It's Started...

Sleety rain falling out there. The vehicles are covered with ice. The wood stove is going and it's toasty warm in here. No more tee shirt weather. I've got fleece ski pants, a turtleneck and sweatshirt on with alpaca socks. Yes, they are alpaca socks. I know I poo-poo alpaca in favor of wool, but, hey, I keep sheep! Alpaca socks are fabulous! Alpaca doesn't breathe like wool does as it is a hollow fiber and traps warmth. Trapping warmth on my feet is a good thing! And who cares how much my feet stink! Not me! As I traveled home from work, and pumped gas in the rain to get there, I was very thankful to be going home to this big, strong barn that shelters all of us, human and otherwise, from this weather. The ice is bouncing off the long sheets of metal over my head, hammered on by Sister Grace and Sister Bernadette when they were teenagers. The piggies are surely in heaven now. Matt took them to The Farmer's Place, a local abbatoir, where he said they marched dutifully into the little pen where they would await their fate. I sure do love raising them, but I'm not happy about seeing them go. As Robin said to me earlier today, at least they won't have to endure the awful winter ahead. Pigs looooove warmth and comfort. The sheep are safe and dry in the upper mow. When Matt fixes the short in the electric in the milk room I'll start dyeing wool again. The dye stove heats up the milk room nicely and keeps the kitties who live in there nice and warm. I put boxes of angora clippings and wool skirtings around for them to nest in. The long wait for the light and warmth to come back has begun.