It Takes a Village

I woke up at 3am worrying about our new lamb.  Was she safe?  Was she warm? Did coyotes hop the dutch door in the barn and attack her?  As awful visions entered my mind, I reminded myself to pray.   And then I just kept repeating, "Faith over fear... faith over fear."  I've gotten better, but I still struggle with that...

Dawn couldn't come soon enough, and I couldn't wait to check the barn.  So I left with the kids early this morning so we could stop by the farm on the way to school.  I had the kids wait in the car, just in case; and I warily walked to the stall where our lamb spent her first night with us.  My heart was beating so hard, but when I peered over the dutch door and saw her looking right up at me, a beautiful warm feeling rushed over me and all was well in the world again. And I smiled so big...  that smile I can't help - but love so much... and my eyes filled with tears of relief and gratitude.

iphone photo of our new lamb her first morning at our farm

First time she let me pet her

After I took the kids to school, I came back to spend some bonding time her. She is just so scared and skittish.  She still lays down most of the time, but if you get close to her, she gets up and runs around the stall.  Her feet hurt, but still she runs.  I want her to know she can trust me and that I love her.

Her wool is dirty and matted into dreadlocks, but around her face and neck, she feels so soft and warm.  She seemed to like being pet, and I feel like she was listening to me as I assured her that she was safe and here to stay.

I noticed that she didn't eat much of the hay we left her the night before, and that concerned me.  The vet wasn't coming until Friday, but I'd be sure to ask William (the ex sheep farmer / horse farrier) when he got there at noon to look at her feet.


And there was the issue of her name.  Since I've always wanted a lamb, of course I had a name already chosen.  Lulubelle.  But somehow, this lamb wasn't Lulubelle.  It just didn't work for her.  For some reason, the name Hope kept coming back to me.  And she looked like Hope to me.  Much more than Lulubelle that's for sure.  Also, I love the meaning... especially right now - at this time in my life and also during difficult times in many of my friends' lives.  It seems we all need hope right now- afterall, who doesn't?

So somehow later this morning, the most wonderful group of people ended up joining me at my farm... there was Martha (my best friend & horse trainer), Pastor Scott (who had come to talk with me), Kyle, Kyle's friend from church who wanted to check on the lamb, and of course Beth (my new partner in crime). :)  We all gathered around the barn and talked... our hearts so full. ♥  New friendships were made, we laughed about how it all happened, and we rejoiced at the happy ending for this lamb and how it was really a beautiful new beginning...

Then at a little after noon, look who showed up... in a tiger striped jeep!!  Beth and I just kept laughing and smiling...  you just couldn't make this up if you tried.  William, or Billy as I like to call him... pullin' up to the barn in his Fred Flintstone mobile. lol...  We were all cracking up. :)

After taking a look at the lamb, William told us that he thought she was around a year old and that she indeed had been neglected.  Her tail had never been docked (which was fine with me), and her wool was a mess as we could see. Her feet were very overgrown and in pain.  He confirmed our thought that she was a Katadhin sheep. As for being pregnant, he said her teets were waxing, so it was possible but that she wasn't due anytime soon.

He also confirmed that she was wild and scared and indeed needed some bonding time but that he was sure she'd end up being my best friend. ♥




Before we knew what was happening, William had recruited Kyle as his new sheep wrangler / farrier assistant.  It was hysterical...

But when they started to try to catch her, she ran around frantically and then tried to jump out the top of the open dutch door.  I closed it and then had to walk away because seeing her scared made me so sad.

It didn't take long, and William announced that her feet were done and in good shape now.  Her feet still seemed sore and she continued to hobble around a bit, so I will be sure to ask the vet to check her feet on Friday.

When William began to leave, I asked him how much I should write him a check for.  He thought about it for a second and then he looked at me and said, "No charge."

Wow...  I just can't believe how many people have touched the life of this one lamb...  and how many lives have been touched and will surely be touched by her story.  As the six of us gathered at her door, watching her in her light filled stall, I wondered what the world would be like if we all showed each other the kind of love and compassion that so many people have shown to this one lost lamb...

What if?