"Bluff Country Catnap". Sometimes Ewes Have Horns...

I think she's elegant!


Catnap is my first, fully horned ewe. I've had several with small horns in the past. And last year MOST of my ewe lambs had scurs. Some, barely visible. Some an inch or two long. I think there were two other ewe lambs that may have grown horns out of last year's lamb crop but I sold both of them when they were quite young.

Catnap did break the tip off one of her horns when she was quite young and you can see that her left horn is not quite as long or curved as her right. I think she's absolutely beautiful. And her fleece is like BLACK VELVET!!

Catnap is one of the many ewes that will be leaving me at the end of this month. I will miss her terribly...

DREAM says...

"Of COURSE she's elegant and beautiful! She's MY daughter! She takes after her MOTHER!

What's this about Catnap leaving.....?????"

Oh my. I've been meaning to talk with you about that, Dreamer...

Good Morning!

As soon as I crawl out of bed in the morning, Sadie hops in! Here she is, curled up on my cozy, down-filled comforter(protected by a flannel duvet cover!) along with Daisy the cat.

These two are in no hurry to start the day!

After my second cup of cappuccino, I head outside to check on all my critters.

The chickens are already out, scratching and digging and taking 'dirt baths'.

My ewes great me, enthusiastically, every day!

I managed to quick get a couple of photos while they were 'lined up' on top of the hill.

Bella helped hold them there while I took pictures.

Pretty babies!

Chance is a bit of a camera hog!

I love having so many brown-factored ewe lambs this year! They're SO pretty.

DREAM says...

"Mom's got a FOUR DAY weekend! We're going to have SO much fun!"

Sheep to Yarn....

Here's the thing: I have no life. My idea of a good time (and a little excitement) is photographing yarn that I've spun. I can really "spice up" the process if I include sheep and/or teddy bears in the endeavor...


In the above photo, Bear is showing some of the yarn that I spun from the roving I bought at Jefferson. The small skein is the sample I spun up from the roving its self. The larger skein is the same roving, spun thicker and with some red roving and a strand of cashmere singles added to it. Bear likes it.

This is the smaller skein with the roving that I bought.


And this is the bulky skein with the red roving & yellow cashmere that I added.


In this photo, Bear is modeling the white Shetland/Mohair (50/50 blend on my drum carder!) that I spun into fingering weight yarn. It is SOOOOOO soft!

I love my basket too...



OOOO! Here's a nice Sheep Shot! This is Masquerade (for sale!). Isn't she growing up to be a beauty?


DREAM says...

..."Nice job Mom but where are the cookies???"

STUPID Shepherd.....

Stupid Shepherd did not plan on the market going pfhpfbt

Stupid Shepherd thought that since a bale of hay a day had always fed her flock in the past, it would continue to do so, in SPITE of the fact that Stupid Shepherd has TWICE as many sheep as she used to...

Stupid Shepherd has plenty of hay for 12 to 15 sheep...

Unfortunately, Sutpid Shepherd has 30 sheep!

Stupid Shepherd has to sell sheep.

LOTS of sheep!

Boy sheep....

And Girl sheep...

Spotted sheep...

And solid sheep.

Stupid Shepherd is desperate

MAKE AN OFFER

DREAM says...

"Mom knows she's not really a "Stupid Shepherd" but realizes that she made some mistakes and now has to deal with them. Somebody is going to get some REAL GOOD BUYS if they're looking for a starter flock of Shetland Sheep!"

That's right, Dreamer. People can see more info on some of our friends for sale on my BREEDING STOCK FOR SALE BLOG. All prices are negotiable. Mom's gotta buy more hay....

Who Will Be the Lucky Winner....?

I can't believe that I'm GIVING this beautiful ewe lamb away! I sure hope that she raises LOTS of money for the Midwest Shetland Sheep Breeders Association and goes to a wonderful home where they will love her and take VERY good care of her.

Halter lessons are progressing nicely. Yesterday, Deja Vu (and a bunch of other ewe lambs) practiced standing tied. That is one of their favorite lessons...
;-)
It is a great opportunity to get 'rear shots' of the lambs though.

Even after she's released, Deja Vu hangs around the still tied girls (that's "Chance", one of the lambs that I'm keeping & will be showing at Jefferson). Perhaps hoping for more cookies????


I am SO not ready for this weekend....

Insecurity sneaks in...

It's beginning. I'm feeling scared.

I don't think I'm going to be able to do it. I'm beginning to do what I always do when I get scared. I freeze. I don't do anything.

I'm never going to be ready for the Jefferson show. I haven't even decided, for sure, who I'm going to take! I need to get the vet out here to do health papers.

I have not got my lambs completely halter trained. Oh sure ~ most will walk on halter, as long as I coax them with a cookie. But when the judge goes to examine them, they're sure as heck not going to stand quietly! I've hardly even had the boys on halters...

I did manage to work with a few of the ewe lambs, the other day. Cassy got lots a personal attention because she hasn't been on halter since she was a tiny baby ~ if she was even then!

I love this picture. It's of Zest & Zodiak. Two of my favorite ewes. Zest is the dam of Paco (the most gorgeous, moorit & white, HST ram I have ever laid eyes on!) and Zodiak is the dam of more HST, EWE lambs than any of my other girls. But... I think I have 30 sheep. I can only keep 15. I think I'm going to offer ALL of my solid-colored ewes for sale. Except Alice.
Of course.

No Time For Blogging...

FUZZY CHICKS


RAMS IN THE BACKYARD


STAY OUT OF MY BARN!


HALTER LESSONS CONTINUE
(when I can find the TIME!)

"Uh...I'll pass, thank you!"
This is the lovely, "BLUFF COUNTRY MASQUERADE". Twin sister (actually, one of TRIPLETS) to DEJA VU ~ the ewe lamb that I'm donating to the SILENT AUCTION
Masquerade is For Sale


DREAM says...

"Poor Mom! She says there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done that she needs to do!"