hands, I went. Now there are beautiful reds, cherries, and purples hanging on the drying rack. I can't wait to spin them!
~Lori
Baby lamb is so cute, and I love his color. Glad that the little goat guy is improving and that Mama is helping now.
ReplyDeleteWhat did the vet think was wrong with your ewe that had loss weight? My ram is just starting to come around again. He was very thin when we sheared. Of course he got wormed first thing.
I washed two fleeces today, a little at a time.
He said it was infection of some kind. Some of it had settled in her eyes, and she was partially blind now. He checked her for worms, but it was really low. Lungs were clear, so she is on antibiotics and energy/metabolism meds 3 times a day. She is back to eating, and her bones are starting to show less and less. She may not get her vision back, but she is coping. I hate it that we were ignorant and didn't know to help her sooner.
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