What A DAY...

Friday started off with visiting with 2 new friends (Jean and Lynn) at Lynn's House. Lynn and her husband have the most adorable little house guest living with them.

His name is "August" and he's a bottle baby, Cotswold (?) ~ please correct me if I'm wrong, Lynn! ~ lamb.

I've got to tell you: I've never met a "sheep in the house" before and I think I want one!!! OMG ~ he is just too cute!

I had to cut my visit with Lynn and Jean short because the SHEARER was coming to my place! As much as I hate shearing day (almost as much as lambing!), I have to admit, it went SO much more smoothly with the very much appreciated help of Jean, Virginia and Terry! I think that was the smoothest flowing and quickest shearing day we've ever had...

My beautiful "Highland Hollow ALICE"

Just look at the conformation on this nine year old ewe! Her fleece is almost white now (she's a registured musket) and still as soft as butter! I actually burried my face in her freshly shorn fleece and there is absoltely no "itch factor" what-so-ever! After taking a break in 2008, Alice will be bred again this fall...


I absolutely love the face (and just about everything else!) of "Bluff Country Zest". She is so refined and feminine.

Even when she's Chowing Down!

I think Cat Nap looks stunning freshly shorn! It really makes her horns more noticeable.

Talk about a Refined ewe!

And her fleece is like BLACK VELVET!!

DREAM says:

"That's MY Beautiful Baby Girl!!
Mom says us girls are looking quite well fed and I' don't want to lose my girlish figure so

I'm working out by running up and down the hill!"

Crying (again)...

I booked the shipper today.

The guy who's going to haul 15 of my sheep from here to Maryland.

I should be celebrating.

And I truly AM grateful...

but I'm gonna miss my sheep!

DREAM says:

"It's a good thing that 10 of us girls are staying! Poor Mom, she never did do very well with letting her girls go...."

SAFE at Last....

The fence is fixed!

I finished up around nine o'clock last night. It was such a relief going to bed last night knowing that my sheep were safe. And I'll feel much better, leaving for work today.

I put the ewes and lambs into the pasture and ditch that the rams used to have.

It needed more sheep to keep it grazed down.

The lambs were quite excited about the big move.

Here, Godiva's girls run to Mom for comfort & nourishment when the excitement gets to be a bit much...



DREAM says:

"I'm loving the PINE TREES!"

Time for me to go to work...

:-(

#*@+&....

I'm thinkin' it's not nice to swear on one's blog. At least not in the title. But I must confess to more than a few profanities escaping my lips as I discovered that my electric fence is not working!

The lambs were the give away. At first, I thought they were just lucky and hopped through the wires quickly enough to avoid getting a shock. Apparently, that's not the case.

As you can see, my pasture is surrounded by woods. It is a constant battle to keep the woods away from my fence-line. This year, I am losing that battle. Of course, I didn't KNOW that I was losing the battle: I thought my charger had died. So I drove to a nearby town this morning and shelled out $117.00 for a new charger. Came home, took down the old charger ~ put up the new charger ~ no small feet for a gal who is NOT, in the least bit, mechanically inclined! Nothing. Nada. No Zap.

Which means that I have to get out the gas-powered weed trimmer and trim all the crap growing along/under my fences, all the way around the whole, freaking pasture. I hate doing that! It KILLS my right arm and shoulder. Once I get it done, I may be able to control the regrowth with RoundUp. But that's expensive.

All I know is that I've got to get something done FAST!! Until my fences are hot again, the girls are being kept in close to the barn. It is only by the grace of God (who for some unknown reason really seems to LIKE me!) that my ewes and lambs have not been preyed upon by the ubiquitous coyotes that I lay in bed and listen to at night...

DREAM says:

"I kept telling those lambs not to go through the fences, Mom! I really did!!"

I'm sure that you did, Dreamer.
I know how much you love all those lambs...

;-)

Shuffling Sheep...aka Pasture Rotation...

* You have GOT to click on the first photo to see the pure Jubilation on the part of these three yearlings!

I put ALL of the girls (and lambs) back together in the front pasture by the big barn.

Some of the ladies (DREAMER!) were NOT very nice to them!

"WHAT??? It's bad enough that they hog all Mom's time and all the pictures ~ now I have to share my pasture with them too???"

The boys were quite happy to get moved the the paddock that the ewes and lambs had been in.

Bling's the only ram who still needs to be sheared. I'm still trying to get my shearer out her to do the rest of the flock!

LILY wants everyone to know that she takes her turn guarding the flock as well!

Off to work I go!
Have a GREAT weekend everyone!!

RAM Lambs...

Now that I've found good homes for the girls that I can't keep, I need to be focusing on finding homes for my handsome boys! Of course, it's too soon to tell how horns will develop on the young lads but I do sell all ram lambs with a horn guarantee ~ if the horns should grow in such a manner as to be threatening to the adult ram's health, I will replace him.

Speaking of horns...

BLUFF COUNTRY EUREKA

Bluff Country Zaria (shaela/HST)
X
Kimberwood Hunter (mioget/HST)

It will be interesting to see how this stunning boy's develop! Eureka's dam is Bluff Country Zaria and I know that she does carry the 'half-poll' gene,from her sire, Sheepy Hollow Zorro. Zaria has thrown half-polled rams in the past and they always have THE most incredible fleeces!

On the other hand, Zaria's ram lamb, last year ~ "Bluff Country Bling" did have very slow horn growth and I thought that he might be half polled but his horns did continue to grow and now appear to be 'normal' , all be it, somewhat smaller than average.

Regardless, this handsome, shaela/emsket (both his sire and dam are modified!) ram lamb does appear to be growing little scurs. They are soft and 'wiggly' at this point. I will definitely be keeping an eye on him...

Since I am not interested in breeding for polled Shetlands,
Eureka will be available for sale for $300.00

************

There's no question that this big guy will be horned!

BLUFF COUNTRY DUST IN THE WIND
Bluff Country Destiny X Kimberwood Hunter

I REALLY like this ram lamb! He is big, powerfully built, dense fleeced and has excellent conformation and an awesome rear end and tail!

Clearly a ram lamb perpetuating the quality of his grand-dam "Highland Hollow ALICE"!

Spot (HST) carrying ~ Modified (Shaela) ~ Superb conformation ~ and just look at the wool on his cheeks and poll!

It doesn't get a whole lot better than that!

Pending proper horn growth, Dusty will be available for sale for
$200.00

************

OK, so she's not a boy...

But I am SO in love with the gorgeous, golden/caramel color of BLUFF COUNTRY DAZZLE!! She runs to greet me every morning when I go out into the paddock.

Who cares about cars?
Or flowers???

;-)

Just Because He Makes Me SMILE...

For Linda and Pete
go ahead ~ click to biggify!

"Aw, shucks Maam! It isn't easy being so darn Cute!"

"So, I'll just keep practicing so that Pete guy, out in Pennsylvania, likes me (even though I've got spots!) when they come get me and my mom to take us to our new home."

It won't be long now and my handsom "ZORRO" will be leaving for his new home in Pennsylvania! He won't be lonely though because he'll be accompanied by his mom, "ZODIAK" and "BLUFF COUNTRY ZEST", along with Zest's handsome son, "RAZZLE". I know that these four are going to a loving home and that I'll see them again sometime! Linda and Pete have bought sheep from me a number of times and have become VERY Dear Friends.

Speaking of Dear Friends and moving out East:
It seems that I have a buyer for all of the ewes (and BLING!) that I'm willing to part with. We are in the process of arranging transportation but all of my ewes that are for sale, as well as several of my ewe lambs, will be moving to the North East! (don't worry ~ I checked him out! He's legit and the sheep will be going to a wonderful home!)

Talk about mixed emotions! On the one hand, it is a huge relief to know that I've found a good home for my beloved friends. And a blessing that they'll all be going together!! But, can you imagine the day that they all LEAVE???

DREAM says:

"Don't worry Mom. I'll stay here with you!"

I'm counting on that, Dreamer!