Blustery, Cold, Snowy Tuesday

So happy to be home today. The wind and snow roared all night, banging the door over the elevator hole in the barn so much I could hardly sleep. The relatively empty hay mows creaked and moaned in the howling wind. Barns are made to be filled with hay. The bales hold the barn together. Without the mound of hay the barn is like a partially filled balloon. I confess I like the eery sounds but the door that prevents the snow from getting in where the elevator enters the barn banged hard all night, and it's right above my room. I cuddled with the doggies in the dark and let the bangs, creaks and moans lull me to sleep. At 4 I went out to check for lambsicles but only found sleeping and resting sheep and goats. Matt checked again at 7, but three hours in this cold is too long for all but the hardiest lambs who get up and nurse right away. I've always heard that the lambs born in January are the healthiest. Maybe it because only the healthiest survive the cold. I want them all to live. Nicholas, born yesterday, is as big as Loki who is a few weeks old. I found him with mom who busted loose from her pen and was out grazing. I picked him up, the big bruiser, and checked for full belly and warm mouth, signs that he's been nursing and he's got both. Dolly wants out of her pen with Dina but I want to worm her first. Birthing stimulates parasites and I don't need a nursing mom dragged down by worms. Back outside now to give broccoli to the babies, fill water buckets, feed the cold, ravenous kitties who managed to bring home a young rat yesterday. Big surprise that any rat could live that long with this Kitty Cadre on constant patrol. If I don't feed the cats enough they eat my young chickens, and I don't want that (unless it's a rooster!!) I'm groggy from lack of a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Maybe I'll get a nap in later...in fact, I know I will.