March has come in like a lamb so I'm waiting, with baited breath, for the "out like a lion" part. We're having beautiful weather in southwestern Virginia...sunny days with blue skies, fluffy white clouds but not much rain. I'd give up a lot for about a week of rain where we got 1/8 inch every hour for about a week. We're headed into spring in a drought situation and usually, what happens on the equinox is what we'll get for the next few weeks to months. Around March 21 is when I'll be anxiously watching the weather and yet, the Good Book tells us to be anxious for nothing. Our times, our lives, our weather is in His hands.
Do you find faith to be the easiest thing in the world to have...until it's needed?
Yesterday a friend and I were talking about the unseasonably warm weather. He's a neighbor farmer and as concerned about the drought as I. He asked me if I'd seen any robins yet. Nope, I answered, and haven't seen any vultures either. The geese have only been back two weeks or thereabouts. We continued talking and all of a sudden he sat upright and yelled, "THERE'S A ROBIN!" Sure enough, a robin was walking around the yard trying to pull up worms. Lotsa luck Robin. Pulling up worms around here is like trying to pluck a piece of grass from concrete.
Today I saw four vultures riding the wind currents so if I'm confused about this unseasonably warm weather, I'm not the only one. I've in the good company of robins and vultures.
One of my last memories of autum was taking the dogs for a walk and then going into the alfalfa field so they could sniff the ground hog holes. I decided to lie on my back and do some serious cloud watching. All of a sudden I noticed vultures circling. That gave me pause! It's a strange thing to watch vultures circle above one's head while they dip lower and lower trying to figure out if I'm eatable or not. Anyway, I figured with the dogs running about I was safe. The dogs hate it when vultures invade the dogs space and I've yet to see a vulture actually land in our pastures.
There are lambs galore in our valley, calves as well and some foals. Probably some kittens as well but I can't find them. They are well hidden in our barn; their feral mothers will keep them hidden until the kittens stumble outside one day. I just hope I find the kittens before our Jack Russell finds them.
This past week I visited Clinton, my farmer neighbor, and found him feeding bottle lambs. He has quite the crop this year and some of the ewe's didn't live so the lambs have to be bottle fed. He also has kids whose mothers didn't live and they are bottle babies as well. I enjoy bottle feeding lambs and have done my share in the past. I think late this year I want to put a ram in with my ewes so I can have lambs next spring; I really miss not having lambs.
The above photo of Carly and her twins, Mills and Ketta, was taken last year. If it's too cold, I always put wool sweaters on my lambs. Yes, I'm the talk of the valley but as long as I don't hurt anyone, I'm tolerated
I spent part of today walking the dogs and watching the sheep and lambs in Clinton's pasture. He has several ewes that have twins and a few that have triplets. Sheep and lambs like to go where they aren't supposed to go and I'm always concerned for them. I like my sheep close to the house at night; I don't want them in my fartherest pastures. I don't want a coyote passing by to harm my flock so, every evening at dusk, I go forth and call, "HERE SHEEP! HERE SHEEPIE, SHEEPIE, SHEEPIE. COME SHEEP!" And they come. Everyone thinks it's the craziest thing...to see my flock racing across the pastures to come to the house for bed. To me it just makes good sense; why should I race after them? After all, they have twice as many legs as I.
Speaking of bed...it's that time again. Sleep is a major miracle that happens every night, night in and night out...sleep is the great healer and restorer. Every night as I'm snuggling into my wonderful bed I say a prayer of thanks to God for His great gift of a warm bed in a safe home. Too many people don't have either; my heart rends for them.
Psalm 23 - if you haven't read it in a while...please do and let it bring comfort to your soul.
God's blessings on you, yours and the work of your hands.
The Buzzards have kept us company all winter. We havn't seen any Robins up here on Groundhog Mountain and doubt we will. They don't seem to like the altitude. We did see plenty last week when we were in Cana.
ReplyDeleteI, too, find crawling into bed and thanking God a most satisfying way to end each day.
Robins are here, but I don't count on those silly birds as a sign of spring. But the red-winged blackbirds have arrived, and I'm more comfortable trusting them. We still could have some weather, though! Beautiful here until today; still warm but cloudy and looking like rain. Much needed here as well as there!
ReplyDeleteWe just let our hen, Taji, out of the 2nd bathroom and back into the yard after a 21 day stay in the Bathroom Hilton! She had been savaged by an opossum and my daughter ran out just in time to run it off, but Taji had major wounds. Well, yesterday, with God's gracious speedy healing, Taji returned victoriously to her yard with the other 5 chickens (3roos, 2 other hens...see we are a no-kill home, too! Our roos are very glad.) And we just live in a trailer park, although it is one where you do own your property, it is still a small lot for these pets. Yes, we do get eggs, but Taji is not laying this year, she's the matron of the group. We have 2 cats and a Sheltie also. PS-I love reading your blog and surely admire your lovely sheep!
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