Hmmm. Last year I had no problems with the sheep. So simple. Fed them, kept them watered, and everything easy peasy. This year... I found my sheep locked in the barn (I believe there is a ghost...) the dog door slammed shut, the panel untied in two places with two knots, and my sheep in the big lambing room... Perhaps I left some things un-tied, but that dog door thing... No way I did that. So, anyway, I get to the farm yesterday, and commence the start of the walk. I always do four laps first, before I go to sheep, but I think I have to change that.....

Anyway, I bring a bale of hay out and I see one sheep is limping. Great. I then see she has baling twine caught on her neck and right hind leg. I try to fake her out and not look at her, to catch her but OH NO, she had none of it. So, I have Dan bring them to the fence and I as gently a possible, wrestle her down. Got it off her right hind easily as it was loose, but the twine around her neck? It was not around her neck, it was tied in knots in her neck wool. I had to just pull/yank (did not want to let her up and have to tip again). Finally, I got it off. Jeez.

Then, I spy that the sheep had once again unplugged the water heater (I think there must be general melee when they go to drink, as in they all rush it...) So, I plug it back in and see that they need more water...

I had shut the dog door thing, as I decided it was just too small for my sheep to go through easily (and if they are pregnant, indeed it will be difficult to get through). But, in doing so, I forgot that that opening is where I put the hose through to fill the water....... Crap. So, I get another longer hose. Nope, no way, frozen. Double crap. Then, I concede my stupidity and decide to drill a hole through the wall for the hose to fit through. Did that, and it was funny- as I turned on the water, the hose just shot the water out, looked like one of those boy peeing fountains ;)

So, I got the water filled, the hose drained/hung up and shut the barn. They do not need to go in there, as the weather is wonderful. I have all three rooms bedded down. I added a piece of board insulation at the bottom of one of the open door areas to cut down on the wind. It's looking quite nice in there now.

I spent a long time at the farm yesterday, which I quite like. Had left over meatloaf and boiled potatoes for dinner. E and I were considering heading to a trial in Va over the weekend, but the travel would have just been too much. Way too much, and we would not have had a good time, not to mention, I don't want to be gone from my house and animals that long- especially old kitty Ginger. She's starting to get a little foggy and I like being there when she wakes up. Call me wimpy... Also, not to mention, with the way my sheep are behaving, I don't know WHAT my sister would have done if she found a sheep like that. She is *not* an animal person... She may have had to call a vet and darted the thing!

Today we are back to a bit more comfortable temperatures.. Yeah!