Avalanche

Went out to do watering after Matt left early to travel over the Catskills. He's doing a green building training all week at Allen Center, a juvenile residential facility. Sure enough, a round, gelatinous bubble was hanging from a ewe. Okay, my mind starts racing. If she drops her bundle quickly I can get them jugged up and settled and race off to work. But she's in no hurry. I do the watering, watching her with one eye. I suspect I'm making her nervous as she keeps watching me, so I go back in side. Peek in on her again in five minutes. No real progress. What to do, what to do. I had to make a decision, and call Robin to tell her I'm calling in Sheep. I know she will take care of the kids just fine, I'm so lucky that way. I feel sooo guilty, but will feel worse if I go to work and come home to find a disaster. Sure enough, another ewe is starting up, "talking" her babies out of the womb, pawing the ground, getting up and lying down. First ewe is really taking her time. Little hoofs coming out tiny bit at a time. I don't want to intervene. I like to let nature take it's course whenever possible. There were times when I eased a half-born lamb out of an exhausted ewe, but that's only when she's lying down flat out and needs help. A hard, cold, snowy wind is blowing and the wood stove is back puffing despite the fan. Thor's door is frozen open six inches. Don't know how Matt let that happen. I saw him fooling with it last night. The lamb/kid kindergarten is getting a cold wind directly on them. Will have to stuff it with a blanket. Temps diving tonight. Winter has a firm grip on us and lambs are falling from the ewes. Prince William is back in the kindergarten after a night of bottle every 2-3 hours. He's wondering what happened, as I think he liked it inside. I know I liked his little baaings and touching me with his cold nose while I slept on the sofa. I could reach over to the bottle on the coffee table and pop it in his mouth. Surprisingly, mom was not happy to see him. Her one udder must have given out. Life on the farm...