THE GIRLS ....

"The Girls" - Midgie and Phaedra

How does it happen that I can go two whole weeks without a post?  Well, when my life mainly revolves around appointments with various specialist doctors, having enough blood drawn to supply another person (or at least it seems that way), having x-rays, ultra-sounds, EKG's and in between fixing bottles four times a day for hungry lambs, there hasn't been much energy left over to get out and take pictures and write something readable.  I don't want to go on and on about my health issues in every post, but will tell you that I was finally diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis last week and have begun treatment, in hopes of bringing about remission.  It was not a diagnosis I was expecting, so it's taken me some time to mentally process and accept it.  I've learned a lot about auto-immune diseases lately.  I've also heard lots of encouraging stories of people who have gotten RA under control and have been able to get on with their lives, which is certainly my goal.  So, onward .....

Phaedra

Now, about those all those bottles.  I only bred 13 ewes this year and five of them had triplets.  Some of the first lambs were born when I was at my lowest and Mike became the strength and energy I didn't have.  The fact that he jumped in to help turned out to be good for both of us.  Usually, I'm the one doing all the care and feeding during lambing and Mike is not so involved.  This year, he's been in the thick of it and consequently, he knows the ewes and lambs personalities and is much more emotionally invested in them.  We have been supplementing some of those triplet lambs because 3 babies are a lot for most ewes to raise, although some of mine are doing it successfully.  I have two full time bottle lambs - meaning they think I'm their mom.  They've been kept in a separate pen and are just now spending some time each day in with the main flock.  Midgie (she's the all black one) is one of Teeny's triplets.  Phaedra (any Outlander fans know where I got that name?) is the mottled black and silver lamb.  She was born many hours after her two brothers and her mother decided she had arrived too late to the party and wanted nothing to do with her.  Their personalities couldn't be more different.  Midgie has a lot of get-up-and-go.  As soon as she catches sight of me, she starts to yell that she's starving and needs a bottle right now!  She's the most aggressive bottle nurser I've ever raised.  If you don't hold onto the bottle extra tight, she'll pull it right out of your hands.  Phaedra is much more gentle and just a little shy.  She takes her bottle gladly, but is calm about it.  The great thing is that they have really bonded together and are inseparable now. When Mike and I talk about the two of them, we refer to them as "The Girls".  I much prefer to raise two lambs together, rather than have one all by itself.  They always have a buddy, so they're not lonely whenever I'm not able to be with them.   As much as I love them, I'm NOT sleeping in the barn.  I'm much too old for that sort of thing.  When the time comes, it's much easier for them to be accepted and acclimated into the flock if they have a pal at their side.

Midgie - too busy to have her picture taken

The Girls may very well be coming to the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival with me because they will still be on the bottle and cannot be left at home and unfed all day.  I'm not going to be a vendor this year, but will be spending my time making sure the workshops are happening as they should.  If I can find a shady spot for their pen, you will be able to come by and visit with The Girls while you're enjoying the festival.

While I'm on the subject - please check out the workshop line-up for the Festival.  We have some really big names in the fiber community coming to Kentucky for the very first time.  Mary Jane Mucklestone, Anne Hanson, Nicola Brown and Dagmar Klos teach all over the United States and some are teaching internationally.  It's a rare opportunity to take classes here at home that would cost you more than a thousand dollars in travel expenses and workshop fees to learn from them in another location.  There's lots of different kinds of classes being offered - literally something for everyone.  Be sure to check it out.

Back soon - I promise!