Where Is She?

Joseph and Gabriel are out there waiting for their bottles.  I have them ready, but I'm enjoying this leisurely Sunday morning just a little longer.  Cold in the apartment this morning, and I broke down and turned up the thermostat.  The wood fire thing is wearing out.   I don't have enough kindling and starting the fire is always problematic.  The logs in the two cords I bought are wonderfully hard and heavy, but a real chore to haul inside several times a day, even though we've hauled them up the stairs and into the room outside of the apartment.   Fire starting aides are expensive and my stash of scrap wood is gone.  I should go up on the ridge and collect sticks for kindling before we get any snow, if we get any snow.  I love a wood fire - there is nothing like it for lovely, intense heat, and much less costly than the electric back up I have here.  With such a big barn to light up, and the big bath tub I love to fill up with hot water every morning before work, I'm using electric like crazy anyway.  I'm resisting going to the back pen to see who's left from the purge yesterday.  I can't bear to say their names because they are gone.  Cute little boys who I might have been able to keep if I had enough hay to feed them.  I confess I engage in some useless and non-productive "shoulda-woulda-coulda" at these times.  But here we are, and I can only manage to have so many sheep and goats.  The reality is I can only afford to have so much of the fiber processed, and I only do so many shows where people buy carded fiber for spinning and felting, which limits the number of animals I need.  Then there's the "extra pair of hands" issue.  I just wish I had wethered little Dexter, who is in heaven now.  He would have been such a good old-age companion for his mother, Dolly, who adored him so.   I need a sheep partner to remind me of things like that. I'm still hoping to find an intern to live here and share the experience.  Matt is devoted to Weatherization, and who could blame him.  I went to the Louis Gale Feed Mill yesterday and Teresa, the clerk, said  Hey! I saw Matt on TV yesterday!  In the meantime, two little boys, who are already wethered, are yelling for their bottles out there.  I better get out of this nightie and this warm apartment, and take care of them.  I hope I get to keep the four lambs I had this year.  They sure are cuties.