Let the wailing begin

 One of my least favorite times (well, really my VERY LEAST favorite time) on the farm is weaning day. 

Everyone is gathered up, and moms go into one pasture and babies go into another.

 Our friend Nancy G. came over to help.  We coincided the weaning with ear tags for all the babies. 

You see, in order to take an animal off our premises, it MUST have an ear tag.  The Shepherd got a rather nasty letter from the feds for taking a couple of ram lambs to the auction without them last year. 

The feds want to know where our sheep are at all times.

Hmm - too bad they don't feel that way about immigrant babies.  Sorry, I digress...

   So, we have 22 sheep, 12 babies, 6 mamas, 3 yearling ewes and one auntie who is a non-breeder.

The have all been screaming ever since Friday night - the lambs wanting to know where there mommies were - the mommies, whose udders were getting tight, wanting to know where their babies were - and the teen-aged girls and Auntie Donna wanting to know what they were missing out on...

 Hey, you, where'd you put the lambs? 

Actually, the moms and yearling ewes have quieted down significantly, but the baaabies - Not so much -

I'll be very glad for Monday this week. 

Moooommmmm, mooommmmm, where are you? 

Peacock colors

I was looking for a change-up in my life and decided to get some color streaks in my hair.  I couldn't love it more. 

Loving spring in the northwest

Dogwoods are just one of my favorite flowering trees.  This one is outside the restaurant where I had lunch with my girlfriend today. 

Spring pretties

This peony was given to me about 10 years ago by my friend Diane H.  Even though it's planted in kind if a sketchy place (more rocks than dirt,I think)it has flourished and has about 8 or 10 buds on it this year.  They start out dark and as,the,blossom opens it fades to pink.  Such a beautiful flower.  Thanks to my friend for so many years of beauty!