Yesterday had horrible weather. 
The wind was so strong and so cold yesterday that a few times I walked backwards from the house to the barn rather than have my face blown off. But thats OK, the Kiwi builder was on the other side of the house so he did not see.
But the little lambs were safe in their little pen. No drafts. No dangers. But very little light.
I had to keep the big doors closed all day. Even the peahens stayed in yesterday. 
The lambs drank and slept. Then drank and slept some more.
Good morning. Today is wicked cold again. 8F (-13C), but so far no wind. And when I was out working with the gang in the night it was cold but calm as well. Thank goodness the winds have gone. I hope.
The home schooled children come today. I am not sure, but I think these will be the first lambs they will ever have seen, can you imagine what it will be like to see something for the first time ever.
I am also hoping that this might be the last very, very cold morning. Please say it is the last. The Tall Teenager said to me yesterday why does this feel like it is the coldest day of the winter when it isn’t. We thought about this for a while and decided it was because we cannot bear it anymore. We are over the winter and that tired admission allows a weakness seep in. And weakness makes us shiver. I was certainly feeling weak when I was walking backwards to the barn with my warm bottled of milk tucked inside my jacket and my 5 gallon buckets of warm water the only thing keeping me from being blown away.
I was certainly feeing weak, when down the back paddock in the icy gale yesterday trying to open the gate for Hairy and just could not lever the gate out of the frozen mud, having to tell him that he was stuck there, best go back down into the root cellar until I could come back with tools and hands that work. Hairy was stoic.
Oh I almost forgot, we began the Mead yesterday. Honey Mead of course! We have so much honey after melting out all the wax. So we are making six gallons of mead. John says I won’t be able to taste it for at least a year. KillJoy!!!
This is going to be good! Thank you bees.
And thank you darlinks for reading every day. You keep me strong. I say this with absolute sincerity.
Oh and ViV your pocket hand-warmers came yesterday afternoon. What an incredible day for them to arrive! Just when I think I cannot bear the cold a moment more. They are being heated right this minute and into my farm jacket pocket they will go for this mornings milking. I am thinking about how we could make big ones of these to warm new-born lambs too. My new french patchwork ones are just so beautiful. Thank you ViV!
OK that is enough for me. I have to stop chatting now and get on with the day.
Have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
78 responses to “Lambs: A Photographic Essay”
That was quick! I’m so glad they’ve come. Can you buy loose wheat in the animal feed store? If you’re looking for temporary warmers for the new lambs, you could put wheat into an old pillowcase – not too much, not stuffed – and tie the corners off. Be very careful not to heat for more than 2 minutes in the microwave, as my bad back warmer. has been known to burn me.
I’m sorry you’re having such horrid weather at the (hopefully) tail end of winter. Spring soon, please God.
and today the pulsator stopped pumping, it was so cold, it was freezing up, it is a tiny machine attached to the bucket on one end and the pump on the other, so we held the hot handwarmers up against it and wrapped them around it and sure enough they warmed the mechanism and after a long minute it to started to whir again. So these are very versatile indeed! you saved the day. thank you again.. c
Wow, that’s one use that hadn’t occurred to me. BTW My wheat bag back warmer is at least 15 years old and still works, though I had to put a new cover on it when it started to leak after about 10 years.
And I was moaning about the heat!
moan away darling, i don’t mind, c
I too am so past ready for winter to be gone! Snow and wind and cold here today…ridiculous! Mead? Yummmmmm
I always think this is the hardest bit, March just goes on forever! c
Stay warm and strong. Spring is on her way. We have blooms here in Georgia. Never a boring moment on the farmy.
Oh flowers! That would be grand! c
Those lambs look so adorable in their little body warmers. They look so large, but i guess it’s hard to get any sense of size in a photograph.
Everybody will be so happy when it’s my birthday, because I was born on the first day of Spring.
They are large, i really should have weighed them but I completely forgot! but they are heavy.. I look forward to saying happy birthday ronnie!! c
It is definitely the last very cold day – promise!
🙂 Mandy xo
Thank goodness, I know it means cold coming for you but I do need this to be the last of the deep cold here.. c
glad the lambies are doing well stay warm
SAINTS
I move fast, that keeps me warm! c
We’re all hoping that was Winter’s Last Gasp…last night it rained buckets, and the wind howled. I thought about you and the lambies when I woke up at 2 am from the noise…
Hope the day goes well, and you can find some restful moments…Mama won’t have ‘issues’ with the children so close to her babies, will she?
Mama watches any strangers very carefully, she will stand solidly in front of them and stare, without blinking..c
We’re a balmy 26 and it’s snowing. And Michael said it was supposed to be nice today! 🙂 Sweet babies. Kalina loves your lambies. Someday (soon!) she’d like to have a couple. We’d like to learn to spin.
Maybe Michael thinks nice is 26 and snowing. As long as there in no wind I can take just about anything. c
It will be so cold tomorrow that it might just be the end of this Brazilian as we know it. The trauma might do permanent damage to my delicate tropical self.
Lovely collection of photos, I know you have so much on your plate, thanks for taking the time to compose such beautiful images for our pleasure….
Oh no sally, I hope it is not too bad for you. c
What dear little things they are. Any babies are gorgeous. It is cold and wet here today too and I am heading off to New York tomorrow where it is even colder. I am now ready for spring.
And then it will be autumn back in australia, hope you have spring in italy! c
Darling, darling lambs. And yesterday was the coldest day of the winter thus far here in southern Minnesota. Another raw day today with a major winter storm moving in on Thursday. Oh, how I long for spring and I don’t even have to do chores like you.
I do hope that if that storm comes this way we get some rain, our hay supplies are very low now and I am praying for early grass growth.. c
They were talking snow here yesterday (quite rare). I don’t see any — it is clear and cold. Buckwheat in a pillow case — or an old T-shirt sewn up — also works as a warmer when microwaved as Viv suggested.
I have so many things I can do with these warmers in the barn, they are a revelation! c
Thanks for sharing those pictures!
I can just hear the squeals of delight today from the children….
They are just setting up the school room, moving fast so that they can go and look at the lambs before we start! c
Lovely photos of the wee lambies! Are they all equally robust?
Christine
One is smaller, but they do all seem equally active. Especially at birth, they all coughed obediently and shook their heads madly to clear their ears! getting up much faster than any of the previous Mama lambs.. c