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Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Spring has sprung

-- or more likely not given this is the first of February; but it does feel like spring outside as things begin to leaf out, the grass shoots up (trying to anyway), and the baby animals are born.

Sunday when the first set of lambs were born, last year's lambs couldn't believe such a thing was possible. What is that? And does my mommy love whatever that is more than me?

One thing the first photo proves is lambs are born with survival instinct. Still wet from birth, when this twin was examined too closely by one of the bigger animals, she ran. This led to a frustrated mother as she tried to protect both her newborns and keep them together. Can't have another ewe lamb-napping one, and they will if they are also close to birthing. Finally she got her babies sorted out, and the rest of the flock settled down.

In the second picture, the twins are a day old .

With winter storms, big limbs come down and knock the wires loose that are intended to fence the stock away from the creek. The level of the creek is low enough that it is now an easy walk to the other side-- the forbidden side. When our cattle get out, I get phone calls from the neighbors which leads me to go for a walk up the highway. Often to find the errant ones have already returned with an innocent-- Who us?

On Tuesday, the phone call came from a different direction-- the gravel road side. Our sweet, older neighbors wanted me to know that two of our cows were in their orchard-- their carefully mown and beautifully tended orchard.

So back out I went, cutting the young bull off from heading farther into trouble, managing to trip through a myriad of blackberry vines, falling flat once, but fortunately damaging nothing (luckily I don't swear, even in such irritating situations, as those neighbors are a retired pastor and his wife). Finally with a sigh of relief I watched him (the young bull, not the pastor) jump back over the fence at the same place he had probably gotten out.

This was a good week for births but a bad week for fences!


(All images can be enlarged)

Update: Robin Andrea of Dharma Bums posted a word for this season in her comment, and this is a link that explains more about it. I enjoy learning about new things and this was new to me-- Imbolc. How cool is that!

7 comments:

robin andrea said...

For some reason, not all of your photos are loading. Your descriptions are grand, and I bet the photos are great. I just learned that the name for this time of the year is imbolc, the earliest whisperings of spring-time. We are midway between solstice and equinox.

Rain Trueax said...

Thanks for the information, Robin. I reposted the photos as they show up on mine but I had a problem this morning with blogger having lost a marker that page needed but I didn't know what they were talking about; so I copy pasted it into a new blog which maybe didn't bring everything with it.

If there are not 5 small photos, there should be and sometimes hitting refresh brings them up

Rain Trueax said...

I like that word.. Never heard it had a name, butit's a delightful time and when I walk I am always looking for new things popping up.

I read something so good on solstice and equinox in a book that I will be posting on next blog.

Ingineer66 said...

Nice photos. I didnt know this time of year had a name. We normally get a warm spell in February for a few days. This year it has been in January instead, but it looks like winter might be coming back starting today.

Sandy said...

Great photos and me three! I had no idea that we had a name for this time of year.... "imbolc". I love the Island but seeing the animals makes me just a little homesick for the farm.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful area you live in. I like it that you share your 'home' style life - and your political views, you are a 'good read'!

Anonymous said...

What incredible photos, Rain. I know it has to be very hard work to run a farm/ranch, but moments like this make it worth it. I couldn't help but think of Gary Larson when you got the call about the cows in your neighbor's orchard. Seems like they should be saying something--maybe about seeking out old time religion or something.