We planned for lambs in March...

...but apparently the sheep had a different idea.



Came home the other day to find 2 little lambs. They are from one of the California Red cross ewes. Cute little buggers- tiny! One looks like dad and is white with the red markings, the other looks more Barbado like mom. They have their little lamb coats on them and they've gotten their Lamb's Choice Total colostrum boost to help keep them warm.


Which means- the other ewe could go anytime too. So we'll be keeping a close watch on them.

So why the long drought between entries?

Let’s just say sometimes life gets in the way. The girls completed their heat cycles without driving everyone completely nuts, although Bubba sure was a mental wreck! And just as Honey & Lola are finishing, Eva came into heat. Sigh- at least this was a little easier to manage. Bubba was already used to the snarkiness and isolation.

Things got busy at work with our database and the “regular” work I do. The GOOD thing about being able to work from home is that sometimes, when you need to leave a little early, you can finish up at home. The BAD thing about being able to work from home is that you have access to things that you used to be able to leave at the office until the next day… It’s a mixed blessing that I wouldn’t trade. At least this way, I don’t have to commute for hours a day. I can do a little extra work while still in my bunny slippers (or sitting on the deck on a bright sunny day!) and still have time with my family.

How many things can break at your house at the same time? Since August, we’ve had 1 minor fender bender; a truck vs deer collision; the “new” dryer broke; the 30+ year old dryer went on to appliance heaven; the refrigerator repaired 2x; new rear brakes on 1 vehicle (which now needs fronts…); well, you get the picture. I really need to get a lottery ticket- you know- the one with the 6 winning numbers…

Sometimes when your teenage kids get sick, you just have to roll with it. The sniffles, the aches, pains, low fevers… Oh wait! That might be the flu. No testing, just assume that’s what they have. When they get sick again within the month, figure it’s the next bug going around. Then the sinus infection- two rounds of antibiotics. When finally her tonsils blow up to the size of tennis balls, you gotta do something. So out they came- but then we had to have a curveball in there- she tested positive for Mono! Well- that explains all those early symptoms… So after almost 3 months, the VERY crabby, irritable, tired teenage girl is FINALLY almost back to her NORMAL crabby, irritable self! (Hey- she’s still a teenage girl after all- what else would we expect). ;)

And just when you think things can’t get any crazier, I added another variable. Or two. Ollie & Lilly are from Butcher’s. Peg picked them up in OK and I met her in IA for the hand-off. They are kin to Lola- related via Copper & Sasha. Ollie will stay with us while Lilly is at our place until she can be with her owner- however long that may be. Ollie is a very biddable, empathetic, caring pup. He is very interested in people, but also loves being out working. He has to check on us to make sure we’re ok; he doesn’t stray too far away when we’re out and about the farm. Lilly is much more independent, bossy and very willing to challenge the big dogs or the sheep. When she arrived, she would take off much farther from us than Ollie. She’s benefited from being with the Alpha Girl Pack at our house- if she hadn’t been under the tutelage of Lola & Honey, I think she would have had some bossiness issues down the road. As it is, she knows her place, but has no problem stepping up to the plate. She’s much more interested in being with us than at first and is fairly biddable. She will make a great sheep dog- loves to tell those big woolies what to do! And she delights in making the tom turkey go back into the poultry area.

There isn’t a lot to do with the livestock once the weather hits, so the dogs are on hiatus for a while. There’s always the job of holding sheep back when we’re feeding, and letting the turkeys know who the REAL bosses of the farm are, but aside from that, it’s mostly socialization and play. With the 2 young pups, 11m old Eva, and the mature dogs, it can be quite a blast to watch! The pups are learning proper pack dynamics- from how to approach a big dog; how to steal the big dog’s toy without getting reprimanded; how to share blanket space; etc. They learned the daily routines quickly. And they love being outside. The more time outside the better- regardless of the weather. Cold, snow, rain- doesn’t matter. We’ve had to keep a steady supply of towels by the doors so we can grab them and dry them off before they get too far inside.

So- no- nothing's been happening here!

Hormone Fog

No pups for us until later in 2010. With everything that’s going on right now, the timing wouldn’t be good. I might have another trip out of the country for work next spring and don’t want to leave the rest of the family on-duty. Honey's in full heat; Lola and Eva are just starting. Honey's passive/aggressive right now- she's either snarking nonstop or trying to get lovey-dovey with anyone so she can get out.

Lola is in high gear- everything has to be done at high speed and energy. And Eva is following right behind her mother- she has decided she doesn't like Bubba's attempts at getting Honey's attention and has found her outside voice.

Bubba can't think and forgets to eat. He's so smitten he's useless if there is a girl in the outside kennel. Our Lab, Tucker, is beside himself- he remembers something about what it was like when he COULD do something- but now that he's neutered, he doesn't quite remember what it was that was so wonderful.

Life is far from quiet at our house!


Bubba (What? I can't help it!)
Honey (Love you- get away from me)
Lola (Now! Do it now!)
Eva (I'll be the enforcer since none of them can think straight)

Kirstie Alley - Give me a break!

Okay- I usually don't comment about Hollywood crap but this is really bugging me. I'm tired of hearing about it in the news. This woman weighs a lot more than 228#'s! Even taking into account that a person with a lot of fat can be a larger size than a comparably weighted lean person, she is far heavier than she admits.

These pictures from May show the fat deposits in the neck that give it away...

Kirstie 1

Kirstie 2

At 5'7", she could weigh 228 and not be this big. She is easily a size 22 or better. It's sad that she keeps doing the weight yo-yo. If she'd stop dieting and eat a normal, healthy diet, her weight would stabilize. It may not be at a size 6, but it would stabilize.

I'm 5'9" and weigh in the range of 200-225, wearing a size 16-18 and I sure as hell don't look like that! You can still see my wrists, neck, collarbones, etc. I eat mostly whole grains, veges & fruits (I could eat more...) and lean meats. But I'm not a purist- I drink 1% milk so I can have my ice cream. I like certain sweets. My BP is around 110/70, cholesterol levels right where they are supposed to be. I live with the reality that my body wants to be warm in the winter... ;)

My middle daughter is 5'10" and is a very lean 165- and wears a size 9. I'd love to be pre-child weight again (same as my daughter is currently) but I just don't have the kind of time, dedication or desire that it would take. And funny thing- 25 years ago, a woman weighing 165# was a size 14/16. Do you think they play free with the sizes a little??? I didn't know anyone over 7 years of age that wore a size 3.

And you'll never catch me drinking diet sodas.

YUCK! EEW!

One left…

Well- actually 3 -but the Suffolks don’t count… I have one Jacob yearling left to shear. I had hoped to finish this weekend but time just ran out. So- once the rain is over this week and it dries out a touch, she’ll be done. I’ll probably just let the Suffolk ewe keep what’s left of her fleece (she shed some) and the wether, well, he won’t be needing his much longer. :p

The Shetland ewes have moved on to their new home. While l love their personalities, mothering skills and fleeces, they just didn’t fit into the farm plan. We’ll be sticking with the bigger sheep- Romney, Lincoln, Corriedale & Targhee cross ewes, an assortment of rams, and the Jacob flock. It may seem counterintuitive, but it’s easier for us to manage the larger sheep than the small ones. Sydney is almost 6’ tall, so the short sheep are really hard for her to handle.

We’re hoping to get a shelter up for the winter. The tent-type shelter we tried last year didn’t make it through the wind storms last spring and we’ve gotten a preview this weekend of what’s to come. Don't you just love stormy skies?

So, after taking care of the fencing and feed bills, it’s on to a shelter. I don’t need anything fancy- just something to block the wind and keep the snow & rain off the sheep. We were given the name of someone who builds nice shelters and sheds for a reasonable price- so I can’t wait to call!

Almost done….

I’m almost done shearing for 2009. It’s only mid September and I’m finally catching up. Every year I say I’m going to get started sooner, and every year I get behind for one reason or another. Next year I’m thinking of hiring someone to do the “bigguns” early- the Targhee ladies would do well with an early cut. And I’m sure the Romney’s will do well too. That will give them some regrow time before fair.

We’re ordering coats for the sheep for the winter. I’ve put it off for a couple years just because there are other things that need to be done. But having coats will make the fleeces cleaner and easier to shear. Plus, as we are going to similar sized sheep, we’ll need fewer sizes.

We’re going to end up with sheep remotely related to each other: Romney, Corriedale, Lincoln, BFL, the Targhee girls and the Jacob flock. We like the fleeces and temperaments of these breeds. They are good mothers and very hardy.

Saturday, Roger, Ali & I headed to the Paramount Blues Festival in Grafton. Wow! What a great experience! “Honeyboy Edwards”, the oldest living blues musician that played with Robert Johnson was there. The man is 94 years old and still touring! Diunna Greenleaf was fantastic- I wasn’t sure at first that I would enjoy her but – wow! – can that lady sing! She’s a great entertainer and puts on a wonderful show. Her band is awesome! There were some fantastic groups including The Alex Wilson Band, Greg Koch, & Zac Hoffman. We couldn’t stay for the whole evening this time. Next year we are definitely staying for the late night musicians and the “after” party.