Sheep Yoga

My newest ewe lamb, Tiny Dancer, is coming along nicely. Rather than tie up her mother, Dot, I get in the jug (pen in sheep language) and lean her against the wall of vertical boards (old cow stanchions). I circle my arms around her, one around her chest and one around her rear, then hold on to the boards. TD runs under her and nurses vigorously. Dot struggled at first but now that we have a routine she eats hay while I hold her. I rest my head on her belly and listen to the churning and burning of hay going on inside her. I can feel little Tiny Dancer doing her rhythmic butting and nursing underneath. Poor Dot, TD has rather sharp teeth but her mouth is so small I can't easily get a file in there to take the sharp points off. When she is finished nursing, which can go on forever, I give her a little leftover bottle from the other three chow hounds (and two lambs who are pretending they need bottles) just to make sure she's getting enough. Her sucking is not the best, more smacking and licking than actually sucking, typical of some teeny tiny lambs. If I have time I enjoy our special time together but workday mornings are rough. On deck for today - lots of sewing between critter care and tidying up a bit. I have to get my show schedule on my site via Jeremy, my web guy. It's different this year. I have to finish a couple of bags in new fabrics and take pictures for my Colorscape application, due this week. I LOVE that show, and it's sooo nice and close. Work people come through and are able to see to products of my "alternative agricultural lifestyle." Last year some of them just stood and stared as if to say, oh, this is what she does.