We are all very sad, as I have to report that tonight, while we were not with him, Frederick drowned in the water bucket.
It has been said that when a sheep awakes in the morning, he tries to decide how to die that day. This is because sheep are darn difficult to keep alive, somehow. On our little farm we don't have to deal with death too often. Usually it is one of our hens, and we can be sad about losing one of the ones of whom we especially fond, but lambs are so very adorable, and engaging. It is tougher.
Dolores was distressed, of course. I don't know how to comfort her. Even February was agitated. And Dancer, the other ewe, was facing the corner, like she didn't want to see. I laid Frederick out and let Dolores explore his lifelessness, so she knows he is gone.
Poor Middlest. She is very sad. And Youngest is working on quite a sadness jag. I feel sick myself.
The water buckets are now fastened extra high, hopefully too high for lambs to explore and low enough for ewes to drink.
Sigh.
Oh, I am so sorry! What a sad thing.
ReplyDeleteJust reading this now...This breaks my heart. Tell me, how is Dolores? I have gotten a few tidbits of bad news today.. this being my third. I'm having a good cry for a lamb I never met... and feeling for mommy Dolores (and all the other sad mommies today). Strangely, I just remember now that I had a dream last night that somehow Tabs and I got separated on a river (me in a boat, her on a dock) In my dream, my plan was to row the boat to shore and grab her, but, before I could do that, she jumped in towards me. The sick terror I felt at that moment is very real to me right now. Thankfully, my subconscious saved us both.. I jumped in and the current rushed me close enough to grab her, hold her and inhale her. I wish I could give that gift to everyone who is losing or has lost a child right now. Sorry so dark... just a rough day for some that I can't help and would give anything if I could.
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