Cold Tonight

I don't mind this kind of cold, in fact I kind of like it.  Twenties at night, low forties during the day.  No problem.  The barn manages to stay just above freezing inside, even with the end doors always open so the sheep can go out and eat snow...and get out in the event of fire, heaven forbid, if the silly darlings know enough to rescue themselves.    Last night the bunny water was not frozen, and the spare kitty litter containers I keep filled just in case the power goes out and my well pump doesn't work were not frozen either.  I can put a coat on over my nightie and do morning chores instead of the three layers I must wear in order to function in minus 20.  I stoked the wood stove only twice during the night and built it up before leaving.  When I got home at four after a quick stop at the little market in New Berlin I had just a few coals burning and got it going again quickly.  The house was cool but nothing in danger of freezing.  I drove to work in snow this morning and it was slower going with the roads covered with ice for the most part.  I am wearing my Icelandic Design sweaters now and they are just right with the lining and a turtleneck underneath.  My class room is in the corner of the wing with many windows, making the room nicely cool for wearing wool.  I rarely turn the heat on and luckily my aides and students don't complain.   I have one more lamb coming from the ewe who was out back with the boys.  Her udder is damaged from past mastitis but it is still swollen from impending birth.  I had one ewe with past mastitis who luckily started giving milk again from one teat.  It's always a relief.  I hope this girl does the same thing.  Her fleece is amazingly soft and I'm looking forward to shearing.  I would like to have all last year's fleeces skirted but that is wishful thinking unless Kimmie Cornerstone comes for a weekend to help me.  Alas she has a job now and her kids are very busy with Air Cadets, parties, sports and activities, just the way it should be.   In a nice stroke of luck, the lambs born last year, the Woeful Winter when lambing lasted four months,  fathered by Romeo, the BFL/Merino black ram, have incredible fleeces.  The Merino gave them wonderful density along with the Bluefaced crimp.  Oh, how I wish I had the extra hands to get coats on them.  I might have a show fleece from one of them someday.  Out to chores while I still have some daylight.  I put a little chicken in the oven to roast and make the house warm and fragrant, and to make a little gravy for the White Boys.  Not that they need any pampering with all the fresh goat and sheep meat they are eating currently.  I gave Thor a new rib cage this morning and he looked at me in wide-eyed-wonder as if to say what did I do to deserve this????  I know he enjoyed it anyway....