December 11, 2015
It has been a wintry last few days here in our valley and we are out there as much as possible with sleds, snowboards and skis. Living on a mountainside, we have some slippery little slopes to slide down. Last winter, the snow arrived in December and left before the New Year. We are hoping it will stay a little longer this year, but just in case, everything goes on hold when the flakes fly and we head outdoors to embrace the snow.
Indoors, St. Nicholas visited last weekend. This year, I had completely forgotten about this tradition that celebrates my husband’s Dutch heritage. We have been doing it every year since Forrest was very young, but somehow all the things Life has thrown us lately, this mama let a few things slide. However, the enthusiasm of Sunshine inspired all of us to feel the spirit of the holidays and lift the real world troubles away, even if for a little while. Once again, I am so grateful to my children for bringing their light and joy and innocence into our adult lives, and share the beauty and magic of the season.
On the homestead, it’s beginning to look a lot like breeding season. A friend gifted us with a “buck rag” to help get our Nubian doe into “season” for a very special date tomorrow afternoon. We will take her to their farm to meet her billy goat that will hopefully allow Heidi to have her own little kids in five months time. But that buck rag…oh my goodness, that has a ripe smell! Really, now…goat perfume is it’s own very special thing because we all find it repulsive! If it gets my Heidi girl in the mood for love, well, that is nothing short of amazing!
The sheep are also breeding with Romeo, making our little farm quite exciting. Surely it is the best way to introduce the birds and bees chat with youngsters when you have a bunch of breeding sheep and goats all around! At the very least, it is worthy of some outright giggles. Romeo is now part of the flock and he couldn’t be happier. The kids haven’t witnessed the actual deed with any of them, just a whole lot of sniffing and shuffling and cooing. One morning during chores, I was fortunate (?) enough to see my favourite sheep, Posey, get bred and I can hardly wait five months to see her lambs!
my beloved Posey with Sugaree behind her
Romeo, such a stud
Flora with her beauty mark on her lip ~ she is very maternal and will be such a good mama
It’s beginnng to feel a lot like the merry-making season around here, inside and out. Wishing you all some cozy comfort this weekend!
Hello out there, I'm happy you stopped by! My name is Jules and I am grateful to share my family's homegrown adventures here...from homeschooling to homesteading.
This space is my own reminder to savour the beauty amidst the chaos and messes of motherhood...to see the extraordinary in the everyday ordinary. Thank you for joining me.
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3 Comments
So much snow! We have tons of it as well, and I know for sure ours will stay until May since we are so far north 🙂 I love reading about your little homestead, we have recently bought a house with a huge piece of land where I hope to have chickens and a couple of sheep and a veggie garden. And though it will take years (decades?) to turn it into a homestead I am so looking forward to it though a bit worried about how well we will manage up here! And that Romeo is a beautiful ram! What a lovely fleece color he has, amazing, hope you get some papa colored lambs 🙂 Happy holiday making.xx
Your long-held dreams are finally coming true. I can’t wait to see the new arrivals; there will be excitement on the homestead in the springtime. Congratulations on your first fleece sale, too. All is beautiful, so much snow!
Your sheep are adorable! What breed are they?
We have Dorpers, which are a self-shedding meat breed, as we live in the subtropics so not much good for growing wool 🙂
Sheep are just the best animals, aren’t they? I love watching mine. This spring we had our first lambing (I’m in Australia so they lambed September-October). Lambs are the best little baby animals to have, in my opinion.
Lovely to discover your blog!
Sarah x