Sunday, 9:18 PM, 14 March 2010
Temperature 43 F, overcast and calm

Today began with feeding, and then going to breakfast at a local restaurant where we picked up copies of local newspapers with a view to finding references to loggers who would take down the lines of conifers which are surplus to our needs, and pay us for the lumber. That plan didn't work as well as we had hoped, but at least we had breakfast.

From there we went to Heymann Whinery to see if they could recommend a lawyer who would assist us with the more troublesome parts of dealing with the ATF for getting our licences, but nobody was there who could help us.

Finally, we went to Rose of Sharon Farm where we met the farmers. Aside from being a very pleasant meeting, we met their jersey cattle and animal companions as well, who inspected us and found us acceptable.

Robert of Rose of Sharon is a pastor, and as such has many contacts in his congregation. Not only loggers, but quite likely also people who can help us with livestock guardian dogs are possibilities, and we look forward to having a couple of our outstanding problems solved.

Once we returned home (bearing Jersey cream and butter) we started work on moving the lower pasture, which contains 21 ewes, and separating that from the waterfowl enclosure (which has in the process become more of a suggestion than an enclosure).

The sheep are kept away from the trees for now, but from the pasture there are good views of the rows of planted trees. For now what is mostly visible is the rows of tree guards.

The rows are widely spaced, but that is because these trees are grafted onto rootstock which should make them full sized apple trees. We have to wait a bit longer for real productivity, but they will grow beyond the reach of deer, and we have to purchase fewer to cover each acre. The sheep are too short to reach above the tree guards, but we don't want them pushing the new trees over either. When they are better established, the sheep will get to properly clear between the rows.

Towards the end of our labours outdoors, we heard a plaintive crying. It turned out to be another newborn lamb, a single lamb this time rather than twins, and the mother was still licking the lamb clean when we arrived. Gradually the lamb made it up to its feet, and was nursing by the time we went indoors.

One of our ewes had been bleating a lot, and we'd noticed her apparently choking or coughing a little as well. For that reason, despite the presence of the newborn, we took the time to corral the sheep and inspect them. Our sheep don't trust us enough to make this easy, but the horns on the horned sheep make for useful handles, and we satisfied ourselves that any discomfort she was suffering appeared to be temporary, and already gone.

This evening we spent some time getting our accounts in order so as to be better able to claim expenses next tax season, as well as to keep an eye on the biggest costs. So far off the recurring costs, feed is the biggest, but not as big as we had feared. Equipment and trees are larger expenses, but those are temporary, or should be, while we equip ourselves and plant our land.