L4 RIP

The reality of farm life is sometimes a bit hard for me. We found the newest lamb, L4, dead in the paddock. We don't know what happened. Perhaps one of the sheep butted it. Or it didn't go to shelter during the rain storm the previous night. We just don't know. And I don't know how I feel about it all.

I know that death is part of the reality of a farm; heck I even plan to eat some of the animals but I still feel disquieted. Maybe it is my suburban sensibilities where we mourned every kitten's death, every bird's. I don't know but I feel a tad sad when I go watch the flock now. I keep trying to figure out which ewe lost the lamb. We have 6 that all look alike but there is no hint in behavior that one is mourning.

So I block the whole death thing with some serious gardening work. I have finally gotten in my beans and green peppers (capsicums to Kiwis). Dan built me a cage to keep out possums, rabbits, birds, etc. and so far it has worked beautifully. It also keeps me out. There is a complicated system of flaps and doors and I don't have the key to the maze so I water from the outside and hope I learn the system before I have to start staking. If not, then Dan will have to do the weeding and staking. Hmmh? Perhaps there is a strategy here!

It has been a long weekend and we go back down to Auckland today. I always feel as if I could get a handle on things here if I just had a few more days. I think that is the lot of the farmer. Dan has been vigilantly checking each and every tree that he planted. We were stunned to find out that some arborist thief had dug up our silk speciman tree planted at the entrance to the farm and stole it. They actually took all the mulch with them!

There have been a series of thefts like that over the past year and finally Dan and Yael went to talk to the police. The officer was wonderful. Not too much that can be done but at least there is a file now and we feel that someone will keep an eye out.

I finally finished de-pooing the first bag of sheep wool. It takes forever and is smelly and is altogether not my first choice for a lovely afternoon. But it is done. Only 3 more to go. One of Yael's Kiwi friends told me that we get used to the smell after a while!! It never goes away unless you have it chemically treated professionally. That is so what we are not about but I wonder how we will feel if the kids' duvets smell lingeringly of sheep. Well, I have a long time before we find out. Three bags to go. I want to give it my all out best simply because when the hot weather hits, the smell will intensify and I am not looking forward to it.