Archives for fiber farm

Wild & Windy

February 19, 2010 | 4 Comments

The wind was fierce last night. When I arrived for evening chores I discovered a barn window had blown in and shattered on the floor. Glass everywhere, but not in the sheep pen. The barn makes all kinds of god-awful sounds on a windy night. Gusts force their way through every little chink and crevice. The sheep were spooked – probably the combo of the glass shattering and the constant thumps and rattles shaking the barn. It was quiet a bit before dawn, but then the wind picked up right where it left off for morning chores. Here are some
Read More

Peaceable Morning

February 17, 2010 | 7 Comments

It's been a week of cantankerous critters. On Monday Butch brandished his horns at me as I tugged the hay sled through the barn door. The Leicesters were sparring at dinner time. For the life of me I couldn't separate Deluth and Maia who were more intent on bashing the c*#! out of each other than eating. Several other ewes weighed in; others kept their distance. In the carriage barn, Cilantro took a cheap shot at Teaberry. Those two have been at each other off and on for days.Occasionally Parsley and Savory jump into the fray. It's hard to say
Read More

“Nor’easter”

February 11, 2010 | 8 Comments

Yesterday's much hyped nor'easter didn't amount to much After a mere dusting of 3 inches, I had the barn lots plowed out by mid morning. Late afternoon's sun reduced the snow to scattered patches. You won't catch me complaining about the lack of snow this winter. A sifting once a week freshens up the yards and then I can feed the sheep outdoors. With so many sheep in full fleece, there's not much elbow room at the feeders these days. Lengthening days means plenty of light for end-of-day chores. Here are some happy campers at dinner. Speaking of
Read More

Spread the Love

February 5, 2010 | 52 Comments

We're going to have a little fun with Valentine's Day this year. I can't play favorites, since I'm the shepherd. But you can send Valentine wishes to that special someone in the flock. Does your heart go pitter-patter for the debonaire Butch, or do you have a sweet spot for his gal-pal Gypsy? Are you sending love to Cocoa, our wiley-wooly flock matriarch, or do you adore her handsome grandson, Cinder (or perhaps Cinder's sister, Blaze?) Maybe your heart already belongs to our humble guard llama, Crackerjack (unless you're a secret admirer of his elegant but fickle counterpart, Caitlyn).
Read More

You can take the girl out of the country . . .

February 4, 2010 | 3 Comments

. . but you can't take the country out of the girl! Proven true when I accompanied Mike on a quick jaunt to the city earlier this week. The photos in this post reflect what most captured my attention and lens on Monday afternoon. While I enjoy taking in NYC's impressive architecture, urban landmarks, the dizzying number of places to do serious damage to the wallet and the fashion-ista parade on Madison and 5th, I still gravitate toward the city critters. Since there are no sheep to feed in Central Park I found myself at the duck pond at dinner
Read More

Out and About

February 1, 2010 | 6 Comments

Today feels downright tropical, with morning temps in the mid twenties. The sheep are out in the yard, basking like lizards in the sun. Kona, Coral and Violet are doing much better and clearly are getting restless – tired of being cooped up in the milk room. Last night they were baaahing loudly, missing their friends, complaining about the lack of wi-fi. I think they're ready to return to the barn ;^) Holly has the reigns for today as I need to be out and about. I stopped for a moment to admire a neighbors' horse standing roadside and thought
Read More

Preggers

January 29, 2010 | 9 Comments

At this time of year, the milk room is our warming spot. It's heated, there's a table and a place to sit, hot and cold running water, a telephone, a microwave oven, a fridge. There's even a blender, in case anyone wants a milkshake. But the best part – it's large enough to build a couple of good sized sheep pens in the center and the concrete floor has a drain, so it's also easy to clean. Handily located, just off the main aisle of the birthing barn, this room has been a godsend on many occasions. LIke today for
Read More

More colors and a lucky winner

January 26, 2010 | 10 Comments

I love surprising friends and making people happy. So all week I've looked forward to drawing a name today – one lucky winner who will receive a Sheep Shares 2010 membership for a Farm Yarn Sampler. Since announcing this contest last week, Sheep Shares has grown and grown in numbers – to the point where I've had to press pause. I've put a hold on adding new members for the moment, until we catch up on paperwork (and make sure we still have enough yarn to go around). It doesn't mean you can't get in. After the dust settles and
Read More

Coyote Tracking

January 24, 2010 | 4 Comments

I spied a coyote zipping through the hayfield this morning just as I was getting into my car. Had I looked two seconds later, wouldn't have seen him at all, and everything happened way too quickly for me to grab my camera. Anxious about being out in the open, he scooted across the road near the ravine, heading toward the paddock where the bred ewes spend their days. After feeding the flock, I back-tracked to see if I could tell what he'd been up to. From the looks of all the fresh critter tracks in the snow, he was after
Read More

Crackerjack

January 23, 2010 | 12 Comments

I'm not sure how we've managed to score another perfectly fine Saturday, but I'll take it. While last weekend's post featured a moment with Caitlyn, my diva llama, this morning I had a moment to appreciate what a truly amazing friend Crackerjack is and how fortunate I am to have him in my herd. A few weeks back we placed him with the bred ewes in the birthing barn since we're nearing the time of year when his guardian role is needed to protect our newest and most vulnerable flock members, the lambs. I couldn't ask for a more patient,
Read More