Sheep Fort

A fierce wind blew sinister snakes of snow across the pasture. Stella and Nyssa followed the powder, noses to the ground as they licked up the snow for a drink. Then, they saw the humans were working on something.

What is happening? As the humans worked, the two ewes snuck closer. One human noticed and stepped toward them. Run away, run away! Nyssa and Stella skittered back to watch from a safe distance.

When the humans stepped aside, the ewes skipped forward to inspect the structure’s materials. Is this food? It smells like food. Nyssa ran around the back, Stella following, and discovered that, no, it wasn’t food…it was a hideaway!

The sheep loved hideaways. They could look out and see what was going on without anyone seeing them. They could pretend to be detectives, observing which of their comrades kept stealing their favorite sleeping spots.

Their first observation as detectives was, Everyone else is eating hay. Why aren’t they coming over to inspect this marvelous adventure fort?

So the sheep ventured forth to interview their friends and solve the mystery.

Thanks for Reading!

And I hope you feel refreshed and rejuvenated for the week ahead with this moment preserved in picture and prose. Consider:

• What did you do during a school snow day?

Share your answer and this newsletter with a classmate who enjoyed snow days like you did!

If Sylvan Sundays was forwarded to you, welcome! Subscribe to receive this newsletter each week by clicking the button below.

This Week on the Farm

Our heroes solved the mystery: the rest of their comrades didn’t want to be around the humans!

Once the shepherds left, the flock immediately ran over to the fort:

The fort is a windbreak made of straw bales. While sheep wear thick wool sweaters 24/7, goats’ fur traps air that keeps them warm, and llamas have double-layered coats that repel moisture and provide insulation, it’s always nice to have a respite from the wind.

We’re hunkering down this week, as temperatures will stay well below freezing. Yesterday, we moved the Shropshires and our pygmy doe to the barn to prepare them for lambing and kidding. The Shetlands and llamas will stay outside, as the ewes won’t start lambing until late March.

It’s also a good time to see Light in Winter: The Exhibition at the Crawfordsville District Public Library! Hours for the library are 9-9 Monday-Thursday, 9-5 on Friday and Saturday, and 1-5 on Sunday.

Farm Shop

Meat is here! We are now selling individual packages and have already sold out of ground lamb! Here is what we have available:

Reply to this email to let us know what you’d like to try!