Yesterday was a bit of a blur.

I got news that there was a shearer in town, and he might be able to fit me in this week. I’ve now got an appointment, and have to rush some of my spring cleaning to ease that process.

I got another call out of the blue from a hay guy I’d tried to contract last fall. He’s got more hay customers and more equipment than he had last year, so he’s now more interested. We are both hoping to get hay harvested sooner than was done last two years, which increases its nutritional profile, and puts us another step towards a 100% grass fed operation. He is also willing to till and reseed rather than spray and reseed, so we can rapidly improve the field. (I’d rather improve with 3 cuttings, but he’s the one burning the gas and you get less hay per cutting that way although more in the whole season.)

Meanwhile, I’m on a 13 hour shift at work…

My husband finds the poor feral cat dead on the road. At least now I know what color it was, before I only ever saw a blur (black and grey tabby).

When I finally got home after 11 PM, did regular barn chores and then started cleaning and rearranging for the upcoming shearing day. The big deal there was that Hoppo and Rigel finally got to meet. Rams that don’t know each other can be a bit touch and go. We put them in one of the smaller stalls, and dumped a bunch of hay bales inside to make it harder to charge across it. Rigel is being pushy, Hoppo is hovering behind Rigel’s shoulder out of the main line of fire. They’ll take breaks from wrestling to grab a snack together. If I see them get too aggressive I’ll put halters on them and clip them together so they can’t back up and get a running start at each other. As rocky as the introduction period can be, in the long run it will be good for the rams to be buddies instead of being alone. In a couple months when the grass comes in we’ll put them out on one of the ram pastures together.

2 AM and I was finally able to hit the sack for a few hours before getting up to go to the city job again. Thank God for caffeine and flex time, I’ll be getting off a bit early today to pick up plywood for a shearing floor and do some barn cleaning and mapling before dark.

Tomorrow is shearing day. Shouldn’t take the pro long to do my little flock, but I need to work from home while waiting for him to show, and afterwards I’ll have 8 fleeces to skirt, sort, and put up for sale. …and then back to town to make a late meeting at work…