Digging Out...

And it just keeps on piling on...
This is what remains of the big, old, abandoned barn that I use for my ram's shelter. Apparently the weight of the snow was just too much for it. I know how it feels. Not that it was in good shape, to begin with. It was battered and beaten and certainly not much too look at. But I have a fondness for old, abandoned barns. In spite of it's infirmities, this one has managed to provide shelter to the Bluff Country rams throughout the seasons. Probably not anymore. It seems, somewhat, symbolic.

Remember the swing in my backyard? It's still there. Just covered with snow. Someday it will be a swing again....
And then there's Skittles' tire. Nobody's been playing with that lately.

Remember the lush, green pasture and big, old tree that the ewes and lambs enjoy all summer? Looks kind of deserted now....


But Spring WILL come and the snow will melt and the grass will grow lush and green again. There will be lambs playing and birds singing. I just have to keep digging and wait. I'm taking things one day at a time...

In the meantime, I'd better get the roof cleaned off on the ewe barn before someone gets burried in an avalanche! The girls spend most of the time in their barn but I have been feeding them some in the paddock, just to make them get some exercise.














Dream says....
..."I'll be happy when some of this snow melts so I can get outside and play again! I'm getting kind of chubby!..."

I' do so love my little Dreamer!

Cats, Dogs and Sheep in the Snow....

Dream says.....


..."Since when do I follow cats and dogs??????"

I knew it was too good to last...

Winter has finally arrived in the Bluff Country. After record warm temperatures for December and early Jan., the snow & cold arrived, this past weekend ~ just in time for the "Northern Lights" Spinners Retreat. At least just in time for the drive home from the retreat! Thanks to Terry, we made it home safely. What an incredible weekend!

It was SO much fun getting together with other knitters and spinners & wool lovers. I even took a class in needle felting
(that's my goofy looking, old man, with the single tooth!) I also took a class in dying roving & yarn. It was so fun and educational. I can't wait to start experimenting with dying and carding some of my fleeces! The weekend getaway, with wonderful friends (old and new!) was "just what the doctor ordered". I'm feeling so much better and ready to start preparing for whatever lies ahead.

In the meantime, my beautiful Shetlands are enjoying the fresh snow and each gets her own pile of hay. This is Zaria, with Dream's mom, Zodiak, in the background.

I got a cute card in the mail today. It's from a gal who purchased one of my 2007 sheep calendars. Thank you Ann! I love it!! Ann said she figures my sheep are ROYALTY...

Dream says....

..."She's got THAT right!"
Thank you Ann! I love it!!

DREAM's MOM....

This is Dream's REAL Mom ~ "Bluff Country Zodiak" Isn't she beautiful? Zodiak is a black - "iset" Shetland. That means that she has white fibers growing in with her black wool that give her a frosty appearance. I think she is so striking.













This is Zodiak as a lamb. She was born in 2002. Isn't she a doll?!

Her little blaze (referred to as a "blesset" marking) was almost a perfect question mark.







Zodiak has grown up to be a beautiful (and sweet! ewe. She has given me THREE HST lambs. She is bred to Bravo for her 2007 babies and you might say I am hopeful....







I took this picture, last weekend, as my beautiful Zodiak (and a number of the other ewes!) was contentedly munching on the big tree in the girl's pasture...

Dream says....

..."It's OK, Mom! Our people Mom said she doesn't care if we chew on the big tree..."

KNITTING...(and THANK YOU!)

I want to send a big THANK YOU out to MELANIE who sent me this beautiful skein of hand painted merino yarn. Melanie painted it herself. I just found her blog, it's well worth reading! She's got lots of great ideas and has really inspired me. So much so that I've actually begun my very first pair of hand-knit SOCKS!!Thank you Melanie ~ and I'll put your calendar in the mail on Monday. ;-)

Speaking of Calendars...MICHELLE at Boulderneigh sent me a beautiful calendar of Oregon! It's just gorgeous. Thank you, so much, Michelle. And to all of you who have been SO supportive and encouraging... I LOVE YOU ALL!!! I have met the most incredible people (either in person, or via the computer, through my sheep. I am truly blessed.

While we're on the subject of YARN....

I'm making the VENUS
shrug from Berroco. I have NO idea how it's turning out. I've never made one. Nor have I seen one ~ so I don't know what it's supposed to look like! I can't imagine how it's going to turn out something I can actually WEAR! But it's fun. I did mess with the pattern a little. We'll see if I messed it up ;-)

I'm using yarn from Alice that I had spun thru Wooly Knob Fiber Mill. I should have spun it myself. The guys at Wooly Knob are extremely sweet but I can't say that I'm at all happy with the yarn. I had actually sent in two years worth of Alice's fleece to be spun into fingering weight yarn that I planned on making a Shetland Lace shawl out of. But the yarn is way too thick for fingering and it's quite inconsistent. I often have to cut it and make a join because it's so bad I won't use it. See what I mean?
It's from Alice and it's incredibly SOFT and very special to me, so I'm gonna use the yarn, one way or another. I might try a pair of socks (thick ones!) next...
I think I'll keep Alice's fleece (I may keep ALL the fleeces ~ Except Zaria's, which I've promised to Nancy J). this Spring.

It's time for me to settle in for some knitting, before bed. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Dream says...

..."I wonder what Mom will make with MY fleece! Any suggestions...?"

KITTENS!

Daisy and Lily are very spoiled kittens. They have their very own sheep skin rug that they love to lounge on in the master bedroom. They snuggle and cuddle and wrestle. I love having two kittens!

Dream says....

..."OK, they're cute. I don't think they need a WHOLE blog post for just them!! How about more SHEEP pictures, Mom???"

Minnesota Winter....

OK. I confess. This picture was not taken today. It was actually taken, back in early December, while Paco was still in with his girls. But today looks just like this ~ except, of course for Paco, who will be making beautiful lambs, in Michigan, next year.... ;-)


All the snow that we got, earlier this week, is already gone. I'm LOVIN' feeding the sheep in a sweatshirt and sneakers! I still push the wheel barrow around the pasture to put out hay for the girls.

The temps are in the mid-40's and I just finished a beef, rib-eye steak that I cooked on the grill! UMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Dream says....

..."Mom says I can be the poster child for "EAT BEEF"!"
;-)