2-19-11

My week began with high winds, blowing snow, and lamb butchering.  Due to the weather, the butcher showed up quite early Monday morning, and I was alerted to his arrival by the earnest barking of the dogs, aka “the boys”.  Outside, I saw the dogs enthusiastically welcoming him, pressing themselves against the pasture gate causing its chain to strain against the post; the butcher stayed in his truck.  Funny thing is that they’re just big and loud, not mean, but very sweet, good-natured dogs.  I was not prepared for this early arrival, and had to rush the dogs off to a different area, and then move the sheep into a pen to pick out the lambs.  Sheep like routine, and they really don’t like strangers, so I was concerned that the disruption of their morning schedule would cause them to be on edge, and that they would not go easily into the pen.  Turned out that they were happy to move, and I quickly had two large lambs picked out and bled, ready to be field butchered.  A short time later, I was enjoying a late breakfast of very fresh lamb’s liver and eggs.  I’m not a fan of beef liver, but lamb liver is mild and delicious.  It’s important, I think, to use all we can from each animal, and as best we can.  Most of the liver, and the other offal, will be frozen for the dogs.  We’re always sad to see the animals go, and lamb-butchering day is an especially sad day.  I have different thoughts and feelings about the various reasons there are for killing an animal.  Maybe I’ll reflect on those reasons another time, maybe not.

As I’ve mentioned, he’s back.  Old Man Winter has returned, and none too soon for me.  Four feet of new snow fell on the mountain this past week, and it is snowing pretty hard right now.  At the moment, we have pretty good snowshoe conditions, but I think I may plant tomato seeds in the greenhouse first, and snowshoe later.  I’m looking forward to the snow and wet washing away all the cedar pollen.  It seems strange to me that the cedars bloom in midwinter.