Sunday, December 31, 2006

Looking Back ~ and Moving Forward....


I'm still kickin'!
;-)
The past couple of months have been rough. I've been to some pretty dark places. With the love and support of family and friends (thank you, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!), I think I've finally turned the corner and am ready to look toward the future with something other than sheer terror. In fact, I'm actually looking forward with anticipation!
Before I look too far ahead though, I want to pay tribute to 2006. Can you believe I'm saying that????? I MUST be feeling better...


2006 was the year that my dream of multiple HST lambs came true. I was blessed with Dream and Wish, Trinity, Crescendo, Finale and Kokomo! To say that I was thrilled with the markings and quality of this year's lambs would be a HUGE understatement. And of course, Dream has come to hold a VERY special place in my heart.

Saying goodbye to my sheep is always hard, but I made some wonderful new friends with people that bought sheep from me this year. Friends I hope will always be part of my life.

Speaking of new friends: How about those KITTENS????
My wonderful Daisy and her sister Lily never fail to make me smile....if not outright LAUGH. They are a HOOT! I think doctors and psychologists should seriously consider prescribing kittens to people suffering from depression...

In addition to my animals and friends bringing me great joy in 2006, my children have been, as usual, incredible. I never cease to be amazed by how loving and kind (and PATIENT!) my oldest daughter is. Watching my son mature into a strong, wise, young man is VERY heartwarming, and Katie ~ my Beautiful Baby Girl ~ and my trip to Italy is more that I ever even dreamed of! Watching the three of them stand together as they bid good-bye to their father (my ex-husband, who passed away, earlier this month) I couldn't have possibly been more proud of anything.

2006 wasn't all that bad. In fact it has some downright magical moments. I am truly blessed with the most wonderful children and the world's greatest friends, as well as a heartwarming menagerie of four-footed soul mates. So, I say goodbye to 2006. I'm looking forward to 2007. I know that there are still some very difficult issues to work through ~ but I know that I can do it. With a little help from my family and friends....
GOOD-BYE 2006!



Dream says....

..."Did you MISS me???"

Monday, December 18, 2006

Dark Places...

I'm sorry for not keeping this blog up to date. Truth be told, I don't know what to write. I spend much of my time trying not to think. Or feel. When I am depressed, I tend to withdraw. I hide. I'm hiding now. I'll be OK. I'll come through this. But I may not be willing to share. There's too much to say. I don't know how to start. Or where it will end. Or even how I WANT it to end.

Thanks for caring.

nancy & Dream

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Good-Bye Bluff Country...


Good-bye Paco. You are still the most magnificent Shetland ram I have ever seen.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

THE BOYS GOTTA GO....

I came home from work yesterday, to find my two adult rams had broken out of their breeding paddocks and were trying to kill each other in the 'no-man's-land' between the breeding groups. Fortunately, they didn't get INTO each other's breeding groups but were more interested in beating the crap out of each other than in stealing each other's girls. I was SO angry, I went right up to the battling boys, grabbed them by the horns and drug them back to their rightful paddocks. I then hurled a bucket of water on Bravo, to keep him from trying to go back through the fence to get at Paco and watched it freeze into a giant ice cube. (didn't even feel bad about it!) I spent the next hour fixing fences. It is VERY cold in Minnesota right now! Bravo had ripped a couple of wires off the electric on his paddock and it looks like Paco went through the gate of his. I was able to repair both, in a relatively short time but have decided that I do not want to keep rams if I'm going to be living alone. I don't like fencing!

So...FOR SALE:
"Windswept Bravo" NASSA # S19481
Bravo is a two-year old, black & white, HST (yuglet, sokket) ram with superb conformation and a dense, intermediate fleece. He sired some gorgeous lambs for me in 2006 and is bred to 4 of my girls for 2007 lambs. I kept Bravo's black/krunet ram lamb, "Bluff Country Black Diamond" ~ champion ram lamb and reserve champion ram at the 2006 Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival and have placed him with two ewe lambs for breeding this fall. Diamond will also be for sale, as I've decided to only keep ewes. Bravo is friendly but respectful (to people ~ he hates Paco!). He is halter trained and very easy to handle. His price is $600.00

ALSO FOR SALE: "BLUFF COUNTRY APOCALYPSE" (PACO) NASSA # S16941
Paco is a coming 3 year old, moorit & white, HST (smirslet/sokket> ram with outstanding conformation, gorgeous fleece and awesome horns. He has sired many exquisite lambs for me and has been breed to four of my girls for 2007 lambs. Paco was the first place yearling ram and Grand Champion Shetland Ram at the 2005 Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival. He is a very majestic, stunning animal and makes incredible babies...With people, Paco is a lover. He comes running for scratches and wags his tail when petted. He halters beautifully and is a gem to handle. Not real fond of Bravo though.... Paco's price is $600.00

LAST BUT NOT LEAST (for today, anyway!)
"BLUFF COUNTRY BLACK DIAMOND" NASSA # S22436 Diamond is a breathtakingly beautiful, black/krunet, son of Bravo and Flash Flood. He'll throw HST spotting genetics as well as his awesome conformation and dense, soft fleece. Diamond is in with Dream and Rosie for 2007 lambs. I can't wait to see his babies! He is a delightful ram lamb. Friendly but not obnoxious. Tends to stand back and watch me work with the other sheep. He is excellent on halter and handles easily. Diamond's price is $400.00

I hope to move all three of these boys quickly. I am looking forward to just having one group of sheep to care for. MY GIRLS!!! It remains to be seen if I will even be able to keep them, but for now, I'm still hoping!

Dream says....

..."Where ever Mom goes, I go....!"

Monday, December 04, 2006

DECEMBER 2007 Calendar page


It has come to my attention that I have (once again!) forgotten to post the current month's picture from the 2007 REAL SHEEP WEAR SHETLAND WOOL CALENDAR. My original intent was to post the photo for each month on the first of each month. I think I maybe got TWO actually posted on the first of the month????

December features "Bluff Country Flash Flood". Flash is the daughter of Bluff Country Skittles (black/krunet) and Lost Lake Farm Phoebe (white). Although Flash looks like a white sheep, she is, technically, a black sheep. Flash has a black spot (about the size of a fist) on the back of her neck. It goes all the way to the skin. Since spots are always white, Flash is actually a black sheep with a big, white spot! I must say that all of Flash's lambs have been black (with small white spots). It sure seemed strange, registering her as a BLACK sheep though...

I WILL post again tomorrow. I've got some news and a story to tell...

Dream says....

..."I've been taking real good care of Mom! Tomorrow I get to tell you about the trouble the boys got in and who's for sale!!!!!"

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