Scenes from our Barnyard and Blogging Thoughts

To say that this winter has been amazing would be an understatement. There is still 3 feet of snow on the ground. Most of our farm equipment is buried beneath snow. 

 

We've had 3 appointments at the processor for lamb that we have had to cancel because we couldn't get the trailer out from under the snow. Finally, last week we borrowed a neighbor's trailer so we would be ready for any calls we get for Easter lamb. Catching and loading sheep in the snow and ice is no fun, let's just say that. 

Recently there was a study done in the UK about sheep intelligence. I thank the readers who pointed me in the direction of the study. You can read a brief summation here. I really wasn't surprised by the researcher's findings. Our sheep are intelligent. They remember where to turn on the road when we move them back to their winter quarters. They remember where the salt is over a year after they have been at a location. And in the winter, the little lambs know how to keep dry. They climb up on their mamas backs and sun themselves.

Or just take a nap.

We're still having newborn lambs but the pace has slowed down. I'm glad for that because it has been pretty impossible to do anything but farm. 

Feeding hay, watering, feeding eleven bottle lambs, and feeding again. While the mamas are eating, the little lambs run around the barnyard exercising. 

 

The lambs also feel safe resting in the feed bunks when they are empty. They squeeze their little bodies down in and have a nap.

 

I've had so much guilt about not posting photos but there is not a lot of time to spare. I've also been realizing how much time my blog takes up and am looking at ways for it to generate income. I have for years said I wouldn't have any advertising but I'm re-thinking that notion. I would appreciate any comments you might have on that subject. Do you stop reading a blog when they host advertising? For me, between taking photos and writing, each blog post takes a minimum of two hours. That's a lot of time when I consider it over a whole year and the number of posts I prepare. I also know how much it means to many of you from the private e-mails I receive.

I've been subscribing to some great "blogging" blogs and have lots of ideas for possible new products and income ideas. Check this one out if you are interested. I've also come to realize that I really do LIKE to blog and put my thoughts out there. The time frame for blog publishing (IMMEDIATE) vs. the time frame for print publishing (one to two years) really doesn't compare. With the advent of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Ravelry), I thought blogs might disappear. Now I do not think that is the case because it's really hard to give excellent content with 140 characters. What do you think about the subject? If you don't want to leave your thoughts in the comments, don't be shy about sending an e-mail.