March Madness

March

It is Whizzing by!

Penny has already begun planning her birthday

and

at first

it seemed a little overly anticipated

but

its the END of March

so

She actually should be thinking about it

I

should be thinking about it.

Yikes!

This little Guy 

was born this morning!

Which is a welcomed relief!

Now I can actually sleep through the night!

I am so excited!

He was born without any complications

{thank goodness}

 

The girls have their waggon hooked up 

so

that is like a horse buggy

I really should just get rocky a harness and a waggon 

and then Penny won't have to

whip her sisters!

{although it probably doesn't hurt them to have to haul her around}

 

Andy Loves Penny's doctor kit

He always has

"his" stethoscope around his neck.

Penny usually has human patients

but he is usually got a stuffed animal or his eggs and chicks

Hopefully this is a sign!

I could use a live-in vet!

We went up to Calgary

with my parents.

Dusty was at work so when I say "we"

I mean me and the kids

in the back of a car

for 6 hours

Fun times!

Haha just kidding!

My dad was stuck back there!

We ate at the mall

and they suckered him into a carousel ride!

Quiet Time

 Like I was saying previously,

we are cycling through the flu.

Ellie was the latest victim!

Poor girl!

She wins an award for best sick kid...

Last night Ellie came upstairs and says she "thinks" she might be sick.

She was.

No whining

No crying

She just set up shop on the couch and has been there all day.

We've been saving the "best" for last....

So hopefully they don't get a turn.

With all this quiet time I have been able to get a few things done.

I cleaned out my towel closet...

sort of...

I got it all out and then Ellie's teacher came over 

so I shoved it all back in!

hahaha 

maybe tomorrow...

I also got our farm blog set up so that we can sell our lambs.

I was just going to do it from here

BUT

I decided that I didn't want perspective buyers getting to see ALLLL of our crazy.

the new site is

www.cattailcoulee.blogspot.ca

I also am ALMOST done knitting Andy's sweater!

just in time for summer....

hahaha

Tomorrow I am going to pooper scoop my back yard by my ewe pen. 

I am tired of dodging all the land mines!

Too bad Dusty didn't have all this "down" time-

Maybe

he could of trained his dog to "go" in the field!

The Sorrows of the Shepherd

"A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way."

Mark Twain 

I love having an assortment of creatures on our acreage. 

I love watching them.

I find great amusement in all of them.

I enjoy caring for them.

Inevitably something happens that requires additional care.

I love to learn new things.

I find satisfaction in nursing these guys back to health.

I don't love carrying a cat by the tail 

(So to speak)

Not too long ago-

One of my ewes was "off"

We went out and she had some fox tail in her eye.

She gets really wooly eyes and so she does get grass etc caught in them from time to time.

I cleaned it out.

Long story short.

My efforts were not good enough.

By the time I called the vet my poor sheeps eye could not be saved.

I know she will be fine.

I know most farmers shoot a sheep in the same predicament.

I also know that this is on me.

I have carried my cat- I hope that I don't have to write another post about a sheep and fox tail and a tardy vet call....

Bella prior to eye removal.

Hard Headed

This posts title could read something like, "life's lessons" or "learning the hard way" or "I should of actually learned something from all of those dang discovery channel shows" but alas....

So it happened on a Wednesday.

It was a beautiful hot morning.

Finished teaching riding lessons...

I was expecting some petting zoo kids...

And I thought to myself

"What a perfect time to move all the sheep pens around."

I had three pens going at that moment.

1) teddy and Oreo (aka ram pen)

2) the ewes and lambs (no aka)

3) the barn pen with the newbies.

So I moved the ewes.

Fine.

Then I moved the new ewe in with the other ewes and lambs.

Fine.

Then I moved the new ram over to a pen by the other rams.

Fine.

I let them be.

They sniffed and walked up the fence line.

They ate.

I left and watered my garden.

Came back and thought.

"Humph, they seem fine"

So I put them in together.

They sniffed.

Oreo got bit high school so I kicked him out.

They big boys grazed.

I turned around. 

Walked out the gate and then heard the most sickening thud.

The girls were yelling.

The rams were in reverse to collide again.

And smack.

Blood flew everywhere.

The girls were now screaming.

I was running through all the possible options.

Smack.

I go back into the pen.

Smack. Crack.

The rams are covered in blood.

A bone is now sticking out of Teddy's face.

They back up again.

I pick up a tree and javelin it between them.

Pick up a halter and crack it across the new ones nose.

I pick up another tree and get teddy back on his side of the fence.

I get out of the pen.

And then I remember to breathe.

I call the vet.

Apparently "sheep people" aren't the same sorta breed as "horse people" because when I call about a horse- I get walked through a procedure.... A sheep bone out of a head..... I get... "It'll probably be fine-keep the flys out if it"

Ha

Anyways.

He is fine.

So the vet was right.

But 

At that moment...

All hopped up on adrenalin...

I was mad.

So I catch Oreo buy the horn

(He is kind of like a unicorn... Only way less beautiful)

And drag him to the barn.

Lock him in a horse stall.

Turn around to go get the new ram

And get half way across the yard

And see the stupid sheep out.

I am changing his name to Jackie Chan.

I catch him again.

Lock him in the tack room.

And go AGAIN across the yard.

I halter the very agitated 200lbs temper tantrum throwing 2' toddler/ram and "lead" it across the yard.

It is now like 40 degrees.

I then take Oreo who I am pretty sure would have ADHD and hyperactivity disorder out of my now absolutely trashed tack room and lead him by the horn across the yard.

After all this and moving the ewes back....

I laid on my lawn. I contemplated moving.

I contemplated sheep. Life.

Lesson 1)

When you think you have a brilliant idea.... Wait.... Let it sit for a while.... It will probably still be brilliant in 20 minutes and if it's not brilliant- it should give you enough time to not go through with it.

Lesson 2)

Never underestimate a male ego.

Lesson 3)

Life without animals would be so so so much easier 

But

Who really likes the easy way??

Superior Species...

Today Andy has cried a lot.

He is hungry and angry

My lambs are cute

And fat

And frolicy

They jump on the ewes

They steal their grain

And eat their hay.

Andy lays 

He cries.

And I go to him.

I change him

I find him so he can eat.

He is completely and utterly dependant.

It's actually a miracle we were never wiped out...

That was my thought for this lovely Friday.

All Things Baby

This week was all things baby...
and birthday
but I didn't take pictures of that...

Both my sister and my SIL had birthdays this last week
we ate
we visited
it was good.

but in between all the birthday stuff
was baby stuff.
  

 

This is our only ewe lamb.

Her name is Jackie...

you will see why tomorrow...

 This poor wee gaffer had a rough start.
He was rejected.
We are going to wether him and keep him for a companion.

 And this is the big boy.
he's a solid sucker.

and to top off all the babes at home...

a friend and I threw a little shower for another friend.

I should of gotten someclose-ups 

but the theme was camping and it turned out super cute!

Now we are on to the next week

and

Andy has a man cold

i think we will be hanging out at home!!

Spring- weather we like it or not.

So last night happened to be one of THE coldest nights of the year.

And true to form

Our ewes decided to give birth.

Burr.

Wet 4lbs babies in -45.

Not such a good mix.

After some help and a really long night 

ALL three seem to be eating and warm.

Not as warm as Andy

Who got to sleep all night in a heated bed.

Planning

It's hard to believe that this was two years ago,

So much has changed.

I have been thinking about life "plans"

We were very happy two years ago.

Ellie was just starting grade 1

We liked our house.

We were busy making plans and living

and no one would of even guessed this is where we would be now.

we are happy now too.

(you'll love this lead-in to the new thought...)

and we are planning still

like for the storm that hit us.

We prepared

 but no matter what preparations are made

there will always be surprises...

like frozen water lines.

sheesh.

the water lines weren't even the biggest battle..

it was putting on my pants

and taking off my boots...

and i wouldn't of been able to plan on how many times

i would actually have to do those two tasks!

Ellie out doing sheep chores.

I think they were happy to see her 

after the long cold night.

I guess the point is..

have fun making plans

but

they probably won't work out 

and 

you'll still be happy

even if you are trudging through a mountain of snow

with a hammer

screwdriver

and kettle.....

Days to Look Back Upon

While the weather has been cooling

the afternoons are still warm

and pleasant

Our grass is green and

we've been home more 

Our animals have been turned out to graze

on the delicious grasses 

and clovers found on our lawn.

All of our animals have their place here

but 

the sheep seemed to have found

a special place

in the 

hearts of 

our girls.

I am grateful for the opportunity

we have been given

to raise our children in the country.

To have sheep

and chickens

and geese

and ponies

and kitties.

To have space and fresh

(albeit dusty prairie)

air.

We spent 5 hours this morning 

riding.

The girls just saddled up

(I mean I saddled them up)

and they took off.

Ellie rode around and around and

around

the yard.

In and out of trees

over sticks

through the garden.

Lucy worked on a barrel pattern

and pole bending in the corral.

Even little Penny

rode completely

by herself for a few laps.

We came in 

hungry

tired

but 

so

very

happy.

I think we've found our happiest place on Earth.

A dog.... er.... Sheeps day

it is hot

which is usually fine with me

but

I am not at the lake

and

it was one of "those" days.

Millions of things to do

and no energy

and grumpy

and it wasn't just me

Luckily for me

it looks as though we might get a storm.

phew

Ellie is outside as I type this

getting chickens in the coop

and dogs in the barn

Penny is outside

mostly because that's what she does

but

she is supposed to be picking up toys

likely not going to happen.

Like a Jaybird.....

We actually got a sheep shearer out.

My sheep weren't happy

they'll thank me later...

 Fleece being removed

Almost done

Running far far away

(ps brianna this will give you a good idea of size)

They come up to your knee.

Bella thought she would be funny

and stick her tongue out at me

little doesn't she know

that I usually get the last laugh.

So now my sheep are naked.

and apparently Rams think like men...

Teddy has been chasing poor Bella around all afternoon.

she might be wishing for her clothes back

the good stuff!

I can't wait to process it!

Good thing for books and google!

Ba Ba white sheep

We finally got our sheep.

All of us are thrilled.

Even Dusty...

who was skeptical.

They are called Old English Southdown Babydoll sheep.

It's a mouthful.

most people just call them babydolls.

They are adorably small and cute

and rare.

Their wool is fantastic for spinning.

Which is why they are here.

and 

they are also small.

Which means less intimidating for children.

aka Ellie.

So without further adu....

Meet Teddy.

He is our ram.

He is playful

and he wags his tag when you play with him.

He follows you around the pen.

He even licks the dogs.

 Teddy checking things out.

 Meet Bella.

She is timid.

It probably doesn't help that she had a bad case of wool eye...

Dusty and I got her fixed up till the shearing guy comes.

Bella and Buttons....

Buttons is the baby.

Not their baby

but she is tiny.

and friendly

when Teddy gives her a chance to be.

He's a bit of an attention hog.

I am sure you'll be hearing more of our upcoming sheep adventures.....