Pre-Dawn

I'm drinking my foamy French Roast coffee ala Annie T. and sewing a little bag for a colleague. Not enough sleep last night but someone I know is leaving early to teach "Client Interaction" and something about electric baseload reduction measures to small home auditor trainees. He goes around muttering something about being a blue collar man in a white collar world. I bought him two fleece vests at Md. Sheep and Wool last spring and he wears them all the time over his button down shirts. With jeans, loafers and a LL Bean jacket he passes muster. Matt has discovered JC Penney and shops for his own clothes now. Fine with me. I get him a new Carhartt jacket or overalls every couple of years for Christmas to wear on the farm. Remember the farm? My water tank is buried under a ton of hay. I started using it as a hay feeder back when I had lambs and was using smaller buckets for water to avoid lamb drownings. I'll never forget seeing a little turquoise sweater floating in the water tank and wondering how did she get her sweater off? Well, she didn't - she was in her sweater. Bye Bye water tank, even though it was only 12 inches high it was enough for her to drown herself in. Trouble is, the sheep are spending more time in the barn now that we are feeding hay, and drinking a lot of water. I mentioned to Matt that I needed another water tank for them to drink from, pre-lambing, and he told me to get busy with the pitchfork. And so it goes. Paul, the young man who would like to apprentice with me this winter, came to visit the other day. He is an anthropology major SUNY graduate from Long Island who is working on small farms for a few years to learn everything he can before he has his own place. He's done cheese and vegetables and wants to learn about fiber. Paul won't be done at his current position until December, just when lambs are coming I think. He didn't seem put off by his visit to Cold Comfort Farm, as I thought he might, and asked if he could bake his organic bread if he works here. This just might be a good thing afterall...