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!!!!!"

It's NOVEMBER...time for Christmas Shopping!(shameless marketing)

There's still time to get your 2007 "REAL sheep wear SHETLAND wool" Calendar for your self or for someone you love. The November page features: "Bluff Country Majik", one of the very first ewe lambs born in the Bluff Country. Isn't she beautiful?!

The price for a calendar is $25 (which includes shipping). Two or more calendars are $23 each (inc. shipping). I will sign and personalize for no extra charge ;-)
Please e-mail me for instructions on how to purchase your calendar.

OCTOBER. 1st ~ and the trip that almost wasn't!

Since I was out of the Country on the first of the month, I'll post the October, 2007 Calendar photo today. It features the three flock sires we used for our 2006 lambs; Bluff Country Apocalypse, Bluff Country Skittles and Sheepy Hollow Zorro. Zorro has moved on to his new home in Illinois and Skittles has finally made it to his new home in Arizona. You can see all the photos available in the 2007 Calendar by clicking on the link in the side-bar, to the right. Each picture is full color, suitable for framing, printed on Kodak Paper. Perhaps a 2007 "REAL sheep wear SHETLAND wool" Calendar would make a nice Christmas gift for you or someone you know....? ;-)

MY TRIP: it almost didn't happen. In fact, I was quite sure on Wednesday, 9/27 (the day before we were scheduled to leave) that I would NOT be going to Italy. Or anywhere else, for that matter!

On Wednesday morning, I was busily and happily packing in preparation for my drive to Minneapolis, MN., where I would spend the night at my Beautiful Baby Girl's before leaving for Italy on Thursday morning. I felt great. Full of joy and anticipation. Until shortly before noon, when I was struck with a horrific pain in the left side of my lower back. I was instantly nauseous and drenched in sweat. There was no doubt in my mind that this was 'something serious'. The only time I have experienced pain anywhere even close to this, was when I was in hard labor (many years ago!).

I won't bore you with all the details, but suffice it to say that the pain did not subside and I was rushed to the hospital (45 minutes away) via ambulance. I was torn between being afraid I was dying and that I wasn't dying. The pain was so intense I didn't even want to live. The ambulance crew was wonderful and supportive. Literally minutes before reaching the emergency room, the pain STOPPED. Yup. Just like that ~ stopped. As they wheeled me into the E.R. I informed the doctors and nurses that we had to hurry because I still had packing to do as I was "going to Italy tomorrow"!

The consensus was (after a series of tests & cat scans) that I had passed a Kidney Stone. I was given permission to take my trip (like anyone could have stopped me!) and sent home at 7 o'clock Wednesday night. I slept for a couple of hours, got up at 3:00 in the morning, drove to Katie's and we left for Italy, as planned!! (not that there weren't plenty of problems yet to be encountered, but that's another story....)


Dream says...

..."Rosie and I were sure scared when that noisy truck took Mom away and she didn't even say good-bye!"

Friday, SEPTEMBER 1st....

HA! I did it! I actually remembered to post the new calendar page (for the 2007 Calendar) on the first of the month!!!


Here it is: the September page for the 2007 "REAL sheep wear SHETLAND wool calendars". It features my 2002 ewe lambs: (Zodiak, Majik, Promiss & Zinnia) on a misty, September morning. I love this picture so much, I use it on my business cards!

All the pictures in the calendar are printed on Kodak paper and are suitable for framing. Calendars are $25.00 each (includes shipping).

Dream says....
"Mom's going to have to start going through all her pictures to find the best ones of ME for the NEXT calendar! Maybe YOU can help her choose...."

Better late than never....?AUGUST Calendar page!

This is getting ridiculous! How hard can it be to remember to post the new Calendar photo on the first of each month??? Apparently plenty hard for me! Good thing it's next year's Calendar photos..


This beautiful ewe is "Bluff Country Zanex". Last year, Zanex gave me a stunning HST ram lamb. She is also the dam to the beautiful, moorit, ewe lamb (Rosie) that I am keeping this year, and the black/krunet ram-lamb (Rhinestone Cowboy, who is for sale). Unfortunately, when I keep a lamb, I have to sell an adult. Zanex is sold :-( She is the sweetest, friendliest, most outgoing ewe that I have. She even likes strangers! I will miss her SO much....

Dream says......"Don't worry Mom, Rosie & I will keep you company!"

Struggling to catch up...

I'm definitely no "techie"! I've learned just enough about computers to manage to make my own blog and Web Site . I've also designed my "REAL sheep wear SHETLAND wool" T-shirts and Calendars. I came up with that "LOGO" when we were first forming the Midwest Shetlands Sheep Breeders Association (MSSBA). We were thinking about making a calendar for a fund raiser and that year a bunch of elderly women, out East, made a mint off a calendar in which they posed , scantily clad in home-made wool items or discretely hidden behind spinning wheels, knitting, etc. The name of the calendar was "WEARING WOOL". We had tossed around several ideas for a calendar for MSSBA and I suggested making one of Shetland sheep and calling it: Real Sheep Wear Shetland Wool. The idea never really took off, but I liked it and ended up making my OWN calendars and T-shirts.
I suppose I should check to see if I need to get a 'trade mark' or copy right or anything to protect the logo, but I'm not sure how any of that works... In the meantime, everyone pretty much knows that I'm the one who came up with the idea and I've sold a lot of Calendars and T-shirts. Unfortunately, I lost the software that I had the saved images on, when I bought my new computer. Now, I've got people ordering the T-shirts and couldn't remember how to make the transfer to put ON them! I think I finally have it figured out. I made a new template, using my "Ewes in the Mist" photo and also did a brand new one, using the close-up, head-shot of Paco that I like so much...

It took me all night to figure out how to get the text on the image so I haven't actually put one on a T-shirt yet. It's way past my bed-time but I'll do it tomorrow and post a picture of both the new styles tomorrow.

Dream says...

..."I think Mom should put ME on a T-shirt!!!"

Oh WOW ~ it's JULY!!

*** If you're looking for the Spotted Shetland Group's "Favorite 2006 Spotted Lamb Contest", scroll down to the previous entry.... ***

Time for the new Calendar page from my 2007 "REAL sheep wear SHETLAND wool" calendar.

The July photo features my Stepson, Richie, giving the ewes & lambs a "summertime treat". Rich loved to pull the branch down so the sheep could gobble up the tender leaves. The handsome moorit & white ram lamb, in the front of the picture is Paco!

We're weaning the ram lambs. It is NOT a very happy time in the Bluff Country. It is also not a very PEACEFUL time in the Bluff Country.

Dream says.....
"Where did all the boys go???"

I almost forgot JUNE!

When I did my post yesterday I realized that I never posted the June picture from my calendar. Sorry about that!The June picture features one of my foundation ewes, "Z-Ranch Iva" with her first lamb, "Bluff Country Zeus". Zeus went on to be a flock sire in Indiana where I know that he sired at least one HST lamb. Iva was one of my very favorite ewes and I cried SO hard when I sold her...But I HAD to sell her in order to keep her beautiful daughter, "Bluff Country Zest". We have very limited room at our place so any time I decide to keep a lamb, an adult has to go. This can be quite heartbreaking! Although I miss Iva, and will always love her, I know I made the right decision in keeping Zest. She is definitely one of my favorite ewes and is the dam of Paco as well as Trinity (and Bella!) from this year... Not to mention that she is incredibly sweet. Zest is the one I hand sheared in an earlier post.

Dream says...."yeah, but I'm her Dream Come True!"
...and she is ;-)

Taking pictures isn't always easy....

This is one of my favorite photographs. It has won photo contests and is featured in my "REAL sheep wear SHETLAND wool" calendars. It's nice when I have someone around to help with pictures. My stepson, Rich, loved to hold the tree branch down to give the ewes and lambs a treat. Great photo ops. Unfortunately, we had to send Richie back to California to live with his mother. Taking pictures doesn't work quite so well all by myself....

For these photos, I held the branch down with one hand while holding the camera out with the other...Somehow, it's just not the same...

You know those cute little pictures of Dream that I use as a 'tag line' on each of my posts? Well, they're getting MIGHTY hard to get. She's always either running at me or snuggled on my lap!

Dream says...."and you have a problem with that???"

MAY 1ST

It's the first of the month so I'm showing the May page for my 2007 "REAL sheep wear SHETLAND wool" 2007 Calendar. It features my beautiful Alice. It's kind of nice to take a breather from LAMBS! ;-)

I just came in from checking on all my girls and their babies. I can't believe we've got 20 lambs! They're every where! Running and jumping and chasing and bouncing and baaaing....sheer chaos! NOW I remember what I love about the last few weeks before lambing....the QUIET.

I have to admit: I look out the window or walk out into the pasture and am SO proud. What a beautiful bunch of babies. And everyone's healthy. I am SO blessed. There's absolutely no denying, my eye is always drawn to the HST marked lambs. Those white Heads, Socks and Tails really stand out in the crowd. To see them flashing about the pasture as the lamb races commence or the little white tails flicking back and forth when a lamb nurses always makes me smile.

Of course, the little darlin's will be growing webbed feet if it doesn't stop raining soon! Back to the babies tomorrow...