The Hare and the Tortoise

                                          Elizabetta is an alpaca

                                           Rosemary my pet sheep

                                           Thelma is a pygmy goat

                                            Sampson and Delilah are our LGDs

   My husband is a hare; he is a type A high energy person. I am a tortoise, slowly meandering around
most days with my head tucked in my shell. We have been so busy this almost spring on our farm. My husband's head has been spinning around thinking of all he wants and needs to do. I'm tucking my head further in my shell so it doesn't start spinning, too.
   We sold all our sheep except Rosemary, my pet, and Harriett, who doesn't shed any of her hair. We have 12 new ewes coming in May so we have to get the pasture ready for them-checking the fence, providing food troughs and water buckets.
   In the meantime, my husband the hare decided he would buy some alpacas-7 females and two  crias
and two herd sires. In April we will breed them, hoping for more cria next April. They are pregnant for 12 months?!?!
    I tried to talk my husband out of getting the alpacas but when his head is set on doing something, it's best to just step out of his way and let him go after it. Now that we have them, I'm in love-again! Their long necks are so graceful and they are peaceful like the sheep.
   We need to halter train the alpacas before the shearer comes in April to shear them all. Then we need to figure out what to do with all that valuable fleece. We have gone to a couple of spinning classes and have discovered that we have absolutely no talent for this. Needles and yarn have never been my friends.
   I need to take my Border collie, Grace, to agility classes; and all our dogs are due vaccinations and grooming. We now have a way to transport Sampson and Delilah; they have overgrown any type of vehicle except my husband's truck. He has found a ramp that they will walk up on to get in the truck bed. At least, Delilah has done this. Not Sampson our huge baby yet.
   We have 3 calves we are raising for meat and have had to bottlefeed. Actually we fasten buckets with long nipples onto the fence and they drink from this-twice every day. And our pygmy goat, Louise, gave birth to triplets. What cuteness!!! The 8 hens we bought for laying eggs have laid nary an egg. I've told them they are not at a resort. They are supposed to work for their accomodations.
   On top of all that our daughter and two youngest granddaughters are coming tomorrow to stay the week of their spring break. And then our oldest granddaughter and a friend are coming for their spring break next week.
   Is your head spinning yet? Mine is, just writing this. But it is almost spring (although we had snow and sleet yesterday); and a steady dose of sunshine will cure many ills. Depression?? I don't have time to let it settle in any more. And I believe (finally believe) that my God will never leave me or forsake me. "No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you", Joshua 1:5.
   My God directs my steps, delights in my life's details; and He holds my hand so that I won't fall on my back if I trip over. "The Lord directs the steps of  the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand", Psalm 37:23-24.
   I love this life that God has given me and I can't praise Him enough for making something beautiful out of my life that was such a hot mess and worse. "I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely", Psalm 63:6-8.