No Winter !!

Oh, a happy Benny here ! It is mid November and there is no snow, the pasture is still growing a little, it has rained and rained.... if they won't bring in food, we will survive on our own ! We are SHEEP and hear us roar !

Alfalfa brain...what is that sound that brings you running ...well, waddling....every morning and night ? The sound of pellets being poured into feeders, eh ?

But hay is real food...this is just dessert !

Chunko - didn't you hear them say that they are feeding pellets this year to keep hay stuff out of our fleeces ? You, with the truly spectacular fleece, should have been listening instead of talking to yourself as usual.

But Becca, I feel scared when there isn't any hay someplace...unless of course winter never comes. Wow ! What if winter doesn't come this year !!!

Roller Boy...winter always comes..it just comes a bit later than it used to and isn't usually quite as cold as it used to be. Besides, the shepherds were measuring the old shed to see how much hay they could have to keep your digestive system, marvel that it is, working.

Well, they had better get a lot....do you see how those lambs are growing ? They always look "so cute" when they are little and then they start pushing me out of the feeder...

Benny, nothing could push you out of a feeder once you have planted yourself there. You got so fat on apples this fall that only Raven shares a feeder with you because he can't push you away. Life is good, Big Guy, and they keep us fed, scratched, out of the wind, fresh water, you name it. And speaking of lambs, Fergus is still the most wonderful lamb every born. Do you see how they chuckle when they see him and say he looks exactly like a Teddy Bear ?

Well, then he certainly doesn't look like you if he is so cute...

Benny, I'm stunned ! When we were lambs together at Crosspatch you said I was beautiful ! Was that because I had claimed the end of the feeder you wanted ?

Well, no Becca - you are still beautiful - black legs and face, soft grey wool, alert look....but you fawn over that kid of yours so much that I feel left out.

Aw, Barrel Body....you are still the sheep that I got here with and you still have the most spectacular fleece...

(well, until the shear Fergus...)

A very long time

Benny here, and it has been a long summer without wifi in the barn. Then the mother board on my laptop failed and it takes the shepherds FOREVER to get anything fixed..

Benny, that isn't fair...the Crone spent the whole summer taking care of people in the hospital and old Aunt Fern in the pasture.

Becca has a point - sometimes we were lucky to get fed !

But, Aunt Fern has become a cloud sheep, and all the people seem to be doing OK. And last week, the shepherds were clearly getting ready to abandon us yet again.

Haybrain, they were taking your totally spectacular wool to a show - do you whine about everything ?

Do you see big bales of hay around here anywhere ? Winter is coming and we could starve without hay - they just don't think ahead !

Chunko, they are feeding pellets this winter...I heard them say that the lambs and Bob got so much hay in their fleece last winter that they won't do round bales again. So the pellets are stacked in the barn...you like pellets, Benny !

Oh ...well, that is usually barely enough food, but it may do to sustain my incredible fleece. And as long as the apples last, I will regain the healthy weight I dropped during the recent summer famine ....Where are they, Becca ?

In Oregon at their favorite fiber show and with some of the kids that we see in the summer sometimes. And you really do cut a more striking figure without all that fat rolling around on you.

Becca never has appreciated the fine figure I am with adequate reserves - but she didn't gain enough weight with the world's most superior lamb (just ask her) to even tell she was pregnant.

He really is the most handsome and intelligent sheep here except me, of course, and his wool...it will be the talk of all the fiber artists and.......

Benny here, slowly inching away from Becca....

Lambs ???

Ok .we weren't going to lamb this year, right ? I heard the shepherds explain that to lots of people...too many sheep, not enough space.

Now, I, the wisest of wethers, thought this to be very prudent.....too many sheep means not enough food. Some one needs to be thinking about the practical things instead of standing around cooing "oh - they are SOOO cute ! " No lambs;more food. It works....

Then the crone goes away again...visiting her herd sire or something....and Amy isn't looking too comfortable. She goes into the barn one night and plop - a lamb. Then lick lick lick....wait 20 minutes...PLOP - another lamb. Lick lick lick......

The flock is giggling - wait until the shepherd sees this and sure enough the Big Guy comes out to haul water and he comes into the small pasture, closes the gate and stares......the little white ram lamb is standing in the door looking at him and then says to Amy...is THAT a shepherd ??

Yes, Dear .....the shepherd in question is still standing there with a blank look on his face - and then he comes into the barn and sees Fiona, the tiny black ewe lamb. The he says ...Amy ...you have babies !

Duh. And they say I'm dense....

You are a bit dense, Alfalfa Head....

Becca - what ever will they do ? They said we have too many shepp....what will happen to the babies ... ? Or OMG...what will they do with us ??

They'll figure it out, O Great Barrel.....the babies are safe and they love us..they are smart for humans..

But Becca, they didn't want lambs and now we've got lambs and......oh, aren't they SWEET !!
Look at her climb on her Mom !

Snowbound !!

People have been asking where I am...my public wants to hear from me...

Well the WiFi in the barn has been down AGAIN - my tech support is a disaster ! And the laptop doesn't work well when my delicate hooves are packed with snow.

Snow we have - not much food and it is 2 miles from the barn to find it. Except for my sheeply determination, I could have died this winter. It snows all winter and stays on the ground, then they park the bale miles away and say "They could really use some exercise."

We have spotted the Crone, but mostly the Big Guy Shepherd is with us. He fills water buckets and stirs hay bales and scratches backs and butts and then dodges Raven. What is it with retired rams ? The BG comes out to be sure we have enough food and Butthead tries to knock him down.

Becca says we haven't had a winter like this since before we were lambed. I asked her how she knew that if she hadn't been lambed yet ?

because I listen to the people, Blockhead...they say this much snow has been missing for 11-12 years.

Well, it can stay missing as far as I'm concerned - oh to be home in Scotland...

Benny ! Get a grip ...back in Scotland where it rains all winter and you forage for yourself until spring ?

They don't bring you food every day ??? No wonder the British Empire faded - they starved their sheep ??

It depends on where you li........oh, never mind Benny - it's really complicated and you aren't listening anyway - you are headed back out to the bale.

And she was right...the thought disturbed me so much I had to go see if the food was still there....

Crone spotted !!

I was wondering if she still lives here - how long can one human have a fat hoof and be lame, anyway ?

Of course, she shows up when a sheep rodeo happens. Any time they get out big feeding pans and dump pellets in, you KNOW something nasty is going on. We put up a good fight and

Benny - you didn't see a thing - you had your head in a pan...

Becca, I know somebody put up a fight because I heard the Crone swear and grab her knee...

Your hearing is almost as sharp as your appetite, Big Guy..

AND they got away with one of the lambs anyway.

Well, that might be a bit dramatic - the animal communicator talked to us and told us that Ewan was going to a farm where the very old ram died and they needed a young guy. Wonder why they didn't take Raven ?

Benny - Raven had that ....um..... operation last month ??

oh, yeah....that's right - he is supposed to protect us all now.

Sigh- he mostly protects us from the shepherds...

At any rate, the Crone was getting around pretty good, at least before two sheep tried to climb over her. I think we may be stuck with the Big Guy for awhile. But the hay is always here, the water buckets are full, Raven busted the salt feeder again...pretty normal winter, eh ?

Missing Shepherd !

The Crone is missing !! Although she doesn't really DO much around here, we think she manages the hay order. Becca says she saw her on the deck yesterday with one fat hoof and shiny sticks under each arm. So this is supposed to make me feel better about the impending famine ??

True, the Big Guy has been out breaking the ice on the buckets and rearranging the hay inside the stupid little fences that keep us from sorting through it properly, but what's with the Crone ?

Then there is the disappearing Butthead. Buddy came back a few weeks ago, and said the Shepherds loaded Butthead into a trailer with promises of GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS. That focused Dummy's attention so that they succeeded in loading him into the trailer and taking off. Never to be seen again, I suspect. Rams are so dumb - they leave hay and water and salt for the empty promise of ewes. Now I, being much brighter, and not driven by primitive instincts, am smart enough to stay close to home. Oh rats...Becca is reading over my shoulder again..

Benny, what do you call needing to know where all the food is - a sophisticated instinct ??

Well, it doesn't get me loaded into a trailer never to be seen again - probably hauled off at best to a place with very little food...

Benny, let me tell you about a guy named Maslow...

And off she goes, talking about things that have NOTHING to do with where the bale will be placed IF they remember to order it.

Benny, here, reporting from the pastures of less-than-plenty.

And waddling out to the round bale, of course - Love, Becca

Wi Fi down

Well, it happened again..the shepherds leave town and the wireless goes down in the barn. I am CUT OFF FROM THE WORLD. At least they left a big round bale of good stuff down at the pasture next to the BDL (big dopey lab).

So they came back raving about Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival OFFF and finally fixed the wireless. Before I can get into my blog drafts, they disappear pulling a big rusty trailer and come back with...Bevis ! aka Buddy the Shetland wether who reintroduces himself in chracteristic fashion - knocking heads with anyone that will stand for it. This guy has the most primitive rituals.

Then we look around - where Bevis goes, Butthead goes. No Butthead. Fortunately then the animal communicator gets through to Bob and we all relax. Butthead is up north a ways with GIRLS ! His favorite past-time.

With Buddy back, the food situation is beginning to worry me again. Is no one else concerned that there are 14 sheep here and only 1.5 12oo lb bales in sight ? What if Raven comes home soon and he is hungry. Is no one paying attention ??

Benny, you are still rolling off to eat - have we ever gone hungry ?
Becca, you just don't aappreciate the seriousness of this situation...
Chunko, there is no situation...besides if you could hear over the rumbling of your rumen, you would know that some sheep are spending the winter somewhere else...
BECCA - where are they sending me ? - I'll die if I have to move.....
Butterball, Sophie and two black wethers are going to friend Robyn's and Fern the Giant Ewe is going to Amy's place at the foot of the mountains with Ewan the ram lamb. Breathe, Big Guy - you look pale.

Well, of COURSE I knew all that ....I am a very perceptive sheep and I listen very carefully. Over the rumble of my rumen, indeed....she can be so crass....

Now where have the shepherds gone - the friendly back-up Aunt Nora is checking water buckets again. They really ought to stay home - winter is coming and I'm hungry.

Benny