It's interesting to watch the progression of lamb behavior as they grow. With the 5 week age span in the lamb flock, there's quite a range. Zuni's lambs stick to her like velcro and panic whenever she's out of sight. Verbena's triplets orbit like little satellites, keeping tabs on the mothership at all times. The oldest lambs, Cobalt, Crimson and Saffron have become bold and free-ranging. I watch them migrate to the pasture's edge in the morning, to explore the tangle of multi-flora rose. Some of the middlings stay back in the morning to investigate the barn.  Some of the
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This morning I discovered I had several mornings' worth of lambs frolic stored on the memory card of my camcorder. The following clip is actually a compilation from  both today and a few different days last week.  But before you press play, a word about the color contest celebrating my book, Teach Yourself Visually Hand-dyeing. First of all, I was truly touched and impressed by the stories that were shared. It's amazing how colors trigger feelings and memories – and many of your stories triggered my own color memories. I enjoyed reading every entry and thank everyone who took the
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The end of last week was all about getting ready for my first spring show, New Hampshire Sheep & Wool Festival. Despite my best intentions to pack the van and depart on Friday, by the end of Friday afternoon, I was too exhausted to consider driving 2 hours and setting up. Which means on Saturday morning, I was up at 4  and out the door by 5  to make it to the fairground for set up by 9 a.m. I was running on fumes throughout the day, but there was something completely energizing about seeing so many friends and having
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Sorry to keep you all in suspense, but things went much slower than expected yesterday. In the end, it was worth the wait. Zuni delivered a healthy ram and ewe lamb last night. Meet our newest flock members, Coral and Slate.   The little family is in a bonding pen, to give them space away from the robust, nosey crowd of lambs. I had to drape Zuni's pen with rugs and blankets for privacy as many little curious onlookers came by to check out the newest arrivals. Zuni is not wanting visitors. She's a "stomper" – assertively stamping her hoof
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Guess who's finally in labor? No, not Crackerjack. At last Zuni looks like she's in the early stages of labor.  We'll stay close to the barn to be with her throughout the afternoon. Zuni's sticking to Crackerjack like glue. Funny how the ewes instinctively seek the llama's protective presence at birthing.  I'm not sighing with relief just yet – will fill you in on a few things that have made the last few days particularly challenging, once I've caught my breath – but I'm so glad she's delivering before I head out to NH Sheep and Wool Festival this coming
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At last, my very own stack of copies of my very first book, Teach Yourself Visually Hand-Dyeing (Wiley Publishing) has arrived.  When I last saw my book last winter it was in its final editorial stage, a fat sheath of black and white copies held together by a giant clip, scribbled all over with the red ink of my last round of revisions. It was really exciting when the UPS man arrived (like the stork), delivering my very first copies to me. And on Monday I'll have a stash of copies hot off the press to share at upcoming events
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Last weekend here in Massachusetts we skipped the end of spring and went directly to summer. Three days of 80 degree plus temperatures has brought leaves to the trees, flowers to my magnolia, greener pastures for my flock, and scads of black flies and mosquitoes. They are a pestilence, tormenting the poor sheep. We've place fans everywhere in the dairy to keep the mothers and lambs comfortable during the mid-day heat. First thing in the morning, right after breakfast the lambs are most frisky. Sometimes the ewes frolic too. I took this clip on Monday, so you can watch the
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We're in a bit of a trough again activity-wise. No new arrivals since Mystic's lambs over a week ago. Still waiting for the Zuni-lambs to arrive. Every year we have a lamb lag at some point in the season. It's a drag right now with the end tantalizingly close. Zuni's lambs will undoubtedly arrive when ready. I was checking her out on Friday, taking her temp to make sure she's fine, and I felt one of her lambs kick good and hard. In the meantime here's a smattering of notes on the rest of the crew. Mystic's milk is beginning
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The lambs weren't quite sure what to think this morning as they ventured out into the yard for the first time. It was all noise and confusion as they got their bearings. Perhaps they'll be less tentative tomorrow. Here's a few moments from morning chores with Holly and the gang.  
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Sometimes bottle lambs are the result of a ewe who, for whatever reason, just isn't cut out for motherhood. Take Helena, my polka-dotted ewe who's been shirking her maternal duties since the day her twins were born last week. No longer confined to a stanchion or a lambing pen, Helena and her twins are out and about in the common space. The black ram can nurse whenever he chooses. But poor Blaze, the little white ewe-ling, has to be watchful and jump in whenever her mom isn't looking. She's quite cunning and is getting good at nursing from behind. And
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