Thursday, April 10, 2014

Springtime on the farm


You know it's spring around here when the resident peacock has attained his full compliment of feathers.  Jim Dandy is really strutting his stuff these days - he's loud and proud!  I should think it would be hard work to drag all of that around, especially on windy days, but he doesn't seem to mind.  This time of year, he spends lots of time on top of the big gates outside the barn where he can display his beauty with a little less work than spreading it.

At long last, it truly feels like spring on the farm, but the weirdness of this past winter is still following me around.  I've spent most of this week with my leg propped up or else in a doctor's office.  Monday night we spent the whole evening in the emergency room because my right leg, from the knee down was so swollen, I could hardly walk.  The doctor diagnosed a blood clot, and I am just now understanding how scary that diagnosis was.  I was given a shot of blood thinner and sent home with instructions to report first thing the next morning for an ultra-sound.  Knowing what I know now, I'm so grateful that the ER doctor was wrong.  Ultra-sound showed one large blood filled cyst behind my knee and another down my calf.  These were likely caused by being knocked down by a ewe who had just lambed, that I was moving to a lambing jug.  (In her hormonal state, I'm sure she thought she was protecting her baby.)  I'm being told that is the best of the bad things it could have been. (How's that for putting things in perspective?)  After much consultation,  it's been decided that surgery is too risky and so we are waiting to see if it will go down on it's own.  This morning the swelling is significantly diminished, so I'm keeping fingers crossed that I'm nearly through this.  Poor Mike has been doing all his veterinary work, then coming home to take care of me and the sheep!  All night after our emergency room visit, I kept waking up, thinking about how I just couldn't possibly die right now because I needed to clean out the pantry and some closets.  I didn't want anyone to see what a mess they were - even after I'm gone!  How's that for logic?

Anyway, today is gorgeous outside and we're supposed to hit the 70's, so all in all, life is good.  We've been lucky to have no lambs born during all the drama with me.  I'm hoping they all wait until the weekend, when Mike will be here all day and I will be upright for longer periods of time.  There are five ewes who look as though they could deliver at any moment and they surely will go in the next few days.

Sunday afternoon, Sara and Saint Tim came over for a visit and Sara took some really sweet pictures of the lambs.  You can look at all of them here.  Sara is having Lamb Camp days on her blog right now, featuring pictures of lambs from lots of farms around central Kentucky.  Sara's a terrific photographer and has a fun blog showcasing the personalities of all her animals.  She will be teaching a workshop at the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival - Intro to Blogging with a Side of Photography that will be a great class to take for any of you interested in blogging and/or photography.  Since I've mentioned the festival, please go check out all the workshops.  We have wonderful choices this year and it's a beautiful time to visit the Bluegrass.

8 comments:

  1. Where is the "like" button?!? Seriously, SO glad it was not clots in your leg!!! You may be just beginning to understand, but I knew, when I heard, how extremely serious that would have been!!!! Cysts are bad enough, and I hope they subside quickly without aspiration.

    LOVE your lambie photos on Sara's blog!!!! And to think I was concerned you wouldn't have any color!!! The lamb pen looks like salt and pepper, with all those black (or dark) and light lambs! :-) So glad the girls are giving you a break. So Gabby is Graham's sister? I should have known. Her twins are pistols, but the others are catching up, and are mastering the "king of the straw bale" game. So much fun watching the Lamb Cam.

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  2. Wishing you a speedy recovery! I have enjoyed peeking in on the lamb cam this last week. One time I caught about 3 or 4 little ones hopping around. So cute!

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  3. Those little lambs are so precious!! I do hope you're getting better--what a scare. Do you have any black fleeces for sale?

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  4. Wow--I just was watching you and the babies and mama on Lamb Cam. Is there any one there to help you? You're really limping badly.

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    1. All is well. Mike arrived just when I needed him! Those two boy lambs (number 1412 and 1413) are whoppers and heavy. Mom and babies are installed in a lambing jug and I've been ordered to sit down and put my leg up!

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  5. Wishing you well with the blood clot. Dealing with them is a challenge but it sounds like you have a "good" type of clot.

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  6. Oh Diane. Get well soon. Sending healing thoughts. BTW that peacock is gorgeous. I always wanted one but can't justify the $ because would be a goner around here w all the wildlife.

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  7. Love that peacock! Isn't it gre atthat it's festival season.

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