Who shears in the cold?

Yes, it has been too cold to even think of shearing lately.  This is sort of my "preseason".  Any work I can get done now, before the rush of march-june, is a bonus.  People with warm enough barns who want to shed their sheep of winter coats before lambing like to get it done with now.  The cold is not the only problem; dealing with the precipitation side of weather is also.  In the spring, even when it rains, shearing is possible if the sheep have cover.  But when the snow is flurryin it can be hard just to get to the job.  So it's good I don't have too packed of a schedule.

My favorite old Scottish folk song:

"Oh it's nice to get up in the mornin when the sun begins to shine.  At three or four or five o'clock in the good ol' summertime. But when the snow is blowin and it's mirky overhead, it's nice to get up in the mornin but it's nicer to lie in bed. 
My brother Nay's a teacher and he sleeps along with me.  He gets up and lights the fire and starts his work at three.  And before he gets his trousers on his legs are nearly numb.  While I lie beneath the covers and this is what I hum;
Oh it's nice to get up in the mornin when the sun begins to shine, at three or four or five o'clock in the good ol' summertime. But when the snow is blowin and it's mirky overhead, it's nice to get up in the mornin but it's much nicer to lie in bed."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdBUjv5EgLw 

Stay warm!