A Season of Beginnings

  

Lucy and her new lambs,Linus & Peanut

 

Six lambs in twenty-four hours. It’s a first-day record for our maternity ward and one we are in no hurry to break. Mom, Kindra, and I wash the last of the amniotic fluid, straw, and other less savory substances from our hands, gather up the pile of dirty towels, and head, at last, for the house. We are silent on our walk down the lane—our brains too tired to indulge in forming complete sentences—each of us lost in our own thoughts of ewes, lambs, and the promise of a long, hot bath and a steaming cup of coffee. 

Here on our farm, lambing is the province of women. Mom, Kindra, and I oversee the care of the pregnant ewes, attend and assist with the birth of every lamb, and care for the newborns and their mothers when lambing is through. For eight weeks in early spring, we eat, sleep, and think of almost nothing but lambs. We live like firefighters: Ready to mobilize at a moment’s notice, regardless of the weather, the hour, or the amount of sleep we’ve had (or missed). It’s a grueling time of year, but when it comes down to it, we wouldn’t trade it for the world. 

While the rigors of lambing season take their toll on our sleep patterns and our sanity, they reward us, too. When the hard work is over and we can finally sit down, put our feet up, and relax there comes a wonderful sense of peace and fulfillment that only good, old-fashioned hard work can bring. When we’ve pushed our minds and bodies to their limits and have been hip-deep in the ancient cycles of birth, life, and death, petty cares and worries vanish and we are left filled to the brim with life. It’s a rare experience in a world of modern conveniences—a world that separates us from the great, elemental forces of life. It is truly a soul-satisfying experience. 

Back at the house, we shed our dirty barn-coats and revel in the blissful silence of the warm and cozy indoors. We talk quietly about new lambs and their devoted mothers, reflecting on the past 24 hours over a light breakfast and the much anticipated cups of coffee. Then, one-by-one, we go our separate ways—to luxuriate in the bliss of hot bubble-baths, clean clothes, and a few hours of rest. Our respite won’t last long. There are thirteen ewes still to lamb and we will be there for them every time. The cycle continues—another season of beginnings here on Greenwood Farms. 

Kindra and her new friend, Goldberry

The bond between a ewe and her lambs starts the moment they are born.

Temperance (aka Tempie) has a mind of her own!