Today was a big vet day. We started at the house and vaccinated all the barn cats. Then we went to the barn and they did the dogs. Next came the sheep.
I had a pen of frail sheep separated out that didn't need to be jostled around in the main pen. We left Maisie in that pen as well as she's, um, a little mentally frail and no one wanted to get rhinoceros-ed by her, especially as she'd recently sharpened her fangs ;-). Everyone else was crowded into a small working pen so they were easy to catch without any running around and in no time at all everyone was done.
From there we went to the other end of the barn where Rocky and Jared, the two Nistock rams that had been at Tring Farm for the last few years, have now moved. They needed a retirement home and our place seemed most obvious. Family takes care of family. To live here though they needed to be castrated.
After that...we gathered up our supplies...and our nerve...and walked back into the main barn. I knew what I'd see. I just knew.
I don't know what Muffin and Pepperpot knew. Maybe Muffin was just a little stressed from getting her booster shot and was only looking for some comfort and reassurance. Maybe Mrs. Pepperpot knew she was in a bad way and something was going to be done. Maybe they'd both understood what I'd tried to tell them last night.
As I stood there trying to get up my courage to open the door, Mrs. P. turned her head and tucked it over Muffin's. I quickly took this one last picture because I was afraid I'd regret it if I didn't and then laid my head on the wall and sobbed. I can break my own heart...but I've never had to break someone else's.
I opened the gate so everyone would go out to graze. Muffin went out with them. We had a little apple and Cheerios party and Mrs. P. went easily. Muffin was one of the first sheep back to the barn and she came right in to see her and I think understood.
Muffin is a big girl. She grew up loved and encouraged and nothing is going to stop her. That she grew up at all is a testament to her toughness. And it was that love and devotion and toughness that made everyone fall in love with both of them.
It was an honor, Mrs. Pepperpot. We will all take good care of your baby. And we'll all miss the heck out of you.
