Babies, Babies, everywhere!

About five months ago Shelly and the Boss Lady ventured to Ft. Collins to purchase about 10 more head of sheep to work the dogs on. The Boss Lady was so overcome with glee that by the next week we had 111 new sheep and a brand spanking new stock trailer. After three trips to the sale barn in Ft. Collins we finally got everyone tucked into pastures. Nine of the new sheep turned out to be rams. Over the course of four days all nine rams had come in contact with every single one of the ewes. So here we are, 151 days after the rocket launch! Friday while checking on ewes the hired hand came back to the house and announced the arrival of the first lamb of the season. Shelly and I went out to pluck it and mama ewe out of the pasture and put them in the nursery in the barn only to find two little wooly critters. We pulled ten other girls up to the barn as they looked like they had coming appointments with the stork as well. On Saturday morning I was up early getting ready to go to the kiddo's basketball game. I jetted down to the barn to check on the girls and found five new babies stumbling around. Sunday morning brought a singleton girl. All total we've got 8 little fuzz balls running around the nursery. Shelly finished the goat condo just in time, we've plenty of room in the barn for babies.

New Condo for the Girls....and MeMoo too.

Checking out the new condo.

Shelly had been working hard to complete a new house for the little Nigerians. The project was sidelined about a month or more ago, bigger and better things needed to be done. She's had some extra time this past week and was able to finish the goat condo. I was very excited when I walked down to the barn and got my group of girls and MeMoo too. MeMoo is a black and white wether who lives with the tribe of women. He fits in fine. Shelly finished just in time for a bit of snow. The girls seem happy with their new home, the heat lamps are an added pleasure.

Cinderella loves the easy access to the spool.

Catching up....Still, forever..Always

I've been terrible at trying to keep with things lately. The ranch is in forward gear and I'm struggling to keep myself from slipping into reverse. Oh well, such is life. A lot has been zipping. We had a wonderful holiday season. Shelly's family from Florida, sister and nephews joined us for the festivities. We were able to spend an afternoon tubing at Keystone. Tubing brings back many memories of my childhood. Near my hometown of Salida CO, is an old mountain pass that has the best tubing hill in the northern hemisphere. As a child I spent many, many Saturdays there with my cousins, aunts, uncles and friends. My Grandfather had a knack for finding huge inner-tubes. We'd pack nonsense food and Gramma's cookies and pile in Uncle Aubrey's El Camino or the old blue "Hippie Van" and head out. I've never been so cold and so happy at the same time. My memories of the good times were wrecked by tragic "now" times. Sometime after Christmas my young cousin, Josh was hospitalized with liver and kidney failure. He hung on for awhile but peacefully passed away on January 7th with family by his side. Just a short 10 days later my beloved Uncle Dennis passed away as well. It was fortunate that I was able to have a happy phone chat with Uncle Dennis a few days before his passing. For awhile now it seems the boatman has been collecting my family members in pairs. I've no idea the reason, nor will I ever. It seems that is just something I'm not to know in this life. I've no choice now but to remember the good times, the bad times, the ALL times.