It's been a very busy weekend, complete with vet consultations, trips out of the area to visit friends, friends coming to visit us, the purchase of a new firearm suitable for dealing with black bear and elk, the return of a critter and the loss of another. We've also been having lovely spring weather, which has been absolutely delighting the barn kitties; here Slightly rolls around demanding attention and apparently giving a thumbs up to the purported end of wintry weather.

The sick lamb was put outside so that the downstairs bathroom would be usable by company; Tink found him absolutely irresistable as he clearly registered as prey. He's made of meat, isn't he? And she wasn't the only one to find him so irresistable. Beyond the cuteness of those big brown eyes and that woolly coat, those curling ram's horns, there's just something about the grass eaters, isn't there? Not to be denied, she began to stalk him across the lawn, the fence no real deterrent.

Nibs joined in on the fun. He stalked the lamb clear up to the fence, then made his way over the fence and into the enclosure! He charged at his prey! He leaped, ready to give the coup de grace and sink his claws and fangs into quivering, helpless flesh -

Oh wait. This prey's still three or four times his size! Abort mission! Abort mission! We repeat, abort the mission, they're bigger than we were told!

So, what're YOU looking at? He attempted to be very nonchalant about his oh so abortive attempt at bringing down his target. The lamb, meanwhile, ignored the cats completely and got on with the business of nomming grass. Grass is much more important than lame non-threats like barn kitties.

The vet checked him out and we had given him (at her advice) a dose of Ivermectin to help clear up any parasite loads he might be

carrying. She gave him a shot of vitamin supplement and we left him to clearing out and eating. The lamb went missing later in the night; despite searching, we could not locate him at all, until he more or less located himself, arriving on the porch doorstep and more or less making a beeline with assistance for the bathroom. He spent the night in there and was reluctant to leave but we put him outside again for the day, but he refused to stay confined. He went missing again in the late afternoon and we have no idea where he's gotten to. Tomorrow we will be checking the paddock if he has not showed up.

In other news, the vet brought Peter home with her when she came! He is still on medication but is settling in well, albeit being ridiculously clingy, loving and purry. He has begun to get less and less cooperative about pill time, though, so he must be feeling better.

It's also been seed-starting time, and we've got many seeds started under a grow lamp. Three kinds of tomatoes, two kinds of cucumbers, bean, squash, artichokes, charentais melon, shelling peas, jalapeno and sweet peppers all went under Friday, and today beets and cabbage went under. There's still radishes, carrots and mustard greens to be done, and some more seeds going to be arriving. As of today, some of Friday's seeds were observed to have begun unfolding from their cases. All in all, it's been busy and productive.