This morning's "to do" list included relocating 2 cormo rams and nine wethers from their winter quarters in the carriage barn to their summer digs – the paddock at the top of Patten Hill. The maneuver entails coaxing them into the horse trailer and a 3 mile trek uphill on town roads, since our farm road is still impassable from last winter's ice storm.
The boys were surprisingly cooperative. After corralling them into the rig, we loaded water buckets, grain pails, a manger and mineral feeder into the back of the truck and off we went. Buster offered to be the chauffeur.
We made a chute using electro-net to channel them into their new paddock. The entire operation was done in just under an hour. Pretty slick, if I do say so myself.
The boys seemed to be comfortable and happy in their new outpost near our house where they can observe our daily peregrinations. It's great to have sheep back on the hill. I enjoyed stopping to chat with them on my way home this evening. They were lined up at the fence, peacefully chewing their cud.
I have several very practical reasons for removing the boys from the main farm for the spring and summer. They do an excellent job of maintaining several fields that would otherwise be a nightmare to brush hog – chock full of rocks and ledge. It also keeps the rams out of trouble until their services are needed again next fall (no unauthorized hanky-panky).
I spent the remainder of the day shipping the spring shares for Sheep Shares (which amazingly now has a waiting list as I confirm orders) and dyeing yarn for my trunk show this Saturday, March 21 at Webs in Northampton, MA. Kathy and Steve Elkins have invited me to set up a Foxfire Fiber trunk show featuring the yarns from my flock for the entire day and to share pictures and stories from the farm in my slide show, Adventures in Yarn Farming, at 11 am. I'll be giving away two Sheep Shares yarn sampler memberships for those who can attend the talk. While I realize that many of you aren't exactly right around the corner, I hope you'll come by on Saturday if you can, and celebrate spring's arrival with me. Hooray!!
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copyright 2009. Barbara Parry. All rights reserved.
