What a lovely post! I just heard the first robins chirping this morning here in upstate New York.
I love my little sheep herd, but they certainly do bring me some anxiety in the spring. At this time of year, I start to remember the times my husband was shouting in my ear, "Go in! Your hands are smaller!" In those moments of dark unknowing of what will happen from minute to minute during lambing I wonder why on earth we took this on, but with every successful birth, every frolic of the lambs in spring makes it all seem worth it (until you have to send some off for meat in the fall).
I would love to hear how an American Dawn Chorus sounds compared to our British one. There would be some similarities I reckon but some big differences too.
Thank you for sharing these snippets of your lambing experience, Adrienne. Until I started to follow and listen to some farmers I had (like most of the general public) a rather romanticised view of lambing and was unaware of the perils and tragedies of this time ("dark unknowing" is a wonderful evocative way of putting it). But the joys are great too and who can resist fawning over a little frolicking lamb!
Exiled as I am to a place with perfect climate and spectacular hiking within an hour, I enjoy the memories of England your pieces awake. Especially the Penines and the rambles of my youth.
However your flowery style gets in the way. Please get a merciless editor (I know one) and start losing about 1/3 of each piece. In the meantme, read "Cousin Len's Wonderful Adjective Cellar".
Thank you so much for this. It is a very needful critique.
I have been told by a number of folk in the past to lean into my poetic style - but I can see after reading the "adjective cellar" that I have gone way, way over the top with this recently. So thank you.
I have edited this piece down (probably still too flowery for your liking - but alas, I'm not willing to completely jettison my trademark style). Hopefully, it is an improvement. I am now going back through my archive to do the same to each essay in turn.
What a lovely post! I just heard the first robins chirping this morning here in upstate New York.
I love my little sheep herd, but they certainly do bring me some anxiety in the spring. At this time of year, I start to remember the times my husband was shouting in my ear, "Go in! Your hands are smaller!" In those moments of dark unknowing of what will happen from minute to minute during lambing I wonder why on earth we took this on, but with every successful birth, every frolic of the lambs in spring makes it all seem worth it (until you have to send some off for meat in the fall).
I would love to hear how an American Dawn Chorus sounds compared to our British one. There would be some similarities I reckon but some big differences too.
Thank you for sharing these snippets of your lambing experience, Adrienne. Until I started to follow and listen to some farmers I had (like most of the general public) a rather romanticised view of lambing and was unaware of the perils and tragedies of this time ("dark unknowing" is a wonderful evocative way of putting it). But the joys are great too and who can resist fawning over a little frolicking lamb!
Especially if you have to take a bottle baby indoors! :)
After I read this article I probably spent an hour reading about sheep. I started with “why is rain bad for lambs” and then I just kept going.
I had not the remotest suspicion I would find sheep an interesting topic till I read your essay.
Happy spring.
Beautifully written. No wonder my husband has such a fondness for the sheep of his childhood years.
Your style reminds me of the joys of precis.
Would you mind expanding on what you mean by this, JWT?
Exiled as I am to a place with perfect climate and spectacular hiking within an hour, I enjoy the memories of England your pieces awake. Especially the Penines and the rambles of my youth.
However your flowery style gets in the way. Please get a merciless editor (I know one) and start losing about 1/3 of each piece. In the meantme, read "Cousin Len's Wonderful Adjective Cellar".
All the best.
Thank you so much for this. It is a very needful critique.
I have been told by a number of folk in the past to lean into my poetic style - but I can see after reading the "adjective cellar" that I have gone way, way over the top with this recently. So thank you.
I have edited this piece down (probably still too flowery for your liking - but alas, I'm not willing to completely jettison my trademark style). Hopefully, it is an improvement. I am now going back through my archive to do the same to each essay in turn.
Thank you again for saying this. I needed it.
Warmly
Hadden