Ewe've Got To Be Kidding

11:06 PM, 19 February 2010
Temperature: 32 F, clear and calm

The morning was fairly uneventful albeit with six ducks out, although the neighboring Yellow Labrador made an appearance, resulting in our taking efforts to scare it off. It and its beagle friend returned again after lunchtime, and were run off by us at a bit more of a distance this time.

The pregnant ewes continue to not be in the mood to give birth. Minnow's kits, on the other hand, have now got eyes opened and have been spotted nibbling on food pellets. They spend most of their time snuggled together out of sight, sleeping with occasional bursts of energy and activity.

The younger ewes all spotted a chance to get even with the cruel farmers for keeping them away from the poultry feed; they spotted the green grass of freedom, resulting in a full-bodied exodus of all 29 of them. They were rounded up without injury, although one farmer did manage to trip painfully headlong over the rabbit feed's container. No permanent injury was reported; however, grapefruit juice and vodka was prescribed. To the sheep, we had only one thing to say to them after they were rounded up; a single word. "MUTTON."

The barn cats have been better behaved and despite being allowed through, Tootles returned with only moderate paranoia. He appears to have scraped his ear on something in the workshop, but it neither slowed him down nor made him less affectionate.

The remainder of the seeds have finally arrived, making it time to begin seedlings. This along with taking down two old and crabbed fruit trees which no longer are bearing shall likely occupy us this weekend. Next weekend, a friend brings his two teenaged sons to dig holes for us; a tired teenage boy is, he feels, a teenaged boy less likely to get into scrapes which might get taken note of by various bodies of authority. We are only too happy to agree when it results in free manual labour for us.