That Time of Year

I've probably written about this in past years - it seems to happen to me at some point every summer.  I reach a point where I'm so tired mentally and physically that feel I'm ready to throw in the towel.  There were several days last week when an air-conditioned office job with a steady paycheck sounded pretty attractive.

Part of my malaise comes from working 6-1/2 to 7 days a week this time of year.  With sheep spread between Rocklin and southern Nevada County, my days can stretch pretty long.  We tend to fill up most of the daylight hours with work.  Part of it stems from the relatively low pay that comes with my job.  I've never had a desire to get rich, but it would be nice to live with a little less financial stress, too.

For me, these "dog days" of summer will last until sometime in August.  Usually in the last half of August, I'll awake to a morning that feels and smells like autumn.  I'll remember, then, that the year is turning and that cooler weather is around the corner.  We'll be closer to marketing this year's lamb and mutton, which will alleviate the financial pressure on our family.  And we'll start preparing for getting the sheep bred - I'll start getting excited about next year's lamb crop.  In the meantime, I'm looking forward to spending a few days in the mountains next week out of cell phone range!