Freya Gives Birth to Twin Lambs ~ Part 2

Freya has successfully given birth to her second ram (male) lamb and now she finishes cleaning them of afterbirth and tending them. Freya is a very good mama. I still have her grown twin ewes and they too are good and fierce mamas. Freya is an Icelandic sheep and exhibits the qualities appreciated in 'leader sheep'. I have been told her line possesses leader sheep and if you do any research into the character qualities of leader sheep it is easy to see Freya does indeed qualify. (Sometimes her abilities and determination make her a very hard sheep to contain !)

My Icelandic SheepFreya Giving Birth

This is my Icelandic ewe giving birth this past spring to her second ram lamb. Freya is a good and fiercely protective mama. You can see the first born lamb standing next to her as she gives birth to his twin brother.
T

February Spring

Here are my two Sebastopol geese Ella and Fella splashing in our pond along with the ducks. I took this video last year . Ella and Fella spend part of every day in the pond but lately have taken to hiding themselves in unlikely places. I have found them in the wood shed, the kiwi arbor, the hay shed,  behind the veggie garden hiding in the long wild grasses on the other side of the fence, and behind a tall shrub in the front yard flower bed. I had a suspicion that proved true...

 ...they're ready to lay and hatch a clutch of eggs. My husband found the first goose egg of the season today. Look at the size of it compared to 3 large chicken eggs I just gathered. I am going to try to incubate the eggs in a small incubator I own. The last 2 years Ella and Fella were diligent parents and tended their eggs faithfully. For some reason all the eggs developed fully but the goslings were unable to hatch and survive. ( Even with help.) This year I am hoping to accomplish what Ella and Fella were unable to do and return successfully hatched goslings to the nest for them to raise. We'll see.

The weather has been warm for this time of the year and the sound of the frogs at night is almost deafening. Our honeybees have been out and about and it is a good thing my husband supplements them with sugar boards he places in their hives because there are not enough flowers or trees blooming to sustain our hives at this time.

My Jacob sheep were sheared last month and I can see 9 of my ewes seem about ready to pop with lambs. Their udders are full and lambs should begin arriving any time from now until the end of March. The ewes ( female sheep) seem almost comatose in the sunshine as they lean against fence posts or soak in the heat of the compost pile. It looks so funny to see sheep literally stretched out all over the pile. Later on after the lambs are born they'll have fun leaping over the pile. Who knew a manure pile could provide more than garden enrichment ? SHEEP ! ( 11 year old and very pregnant Sassafras shown in the picture )

I know the calendar says it is still winter but our animals , bees, and wildlife say it is spring.

New Life ~ Chicks & Lambs

A new lamb, she is a lilac Jacob Sheep lamb,

a newly hatched chick  (This is a Self-Blue d'Uccle  bantam chick, I love blue chickens. ),

lambs playing leap-frog over the downed tree , tree frogs chirping down by the pond, new chicks emerging from their eggs, hummingbirds and honeybees swarming the sugar-water feeders and flowers ~ why it must indeed be spring !

Just Call Me The 'Midwife'

 Look at this sweet little newborn lamb leaning into her mama  under the lamp in their stall. If I hadn't played midwife this morning she would most likely not be alive, and her mama would be in sore distress.

I went out this morning to discover TWO ewes licking one newborn lamb clean of afterbirth. Before I could get close enough to check things out the lamb wobbled  from one ewe ( female sheep) to the other, trying to nurse. Both ewes seemed confused , but when Tovah, the sheep in the picture, turned around to lick the lamb some more, things became very clear to me. Tovah had two tiny lamb's feet sticking out of her rear parts  . The other sheep ( Gudrid) had after-birth coming out of hers. Clearly the lamb being so carefully cleaned and tended by both ewes belonged to Gudrid who is a first time mama. Poor Tovah, probably thinking after so much labor and straining must have felt she had certainly already given birth and why was Gudrid helping out with her lamb ?

Now I had a problem. I was by myself, no near-by neighbors to help , and that lamb HAD to be pulled out of Tovah. Desperate times called for this desperate shepherdess to act quickly. How do you restrain an unwilling ewe and at the same time pull out a lamb from her nether parts by yourself ? The only way I could. I grabbed her by the horns and held on with my left hand, pushed her up against the stall wall, leaned against her to hold her there and reached inside her with my right hand to feel out the situation. Aha, the lamb's head and shoulders were pretty big and the lamb was in the right position for a normal birth but too big to come out without assistance. I slipped the lamb's head back a bit inside, then pulled the legs out further, maneuvered the head back out and with my right hand holding tightly to the legs I pulled some more. After gently maneuvering further I got a better grip on the lamb's head & legs and pulled hard. You have no idea how hard it can be pulling a lamb out of a tight spot inside it's mama, sometimes it seems the womb is trying to suck the baby back in, and this was one of those times. But I pulled even harder ( it is always a wonder to me the head doesn't pop off when I have to pull so hard ) and with a loud BWAAAAAAAAAA from the mama her little lamb slid out making a big sucking sound as I plopped her on the straw. A healthy ewe lamb with head still intact !

The minute Tovah turned and saw the lamb all confusion was gone. She went right to work cleaning her lamb. I checked Tovah , Gudrid, and their lambs a little while ago and am happy to say both mamas and their lambs are fine & dandy. Just call me the midwife !

Join me and many others on The Home Acre Blog Hop*. There are so many interesting home-steading topics shared there every Thursday, you won't be bored, and might find yourself surprisingly educated and entertained.

March Musing

March is almost over for us here in the Pacific Northwest , of course April has begun for almost everyone else in the world by now. March has marked a few milestones for us this year. Whimsy , our German Shepherd puppy is 9 months old and we are loving her even more every day .

 March is the month here at Cedar Pond for new, bouncing spotted lambs ! ( Below is one of my older ewes with her newborn lamb. )

This year we have a bummer lamb ( lamb without a mama ) we named Stormy. Stormy is growing quickly and enjoys his bottle every few hours. He has begun to nibble on alfalfa leaves too. His little face appears crooked because of his markings and he has beautiful long eyelashes.

Did I already mention new lambs ? I spend an awful lot of time outdoors just watching the lambs play. If you're feeling down in the dumps just get yourself to the closest farm with new lambs and sit a spell , watch, and laugh for joy. The joy of life !

 It has been the wettest March in recorded history here in Western Washington. We have had 9 1/2 inches of rain this month. Our ducks are loving this weather but our land is squishy with mud and oozing water everywhere. Thankfully our home & buildings are high and dry. Our prayers go out to our neighbors to the north of us in Oso where the wet March brought  a small mountain of earth sliding down on a small community wiping out  everything in it's path and taking many lives .

The hummingbirds have returned and Blizzard our cat spends many hours watching them at the feeder outside our living room.

March also is the month this granddaughter celebrates another year of life. We were blessed to have her spend the weekend with us. Granddaughter and the fairy are playing in the herb garden where this granddaughter and her sister made me a few fairy homes.

Every March we celebrate the birth of 2 of our 6 granddaughters. We rejoice in the birth of new lambs, chicks and ducklings. The birds are building nests all over the property , the ducks and chickens have increased their egg laying. The frogs chirp, our bees are buzzing over every precious new bloom. Ella, my Sebastopol goose is faithfully sitting on her clutch of duck & goose eggs while her partner Fella guards her,never leaving her . Some time later this week if all goes well I should expect hatchlings from the pair. What fun March is. It brings us joy, hope, new life and celebrating spring. "This is the day that the Lord hath made we will rejoice and be glad in it." 

Not Only For The Birds !

Bird nests I have collected or been given over the years served as the table centerpiece for our Thursday Ladies Luncheon & Bible Study.  

The nests are resting on beds of moss I placed in goblets and covered with a small glass dome. The eggs in the nests are from my doves.

Since I used birds and their nests as the table-scape theme I had to buy some of my favorite candy, those robin egg malted chocolates . They're so pretty, and tasty too.

I put another bird's nest in an old Mason jar with it's original canning lid.

Bird nests and bird coffee cups, naturally they go together !

The napkins match the table-runner. I bought them together at a store called Tuesday Morning.

The birds' nests I have were used then abandoned by the birds only to be found and used by me . ( recycled ? ) Yes, the birds' nests are not only for the birds.

Mint chocolate brownies I baked using a recipe I found in an issue of Tea Time magazine.

One of the ladies in our Bible study just turned 80 years old . I told one of my granddaughters I want to be like this lady when I grow up,but my granddaughter told me I was already grown up . This lady is lively, funny, a true artist ( the painting kind ) who has her works exhibited locally, teaches art, and just brightens our time together.

We had a surprise guest at the luncheon. One of my sheep decided she did not want to raise her ram lamb so the little guy needs to be bottle fed. He is what we call a "bummer lamb ",a lamb without a mama . I named my little bummer 'Stormy' because of course it was raining and storming when I was outdoors trying to get his mama to nurse him. I ended up milking the mama ( you shoulda seen that ! ) to give this little guy the colostrum he needed to get him off to a good start. Here Stormy is being held by another luncheon guest , Robbie, who helped me feed the lamb his bottle.

  I treasure this time to gather with family & friends, share a meal, a cup of tea or coffee, and gather around God's word to learn about Him , pray for one another, laugh, and enjoy God's blessings, sometimes reminding each other that YES, we truly are blessed, even if at the moment we don't feel it. "Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Thy lovingkindness in the morning , for Thou hast been my stronghold , and a refuge in the day of my distress , O my strength , I will sing praises to Thee ; For God is my stronghold , the God who shows lovingkindness." Psalm 59: 16,17

Spring Has Sprung , New Lambs & Flowers !

 Spring has sprung ! I am holding the third Jacob sheep lamb born within the last 24 hours. If you're interested in seeing more about my sheep and their lambs check out my other blog ~ Red Dog Spotted Sheep * . I am expecting 5 more ewes to lamb in a very short time. I am so excited !

 Ella & Fella have decided to nest in the pen we put up for them in the veggie garden . They have settled in to life by the pond very well. Ella built her nest of straw and although I took her eggs and gave them to friends to incubate , I put duck eggs under her. I want to be sure she will incubate and tend them successfully. Since duck eggs require pretty much the same care and time it takes to hatch goose eggs, plus, raising and tending ducklings is very similar, I thought this would be a good test of Ella's mama instincts. If all goes well she can tend her own eggs next year. To read more about Ella & Fella check out my poultry site. *

 Miss Marple is our only outdoor cat. We have a routine, she & I. We let her outdoors around midnight so she can stalk and kill vermin, and she usually comes back indoors before 2:00 a.m. This week I think she hankered for some sunshine outdoors and she hid in the upper part of our woodshed over- night where the squirrels hang out. The only reason I knew she was there because of the angry squirrel hovering in branches over her head, swearing at her. She looked pretty content in spite of the squirrel's harassment. ( Probably thinking of how yummy that squirrel would taste. )

There are not too many flowers blooming for our honeybees, but the hellebores, primroses, daffodils , and some native blooming bushes are buzzing with bees . I even have honeybees in my chicken food , carrying bits of the feed that is powdered. Anyone else find honeybees in the chicken food ?

This is the time of year I have trouble focusing on my indoor stuff and blogging because I want to be outdoors until dark. I am also spending a lot of time cleaning out animal pens and simply watching my animals. It is so hard to tear myself away from such excitement , I might miss something ! Lambing comes only once a year and knowing there is probably a time in the near future when I'll not be able to keep so many sheep and poultry I intend to capture and put to memory as much as possible. In case of failing memory, my camera is put to good use too. I hope your spring is bursting with good and wondrous things . ~

Easter Centerpiece for Tea-Time Tuesday

 Last Thursday was our monthly Bible study. The Thursday Ladies came together to fellowship over lunch and continue our Bible study in the book of I Samuel. I set the table with a small collection of Japanese blue lusterware. I used this teacup for last week's tea time Tuesday too, but decided to share my precious teacups for Thursday's lunch. Isn't the gold luster inside the teacup beautiful? The tea set was made in Japan before I was born, which makes it more than half a century old.

 The table & buffet centerpieces were very simple and also a reflection of why our family celebrates Easter. I gathered some moss from outside in our woods, placed it into this domed goblet, added a small plastic ram and made a label on which I wrote an appropriate scripture verse. Genesis 22:13

 One of my sisters is checking out the table as the ladies arrive.

 I try to keep the table settings for Bible study fairly simple, as was lunch. This month it was a 'make your own sandwich' affair. There was tuna, chicken salad and deli meat along with the cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and condiments. Bowls of chips, carrots, plates of deviled eggs. My friend Marlene brought a lovely and healthy salad composed of organic lettuces and veggies. ( Thank-you Marlene). Cupcakes for dessert.

 The table centerpiece reflects the foundation of my faith as a Christian. The resurrection of the crucified Son of God, Jesus. It is moss, with three crosses I made from sticks in the yard and some miniature lilies I had stashed away in a craft box. I placed this on a pedestal cake plate. I will also be using it as our Easter dinner centerpiece.

 Children are welcome to come with their mothers or grandmothers and I set a table for them. The lamb planter was a floral filled gift for our family when our daughter was born. I put a small clump of white pansies in it and candy in the chick.

Mint and Irish Black tea , along with coffee and ice water were the beverages. The true refreshment and sustaining nourishment came from the study and contemplation of the word of God. He is so good to me and I praise him for this opportunity to come together with others who desire to learn more about Him, and also the ability to enjoy Tea-Time Tuesday with you. Thank-you for joining me today. Please check out the links below for other delightful tea-time posts.

• Sandi's Rose Chintz Cottage*
• Terri's Artful Affirmations*
• Bernideen's Tea time Blog*
• Martha's Favorites*
• Antiques & Teacups *

Spot Of Gratitude For Simple Things

 Are you seeing spots? I see spots, and lots of them here on Cedar Pond. My Jacob Sheep are spotted, and the lambs are little jumping spots of joy. My sheep are simple pleasures. Just watching them brings me joy. This is Thora and her new twin ewe ( girl) lambs.

It is a real blessing to have twin ewes by Thora. The sire of these ewes is my new ram , Tonkin. I am thinking I will need to give these girls 'T' names...

As I did my daily chores I took an extra amount of time to simply stand & watch my sheep, chickens, ducks & turkeys. I realized I may not always have the pleasure of such abundance in the coming years, for who knows what the future brings? Ill health, a change of fortune, the need to occupy myself with other things...any and all could change my way of life in a heart-beat. I cannot bear to think of a spring time without new lambs and sweet , fluffy chicks. To not be able to sit by our pond and watch our silly ducks court, quack, and dive head first into the pond for things to eat leaving them bottoms up and making us laugh is a sad thought. Yet I know God in His wisdom knows us and what is best for us. Should he deem it best for us to live otherwise as we move on in the seasons of life, He has given us these times right now to savor and remember. I pause often to soak in the sights, sounds, and joys of today and remember the funny little antics of my farm animals. I make a conscious effort to appreciate the bounty I have here in the simple things. God is so good, praise him !

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." Melody Beale

Spring Walk Around Cedar Pond & Tea On The Porch

 This Limoges teacup and saucer were given to me by my sister, via her friend Elaine. Thank-you Elaine,this is a beautiful teacup !

 Yesterday was unseasonably warm and sunny. I had considered not posting for Tea-time Tuesday, opting for a bit of gardening and a walk in the sunshine to drink in all the glories of new life beginning to unfurl and burst around Cedar Pond, but since I also wanted a cup of tea, I decided to combine my passions for both. Look at the exotic bird on this teacup, he looks fierce and proud and ready to fly.

 My two Labs, full sisters from two separate litters born here on Cedar Pond accompanied me. They sat for this picture after already swimming in the pond. They love to be with me, and if a walk around the pond is called for, they know they are going to have a great time. Their names are Willow (left) and Bea. They know their names too, which makes it easy for me to walk with them, because I know they know who I am talking to or commanding as we walk. Example: "WILLOW, NO !" and Willow knows she is to stop what she is doing, but Bea continues on. My dogs love, know, and obey me, and know I mean what I say or command them. This is always so important when you have dogs and also what makes having dogs  a blessing ,rather than a problem. When they remember who is the boss in the pack ( and they know it is me) they are secure and know how to behave, not out of fear, but confidence, knowing the way life operates is consistent.This also offers them freedom . But I digress.

Willow, Bea, and my husband's dog Hawk romping and splashing in the pond.

 I was overjoyed to discover the crocuses were blooming and my husband's honeybees were buzzing  and humming in and out of them and the many primroses we have around Cedar Pond.

The ducks have been amorous for the last month, which is a sure sign that no matter the temperature spring is on its' way. Here are my 2 Call ducks, the drake is forefront. He is a seasoned veteran around here, surviving the devastating coyote raids, and fathering quite a few ducklings.

Look, the ducks have begun to lay eggs. So have my turkeys. When the ducks and turkeys begin laying eggs, it is a sure sign spring is here, no matter what the weatherman says.

The lambs were sunning themselves against the sun-warmed tree stumps, yes...lambs and warm places to sleep outside mean spring is here.

The teacup bird. Is this a Phoenix or pheasant ? Does anyone know? I have searched and searched the internet for any information on this teacup, to no avail.

The roses on the other side of the teacup.

" M-Fires, Limoges Made In France "

I sipped a cup of very hot mint tea from this cup after my walk around Cedar Pond. The sunshine cheered me until sunset. The walk around Cedar Pond was a reminder to me the seasons come and go and usually life will continue in the patterns God has established from Creation. My animals and the wild birds and animals who have chosen to reside here have an instinct He created that causes them to live accordingly, and produce young, rear them, and then start again all over the next season. Yes, the spring mating rituals of the wild birds, the beginnings of nesting time, the new lambs, newly laid eggs of my ducks, chickens, and turkeys all point to spring as having arrived here. Bring on Spring!

 

A very happy Labrador Retriever. Bea is waiting for me here on our private road beside the pond to throw her a stick. If she is very lucky, I'll throw it into the pond so she can swim and run in the mud before returning it to me. A romp in the pond and the mud, a few sticks to fetch, a bit of digging, and time with the person they love. Life is pretty simple for a dog, and life is really pretty simple for us. Someone to love, someone who loves us. Chores, work, and tasks that are needful and remind us we are needed. A simple cup of tea....not so very difficult, not so unobtainable, and a good reminder of the many blessings we often forget to remember because a lovely teacup and sustaining cup of tea are simple blessings beyond measure, and shared in good company are priceless.

 

I am sharing a bit of tea with the ladies listed below, please check out their tea times! You'll be glad you did. ~

• Bernideen's *
• Antiques and Teacups *
• Terri*
• Martha*
• Sandi *