Complaint department, please

(Notice the supervisor up there on the tractor?)

I'd like to file a complaint with the person who made the rule that we must have awful weather in the days before the shearers come.  It's the crappy weather you can always depend on.  The shearers were scheduled to come yesterday, but as my friend Sara said, there were no dry sheep in the state of Kentucky then.  Well before daybreak on Tuesday morning the rain commenced and it poured - all day and into the night before turning to snow.  Now, I know I've been begging for snow all winter (to no avail), so the irony is not lost on me, but really ...... the timing stinks!  I hustled my flock into the barn early Tuesday morning and they were already what my grandmother would call sopping wet.  Mind you, my sheep have not been in the barn much at all this winter.  Their fleeces were so, so clean.  The operative word is were.  After three days of being held captive in the barn - not so much.  Luckily, Mike was able to scrape out the barn with the bobcat a few weeks ago and spread a nice, clean layer of rock, so the sheep have not been lounging in dirty bedding the last few days.  This morning they got to escape the confines of the barn and spend the day outside which is helping everyone's state of mind.

(This is not everyone - the others are at another feeder in this end of the barn)

Thankfully, today we are getting a good dose of sunshine and a warming spell is on the way.  Upper fifties, maybe even in the 60's this weekend, which will feel really good to my girls when those pesky fleeces are off their backs.  And, a little warmth will go a long way toward getting some green going in the grass here.  The daffodils have survived the ice and snow of the past few days and will be blooming big time by the end of the weekend.

 
It's funny how just a matter of days can change my perspective on things.  Two days ago, I found myself wondering what kind of masochistic person would continue to do what I do year after year. (Don't answer that, please.)  Today the sun is out, the promise of spring is in the air and all that is forgotten!

I'll be back soon with some shearing day pictures and some idea of when this year's lamb crop will finally start showing up.  I promise the lamb-cam is coming soon!