The lamb chops are fattening up nicely. Number 26 pulls at my heart a bit; the smallest of the bunch, he likes a good ear rub. But chops and more they are. Period. Electric fencing suitable for sheep came in from Premier One, and I assembled it in our paddock within a half-hour. I needed a cooper pipe, small ladder and mallet to complete the job (prior to installing the fence, I let the solar battery/shocker charge for a couple days of sunshine). The lambs currently enjoy eating all the time, even while laying down.

Michael and I plan to slaughter them in November. The grass is growing ferociously, consistently, so I’ve gotten out the scythe to attempt putting up our own hay. Folks not too far removed from their parents’ days of doing such a thing out of necessity have given me some tips: get it dry before putting it in the barn; make sure it is ventilated well (so as to avoid both mildew and potential heat/fire problems), and we’ve talked tools. I need a hay rake. First things first, a day of ‘mowing.’ My aluminum scythe is nice and lightweight for me, but the heft of a wooden one would actually cut better as a result of simple physics and force behind that swing. Regardless, I bring along a file and give a couple sharpening strokes every 10 minutes or so. I’ll wait a day or two before beginning to gather the cut hay . . . enough time for me to figure out where to put it.