Rest in Peace my old ram Dram!

In part because there is a glut of good ram, in part because folks want the new bloodlines, and in part because most rams become just plain old nasty after a year or two of being the top breeding ram, and they older they get the meaner they get..

I bought dram as a proven two coming three year old, he was bought in part because he was what I wanted gen wise, (being from a quebec breeder) and part because he had been a bottle baby, was as sweet as they get and was halter and lead broke.

I have never regretted it for a moment, he has been with us for eight years, for eight years he has been a total sweetheart for around 50 weeks of the year and a total butthead for two weeks a year..  he has always been better with Dh then me during the rut, but thankfully, even during the rut, he is respectful to the hounds that come out to do chores with us, bring the hound, and he will keep his distance.

He is 11 coming 12 this winter and I do believe it will be his last with us..(could I know that the very day I wrote this post, I would find him passed in the barn on the evening chores) in truth we need new blood, but not in a huge way, I started my lines carefully, I had five different female bloodlines and a unrelated male bloodline, the truth is, I can now line-breed for a good long while in the herd without it being much of a issue.

what will no doubt be his last babies are filling their mommies tummies, the ewe’s are the bringers of new life, they are the first of the critters on the farm that will bring new babies in 2014,and I am looking forward to it, forward to the lambs, forward to the fresh sheep milk, forward to fresh feta cheese, forward to that amazing rich sheep cream in my tea’s.

I can’t wait to see baby lamb bops and jumps and running to and for.. to rub velvet soft lambs ears and while I never want it to happen, if I end up with a wee bottle babe, it won’t break me, I will have a lamb puppy that while driving me crazy on the house cleaning, I will in fact adore its cuddle time, being its momma, and feeding it the bottle.

So while it is sad to see my old boy dram losing just a bit of ground each day, I know that it will be only a matter of time before his son’s and daughters fill my life and world with smiles.. the cycle of life as they say..

This in so many ways applies to 2013 coming into 2014, there have been many good things in my life in 2013, but they are waning and new are coming!