Another Big Boy

Friday night is cause to celebrate around here. After five days of rushing around, getting lots of animals taken care of, bathing, dressing, and bombing out of here then trying to function up to expectations at jobs, then coming home and throwing some kind of evening meal together before chores, we are bushed. Last night Matt crashed on the sofa and couldn't/wouldn't get up. He said let the sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits and dogs wait until morning for food. It almost sounded acceptable to me, but at 9 I went out to take care of everybody myself. Good thing, because a newborn ram lamb was wedged in a trouble spot between a pen and concrete blocks. Remember what happened to Tank at the other end of the barn, wedged between an old rusty stock tank and the wall. Fortunately this baby was under a light and making lots of noise. Mom had taken off. The huge baby had shaken her, understandably, as he must weigh almost 15 pounds. I freed him an he immediately started toddling around on long shaky legs trying to nuzzle under any ewe he could find. Ewes are very fond of their own babies but treat others as aliens they don't want anything to do with. He was being butted around by the moms and ignored by his own mom who was hiding in the flock. I gathered him up in my arms and went about finding his mama in the dark barn. We have bashed most of the light bulbs out with our heads as the hay pack is so high. I was bent in half holding this giant lamb but managed to go up and down the length of the barn. No mom for this guy. I realized I had to get Matt, the sleeping bear off the couch to help me. Let's suffice it to say he was not amused. I'll leave it at that. Ten at night after a long week and we're inspecting sheep bottoms for any signs of blood and goo. There she was, one of three sheep I have with long tails which hid the bloody cord I was looking for. Matt caught her and held her, poor scared first time mother, while I nursed out enough colostrum to get the big boy's belly warm and working. I let Calvin and Hobbes out to make room for her and her lamb. They leaped and jumped like springs all over the barn, freed from their prison. Their sweaters are almost too small, they're growing so fast. I hated to let them go, as their mom is too thin with those twins nursing on her. As long as she was penned in I could feed her twice a day and get some weight on her. Out with the flock she has to fend for herself and her babies. I sent Matt to bed and went about getting this reluctant mom her warm molasses water and some food. She drank the bucket dry and chowed down. It was 11 thirty when I got back in the apartment. Now I'm drinking coffee with Annie's biscotti and wondering what I'll find when I go out there. The dogs have to pee so I can't linger long. I need to check on the goat babies just outside my door, who had full firm bellies last night and warm mouths, and the new guy from last night. It's going up to 40 today and will remain unseasonably high for a few days. Hope to get this lambing and kidding done and over with. I can hardly watch the Haiti coverage without tears welling up. Today I'll be thankful for my farm and the challenges I am able to face and conquer. This is paradise compared to what those poor people have to endure. I'm wondering why the military is not being parachuted in along with tons of food. All I hear is excuses about how long it takes to get the planes in, etc. Excuses won't fill bellies. Drop it from helicopters on the outskirts of the towns. Put parachutes on the doctors and drop them in. Drop the 82 Airborne in to distribute the supplies and provide security. I heard they are there somewhere but not many boots on the ground that I can see on the news. My Mia should go down there...she could jump in and get the place organized and running just fine. She's sliding down the endless slopes of the Colorado Rockies right now, a well deserved vacation before she goes back to her own earthquake zone on that crazy ward she works on in NJ.