Snow in the air today for the second time this month. Brrrr. Just finished brining in the flock, setting out Butterfingers and Heath bars, though I have a feeling the group below may be the only trick or treaters we see tonight (and they much prefer apples). Carried my camera today so I could share some scenes from the flock and farm: (Funny, leaves are mostly down but my petunias and phlox are hanging on!) Happy Halloween. hugs, Barb
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What's there to think about? The "work" of the moment is thinking and planning for next spring. It's time to place the rams with the ewes. HIgh time. The flock is restless and impatient. With four eligible and highly motivated boys (Teaberry, Parsely, Chai and Cinder) and dozens of young ewes, I have more options than ever before for pairing. With one black and one moorit ram, there's more potential for breeding for color. I could easily breed 50 or more ewes. So exciting. So tempting. But really, I do not need 100+ lambs next year. This summer we rotated
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Monday was a big day. Holly and I popped Mistral and Georgia into the back of my Highlander for a special field trip. We were guests on channel 22's (WWLP, our local NBC station) lifestyle program, MassAppeal. The night before, I didn't sleep very well. In the wee hours of morning I found myself questioning the sanity of taking two lambs who have never set hoof off the farm to a television studio for live program. It was an hour drive. Mistral was vocal, Georgia, quiet. I sang show tunes to help them relax on the way to Springfield. I
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First, let me say I am deeply touched by and grateful for your response to my invitation to Flock for Healthy Hearts, in support of Go Red for Women and the American Heart Association. With your help we quickly surpassed my initial goal of raising $2500 and the giving continues. It says a lot about the strength and love within the larger fiber community, how we rally and tend to each other. I can't thank you enough. I encourage you to share this post and this link for Go Red For Women. There's information about the movement and more importantly a
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As you know if you're a regular visitor here, last summer I survived a major cardiac episode. It was frightening. It brought my work in running a sheep farm and a fiber arts studio to a grinding halt. And it profoundly changed my approach to living each day. I am grateful for the support of my family, physicians and friends. I am lucky to be here. I have just "graduated" from twelve weeks of cardiac rehab. My goals are to get strong and back on my feet so I can fully engage in the things that bring the most meaning
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We love visitors! A few scenes from Saturday's Fiber, Friends and Foliage open house. Thanks to everyone for sharing a special afternoon with us (and to those of you who were with us in spirit!). Mistral & Georgia share an apple. Crackerjack greeted his fans. Lambs love making friends. Especially Mistral. Lambs also love pumpkin decorating. Georgia and Holly – naptime! A sneak peek at the Fall Yarn Shares. Local Hero Llama Tired lambsters. photos courtesy of Madeline Kennedy, Lori Parker, Holly Sonntag, and Mike Parry. thank you!!
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As you may have wondered, not everything has gone exactly according to plan here for several weeks. It's true: hay has been mown, baled and stacked in the barn. Though not overly fond of the fall monsoons that arrived this week, the sheep are relishing cooler days. And absolutely loving the hay field we decided not to mow, but to save for autumn pasture. So they're waist-deep in sheep nirvana. But as you've probably gathered from all quiet on the blog front, I have needed to step back a bit and take it easy. Today I finished week twelve
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