Tuesday Night

Matt has been gone for two days, having a lovely time with other green collar warriors at an energy conference in Pittsburgh. I told him to eat all the free food he could find, pick up all the literature he could haul back to the hotel room, and go to bed early. I've been starting chores around 5 and finishing around 7:30. I have to throw hay down in the morning and haul water in the plastic Gerry cans to the boys outside and the big Rambo and Merino rams inside. The water is the hardest part. Most of the sheep get their water from the big stock tanks, one tall and one short. Tonight is garbage night and I have garbage everywhere. I rent a dumpster from the one garbage hauler that comes out to Brookfield, and I like to get everything down to it. Only took three trips down the lane to get it done. Took the White Boys for their walk around sunset and just had to sit down in the middle of the hill. The dogs aren't used to their person sitting down and I was knocked around by the rush of love. Good thing I just wormed them all. With all the creepy crawlies I was finding in their dung, I was wary of those big wet kisses. Amazing what a good dose of Safeguard will take care of in one dose. I use the sheep gun and managed to do them all except Knut. He smells a trap and goes nuts. Matt can't hold him long enough for me to get the gun in his mouth. Don't know how I'm going to get him fixed. Finn and Knut ran away tonight - probably up to the dead pile. Last night I got the chores done and locked us all in by dark. I told Thor he was in charge and didn't come out until morning. Now I will have to go out every once in a while and look for Finn and Knut so I can hook them up. Thor is a "close guarder" and stays in the barn yard just the way I like it. Finn and Knut tour all the original 300 acres of this farm and then some. I'm afraid some yahoo neighbor of mine will shoot them. Tomorrow is Wednesday, then Thursday and I am off for spring break. Eric bought me a ticket to go to Las Vegas but he had me flying out of JFK, five hours from here. Coming back would be a nightmare, with going through NYC, etc. I am afraid to leave Miss Mamie with her lamb coming, and Matt is gone almost 12 hours a day. I am totally bummed out about not seeing Hannah and Luke. Mia is going the week after I was to be there, and I know they will have a smashing good time with her - how could they not? She exudes joy and is so much fun. I miss her, too. I want to move back to New Jersey to be closer to her, now that she is going to set up practice in Morristown - but I can't have my sheep there. Funny, I am beginning to be glad the house I inherited is not sold. I might need it after all. The only thing I loved about the school where I work is not there any more. They tore out the beautiful, mature landscaped garden in the courtyard next to the global studies room I am in most afternoons. There was a vine-like tree that grew up against the brick wall, with twists and turns that were so very graceful and artsy. Birds nested in it in the spring. Lovely shrubs lined gravel paths to the next building. I was dumb struck when I saw it all gone, just holes in the dirt. I felt such anger and disgust and just wanted to scream. It took 30 years to get that tree so perfectly placed on the wall. I am still so filled with despair when I think about it (obviously). Gretchen must have noticed I was upset because she offered me a cup of coffee. What the heck is wrong with these people???? Couldn't they have left the tree? It wasn't taking up any room! I hate people right now. My best friends are four-legged and I am once again reminded why.