Boo and Marcel.
Wee Marcel is still slowly improving. he is even gaining weight. He sleeps well and took two little walks outside and around inside the barn yesterday. Tonight he will go to tiny feeds every three hours. Altogether he drinks a little over two cups a day of milk and plenty of water in between and the same during the night. He drunk cows colostrum for the first 24 hours and now his milk is fresh raw cows milk with an egg and honey. All systems are go.
The first Cardinal came to visit today. Below is rather a bizarre shot .. I do not have a bird watching lens, but I could not let him go un noted. He comes every year at this time to scope out the location. Soon he will fly away again, back to town where it is warmer no doubt and when he returns he will be bringing his brother and their wives and it will be spring. They do this every year. He is right on time.
My milking machine did not turn up yesterday as promised. Maybe it will come today.
Mr Sperm has advised us to start Sheila’s hormone treatment today instead of yesterday. So her hopeful heat will coincide with the delivery of Herchel’s sperm. The little overnight delivery man will drop it out here on Tuesday morning. My sperm! I will say, effusively; rather an awkward word but you know what I mean. It sounds too much like effluent to be a really nice word. Thank you! I will say. You are so kind.
And I will put the three doses of baby Herchels in the fridge and then as soon as Sheila is in standing heat, (which means she will stand still with her back legs straight down and locked and her ears and head up – hoping I am a boar while I sit all over her back) hopefully that day and then the day after, we will do the deed thrice. So much for me to learn here. But first, today, we will flood her system with estrogen. And hope against hope that she winds up and comes into heat. Or she will spending the rest of her life posing for calenders and hocking them off to pay for her feed.
Grazing the floor. Marcel investigates everything twice.
Good morning. If Marcel continues to do well and as soon as he is stable, putting on weight, and on four hourly feeds, I will make a warm pen for him next to the sheep in the barn. He is not a pet. He does not belong in a dog crate. He is a sheep and for him to be able to think like a sheep and behave like a sheep and be at ease in a flock of his own, he needs to be with other sheep, even if it is through a fence. Otherwise he will be bullied. Also he needs to be able to run and jump and be a lamb which is impossible on hard- wood floors. He is not a cat or a dog and though it is very convenient to have him in the house I would be doing him a disservice to keep him in here too long. I have a feeling that Mama may take him under her wing, she is very protective of the others but all these things must be done slowly and in a timely fashion. There is that Time thing again.
I love seeing animals in the fields, don’t you.
I hope you all have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farmy
celi
P.S. This time last year Mama’s four lambs were a day old. There is a lovely shot of Tilly here when we still thought she was a Murphy (boy).
This time two years ago, there were plants sprouting in the garden. (And a very sweet shot of Queenie on a string. )
The Kitchen's Garden 
69 responses to “a calm busy day before another calm busy day”
Your post from last year talked about the wind. How ironic..they are predicting 50-55 mph winds for tonight into tomorrow. Make sure you tie everything down out there! Glad to see Marcel is up and about. What a cutie. Let me know if you need a babysitter! 🙂 Of course I may need a row boat to get out there!
yikes, my forecast only says gusts up to 40mph. I had better get everything in order. Might blow some snow away?.. c
Such sweet shots of Boo and Marcel bonding. But, yes, you are right to move Marcel out of the house.
Having a sheep bond with a sheep dog would make the farmers at home cringe.. He is in his house in the barn now and Mama is poking her head in and out in and out of his gate calling to him. Very sweet. he will come in at night though.. storm etc.
I have quickly come to look forward to your kind, simple description of life and all the things that truly matter. Your observations of Marcel and the need for him to be among his own kind was so spot on, and not just for the wee lamb. Thanks for the daily reminder that a deliberately chosen life, one that bucks the trend of consumerism, can be rather delightful and rewarding. I am glad it’s you, not I, trying to figure out how to impregnate Sheila, however!
Therein lies the rub! c
I love the little red Cardinal…as far as I know we don’t have those colorful birds here. At least I have never seen one. There is stands on the cold snow looking at you as if to say—This Winter has been enough, don’t you think, Miss C?
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Just what i was thinking! morning linda. c
Morning, Miss C!
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
The photo yesterday of Sheila’s naughty face showed me her mouth for the first time–I mean a really good look. Awesome lips. Would she bite me if I said hello to her? What do pigs’ teeth look like? Goofy questions I know. And I’m so glad to hear Mama is calling to Marcel already. Is he doing more baa-ing? It must be something to hear that in the kitchen.(I understand you said he’s in the barn at the moment. I’m talking about when he’s in the house.)
oh yes his little feet go knock knock all over the floor, but he will only baa when it is feeding time and he is still in his crate. Other wise he just follows me or one of the dogs. Or a cat if he happens upon one of those! Pigs teeth are long and yellow and look terrifying. next time i see her yawn when i have a camera i will try and capture them for you. c
Oooh ! That would be scary to see but I’d love it! How often do pigs yawn anyway??
well i must see her yawn two or three times a day, she sleeps a lot.. c
Good morning!!!
Been sick with a nasty bug I picked up…bah…then yesterday I took a nice fall on the ice. Ow!!!
Had a long heavy parka on that covers my tushie so I didn’t get injured. Just sore muscles today.
I am really getting tired of this weather like everyone else I am sure. You have to move so slowly or down you go!
So much news! Marcel! Great name choice! Boo you are just the most amazing nanny! You could
get him a job doing this! He is very good at it! I noticed that Marmalade has grown considerably!
Summer is growing so tall. She is like a budding Mammoth Sunflower! And she is a minx! Drives me crazy and then can be so sweet and loving! LOL
Mr. Sperm! That is a good one! Ha! Life is quiet here as spring has not sprung yet…hubby is moving
beans to the elevator this week. Busy for him! Me not so much.
Looking at seed and plant catalogs! I get so many and pour through them like juicy novels! 😀
Great photos and glad to see all is well and exciting as usual at your farmy!
Take care! (((Celi)))
Mere 🙂
Good to hear from you Mere. Now stop trying to run across the ice! Naughty! We have to slow down a bit. Though today we have slush, in the next few days we are back to freezing again, won’t that be nice! take care. c
Good to hear from you Mere – was wondering where you had got to (you were missed!).
That first shot showing Marcel from the front is somewhat indicative of why you made the analogy to a “Biafran”, but it’s great and encouraging to hear that he is eating and he looks more bright eyed (and bushy tailed) each day. Here’s to continued success and soon to the flock! 🙂
He is getting brighter, doing more each day, he had a very slow start so i am impressed.. c
I have this mental picture of Marcel being bullied:
Other sheep, intimidatingly: ‘Baa!’
Marcel: ‘Grrrrrrrrrrrr -woof!’
Other sheep: ‘Eek!’
🙂
hilarious!! you have such a mind.. c
Marcel is looking stronger. I hope Mama will adopt him. Life on a farm revolves around time, doesn’t it? Time to sow, tend, reap, milk, feed, and sleep as much as you are able.
How warm the Spring of the year before last seems in contrast… I’m imagining Sheila’s “process”, and wondering if hocking calendars wouldn’t be easier… But then Celia at Fig Jam & Lime Cordial posted a great Char Sui Bao recipe… and I see your point.
I am hoping there’ll be pics of you pretending to be the boar 🙂
Good to see all is well in your world, darling girl.. xxx
I so enjoy your posts. Your photos are just superb! And I agree with you .. best your lamb knows that he is a sheep. Love too your pics of yesteryear! 🙂
It’s so lovely to see everyone on the farmy rev up for springtime – gives me hope!:) This is so lovely, C.
Our cardinals showed up yesterday, too. They must have taken the same flight yours did.
I had wondered how and when you were going to transition Marcel into his flock and home. He’ll certainly be much happier. looks like Mama can’t wait. The has just about stopped but the skies are solid gray and it never did get into the 50’s as forecast. Too much snow on the ground, I imagine. I hope they’re wrong about the winds, too. We’ll find out in a couple hours. Batten down the hatches!
It is howling here John! Thankfully it should be past us by around 11 tonight.
It’s started here, too, Connie, and it’s 10˚ warmer than it was when I wrote the last comment. With everything supposed to freeze tonight, this is one roller coaster of a day!