Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Sad News




It's a full moon but you would never know. It's rainy and dreary, suitable weather for the sad passing of my Horatio, the beautiful purebred Rambouillet ram I adopted last winter. We found him dead, lying on the hay. I have no idea how old he is, but I know he is up there in years. The woman who owned him sold her farm, bought a Winnebago and took off. The people who bought the farm didn't want her sheep so they were fostered by a shepherd in Ft. Plain, over near West Winfield. She was not able to give me a lot of information. I loved that big old boy, with his magnificent set of horns and cute face. Matt thinks he might have accidentally thrown out a bale of alfafa this morning when it was still dark. That's very rich for sheep, and, perhaps, Horatio might have gotten himself bloated. I don't know. Perhaps he was ready to go anyway, and, in that case, he went with a belly full of delicious alfafa. It's so sad to see him lying out there in the rain. I have been thinking about him a lot lately, and noticing how handsome he is. Sometimes that is enough to make me think disaster is coming. My instincts are telling me something. My kids say I'm a witch, and when I get something in my head...well, things happen. I hate to write about sad things in this journal, and think that people are probably tired of reading about all the death and struggles I face. I am not writing to entertain, but to keep a record of the joys, sorrows, and goings-on that are part of the journey that is the farm...a farm that is full of life as well as death. Tomorrow's another day and I still have Othello, Blaze, Wooster and Larry to make more lambs for me. But I'll miss my big boy.

3 comments:

Cornerstone Fibres said...

OH BIG HUGS Maggie!!! He was a magnificent fellow and had a great life on your farm. This is a part of life especially farm life. He will be remembered and missed.
BIG HUGS to all

Kim and crew

Kathleen said...

I'm so sorry to read of H's passing! But everything and everyone has their time and he must have needed to move on to make room for those other handsome boys of yours. He probably had the time of his life for those last few years on your farm. You did good when you brought him home!

carol said...

so sorry to hear about your beautiful boy !!! love carol