To: JF Quinnelly who wrote (65708 ) 10/31/2004 10:20:41 PM From: Crocodile Read Replies (1) | Respond to I've known a few farmers like that over the years. Most are bachelors who have never left the family farm except, as in the example which you've mentioned, to go overseas during the war. I used to buy orphan and third-of-triplet lambs from an old lad who lived near my place. He had a beautiful homestead which had been in his family for over 150 years -- classic Georgian-style sandstone house with all original woodwork and big pine plank floors. He kept sheep, the very old strain of dual-purpose Shorthorn cattle, a few hogs, and hens. He also had one of the best maple sugar bushes in this area. He rarely spoke to strangers, so the first couple of times I came over to pick up day-old lambs, he barely said a word. But then he got used to me and I wouldn't get out of his barn for about 3 or 4 hours -- pretty much had to plan on shooting half of my day each time he called me to come and pick up a lamb. Funniest time was when he called and said he had a lamb for me, so I went and got it -- spent all morning there -- and then the next morning, he called to say he got mixed up and that the lamb wasn't a triplet at all, but was a twin off of another sheep and she was baaahing for it, so could I bring it back. Another half a day shot returning the lamb! I've sometimes wondered if he mixed things up on purpose just to squeeze in a couple of visits because he was lonely...<g>
