Our First Egg

Phoebe laid her first egg today, we are all very excited by it (because it's about bloody time!!)

Did she lay it in the magnificent chook house built for her...... No.

Did she lay it in the garden that she has been scratching around in and leaving holes everywhere...... No.

She laid it in the woodpile!!!


I figured something was up today, she was unusually hungry and friendly, coming into the house twice to raid Gomez's food. And for the past two days, she has allowed Jemima to pat her and pick her up (nobody else has been able to). Then, this morning, she kept jumping into the woodpile and after an hour of scratching around in there, she started clucking proudly - I figured what had happened. It's only a small egg, but hopefully she'll lay regularly now!

Your turn, Caramel!

DG is back, for one night only

I'm feeling rather pleased with myself, I've managed to make up 6 pies (2 Lamb Korma, 2 Massaman Beef and 2 Apple) to put in the freezer. I'm working three days this week, so it'll make it easier to organise dinner if we just have to shove a pie in the oven.



Pity I haven't done any of the ironing, vacuuming, cleaning the girls rooms, etc. Guess that'll have to wait until later in the week.

The Domestic Goddess is on hols!

Whilst Margaret was visiting, I was trying to be the epitome of a Domestic Goddess. I made a homemade white chocolate icecream (which was lovely and rich with fresh strawberries), I made sausage rolls for lunch on the last Saturday, homemade bread (with the breadmaker that Margaret bought as a thank you present).



I'm exhausted from all of that, so have spent the last few days doing Jack around the house. I only managed to wash the floors this evening, after the chooks and lambs had tramped their way through the house (Mim thinks it's funny to let them in, and they come looking for me because I'm their Mummy Ewe).

So the Domestic Goddess of the past few weeks has gone on holidays, the normal Shaz has returned!

Button on a Brillo Pad

For those of you that have husbands or boyfriends, you will understand this title!
For those of you that don't, or haven't had previously, or are very young, stop reading now.

When Margaret was down here, Michael described the weather as being cold enough to have a "button on a brillo pad" (He insists that his is a large trench coat button not a small baby jacket button.) Button on a brillo pad is colder than monkey or spanner weather, Michael advises. (Cold enough to freeze the nuts of a brass monkey, followed by cold enough to need a spanner to replace the nuts on a brass monkey). And it has been cold, we had the fire running continuously for a few days!

Now if you are picturing this and shuddering..... good! If I have to be mentally disturbed by this visual image, so do you!!!!!!!!

How do you make a lamb go Woof

You pour petrol over it and light it.

And seriously folks, that's what I did yesterday!!

Jeremiah passed away sometime on Monday night, I was greeted by the sight of his body near the feeders in the shed when I opened it on Tuesday morning. We think that he may have succumbed to Pulpy Kidney, not helped by the possible eating of a rubber teat. I was quite upset, as he was one of my favourites.



Michael had said after Minnie that the next one was mine, so I had to deal with his body. Had no time to do anything on Tuesday, had to work all day and it was dark by the time I got home. I'd placed his body in the cardboard box and covered it with a heavy object. Yesterday morning, I dug a hole (where Minnie was burned), placed the cardboard box in it and doused it well with petrol. Then covered it with bark and sticks and lit the match.

Michael did a better job with the disposal of Minnie but if he wants to complain about my attempt, he will be appointing himself as Chief Lamb Disposer for any future occurrences. I refuse to do that ever again!!!

So our success rate is now down to 50%.

Some more scenery shots

The sunset whilst driving home from Penshurst


On the way to work


Blush of dawn, taken after feeding the lambs


Another sunrise, taken whilst driving through Coleraine

A New Woman

Wearing Caitlin's wig:

Oh, trusting child!

Caitlin was complaining the other night of pins and needles in her foot, after sitting on it.

Michael told her that there was a pressure point to take the pain away from the pins and needles. "Place the knuckle of your right index finger between your teeth and bite down".

Caitlin trustingly did as she was told.

"Can you feel the pins and needles now?"

"No, I can still feel them... ow ow ow".

"Well, bite harder then" (and she did)

When Margaret and I started laughing, she realised what Michael was doing...... "You Bastard!"

A Happy Reunion

Even thought today was a sad day, with the passing of Minnie, there was a happy note.

Last night, after I'd opened the back door, a black cat who was not Morticia came straight inside meowing and growling. She headed straight for the dog food, scoffed that down then jumped up and ate all of Tish's food. She then drank all the water in the bowl.

Caitlin thought she looked like Duchess, the previous owner's cat. Duchess was moved into the town with the previous owner in February and promptly went missing a week later.

We kept the cat overnight and then put it in the cat carrier and went for a drive into town to see the previous owner Annie.

Annie was delighted when we opened up the carrier and she positively identified Duchess. Her three kids were ecstatic as well at the return of a beloved pet, missing for three months. Happy Mother's Day, Annie.

Minnie has moved on

Skinny Minnie is no longer with us. She was always the weakest lamb, I was convinced that she was autistic, she would never finish a whole bottle and would then stand in the corner of the shed and stare at the wall.

A few days ago, she stopped drinking so I brought her in overnight to keep her warm and to force feed her. The day after, I noticed that one of her eyes was red. Michael thought it was because she'd scraped it on something, but when she finally opened it, the eye had been covered with a film (like a cataract).

Keeping warm near the fire

On Friday night, we think she must have had a seizure. I found her early on Saturday morning, lying on the floor in a strange position with her neck bent right back. She couldn't get to her feet and her head kept flinging back along side when it wasn't supported. She wouldn't suck from a teat, so I feed her using a baby panadol dropper, 3mls at a time. I think she managed to down about 100mls over the morning, but was exhausted and slept a lot.

In the afternoon, I put her outside with the other lambs, in the sunshine. We had warned the girls that she was likely to die very soon, she was just skin and bone. But after a little sleep in the sun, she was able to stagger to her feet and stagger around with the others for a short while.

Ethel and Minnie

When the sun went down, I brought her inside and she spent the night in a box near the fire to keep her warm. I tried feeding her small amounts regularly, but she wouldn't suck for long and only seemed to manage on small amounts of force feeding. I think she may have had another stroke or another fit overnight, because this morning she couldn't even get to her feet. I took her outside and lay her in the grass. She tried a few times to struggle up, but never made it. She was spastic in the most literal sense.

We decided that the kindest option (and only real option) was to end her misery. So, when I took the girls and Margaret shopping, Michael did the deed and cremated the body in a bonfire (assisted by petrol). Caitlin was very upset before we went shopping, but has coped well this afternoon. She picked some flowers and threw them on the fire. Michael has suggested that we call the western paddock the Minnie paddock as that is where her ashes are.

Caitlin has also requested that we not have lamb for dinner this week, she doesn't think she could eat it.

Happy Birthday Mim

new born a few months old

age one

age two

age three

Dear Jemima,

You are now a big four year old. It doesn't seem that long ago that you will still dependent on me for all your needs. Now, you are Little Miss Independent.

After almost a week of counting down the number of sleeps til your birthday, you woke up on Saturday morning and climbed into bed with Mumma and Caitlin. "Is it my Birthday today?" was the first thing you asked.

And then you got to open all your presents: lots of clothes, a skipping rope, a recipe book (to stop you from stealing Caitlin's), a Polly Pocket (to stop you from stealing Caitlin's), a Mem Fox book from Jenny and the tea set from Dani.

It was a relaxing day for you. Nothing was organised during the day so you played with Polly Pocket and the tea set and Barbies and the lambs. Caitlin, Mumma and I drank lots of pretend baby 'cinos, whilst Daddy got to drink "soup and coffee".

I managed to make a cake for you for afternoon tea, not a bad effort even if I do say so myself. It was done in between feeding lambs, including Minnie, and preparing lunch for everyone and putting on washing.



You had requested to go to the pub for dinner as the pub was "awesome". After we had pulled up outside, you got out of the car and strode up to the door, not caring that we hadn't even all gotten out of the car yet. Inside you went straight for Emily yelling "It's my birthday today and I'm 4". Everyone in the pub heard you and laughed. You were just so excited.



We celebrated with lovely meals made by Julie (Daddy was the only one able to finish the whole meal), washed down with jugs of raspberry and lemonade. After you'd finished your meal, you slid off the chair and said "I'm going to annoy the cwap out of Emily" and sauntered off.

I think you really enjoyed your special day. Your mantra these days is "I think I can do it myself" or "I can manage it on my own". We all look forward to your exploits in the next year.

Love
Mummy

Mim Moments

It was after 10am and I was insisting that Jemima get dressed. She insisted that she wanted to watch the Johnny Cash show on DVD. I replied, "not until you get dressed". Her response "Mummy, you are broken my heart!"



Mim tried to scab some chocolate out of Mumma. Margaret said "Mummy has said no".
Mim said "Mummy won't know".
Margaret said "N. O. No"
Mim said "N.E"
margaret said "N. O."
Mim said "G.F"
Caitlin cracked up, luckily Mim has no idea what she had intimated.

Mim also told Michael to "fock off" (see previous blog, and what young Reuben has said at daycare". This was nipped in the bud.

A most useful contraption

As previously mentioned, I'd set up a temporary single feeder using a sheet of heavy cardboard. This lasted for all of two feeds before the lambs started destroying it. So I designed and built (with the help of Michael) a contraption that will help me feed all 4 lambs at once.



And when it's finished doing that, it will have another use....





(note Jeremiah going in for the kiss, whilst Minnie just pees)

and be handed down through the generations as an heirloom....


(her father's daughter)

The Mumma Effect

How do you know when Mumma has been here for a week?





When somebody ends up with curlers in her hair!!

More Tails for Ewe

The children survived their transition to shed life. It's very dark doing the 10pm feed and the 6am feed. I'd set up two plastic chairs in the shed and also a wire coathanger hanging from the ceiling, on which to hang the torch to provide some light. The children really enjoy their bottles and then become rather frisky afterwards.

Mim and Minnie

They enjoy bouncing up and down the temporary enclosure (that covers half the back yard and the chook pen) and then they climb through the fence and come into the house.



I'd been leaving the screen door ajar so the dog could come and go as he pleased. Will have to keep it shut now, because not only do the little bleaters come inside searching for their mummy (me) and more importantly, their bottles, the chooks also meander inside to eat the dog food.

Imagine Gomez's disgust on discovering Phoebe and Caramel in the laundry, pecking away at his dry food (not that he actually eats it himself). I have video footage of the two chooks in the loo, and Gomez standing in the laundry as if to say "go ahead, make my day!" Caramel made it past with a great squawking and flying of feathers. Phoebe just stood there, glared defiantly and then shit on the toilet floor.



Gomez plays 'Catch Me If You Can' with Phoebe, will get a video of that as well!

Minnie is my little girl. On Thursday afternoon, the children were a bit lonely, so I went into the enclosure to sit on the grass and give them company. Minnie came up to me, crawled onto my lap and went to sleep. She also enjoys lying across my lap whilst I give her a bottle. The others are more independent.

Michael is going to be getting some rings soon to dock their tails. We've been having discussions on whether to get 4 or 5 rings, whether Jeremiah should be allowed to develop into a baritone or made into a tenor! As the girls are likely related to him, I guess we should get the fifth ring. At under two weeks old, he's already started humping the girls!

(Michael and Ethel)

Gomez thinks the sheep are all his friends. He loves running and bouncing with them. But he has an unfortunate habit of sticking his nose up their butts (he does it to the chooks too). This morning, after the 6am feed, the lambs became frisky and decided to do some laps of the enclosure. Gomez followed them closely, a bit too closely because when one of them stopped suddenly, his nose almost disappeared up a backside!

Caitlin has been sick this week and spent a few days at home, which means she has been able to help when feeding sheep. We've got four bottles and teats now, one for each lamb, but it is very hard to feed them by oneself. This morning I had to do just that, and as necessity is the mother of invention, I set up a heavy piece of cardboard with four holes in it and stuck the bottles through that. It worked a treat! I'll be making a sturdier one over the next day, something with the bits of wood we've got lying around.



Lulu is a clever girl: after sniffing around the back patio, she climbed into the kitty litter tray and peed.



And that's all the sheepish tails I have at present.

Mimmy Had a Little Lamb

Mim let herself into the chook enclosure with the lambs and had a lovely time with Ethel.



She loves to help feed them as well, except she shares out the milk. Each lamb is only allowed to get a few sucks on the bottle before she whips it away from them and offers it to another.

Last night, Michael learnt a valuable lesson, close the toilet door when the lambs are in the laundry. He was relieving himself when he felt a bump on the back of his knees. Ethel then poked her head between his legs to see what was going on. He got his own back though, she poked her head into the toilet to have a look, so he flushed. Lamb hooves don't work well on tiles, she skidded away in shock!

I have learnt that lambs are walking pee bombs! The laundry tiles have been awash with lamb pee for the last few days. We've put down newspaper but that soaks through very quickly. During the day, they are consigned outside. I've set up a temporary fence and put down some cardboard boxes inside the shed, so I think they might be sleeping there from now on. At least we'll be able to go to the toilet in peace, without being mobbed (literally)!