Sheep produce a lot of milk, and you get it while the gettin' is good, when if that means 5:00am. One day on the farm I woke up to see what it's all about, and by 4:50 I was out on the porch of the caeseficio waiting for the shepherds. The sheep were there well before waiting for their obligitory duties to be over before being led out to be surrounding fields to gorge themselves on lush, damp grass.
Milking is no walk in the park. Each sheep is it's own person, having it's own kind of day, witha uniquely shaped udder and a unique personality to go with it. Just for the record, sheep have two teats on opposite sides of their udders (almost like one behind each leg- I'll admit I thought they had more! How embarrassing is that?). Some are just dying to be milked and lower themselves and spread their legs, while others dance, or cross their legs and want nothing to do with you. Antonio, Domenico and Christian can milk like its nothing, but I am definitely still learning. Which is why this morning, when I milked 20 sheep in 45 minutes, I was completely elated.
Look at all that delicious frothy milk! Can I add 'milking' to my resume?? I don't know but I do know that I was so happy to have the opportunity to do this and start my day the way people have been for thousands and thousands of years.
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