When will the cold weather end? Thankfully no lambs have been born in this cold week. Our first lambs may happen around Feb. 28th or early March. We have 3 ewes and hope they each will have 2 or 3 lambs. The 3 males, Fred, Tony, and Arthur are residing with the girls in the sheep barn. The shearing is booked for March 2nd. A friend who took beautiful lamb photos last year may do some shearing photos. The lambing pen is set up and the warming lamps are waiting.
We have had a few visitors this winter staying at the farm. Often they are visiting family in the area, or checking out land they have bought near here. Each season we welcome anyone who will make the trip to Waldoboro. This winter we have attended concerts at the Camden Opera House, and we eat out more often. The Camden area had a winterfest weekend, and we watched the polar plunge to cheer on a few crazy people.
Finnegan and Charlie are not being ridden in the winter, but will walk up and down the driveway in tandem to keep them in line. I bring my "magic stick", the crop, as a reminder to them of who is in charge. The frozen poop and cold barn is not fun. These horses are spoiled, and I tell them there are other horses without a barn to stay in, and they do just fine. We discovered 2nd cut Canadian hay, from RZR, which they love like chocolate chip cookies. We have plenty of bales to get us through till June, and they have to eat that first before desert.
The field was treated with manure and lime last fall using our new manure spreader. Green grass is expected in the horse pasture to be even better this year. We have logging trails to maintain, and hope the new inroads in the woods will give us lots to explore. I looked into getting another trail horse from the Maine State Society for Protection of animals, but they gently informed me that the one I was interested in is a one person horse, probably not best for fitting into therapeutic and trail riding. What a great organization! They allowed me a ride on that horse and he was so well trained. What would be great would be for someone to board their horse in our extra stall and we can trail ride together! Charlie will be better at his pony cart but this will be around the property and not on the trails.
Spring can't come soon enough!
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