In the winter, it’s difficult for us to spend much time with the sheep and the donkeys. It’s too cold so sit outside, and the donkeys get edgy in the cold, they can’t graze and get restless.

Today, before we had some friends arrive for dinner (tortellini, kale, broccoli, non-wheat spaetzle, scallions, Lemon Artichoke Pesto, parmesan cheese, pine nuts) we went out and set up two plastic chairs and sat with our animals.

They seemed to welcome it.

They need us as much as we need them, sheep and donkeys have lived with human beings for thousands of years, and they need our attention when we live with them.

The sheep clustered around us, then the donkeys. The usually standoffish Lulu put her head on my shoulder and we more or less hugged one another for a long time. It’s been awhile.

Then it was Fanny’s turn to nudge me with her nose and demand scratching behind the ears. I love this part of our lives. I love our donkeys more than I can say. And it was a beautiful day with a gorgeous sky.

The donkeys are among the most meditative animals, they love to stand with us while we sit with them. Even the sheep seemed to want to cluster around us, I took this photo of Maria, an iconic Bedlam Farm photo, and then I put the camera away, and the donkeys came over and we sat with them for 30 or 40 minutes.

This is an essential part of our life, and in the cold weather we miss meditating and sitting with our animals. It was so good to pick up this beautiful tradition again.