My Big Fat Mama
Good morning. I am up here in my loft with the vaulted ceiling and big South windows. Sitting at my desk. The fire in the big room below is keeping me warm and I can hear rain outside. The windows are still dark. It is early, early morning. John and the neighbour boy brought my newly fixed wonky table up to the loft yesterday and took the old much wonkier card table back down. Now I have one small table for my computer and to my left the larger table with the delightfully peeling green paint, from the junk yard, covered in my notebooks and dictionaries. At my back is a wall of books. So the blog lives on one desk and the Work In Progress lives on the other. The Slow Motion Work in Progress has more room now. I swoop back and forth between them in my wheelie chair. Happy as the proverbial little pig.
Who could ask for more out of a morning? Shortly Our John will pass up my second cup of coffee. He reaches up as high as he can reach from the room below and I lean over and reach right down from the loft landing and take the steaming mug. If we are careful no-one gets burned!
Here is Big Fat Mama. Poor darling. She was outside yesterday enjoying the warm weather. Don’t tell her I showed you these.
But she was not getting up for anybody yesterday. She just lay there slowly chewing her cud and thinking about life. Looks like she has made herself a grass brooch! 
I know this next one is not her best side. But well you get the picture. My hopes for a nice little set of bouncy twins might be dashed. You will remember that she had one lamb her first year, twins the next, then triplets and than last season she had quads. She always tucks one foot under like that. 
Poor Mama. I have no idea what is going on inside that enormous belly of hers. Wish they had scans for sheep so I could see what we have in there!
I am still minding the little farmlet down the road while my neighbours are away, so it is a bit busy at the moment. Lets hope that Mama holds on for a wee bit longer. If she has more than two I will be hand-feeding the extra lambs. Initially this is every two hours so I am going to have to be very organised.
There were piles of comments and emails yesterday and it seems that postcards have been chosen. Which is brilliant as they would be my choice too! So I will watch the numbers and we can start choosing the images very soon. Though my work up here and on the farm can be very solitary, I love that you are always pitching in. You have certainly cut through the loneliness with your keyboard butter-knives.
It is almost dawn. There is a white cat coming up the loft ladder. I can hear the rungs creaking. Soon he will sit at the top of the ladder, just inside the loft and stare. Waiting not very patiently for his breakfast. He is the emissary. The rest will be gathered on the cat table, on the verandah, sitting in exactly the same pose watching through the kitchen doors, waiting for White Cat to precede me with his little shrieks. She is coming! She is coming! At which point they will proceed to Jostle and Mill About. They are always first to be fed.
Good morning.
c
75 Comments on “My Big Fat Mama”
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Such a beautiful description of your study/work room Cecilia. I feel so warmed, it is difficult to describe it in any kind of language.
Big Mama. She looks so patient. Is she?
John must really know how to handle a mug of tea! Does it ever spill? Not even a little?
No it never spills Priya. Thank goodness. if i started spilling hot coffee on him i am not sure how long the service would last! And yes mama is a very restful sheep. Not as tame as Mia, but not skittish.. c
And the beat of nature goes on and on. 🙂
Yes it does.. we will see what nature does next.. c
I love the cat bit – the emissary for food 😉
That is White Cat. Food is the first thing on his agenda and then he goes for a walk with the dogs. He is an unusual cat. Morning Mad!
Well good morning to you Celi! When I first wake up I pop the coffee pot on..in which I have a tea bag waiting for a warm bath. You are the first person I look for when checking emails to see what is happening in your world. I love the ambience of your loft and glad you got the perfect wonky table. I am looking for one right now for the same purpose. My morning eyes thought Mama made a glass brooch so it took more than one read to realize it was grass..and a beauty it is!
I do hope it is twins, what a challenge more would be!
I am glad it will be post cards. Now you and John and all the critters and creatures of the farmy have a wonderful day!
Morning Chris! Lovely that we get to share our morning drinks! Yes, twins would be perfect- she could manage those quite happily by herself! You have a great day too.. c
I love visiting your home and farmy, Celi. You have a way of making it feel like an in-person visit. I feel sorry for big fat mama, she looks like she’s pretty uncomfortable and then then I feel for you when you have to feed the little ones every two hours. But I know it must be a joy, as well. Thanks for sharing it all with us. Incidentally, looks like I’ll be going home today, so in a few days I will be planting my tomatoes and maybe some peas and onions with a grateful heart!
That is brilliant. Working with the soil will be so much better than looking out that grubby hospital window! I can imagine how grateful you will be. Hmm. Very good news! And yes it is a joy once a lamb starts to thrive.. Lovely to hear from you.. c
Good Moning C.,
Morning latrice, what is happening in your world today? c
Not much.It’s cold and rain here. I did take a page from your book and started a bowl of lettuce seeds. Now I’m going through my seed catalogs, I’m revamping my herb garden. Going to try the Lasagna gardening method.
White Cat kinda sounds like June Buggie! He is the Messenger of Food at our house.
They are very watchful those cats! morning .. c
Lovely – now I have an even more perfect picture of you at work! Love mama´s brooch an dam so glad your emissary is peaceful at that time of the morining. Mine come as a pair…and a very excited, bouncing, barking and licking pair of pups at that 😉
oh no .. not the licky licky.. that drives me nuts!! c
“Food comes in on Little Cat Feet?” 🙂
I know nothing about sheep, but Mama looks ready to drop any minute. Here’s to hoping they’re just large twins…but not too large.
Yup I am with you on the Not To Large bit! c
That’s one big stylish mama with her rustic broach! One of the crofters in the glen here gets his sheep scanned every year – by someone from New Zealand believe it or not! He does it to separate those expecting twins from those expecting just one lamb, so that they can adjust feed quantities accordingly.
Christine
REALLY! I was just dreaming, well send that fella over! I feed mama extra but not too much extra, as four FAT lambs will be a problem at lambing time. Four nicely fed ones will pop right out.. such a balancing act. c
Isn’t it amazing just how “aware” animals are? Your little community knows full well what White Cat’s actions mean, just as Lucy knows that when I’m filling my pasta pot with water, she will eventually get a piece. And, so, she starts her “pasta dance.” When I reach for my brace, Max heads for the door because he knows — and rightly so, more times than not — that we’ll shortly be heading out the door on some errand. And I’m sure you’ve plenty more examples than I. “Dumb animals?” Hardly.
That pasta dance sounds great, does she bob up and down on her perch? I would love to have a Lucy! Animals are very aware. Ton literally races over and tells me if an animal is doing something unusual in the barn. he likes everything and everyone to be where they should be, so if anything is out of kilter, he gets quite agitated. And when he sees me reach for my clown suit – he brings me my hattie and then my glove and then the other one (matching) , what is he going to do in the summer?, maybe he will start bringing me cats! c
Yes, she gets really animated and bobs up and down and sways side to side. She used to start once she smelt pasta in the water but now the dance begins when I’m putting water into the pot. Your TonTon is one special dog! I should start reading your posts about him to Max. It certainly couldn’t hurt.
Pretty bright for a bird though! c
That is one round sheep there! And I promise not to tell her you posted her bad side 😉 t
Thank you, it was an unfortunate angle!! c
Love the sound of your loft…it’s great to have two work stations, isn’t it? Mama is getting quite large. I notice she has her ears back in that last shot (kind of like a cat?) in seeming annoyance about being photo’d from the rear. I know how she feels as I don’t like to be photographed from behind, either! Your animals are so adorable, Celi, I just want to go and pet each and every one. Happy Saturday!
Her ears were tracking me .. she was not in the mood to move her big fat self, usually she hates anyone behind her at all.. c
Whichever angle, she’s gorgeous: fecund joy.
Our golden retriever learned that when the music for The Archers (British radio serial about rural life) started the boss would soon be home, and he started salivating all down his frilly vest in anticipation of being fed. We had to turn off the Sunday morning repeat!
I like the sound of your workroom. Mine is all topsy turvey, as I’ve had to empty three tables to push them together so that I can sandwich a big quilt.
Wow, fancy a dog doing that, aren’t they amazing! must be a big quilt! morning viv.. c
I like your description of your new loft arrangement. It must be nice to whizz on your wheelie chair between your two work stations. I hope Fat Mama holds off delivery until you are not so occupied with your neighbour’s farm.
i think she has a few weeks to go yet, no sign of any milk yet, her udder will fill a few weeks before delivery.. c
Excited to hear about Big Fat Mama’s brood! I adore baby lambs – jumping about like they’re on springs. I didn’t even know that sheep could have quads! I got to house-sit once when I was in high school and they had a baby lamb that we had to bottle feed. It was so fun!
If she has quads again i might cry! They are just too small .. but fingers crossed! c
Excitement fills your world with mama at the center for now. I just hope she doesn’t get too used to being the most important critter on the blog, because in a few weeks she’ll be back to normal, the world will be richer for her little lambs and planting season will begin. Ah, the cycle of life…
Ronnie
She certainly is the Most Watched at the moment.. hope she does not make us wait too long!! c
intrigued to know more about ‘The Slow Motion Work in Progress’ – maybe I just haven’t been following your blog long enough….
frankly Pseu i need a boot on the bottom to get me working on it! soon soon..c
I have large feet. Shall I put on my boots? 🙂
What is the project?
The perfect way to start my day after spending a night at my zoo. Good luck, Mama! Fingers crossed for robust twins!
I’ll swap ya for a couple of turtles!! c
WOW.. she really is one round but cute sheep. I don’t think she has a bad side.. of course she would probably love this comment :).
She would but remember she is our policeman.. She likes everyone to behave! c
i can just picture your work area. oh my..that is one pregnant sheep! can’t wait to see the wee ones.
Hee, hee. Look at that spindly little leg! She’s well prepared for winter.
she does have such thin legs for such a fat body.. c
Four lambs! WHEW! When we had sheep we had twins, lots, and random triplets, but no quads…good luck. For I know you really will be busy!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
My monstrously pregnant Nubian doe, kidded with quads this morning, the first on our farm!
Oh how tremendous! Do you take two to feed or supplement them all! how does that work.. quads are a delightful trial! c
We feed them all because we use Bambi’s milk in our cheese making.
ah, goats cheese.. double yum!
Another lovely visit ’round the farmy–it never fails to brighten my day, following you about as you and the beasties do your intricate dance of life. Hopefully the beautifully rounded Mama will give you two superb, vigorous lambs to sproing around the pasture for your entertainment, and meanwhile inspire Daisy in her work of nurturing a fine robust calf. Surely TonTon will approve, as he’ll have some newbies to train.
Fantastic beginning to a day on a beautiful farmy 🙂
Celi, I felt your gratitude for our keyboard butter knives…right down to my toes. A while ago, I wrote about making sure we take a break from the computer with balance. I am still awed over the comments. Some of the stories about why people blog turn loneliness into a cake walk.
And it’s a two way street. Look at all you give us. I adore visiting your wee farm daily. I am awed by the fullness of your days. Mon Dieu!
Your work room sounds like another big fat womb, gestating something wonderful very slowly. I understand the solitude of a writer very well, and you also have the solitude of a farmer. What a lovely man, to hand you up the coffee with such care.
Do hope you can visit me on http://www.seasonalinspiration.blogspot.com
Oh I did visit, your site is lovely.. have great day juliet.. c
Do you ever want to go up and just bury your fingers in all that wool? thanks for sharing our morning…would chat more, but White Cat would probably object! (cat society is so funny)
Oh I do frequently push my hands into the wool, hoping for a share of that lanolin! c
Thank you for sharing your morning with us. 🙂
I can almost feel that we are with you when you describe your workspace, especially the passing of the second cup of coffee 🙂 Made me go for my second cup here as I read your post..
That steaming hot milky fluffy coffee is my favourite one of the morning! c
Penny announces breakfast at our house. Va cooks biscuits on Saturday and pancakes on Sunday. And somehow, Penny can tell when they are almost ready. Then she goes into a frenzy and runs laps around the stairs barking up to those of us still slumbering, “Come down! Come down!”. Within a minute of that, Va hollers up to us as well. Penny, I can ignore. Va, I can not!
Does penny get some biscuits or pancakes in her bowl too!? How lovely. And one must never ignore the call of the cook. Great! c
Happy to hear that you have got your “new” table, Cecilia. It looks you will hit 40,000 while I am away on retreat. I was working on a list of favorites to submit to you: clearly that is not going to work. so I will just say that I love your photos of “Mary’s cat,” of the bees in the oak, of the cats and chickens together. I’m sure there are many more that I haven’t seen yet, being a fairly recent follower of yours. I’ll look forward to “catching up” with your blog when I return from New Mexico.
What a wonderful place for a retreat, I shall make a note of your favs now and see you when you come back!! Thank you! good thinking! c
I enjoyed my peak into your loft room, your tables and work, your stairs, your morning routines, and the white cat leading the forward charge. I’m guessing, but I presume Mama is due VERY soon.
mama won’t say, but not for a few weeks anyway. c
Love the images of the cats feigning nonchalance on the verandah but actually on high alert. Apparently my older brother and I used to send our younger one to ask Mum for things when we were little. It’s a time-honoured strategy.
indeed! c
Goodness, isn’t she enormous! I hope she doesn’t have five! 🙂
No No Not the F word!! c
Morning C – albeit a little more than 2 days late since you wrote this post!
What a lovely picture your paint for my minds eye of your early morning.
Here’s hoping Mama only has twins!
🙂 Mandy
I could see the loft as I read … made me want to have one of my own, complete with cat and service 🙂
So beautiful photographs… so beautiful. Fascinated me, once again… Thank you, with my love, nia