Potosi Sheep Farm

Escape Needed

2011-12-27T15:50:00.000-08:00

Although I'm not a beach person, those travel vacations that I'm getting on line are beginning to look pretty good. Last week it was the 750 pound bale on the truck adventure. I had a bright idea of getting one big bale to feed the Shetlands eliminating the awful job of hauling small square bales down 2 hills to get to their pen. Got the bale home only to have the Bobcat refuse to start. The new baby tractor was too big for the small space so in desperation, I tried to jump start the Bobcat. Nope. Called a neighbor who couldn't start the bugger either. Of course by this time it had begun to rain so I parked the pickup with the bale in the carport and called another mechanic neighbor after hauling small bales down the hills to the Shetland barn. One week later with new battery cables on hand and my wonderful neighbor, the Bobcat was going again. Being two places at the same time has never been my strength so unloading the large bale by myself did not go well. Every time I got one piece of equipment I had to run over and move the other. By this time my cell phone was ringing..... Bill was frantic that he was going to be late to the doctor.. so I left everything and took him to the doctor in my greasy, smelly farm wear. No time to change. Returning to the task, it was again raining. BUT there's a happy ending. The bale finally was placed where it needed to be and the truck was unstuck without a scratch or dent. The Shetlands are enjoying their nice green hay and I have nightmares about buying another big bale. It has to go better the second time around.This week's fiasco was the wood boiler. I fired it up and had steam and hot water hissing all over the basement. After frantically throwing switches the thing didn't explode and began to cool. Relief! Another friend came yesterday to fix the problem. Going to bed I felt so good as I added the logs for the night. In the morning, there was a new problem and 3 inches of water in another location. Wet vacuum, boots and pipe wrenches before coffee. Not good. My resume of things I can now do is getting longer by the day. Plumbing is far from being my strong suit but I am blessed with handy friends who take pity on me. Will this madness end?

Table Full of Memories

2011-12-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

When I saw this in Martha Stewart Living I thought it was a great way to use all those doilies I had in drawers. I never realized how many memories would come to me as I pulled them out. Mom had made some and sent them to me,fussing over how they didn't turn out just right. My friend Peggy's mother had brought many to me in bags with a history of who made them and how old they were. Even the notes Mrs. williams had placed inside the bags were still there for me to reread and smile. And the glass pieces were Bill's mother's. Finally retrieved from the attic to sparkle again.That's what I love about Christmas....the memories that make you smile. My table sure makes me smile as I remember 3 beutiful ladies in my life that I really wish could be here for another Christmas. .

Fewer But Better

2011-12-07T15:10:00.000-08:00

As I watched my sheep leave in trucks and trailers over the summer I was heartbroken.
It was all about reduced numbers to make less work though. Well, the state vet came last week to do his annual scrapie inspection and my flock went from 82 in 2010 to under 40 in 2011. It took us no time to inspect each animal and record tags. As I looked at the remaining ewes,it was apparent that fewer numbers had been a good thing. They are heavier with plenty of grass to eat. And it's still growing in these warm December temperatures. My hay supply has hardly been touched unlike last year when I began to worry about hay supplies in December. The smaller flock has made the BFL sheep more friendly too. Now the Shetlands...that's another story, but that's what makes having the two breeds so much fun. I got an amazing new BFL ram in October from Heather Landin and I am excited about starting to rebuild my genetics with him (Heddon Valley genetics) and my Scotty AI ram. He was born here and as yet is not impressive but I'm hoping he'll become the swan from the ugly duckling. I am excited about new lambs in 2012 and a lot less work while they are being born. Lambing is always exciting but exhausting. I'm looking forward to having fewer lambs to get to know and fewer bales to throw. AND I can't wait to see those lambs.They will be awesome.

Snow in October

2011-11-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

At least the Shetlands enjoyed the fallen branches.

Never Say Never...Again

2011-10-26T05:09:00.000-07:00

This is getting to be an ongoing theme around here as I take over more of Bill's jobs. Last week, when the lightbulb in the refrig blew out I thought no one would notice that there was no food. Darkness and placing veggies on the front of the shelves worked for a while but I was busted when Molly came home. I had been feeding us on local veggies and natural purchases from the Amish market but it really was time for me to bite the bullet and go to the supermarket. Why did Bill like this job?

The large unidentified usurping plant that was growing (and growing) in my Hazelnut tree had to go. All summer I begged for someone to chain saw it since that is another tool I seldom have used. Well, we have this tool called an alligator. It's like a mini chain saw only easier to start. Timber. It worked well on the invading species. Why didn't I do this sooner?

Mice. Never would bait a trap or empty one. Gross. Bill's job. Well with the Fall invasion of the wee beasties it was trap time. The second one popped the trap and landed on the stovetop. I told Bill I was going to turn the burner on and serve mouse on a plank for breakfast. He never has enjoyed my humor but now he can't run away before the punch line. Love a captive audience!

Replaced by a Baby

2011-10-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

The big tractor has been replaced. Bill is not too happy to see the big blue monster gone but 40 horses was a bit too much for me now that we don't pull a baler or haybine. I can mow just fine with the new 30 horsepower model.I still have a bucket for manure moving. And I can get the jumper cables on without climbing in .It's the little things in life. Snow removal will be a bit chillier without the cab but it's NOT going to snow this year.....right???

Rhinebeck Next Weekend

2011-10-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

It's my favorite festival. Potosi Sheep Farm will set up with Feederbrook Farm in our usual place in the horse barn at the NY Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck. Please stop by and say hello. BFL and Shetland products for everyone.

2011-10-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

My beautiful new ram arrived today thanks to the largesse of my friend Dave who drove to WI to collect him for me. It is a new blood line here and hopefully will be instrumental in creating the perfect Bluefaced Leicester Flock. My flock is drastically reduced and many of my beautiful ewes have moved to new homes but I am determined to start over with the ewes I have left and create a smaller but more beautiful Bluefaced Leicester flock. Might be like making a silk purse out of a sow's ear but I can try. Who knows, with good rams and a good breeding plan it could happen.

Shearing

2011-09-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

Since the fleeces were rain washed and really clean, Nathan came to shear. I am so lucky to have such an amazing shearer and friend. The fleeces are super clean but wet so they will set in the sun today to dry before being bagged for sale at Rhinebeck. Clean..no veg... they should sell.

On Sunday six these sheared ewes moved to lush pastures in Ohio. They have a great home with Lisa and Chuck Rodenfels but I really miss them. 17 adult BFL sheep left to breed this season. That's half of last year's number.

Plans A, B and C

2011-09-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

Since I have become a one woman operation here at Potosi Farm, I am learning that shepherding is a constant mental and physical exercise. Plan A never seems to work. Last week, plan A for getting my sheep cage on the truck failed. So did plan B. Success came with plan C. Smugly,I returned to the house only to get a call that my son needed my truck to haul his mowers to a job. Yup, the cage was unloaded.

Last night Molly and I got the family room ready for the return of Dad,aka Mr. Bill.
Plan A got a sofa stuck in the front door. Plan B resulted in a bigger sofa stuck in the family room door. By this time it appeared that losing it was surely Plan C. When faced with stress and anxiety, psychologists tell you to remove yourself from the situation. Impossible with sofas stuck in the doorways. If I could have gotten to the workroom for a chain saw, sofa B would now be a sectional but luckily it's still in one piece. Molly came up with Plan D. This meant putting back both sofas and removing all my spinning stuff from the other side of the room to make space for the bed on the other wall. We pitched all my unfinished knitting projects still on the needles to the porch and piled multiple skeins and balls of roving on top of them. Five hours after starting the bed was brought down from the third floor and set up. Molly went to get the newly purchased pillows only to find that Tim's terror terrier had peed on them sometime during the chaos.

Elenor Roosevelt once said,"Like tea, a woman never knows how strong she is til she's in hot water". Well I am about to find out how strong I am when Mr. Bill comes home on Thursday. He is still unable to walk and is over 75% dependent on help. Looks like we are facing a lot of plans A,B and C. Til then I will be finding another place for the hugh pile of wool and knitting on the porch. Finishing some of those projects might be a good idea.

2011-09-17T06:20:00.000-07:00

After weeks (it seems like more) of rain, my clean BFL sheep are pushing the gate to get in the barn. Usually I have my rams in by now but everything is a bit later this year.

Alone

2011-08-29T15:51:00.000-07:00

Last week my husband went to rehab after being unable to walk for 3 weeks. Three days after getting him settled, I had to put our 13 year old farm dog down. Since Tim and Molly have both moved, Thursday night I came home to an empty house for the first time.It felt so strange.
Today, Lillian, my child care companion went to school full time. Miss Kathy's Fine Academy is officially closed. When I retired from teaching I said I would never do child care but along came Lillian making me realize that you never say never. Lillian added an element of excitement to my life. Every day was a new adventure. We went to see Thomas the Tank Engine, frequented every zoo within driving distance, went to the theater and the central market and the "wavy ocean" in NJ. Lillian would ask, "Where we going today?" each morning when she arrived. We made friends together at the library and enjoyed play dates with so many friends. Five fun years flew by with only a handful of bad days included. She is part of the family for sure. Upon graduation, Lillian, I hope I taught you to be spontaneous,sing in the car, feed sheep,laugh,be kind to others,admit mistakes without blaming others and say "I'm sorry", slide down slides,fish,read books and plant flowers (not petunias). Sometimes decorated cakes slide off plates, the dog eats your lunch, and going fishing doesn't always mean there will be a fish dinner. (That's what the fish market is for.) But rocking the dock when the fish don't bite makes up for being fishless. Every day is an adventure waiting to be enjoyed. Be creative and enjoy it.

Shetland Rams for Sale

2011-08-27T06:28:00.001-07:00

Six ram lambs left. Great horns. Solid black and Moorit.

New Homes

2011-08-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

Members of my flock are gradually finding great new homes. No trips to the stockyard recently. For that I'm grateful.It's hard to let some of my ewes go but fewer sheep will be better for me when I'm hauling hay this winter. There are still many left but I'm hoping they will move to new homes soon.

My children have moved to new homes as well. Molly settled in her new home in June and Tim is in the process of moving now. It amazes me that both have furnished their places with stuff from home. Can I possibly have had 3 houses worth of stuff in one house? Astounding but true. Their homes are ecletic and funky with a mish mash of furnishings but so homey and comfortable. Antiques that were stored in the barn after I left the antique business have been washed and polished or painted finding new homes and new lives. Grandma's 1960's maple diningroom set lives again with updated funky chairs. She would be so happy. There will actually be an empty corner or two once all the moving is done! MMMMM room for more wool and with less sheep more time to spin it.

Stuff!

2011-08-06T15:25:00.002-07:00

Grandma's dining room set gone funky..

Time is Flying

2011-07-28T15:58:00.001-07:00

Haven't posted in soo long. Bill continues chemo and gets weaker by the day. Thankfully we have AC this year so at least the first floor is cool for him.

Molly and Tim both have new homes. I am loving helping them get settled but in the meantime my house is chaos with boxes and furniture waiting to be moved piled everywhere.

I have decided to give up my fiber business and reduce my flock. I will still be at Rhinebeck in October but 2011 was my last year at MD. I've lived with that decision since May and it feels right. 25 years of teaching and 25 years of wool festivals. Looks like a pattern. Maybe now I will have time to spin and knit again.

Anyone interested in Shetland or Bluefaced Leicester stock please contact me.

Another One of Those Days

2011-06-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

The day began by pulling my ewes into the barn for a general check up. They have been in the upper pasture since their lambs were weaned. everyone was gaining weight and looking good. Eye color was ++++ in all. No worming needed. After a visit with all of them, they went back to their upper pasture.
My hay farmer called telling me to ready myself for some really nice bales of grass hay. I cleared the loft and opened the doors. Having hay in my barn this early in the season is exhilarating! I'm ready for winter feeding. Hopefully I won't have to feed these bales in July as I did last year, leaving me to hunt for additional bales last spring when there weren't any. 2011 was the first year I had to buy hay in the spring and it was frustrating.
Things were going great. Now to take the new GM car to the dealer for a recall. Why should a new car need bolts in the linkage? I'm hostile as I enter the service area. I left my cell phone # and left with Molly being told the car would be ready in 45 minutes. Returning an hour later, Molly left and I sat and watched my car on the lift still being serviced. The service manager asked me to move to the customer area to wait. There was awful coffee probably made this morning, car magazines and a copy of the York paper. I chose the paper. Typically York, there was no world news so I read the obituaries and did the crossword puzzle. Still no car so I moved to the kiddie area hoping for something to entertain myself. YES.... a home decorating magazine from 2009. Finally after 2 hours, I went to the desk to ask about my car. The manager told me he had called me.... AT HOME and left a message an hour ago. What about the cell # you asked for? Hello, didn't you see me sitting here? I'm convinced they would have closed the service department and left me sitting there. What ever happened to customer service? My time is valuable too so I asked that they credit me with 1 hour of mechanic's time on my next visit. Wanting to get rid of me, the manager agreed. Why is everyone else's time valuable but mine?????

The Craziness Continues

2011-06-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

May was hectic with so much going on and June is repeating the pattern. All Molly's Utah stuff has been relocated to VA in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. . She begins grad school in August. We have been painting her new home vibrant colors. I wake up at night with my hand curled as though there is a brush in it and the yellow in my hair is better than gray. Thanks to all the blogs with cheap decorating ideas and thrift stores we are creating a really cool place. In fact I like it so much that she may find me on her doorstep more than she wants me!!!! Payback for my painting expertise.

Our last trip to VA we hauled my mother's dining room set in our pickup truck. It's 1960's classic maple and it weighs a ton. My mother would be so proud to see it live again in retro style with colorful new chairs. The trip down was eventful. The happy teddy bear sheet that was wrapped around the top of the hutch fell down between the cab and the truck bed wrapping around the drive shaft. It made a noise that caused me pull over in record time. I couldn't believe I was sliding under the truck on the roadside untangling a sheet of teddy bear faces as traffic whizzed by. Two muffler burns on my arms later the drive shaft was free, only to find that the sheet had taken out the catalytic converter too. At least the truck still drives with the emissions light on the dash lit. It could have been worse.

We are going back on Wednesday to install a glass tile backsplash in the kitchen and paint some more. In the meantime we are still searching through the barn for amazing items with possibilities. No more sheets wrapped around things though.

Home Again

2011-05-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

Molly graduated from Utah State! Not one to miss a cross country road trip I flew out to help her drive her car and "stuff" home. The car was so tightly packed that I was instructed that all I could bring was a change of underwear and a bottle of Febreze. Fortunately with some shipping and donated items Molly created enough room for me and a small squishy bag. After spending night one in Salt Lake with some great transplanted East Coast friends we were headed southeast to Colorado. Our planned route included a few sights and friends we wanted to see and over 2000 miles. We got a sheep fix with the Lloyds in Colorado and headed southwest( yes, southwest) to Mesa Verde, a place I've always yearned to see. Refusing to obey the Garmin, we took the Colorado Mountain route instead of the Utah route. Big mistake... 12 inches of snow got us stranded in Telluride,Co. Never dreamed we'd spend a day there but it turned out to be a beautiful stop. When the Lizard Pass finally opened, we were off to Mesa Verde. There was no snow on that side of the Rockies. Had we listened to Garmin we would have been to Mesa Verde already but what a ride we would have missed. Touring the cliff dwellings of the early Southwest tribes was as great as I had hoped. History comes alive in our National Parks for sure. From there we listened to the garmin and took this amazing mountaintop road to Taos, NM. to see Bill's granddaughter and her husband. Sarah and John were surprised that the road was open due to recent snowfall. Garmin would have been thrown out the window if we had gotten all the way to the top of that mountain only to find the gates closed and the road snowcovered! Our stay in John and Sarah's adobe desert home off the grid was cut short due to time lost in the snow but every minute with them was perfect. I am determined to go back to Taos again soon. We hiked up into the Carson National Forest and walked the Rio Grande Bridge. Beautiful. We're home. Back to sheep duties and life in general, but it was a perfect escape week.

Maryland Sheep And Wool This Weekend.

2011-05-03T16:08:00.001-07:00

My booth will be in the Vendors North area. I am no longer near the info tent. I missed so many people last year. Hope you find me this year in cooler temperatures. I will have both Shetland and BFL products as well as 4 Leicester lambs for sale. Here they are.

Shetland Lambs

2011-05-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

The Shetland lambs do their crazy morning run while the Blues look on. do you think they laugh like I do?

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

Beautiful sunny day. Looking out the open kitchen window I can see flowering trees and my lambs. Hearing the lambs call to their mothers makes me smile as I get dinner ready. My favorite season for sure.

Almost Done

2011-04-23T15:38:00.000-07:00

I was so worried when I realized Lilly Loo, just a yearling was bred. Well, my worry was for naught. This is what I found last night. Momma and baby girl are doing fine. Only one more Shetland to lamb and lambing season will be over. PHEW.

The Day Keeps Getting Better!

2011-04-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

The day began with more rain. Out to the barn by 6:45 to sort lambs for my ethnic lamb customers. They never arrived after I spent an hour getting ready for them. GRRR. That pushed my too far button for sure. The customers called at 8:15 to arrange another time but once my too far button is pushed I'm unforgiving. To paraphrase the soup nazi..." no lambs for you."

At 10 the 4H group to whom I had donated a BFL/Shetland fleece for the PA Sheep to Shawl competition arrived to give me a beautiful shawl that they had made from the last locks of the fleece. It is spectacular and I am overwhelmed with their thoughtful gift. Can't wait to wear it. The attached photo does not show the true beauty of the weave and the colors.

Christine and I drove to the mill to get my yarn and roving for MD Sheep and Wool. I'll be in a frenzy dying skeins for the next two weeks but the yarn is beautiful and the roving is awesome. Christine treated me to lunch for my birthday. This day just keeps getting better as the sun comes out and the pastures look lush and green.

It's Great to Be a Shepherd..Rain and All

2011-04-08T14:51:00.000-07:00

It's raining, cold and miserable. 2 Shetlands lambed simultaneously in the exact same spot in the barn. Of course,it's impossible to sort out who belongs to whom. All lambs are nursing from both moms and both moms are licking all lambs. I put them all in a pen to let them sort things out. I know from experience that human logic never allows you to match the correct lambs and ewes so I don't try anymore. Shetland babies always make me watch in wonderment at how quickly they get up after birth and head right to the bag for milk. No bumping around in the wrong plces... straight to the teat. Pictured are one of the moms with what I think is one of hers and one from the other set.

Shetlands settled I went to the BFL barn to find Clueless baby missing. Mom was bawling but there was no sign of her ewe lamb. In the pouring rain, I searched the fields finding her under the rolling water tank in the very upper pasture. She does have enough sense to come in out of the rain but not enough to follow mom back to the barn. Again I carried her to a reunion with her mom and brother. How long is this going to take? She is so cute but still clueless. Molly and I have named her Mitzi....aka Ditzi Mitzi.

Back to the Shetlands. The sorting out isn't going so well. We still have any lamb nursing on any teat available. Still don't know who the correct momma is. Maybe by tomorrow?

Clueless in Potosi

2011-04-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

I checked my BFL ewe Cassie at 5PM and she was just lying there! By 8 PM, she and her 2 babies were walking around with the rest of the flock. It always strikes me funny when you look down at the lambs and there's one you haven't seen before with a wet navel cord hanging down and slightly wet. I popped Cassie and company in a lambing pen, checked for milk, dipped navels and went in saying to Bill, "Cassie had those babies early so I can sleep all night". When I checked the little family at 11 it was apparent that the lambs had not nursed. They were crying and wandering around clueless about nursing. Oh no... the curse of the stupid baby! I have not had one of those in 15 years. There goes sleep.

These babies had no idea where milk came from or what to suck on. The little ewe had her little jaw so tightly clamped shut that I couldn't even get my finger in to squirt some of mom's milk. I don't usually work with lambs to get them to nurse figuring if mom has milk that will come naturally but these 2 were in need of nursing 101 badly. I got lamb A attached and he sucked but couldn't find the teat again on his own. He was full so I tried working with the ewe. She wouldn't open her mouth. I milked mom and gave the ewe 3 ounces. She knew how to suck so I went to bed figuring they were full and by morning they'd both be nursing. Nope, by morning they were crying and empty. Nursing 102 went better with the wee man. He got the idea and reattached on his own. YES! But little girl was still clueless, wandering aimlessly under mom. I filled her up again with mom's milk and went in for coffee. Now 12 hours old, little girl has finally figured out that there is a wonderful creamy reward for sucking on a teat. And she can find it on her own now. But in the meantime crawling around trying to get them to nurse has cost me my favorite pen knife and I will be out there with a magnet looking for it this afternoon.

Who Needs the Gym When You Have Sheep?

2011-03-29T11:40:00.001-07:00

I am so tired of waiting for Shetlands to lamb. I've worn a path to their barn with only 4 lambs to show for all my walks.This morning I walked out to find a ewe presenting 2 heads and 2 legs! Never had this one before. It was Selah, one of my less friendly sheep too. Of couse after catching Selah, I discovered that 1 leg went with each lamb! Double great! It was one big log jam. I could just hear the lambs bickering about who would go first while pushing the other out of the way. Both lambs were breathing and looking at me so pushing one back in was not an option. I tipped Selah up and poured in a bottle of OB lube and tried pulling one lamb.... nothing. Panic was close. Trying the other leg and head got the results I wanted. Out pulled one lamb. The second shot out right behind landing about 3 feet across the pen. As I tried to get Selah on her feet she took off like a shot right through the gate I had left open (@#$&*@) accross the yard and down the road in traffic! She ran and I ran faster, trying to get ahead of her to open a pasture gate to at least get her off the road. Success! Selah munched grass with no intentions of going back to her lambs. I put the lambs in the sun and took Lillian to school hoping Selah would reconsider and go back to motherhood. Wrong. The lambs were alone and crying when I got home. Selah was 2 pastures away with the flock, so I hearded the whole flock back to the barn. When Selah heard the lambs something clicked. It wasn't immediate recognition but for some reason she began to answer the lambs. First quiet bleats then loud baahs. Suddenly she bolted back into the barn and began licking her lambs as though the last 90 minutes had just been a small temporary insanity that a few blades of grass remedied. Both lambs are nursing and Selah is a wonderful first time mother and I need a cup of coffee and a nap!

Daughter of Scotty

2011-03-20T15:55:00.001-07:00

She's a big girl. A bit pinker than I expected from Scotty but a beauty none the less. Here she is at 2 days old with a 3 week old lamb.

Enjoying the Sun

2011-03-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

An unusually warm day for March got us all out enjoying the sun. Wonderful first day of Spring! While the lambs slept I got the barnyard cleaned out with the Bobcat, which started right up for me. Be still my heart. It must have wanted to be out of the barn too after a long inactive winter.Operating that little bobcat makes me feel happy because I get so much accomplished. Today, I not only got the manure out but I also got a post on the forebay lifted into place. WhooHoo. I'll apply to MIT for fall semester. I totally understand why men love their tractors.

In spite of the full moon last night I came out to find NO NEW Lambs in the Shetland pen. Come on girls, this is getting ridiculous.

Shetland Babies Arriving!

2011-03-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

Lillian and I discovered these ram twins in one of the craters in the Shetland pen this morning. After picking up heavy BFL babies all week these little guys are like poofs. We sang "picking up paw paws put 'em in you pocket" as we carried them to the lambing pens. Actually I sang while Lillian rolled her eyes. Another Shetland mom to be stood in the pen and protested our taking the lambs as if we were taking HER lambs. Guess she will have hers pretty soon since her maternal instinct has kicked in.

The Wait is Over!

2011-03-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

In October I had 6 ewes artificially inseminated with new genetics from the UK. Unfortunately due to the Murphy's Law that haunts my life, most of the ewes rejected the procedure.Waiting for everything to go right over the winter was stressful but today I got twin rams from the Mossvale Masterplan aka Scotty semen. Right now they are wet and very newborn looking but in the next few days I hope they start looking like their "dear old dad." BELIEVE as my sister-in-law always tells me, and it will happen. The other ewe that also conceived with the Scotty semen is due any time now too. Maybe a girl or two this time? BELIEVE

2011 Bluefaced Leicester Lambs

2011-03-11T14:16:00.000-08:00

2011 lambs for sale

2011-03-11T12:59:00.000-08:00

I'm really happy with this year's lambs. My goal of straighter legs and wider chests is achieved in a lot of these little guys.

Time Away

2011-03-04T06:55:00.001-08:00

Poor Tim is shepherd in charge while I travel to North Carolina with Molly for Grad school interviews. All the BFL ewes were supposed to be lambed by now (except the AI girls)... they're NOT. Tim not only has to feed but is on lamb patrol.

Since the Shetlands are sheared they are digging their individual craters in the bedding at night to keep warm. I warned Tim about walking through these holes (some quite deep) while feeding since I have taken a few falls only to be trampled by the starving masses, too impatient to wait for me to get up! Tim fed this AM very early and in the dark. He couldn't find the light switch in the second pen so he thought he'd just carefully walk through the sleeping flock. Wellll...these are Shetlands remember so with each step another panicked ewe shot into the air until he felt like he was in the midst of whack a mole with ewes popping up all around him. He likened it to walking through exploding land mines. He called to say thanks for the warning while laughing. Tim likes my Shetlands so they can do no wrong.

Down here in North Carolina it's so much warmer than home and I have seen some flowering shrubs. Spring really is coming and it feels oh so good.

29 Lambs

2011-03-02T14:31:00.000-08:00

The lambs are coming slowly but I couldn't be happier with how they look. 7 natural colored ewe lambs. I really looks funny to see so many dark sheep running in the lamb races at night. They charge in a line through the barnyard, out around the tree in the pasture then run back to check in with mom. Watching them never gets old. Molly and I watched for a long time the other night just laughing. It's good to have her home to help me.

Thanks For Waiting For Daylight

2011-02-23T13:24:00.000-08:00

A new set of Bluefaced Leicester ewe lambs born at noon today in the sunshine! Thank you momma! She'll get extra grain for that daylight delivery.

Non Stop For 24 Hours

2011-02-22T10:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was sheraing day for the Shetlands... 24 of the fiestiest little sheep ever. Not the "eat out of your hand" pet flock. My wonderful shearer,Nathan, sings the alleluia chorus when the job is done and yesterday was no exception. Cold and damp, sticky fleeces that clogged the shearing teeth but Nathan his usual exceptional job and I have a pile of beautiful fleeces that I can't wait to sort through. On the plus side, no one lambed mid shearing like last year but we did notice that many of the Shetland ewes are not bred. That's fine with me since last year we had too many of the little imps cavorting around stopping traffic on the road with their antics. A few less would be a good thing. For those of you that wonder why shear now, the Shetlands were happy to be rid if the year's growth and when the snow started last night I found many of the flock lying out catching flakes.
Exhausted and hungry, I got into the house long enough to warm and eat when the monitor to the barn announced that BFL lambs had arrived. Back out to the barn with snowflakes swirling, I found twins out of my BFL/Shetland ewe Jamie wandering around. The boy was all BFL while the little black ewe was all Shetland wandering all over the barn in true shetland fashion, full of milk. All I had to do was gather them up ,dip navels and put them in a pen with hay for momma.I laughed as I left hearing the little ewe smack her lips sucking more milk. Back in the house for two hours when the barn monitor announced more lambs. Now the snow was to my ankles. This time I found 2 of the most beautiful BFL babies ever!Perfect pigmentation, lively and healthy. They were set up in the pen next to Jamie, whose little ewe was still smacking her lips. Such a good sound to a shepherd. Maybe I can sleep now?????
NOT..... back to the barn for Wensleydale/BFL twins boys. Now my 3 pens were full with little lip smackers and cooing moms. BUT we weren't finished. A first time BFL momma was pushing in a corner. I just had time to divide one of the already occupied pens and set up for a new family. 8 lambs in 7 hours after a day of shearing was more than I expected but I'm so glad the have healthy babies on the ground with little more than a few walks to the barn for me and a few hours of sleep lost. 20 lambs total now..... finally. Here's a bad picture of my beautiful ram lamb.

Seven Lambs and Holding

2011-02-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

Warm days... perfect for lambs and no one has lambed! Lambing here is usually slow but this year is outrageous. Everytime I check the barn, the lounging ewes just look at me and continue chewing their cud like I'm disturbing them. The seven beautiful lambs are growing quickly and jumping around the barnyard. I laugh when the close to birth moms hear those lambs BAAA, they act like their lambs have arrived and they must begin mothering. "If only having a baby was that easy Mama," I tell them. Hopefully this weekend will have some new lambs on the ground and new pictures for my blog. They are just waiting for the cold weather to return so they can torture me in the cold.

2011-02-12T05:48:00.000-08:00

Lambing is progressing slowly as it usually does. This week we added 3 new lambs to the flock. A big single and black twins that really surprised me! Both ewes lambed during the day, quickly and took right to mothering. I am so grateful for their consideration since nighttime temps here have been bone chilling cold.

We have been promised warmer weather so hopefully the mound of icy snow in front of the barn door will melt and I won't have to carry bags of grain from the truck into the barn through the people door. UGH! The barnyard is so slick that with a few passes of a Zamboni I could open it up us an ice rink.

First BFL Baby

2011-02-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

It's a girl....and a big one too. First baby BFL of the season. 24 hours old in this picture.

Triplets

2011-01-31T17:46:00.000-08:00

Madeline (yes, all my sheep have names) my oldest ewe began our 2011 lambing season with her first set of triplets out of a BFL ram. It's so great to go out and find a ewe with lambs all cleaned off, nursing and content in spite of a temperature of 3 degrees. I love not being needed.

Herc

2011-01-29T05:47:00.000-08:00

Another foot of snow . No lambs but I trudged to the barn to find my llama dead in the large feeding area. Herc was old and getting frail and thin so the bitter cold winter we have had was bound to take him. Of course the ewes stood right on top of him while I fed and tried to figure out a way to remove his body. Getting an old plastic sled and Tim, we rolled Herc onto the sled and slid him into the barnyard to the awaiting tractor. It seemed like a less than dignified end for a guy that took his guard job seriously and never asked for special attention.

Everyone that drove past the farm looked for him and visitors always wanted to walk Herc on a lead until he got close and his imposing size changed their minds. He walked elegantly for those brave enough to try and spitting was something he seldom did. I loved the way he checked each newborn lamb in at birth until he determined it was part of his flock and could stay. If I forgot to close the storage hole in the barn wall Herc would get his nose in there and pull everything out.. .records, pens, medications etc. I never figured out wether he was bored or just trying to be funny. And he was great at finding "not quite" hooked gates, opening them and taking the whole flock for walks on Potosi Road. Roundup time was done easily with a bucket of grain but I swear I caught Herc smiling.

Last night as I left the hole in the wall open , a tear dripped down my face and quickly froze. Herc's spirit will be in the barn with me as the lambs come, but I'll miss him looking over my shoulder wanting to be first to smell the newborn.

Getting Ready For Lambs!

2011-01-21T12:27:00.000-08:00

It's sunny but oh so cold and windy today. Working outside the barn is rough on the skin so Tim helped me get lambing pens ready in the barn for expected Bluefaced Leicester babies next weekend. Hopefully they will wait until the arctic blast has past but lambs seem to like to arrive when it's super cold. I'm usually more miserable than they are. My former farm helper, Sam, got me a new hypothermic lamb blanket that has a microwaveable lining that heats to 110 then tucks into the blanket wrapping around the cold lamb. Hopefully I won't have to use it, but it sure will be good to have it since every lambing season brings at least one or two cold lambcicles.

The Shetlands love this weather. This morning they were all lounging in the newly fallen snow very content to just be. There are only 20 Shetlands in the pen now so feeding is so much easier than it was last winter with a larger number to battle through with grain and hay. Shetland babies are expected later in February and March.

Thanks Tim for helping me get the barn ready. Having help sure makes the job go faster.

New Yarn

2011-01-20T15:07:00.000-08:00

Here's the BFL natural colored yarn I finally got from the mill. Lustrous and sooo soft.It's not gray but more of a brown tone, which is very interesting. I want to put it in my private stash instead of putting it out for sale but my stash is getting beyond the time I have to get into it so it will be for sale at Maryland.

Rooting through my last few 2010 fleeces I found a Shetland moorit lamb's fleece that I had set aside and forgot about. My goal for 2011 was to spend more time preparing fleeces before spinning so this fleece has been washed, picked annnnd I even cut all the tips off each lock.That was a labor of love but I think it will make a big difference in the finished product. It is unbelievably soft. Maybe I can get to carding it tomorrow!

PA Farm Show Sheep to Shawl

2011-01-13T05:35:00.000-08:00

Yes, Pennsylvania has a huge indoor farm show in January. Rational for the timing is that it is the season when farmers are less busy and can take time to attend.

For 32 years, one of the most eagerly anticipated events is the Sheep To Shawl. It is highly competitive and the auction afterwards always leaves local folks stunned at the prices paid. Last night was no exception. Shawls ranged from $600 to $2200. for some of the most beautiful works of fiber art I've seen. This year I was not judging, just watching . My biggest problem was not being able to FEEL the fibers and the shawls. The fiber world is the only place I know where everyone needs to touch and no one is offended when a total stranger "feels" what you are wearing.

Six youth teams participated in a fleece to shawl in the morning. I was really impressed with the 6 shawls produced. Pictured are the six shawls on the finished table. The pink one was the winner. It was beatifully done made with Bluefaced Leicester fiber in the warp and sold for $650. All proceeds donated to Breast Cancer Awareness. Second place was a surfing themed shawl with a gorgeous hand paintd warp. Third place took the spinners award.(pictured) They were spinning a Potosi BFL/Shetland fleece, making me really proud. The 6th place team had an Autism theme and donated their $800 to autism awareness. We will be having teams for farm shows for many years to come from the enthusiasm and talent of these young teams.

Eight adult teams spun and wove shawls that were works of art. Potosi fiber was in two of them. BFL in one and Shetland in the other.The BFL getting the spinners award. The winning shawl(pictured) was a Bluebird inspired shawl getting a winning bid of $950.Soo pretty! Second place (Pictured) was shades of Blue using Bluefaced Leicester fiber. It got the spinning and shearing award. Fouth place commanded the $2200. figure bid. It received team choice and fleece (corriedale) award. Their theme was Native American and their costumes and choice of pattern were so suited to the theme.

The eight adult team shawls were all incrdible works of art! Wish I could have taken one home.

Whose Flowers?

2011-01-10T10:45:00.000-08:00

Elisabeth left her beautiful bouquet of roses on my kitchen table. Was it because she forgot them OR was it because when she came in with them I pulled them from her hands, arranged them in my favorite vase and set them on my table that she was afraid to claim them? Guess I got carried away with their beauty. Well anyway. this morning those gorgeous roses inspired a tea party. Lillian was delighted to wear her purple formal and heels but complained that my flannel shirt wasn't appropriate. My favorite formal is either at the cleaners or 2 sizes too small. (all right so it's the latter of those two options.) Tea time melded into lunch.... ramen noodles. We decided since we were being festive, we'd use chop sticks.This was new too Lillian but after lots of laughter she caught right on. Judy lurked under the table catching noodles as they fell then cleaned the table with several swipes of her tongue when we weren't looking. Thanks for leaving the bouquet,Elisabeth. They made a dreay day mirthful.
Posted by Potosi Sheep Farm at 10:14 AM

Drill or Die

2011-01-09T15:37:00.000-08:00

Dragging a bale of alfalfa through 20 hungry bred ewes last night brought me to my knees... literally. They almost trampled me to death.So this morning I was determined to change things around and take charge of my life. Installing a gate on the forebay seemed like the perfect solution to my woes. Usually, I resort to baling twine and wooden palates for construction but now that I have installed shades with the cordless drill I am confident that the drill is the professional way to go. One half hour and one lost drill bit later, the gate is installed. It looks good and is relatively secure for this lambing season, I hope. Chick power rules! But who knows what the starving masses will do to it as I drag my bales safely on the other side. How can these sweet faces be so cruel to the hand that feeds them?

Back to Normal.. .Whatever that is!

2011-01-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

Molly flew out to Utah this morning leaving me to my own devices for entertainment. She has kept me busy and exhausted for the last 2 weeks but I miss her already. The only thing I can think of to do is take down the Christmas tree. Horrible thought. I have always hated to see the holidays end and that feeling isn't subsiding with age.

Packing with airline regulations in mind, Molly and I searched for a 3 ounce bottle for her new hand lotion. Finding the perfect vessel, I dumped the last of its contents into my palms and slathered it all over my legs. Something was wrong for sure. The creamy lotion was stinging horribly because it was not lotion but hair conditioner. Yikkes!!! On the bright side, the hair on my legs is laying down nicely and I sure do smell good. Got Molly to the airport with no traffic... amazing for Baltimore... and Lillian to school only to return home to hear Bill yell as he pirouetted down the hill behind the house while trying to empty the wood stove ashes. After determining he was OK, we got him back in the house covered with ashes. Ashes were even in his ears. I got him to laugh (actually it was more like groan) by telling him that he needed to stop making an "ash" of himself while I am gone. Glad he didn't fall earlier.

My new yarn and roving are ready at the mill but I've had enough" excitement" and driving for today so that will have to wait. It is nagging at me wondering what the stuff at the mill looks like though. Think I'll just sit by the tree and spin or read my new book... The Intentional Spinner and pretend it's still the holidays for one more day.

Welcome 2011

2011-01-01T16:23:00.001-08:00

This year is starting out quite well. Over 50 degrees today. The pipes in the barn thawed after a December in the deep freeze. No buckets to carry and no gloves needed!!!! Working with the sheep was such a peaceful time in this busy season. It felt so good to rub some noses and take my time feeding. I had dragged a water tank with a burned out heater over to the house hoping that an "elf" would find it and replace the heating element for me. I even left the new element in the box in the tank. Nobody got the message so today I replaced it myself. Why didn't I do that right from the start? Funny how you just get used to someone else doing that stuff for you and you don't think you are capable of doing yourself. It was so amazingly easy that I don't know why I had let that electrical cord intimidate me.

Molly had helped me feed the starving masses in the barn on those really cold days. Knowing she will return to Utah in 4 days makes me sad. She has kept me busy going places.... looking for organic foods, skinny jeans ( definitely not for me) and a million other "needs". At least we weren't in NYC for the big snow this year. Four more days of running with her and then it will be quiet here and time to get ready for lambs. Can't believe it's that time again.

Visions of Sugar Plums

2010-12-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

After 3 weeks of constructing fruit baskets for the local orchard, visions of sugar plums instead of tumbling apples and pears are welcomed. Our tree is beautiful.... selected and decorated by Lillian and Molly. I rested my aching feet and legs and elected to put the hooks on the ornaments and hand them to the girls." Just like Grandma used to do", was Molly's comment. Just another family tradition I guess. Looking forward to a wonderful Christmas with family and friends and lots of memories of Christmases past and those people that were part of them and made the holiday so happy.

Wishing all of you a wonderful Christmas doing all the things that you love with those you love to be with.

HGTV

2010-12-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

Who says watching TV is a waste! I love those do it yourself shows and today it paid off. I got a great deal on insulated blinds and brought several home. Bill tried to install them since he is the renovator of this old home and there is nothing he can't do..... well that was before Parkinsons. His hands shook so much that even with my trying to steady them the screwdriver couldn't connect with the screw head. We did find ourselves laughing in spite of the frustration. The thought of paying someone to install blinds made me determined to take all the knowledge gleaned from HGTV and get the job done. With Bill's guidance, I managed to get the insulated blinds up and working. I feel empowered!

BRRRR

2010-12-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

The coldest December I can remember in a long time is upon us. Windy!!!! Frozen hoses in the barn, tank heaters plugged in and hands so cold that I injured one and don't know how or when I did it. The injury makes barn chores longer and I don't know if I will be able to continue my job at the local orchard building seasonal fruit baskets. Tomorrow will be the test.

The Bobcat and I have come to an agreement this year. It starts for me! Up until recently it never did but it seems to sense that I need all the help I can get moving the large bales purchased form a local dairy farmer from the pick up bed to the barn. It needed gas so I tried to pour what little was left in the can into the Bobcat in the wind and half the gas poured down my sleeve. BRRR. As long as no one strikes a match near me I'll be fine but the sheep wonder who I am. Sure don't smell like Mom.

I left for the barn this afternoon leaving Bill and the dog asleep on his chair. It's one of those chairs that lifts Bill to an almost vertical position. Well, while I was gone, the dog hit the button and Bill and Rusty rose from a comfortable reclined position to almost being catapulted out the window! When I came in Bill, was screaming in a half awake state while Rusty clung to Bill's shoulder fearfully. Katy Perry was warbling away on the Ellen Show. The other dogs, dozed through the whole ordeal without moving. The whole picture struck me funny and Bill even managed to laugh with me after he calmed down. Gotta love those dogs.

It's suppose to get colder but the winds will calm. At least we don't have snow like so much of the US. Molly says our temperature are balmy compared to what they have had in Utah. 2010 is going out with a BANG.

Shades Of Shetland Shawl

2010-12-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

I made this as a gift but since I've worn it several times so I'd better keep this one and make another! Don't want to give a used gift! It is handspun wool from the different colors of my Shetlands. It is so soft and warm and was so easy to make!

Today I got inspired to spin Shetland from several different fellow breeders and
call this shawl Friendly Shades of Shetland. I've got beautiful soft moorit roving from the Lloyds in Colorado, some soft white from Ramsay Farms in Minnesota and several colors from Celtic Herd right down the road. Along with my colors this shawl should be spectacular. Glad I've got tomorrow off so I can just sit and spin!

A PA Yankee Goes South

2010-11-26T15:37:00.000-08:00

Collard greens,sweet potato pie,butter beans and a ride on my son in law's Harley. Not exactly a yankee celebration but soo much fun.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T10:51:00.001-08:00

There's always that one rude relative who shows up for dinner!

Anne Priest

2010-11-23T10:33:00.001-08:00

As I blogged yesterday about going from a city slicker to a shepherd I kept thinking about a dear friend who went from NY actress to shepherd. She sold her NYC loft to purchase her beautiful farm in the country. Several years ago she wrote "Trafficking In Sheep" an autobiography. It detailed yearly trips to Nova Scotia with her flock and her summers on Blue Island. At 83 she still did her chores and lived with her dogs and flock still taking those summer trips to Canada . We always met at the Rhinebeck NY show, often spending the evenings together at her beautiful home on the hill. She was a gracious hostess and such a delight to share hours with over a leg of lamb and Jack Daniels. Good times and conversation never to be forgotten.

Last night I got a call that Anne had died doing her chores. It makes me sad that we have lost a wonderful BFL breeder but I smile to think that her passing amidst her flock was the perfect ending to her life as a shepherd. She will live forever in my memory. She was one of those unforgettable people for good reasons.

Forgettable

2010-11-22T12:56:00.000-08:00

This was a week of reunions. Running into my ex after 10 years, watching Lillian again after 5 weeks off, a spinning guild reunion and a high school reunion.

Meeting my ex reminded me that my second life full of kids, sheep and friends is the best of times. So different from what it would have been.

Having Lillian and the joy of 5 year old companionship for 3 days was exhausting but fun. She makes me laugh as we do things that you can only get away with when you have a little one with you.

The spinners reunion was great. This sheepy life has given me such good times and friends.

The HS reunion in NJ was fun and so thought provoking! I learned that I am forgettable! I am not the dork that I thought everyone would recall! It was fun watching everyone read my name tag and smile at me with total lack of recognition in their eyes. Having taught for 25 years, I know that there are more forgettable kids than unforgettable and the ones whose memories linger are there for good reason.... like the boy I had who could pop his glass eye out and laugh as it rolled under the surrounding desks causing general chaos and disruption. Now that's unforgettable! I was just another gray blazer and plaid skirt that dashed through the halls.
As I looked around the room, I felt removed from the women I saw. When asked what I did since retirement my tales of 76 sheep, truck trips to festivals and the wonderful smell of sheep fell on half listening ears and blank stares. I kept my hands in my lap to conceal my broken nails and lack of nail polish. I'd come a long way from the New York metropolitan area but no regrets. We had to sing the alma mater (good thing it was printed in the program) and a few women began to cry. My two companions and I rolled our eyes and passed notes just as we did in HS. Only this time the notes said,"Is the bar still open?"
My only regret was that the math teacher who threw erasers at me for being unable to solve for X and then gave me detention for chalkdust on my blazer wasn't there. I was looking for her. Wonder if she found me forgettable????

The ID

2010-11-16T11:38:00.000-08:00

At least that's how I think we'd spell this Muslim holiday in English. My Bosnian customers came to butcher rams today. They all had farms in Bosnia and are an education to watch. I learn something every time they butcher here. You should see the skins they took off. OOO lala. I already have them salted. One man and his son gave me fresh meat as a gift. Gifting some of the meat is part of the slaughter tradition. Never done anything with fresh lamb before so I asked them lots of questions and now have it slowly roasting with garden herbs. Smells good.

Beautiful Day of Sheep Hauling

2010-11-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

Can't pass up an opportunity to take a ride so yesterday and I agreed to do some ram hauling to West Virginia. Tim offered to ride along AND drive. The day was sunny but windy so the cover on the cage flapped violently most of the way. When we were headed in the correct direction, the flapping stopped, giving us a short bit of quiet, but we couldn't go south the whole trip! Words cannot describe how beautiful the scenery was as we sped through western MD and into WV. I cannot explain how mesmerized I become watching America out a car window. What a beautiful place to live! The foliage was a little past peak but still showing dynamic colors. No desire to doze with such beauty.

The day went perfectly, meeting everyone on time and at the right places. The Black Welsh ram hopped into his ride home only to keep hopping into the front seat. Thankfully Andrea brought her dog along to eye him into his correct riding position. Tim and I were worried but they arrived home with no broken windows. Our only regret was that we couldn't "sit a spell" and visit. That's the best part of this sheep business.... it's filled with the most wonderful people that you love to spend time with. We always leave with a "see you soon and hope to spend more time on the next trip." There are so many of those next trips that I want to take.

Tim and I stopped for dinner in Berkley Springs, WV. HAVE to get back there for some walking around. It's like Leesburg,VA. I whizz through often always saying "next time I'll stop for coffee." It's a cool little town too. Molly and I always stop in Georgetown, CO though. That place just sucks us right off the highway. So many great places and too little time. Why am I always in a hurry?

Rob, Dusty and Andrea...... hope your rams are happy and working in their new homes. We'll get together soon.

2010-10-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

When the phone rings at 2AM it either means that something terrible happened or the sheep are out! Thankfully it was the latter.
Off I went in my PJ's, flashlight in hand, looking for the escapee. All gates were closed so I had no idea which pasture was missing a sheep. After walking the road several times and finding nothing it was time to count sheep. Luckily, I hadn't counted many when I got to the ram lambs in the barnyard. Yup, one was missing. All gates were shut tightly and there were no holes????? At least now I knew I was looking for a white BFL, that's better than a dark wooled Shetland. How did he escape and why didn't the others go with him, as they usually do? Glad they didn't. Now in the car, I began driving up and down the road. Thankfully, the bridge has been repaired the our road is no longer a well travelled detour so there's no traffic. At this point it's getting cold and my flashlight is dimming. After an hour, he appeared ... right in the middle of the road like a four legged ghost that I was delighted to see. By this time, Tim had arrived to help. Our old house and barn are built right on the road so shuushing the big guy into the barnyard was easy but the mystery still remains unsolved. Did he close the gate when he left or was this a Halloween prank? Molly suggested that I check this particular sheep for opposable thumbs.

Tractors

2010-10-28T11:58:00.001-07:00

Lancaster, PA is always beautiful so I jumped at the chance to drive there with Tim to look at mowers and tractors. Tim needs the mower and Bill and I need a smaller tractor. We have a huge Ford- New Holland that now longer pulls haybines and balers. All it does is bush hog and move manure. It's big and awkward for maneuvering in small spaces so Tim and I thought we'd trade it in for something a little more woman friendly . I'm the main operator now and have trouble hooking up to the PTO alone. Bill's knees wont allow him to get into the cab but he loves his tractor. Through my hours in the cab, I must have learned to talk tractor by "assmosis" because I could converse with the salesman relatively intelligently, or so I thought. (I'd like to hear the salesman's side of this story. He's probably still laughing. ) Home again with brochures in hand there's no response from Bill. Guess I'll be driving Big Blue for another season so I'd better get the AC fixed and learn how to hook up the mower. Guess I shouldn't interfere with a man and his tractor.

2010 Continues.... Murphy's Law Prevails

2010-10-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

Brew a pot of coffee for this blog. It's a doozie! Today I had my ewes artificially inseminated for the first time. I had purchased semen and was happy that it had arrived just in time for my date. Good luck there but it all goes downhill at this juncture. I borrowed a trailer from my friend so I could haul my 6 ewes to the procedure site. As long as I am going forward I can pull a trailer. The trailer was parked in mud this morning so Bill and were like hogs on ice getting the thing hooked up. Bill walks with a cane but his cane wasn't any help stabilizing him. Finally hooked, we pulled out onto our little country road which is now the detour for 2 main roads. It's rush hour and passing traffic is not happy that we had taken up on side of the road to load sheep. My ewes, not being halter broke , do not want to lead to the trailer but with the help of my friend Bev we get them loaded. At this point we notice that the jack on the trailer is only inches from the road surface. We need to switch hitch balls. Out comes the hydraulic jack, which has to be used from the road side of the trailer since the barnyard side isn't level. More comments from passing traffic but I didn't care since their traffic has been a pain for us for the last year. OK now we have the correct hitch ball and are off. Still time to get there on time. The garmin took us on the scenic route but Bev and I were enjoying the barn arcitecture as were traveled. 3 miles from our destination we come to a bridge that is closed with no prior warning. Did I mention that I can't back up a trailer. After trying my charm on the road workers to proceed ... they said I was too heavy for the bridge... add insult to injury guys! So much for charm, I made a U turn in the front yard of the house by the bridge. Good thing we had that jack raised or we would have made a huge divot in the grass. Bev was hiding under the dash waiting for incoming fire as we made our getaway. The DOT workers yelled something but feeling like Jesse James in Northfield I put the pedal down. Thankfully the garmin rerouted us to our destination but we were late and lost our turn. I enjoyed watching the procedure on all the sheep in front of us. I even helped. I was so stressed by this time that being "gas man" took my mind off the day. Finally... our turn. I found someone to back the trailer in and we got my ewes ready to go. OH NO.. my semen straws are not in their containers. Somehow they had been dumped into the bottom of the nitrogen tank and are irretrievable. Choices now are
1. go home 2. use semen from another ram in the tank which I will have to pay for 3. or use semen from another breed of sheep Choosing option 2 we now discover that there are only 4 straws of Bluefaced Leicester semen in the tank and I have 6 ewes. Splitting straws is now in my vocabulary because that is what we did on 4 ewes. Conception is not 100% under the best conditions so I'm not looking at good odds right now. I choose to be pessimistic because a pessimist can only be made happier,right? Hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised when all 6 ewes conceive. Those 15 straws that I paid for are still in the tank but do I want to do this again? I don't think I can afford it financially or mentally. Bev and I did laugh all the way home. What else could we do? My Murphy's Law flag will be flying tonight.

Rhinebeck

2010-10-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

Rhinebeck was perfect. Usual Autumn weather, which I love, and a really well attended show. It was so much fun seeing other breeders from all over the country. Robina and Shirley were in from OR. I only wish I could have spent more time with them. Shirley was amazed at the size of the Rhinebeck show! It is a fabulous wool show for sure. Lisa and I were so busy in the booth that we couldn't escape to get food on Saturday....NO complaints tho.... busy is good. We didn't get to party as much this year since everyone was super tired at the end of the day. That's good too, I guess. Thanks to Bill's lighting purchases, our booth was well lit and beautiful this year. Sending that man to a hardware guarantees more than anyone could ever imagine.

Got home late late night and had to get up at 5 to give hormone shots to my ewes being inseminated this Wednesday. Everything has come at once. Maybe I can sleep after Wednesday???

Pre Rhinebeck Fiber Frenzy

2010-10-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

We leave for Rhinebeck NY show on Friday. Yesterday I got a wild idea to make Shetland roving with tencel and another batch of Shetland with silk to sell at Rhinebeck. Usually I have my roving done by professionals, but since this was last minute I fired up my Supercard. Now don't get me wrong, I like my supercard and it gives me the most wonderful batts to spin but it takes forever!!! Not getting empaled on the picker was a good start. But I could feel myself getting frustrated by the rate the carder was going, so I got a cup of coffee. This made me move faster but it didn't help the carder speed one bit. Tencel was in my coffee, my mouth and stuck to me everywhere. I was moving at the same rate of speed as I did when I took steroids a few years ago. Dinner thrown in the oven and I was and back to carding. By this time I had produced eight four ounce bags!! Don't know if I can take another day of this. From now on Biltmore Fiber Mill can do my carding and deliver it to my booth. So much for being cheap and trying to do it myself. My nerves can't take it! The only joy was spinning samples of the fibers. OOO La La. Dinner was so-so but each mouthful provided enough strands of tencil and silk to floss our teeth while chewing.

Rusty

2010-10-10T16:48:00.000-07:00

Since Tim's last dog find was returned to his rightful home it was just a matter of Tim til he came home with a new adoptee. Here is is... Rusty a Cairn Terrier/Jack Russell. Molly's dog Judy just loves him. She and Rusty run around just like she did when Garrett came with Sadie. It's funny to see Judy the lump move so quickly. More doghair in the corners!

Facebook

2010-10-04T12:50:00.000-07:00

OK.... Today I gave up the fight to protect my children's privacy and NOT join Facebook. For years now I have allowed Tim and Molly to be themselves on Facebook without my scrutiny . I thought they were happy with that decision. Today I finally caved in to friends and relatives denying me pictures unless I went to their Facebook site and secretly ( or so I thought ), set myself up on Facebook. It wasn't long before I got calls from both Molly and Tim berating me for not friending them . (Aside, spellcheck doesn't recognize the word friending.) Guess a mother just never does anything right!

With this new Facebook status, I have done something unheard of... posted pictures of myself on line. Usually I don't even agree to allowing a picture to be taken but I must finally be accepting the fact that I am who I am and there's a lot more of me. There's no hiding it anymore. Some people grow old gracefully but I'm going down in denial all the way. At least I can still find my way home.

Shawls.... Love 'EM

2010-09-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

I love shawls. When I taught first grade, I used to flap around the room in one like a giant crane, tickling the kids with the fringe. Many of those children are probably suffering from "shawlophobia" as adults and seeking professional help.

I still have the shawl I wore on my first Communion Day thousands of years ago. It was made by my Italian neighbor who taught me to knit in Italian. That's probably what I like best about my shawls.. .the memories they evoke. Every shawl in my collection reminds me of a the person who made it. One was made by my spinning guild for a demonstration. It is a conglomeration of thick and thin singles that would make a sheep to shawl judge cringe but it's made from the wool of my first sheep. I laugh to think of the day we made it. The bagpipe player began accompaniment, playing faster and faster. Of course, we spun faster and faster til someone screamed in a tangled mess of over spun yarn .

My Shetland sheep and a Scottish grandmother gave me the impetus to learn more about traditional Shetland knitting and try my hand at some shawls of my own. Not finely spun or well knit, they have made me feel connected to my sheep and my Grandmother' homeland. There is something special about knitting with wool from your own sheep and putting a name on the fiber.

This summer I fell in love with a shawl made by Tari Lohrey at the Wooster show. It was handspun BFL wool, dyed with natural dyes. The pattern was Irish, the other part of me. I couldn't believe that Tari agreed to trade her beautiful shawl for one of my sheep! It is in my collection and another treasured memory.

With Fall in the air, I'm anxious to get some of those shawls out and go swooping around again.(Get your children off the streets.) Elisabeth counts the sheep pictures in my house. Maybe I'll get her to count my shawls.

Ramona aka Daisy

2010-09-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

Remember Tim's canine stray Jack Russel who arrived while I was away? Well she became a member of the family. Tim named her Ramona but Dad kept calling her Magnolia. Tim bought her a new collar,special food, a bed etc.Romona went everywhere with Tim. She had moved in for sure, until last Friday. Tim had her out for their usual walk when a passing car stopped and the driver yelled "Daisy....you have my dog!" Tim was stunned as Ramona/Daisy happily hopped right in the car and never looked back. Not so much as a parting wave of the tail. (Sort of like the Irish kid we kept for the month of July.)
Well, Tim just showed me a picture of a dog at the shelter that he'd like to get. Just when I had just gotten used to being a 2 dog household again.

To be continued....I'm sure.

Rain It Is a Blessed Thing Beloved From Pole to Pole

2010-09-27T12:06:00.001-07:00

At least I think that's how it goes in the Rhyme of The Ancient Mariner that I read in high school. Somehow that stuck in my ancient brain taking up brain space for more important thoughts. Oh well, hope Sister Noreen reads this blog and rewards me at my next high school reunion.

Anyway...it's raining! We have had so little rain this summer that it really is a blessed thing today. The formerly dingy BFL sheep looked so clean and white this morning when they came in to eat that I spent lots of time just looking through each fleece as they stood to eat. They made me all wet and sheepy smelling but it's a great smell!

Rainy days give me energy so I carded oodles of roving batts for Rhinebeck this morning. Usually I send my wool off to be carded and blended but today I just felt like blending funky different stuff...Shetland/BFL cross with glitz and silk, Shetland with dyed silk and BFL locks. Spinning the samples of each blend was such a joy.This day just keeps getting better! Hope it keeps raining.

My Hokus Pokus Roving

2010-09-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

When the last batch of roving came back from the mill I couldn't believe I had put such awful colors together. It looked like 2 batches of very uncoordinating colors were carded together.What was I thinking? Surely I mislabled the bags it in my haste to get it mailed to my processor. Christine and I sat for days pulling the roving apart into balls of 2 colors hoping to salvage some of the beautiful BFL fiber. We spun it and thought all was well til Christine washed hers!!! Seems the dark blue dye was not rinsed well and the blue ran through all the skeins creating entirely new colors. I had goofed again with that blue. (Thought I learned my lesson when I completely changed the colorway on Tim's Shetland vest that was a Christmas gift 3 years ago. Only I know what it was" suppose" to look like and how beautiful it "was".)

Well.....I've decided to call the roving Hokus Pokus and sell it as magic roving at Rhinebeck. All I need is PT Barnum to sell it. All the skeins in the picture came from the same roving. Some of them are funky and some kind of cool. Should make a novel display in my booth. What you see is not what you'll get! There might be an adventurous spinner or 2 that want to give magic a try.

Christine's Shawl

2010-09-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

My friend Christine, who has been spinning for a whopping 4 years, was the Shetland customer who made me discover and love my Shetland fleeces. My original Shetland flock was dropped off on my lawn in 2001 by a disgruntled breeder. (Another breed I just happened into.) I enjoyed them but didn't get into the breed til Christine starting buying my fleeces at Maryland 4 years ago. She made this shawl and won a blue ribbon at the Maryland state Fair. It's made from one of my fleeces and is an original design. The best part is SHE GAVE IT TO ME!!!!! It is a treasure for which I am so grateful.

Apple Ball

2010-09-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

The few trees left in our orchard that the Shetlands haven't killed have apples so Fall entertainment here on the farm is rolling the apples down the hill for the Shetlands to fight over and devour. (Who says farm life isn't exciting??) We have a new player this year though....Ruben. What used to be a simple ball game has now become a butt and tackle sport. It's more like football than baseball with the addition of Ruben. Great fun to watch giving me the opportunity to discover and use the SPORTS setting on my camera. Guess that technically makes it a sport!

Calamity Jane

2010-09-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

I should write a book about this little ewe who just keeps going. Tiny at birth she hasn't grown much but what she doesn't lack is the spirit to survive. She has achieved the name Calamity Jane.

At two weeks, I found her stuck in a cinder block. Her whole body was jammed in so tightly that extracting her took time and manuvering. Her legs were lacerated and bent but she could walk a bit. Keeping up with mom for milk was difficult. she was treated for infection and pneumonia before finally becoming a real lamb again.
In August she got pneumonia again so I put her in the barnyard with the ram lambs while I went to Utah. Calamity managed to escape, injuring the first joint on her left leg. When I got home she was struggling to walk again. The "cast" in the picture is pipe insulation wrapped with vet wrap. She's running away from me now so she's healing. Calamity is proof that sheep don't just give up and die as some people believe.

2010-09-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

Up until about 6 years ago we baled our own hay. The geriatric baling crew consisted of the 86 year old neighbor John, my husband Bill then in his mid seventies and myself. We Tom Sawyered any unsuspecting young kid into helping with the offer of a few dollars an hour. ( Only one ever returned the next year). Our ancient baler had no kicker but at the speed John drove the tractor, the bales weren't exactly flying out the chute. You could hook one and stack it on the wagon before the next bale appeared. We were the poster crew for "slow and steady wins the race." It like riding a lurching Zamboni, but my sheep ate the most beautiful hay and leafy alfalfa ever seen. I lament the day we retired from the business and sold our equipment to the Amish. That baler is now being pulled by horses and it is probably going faster.

Where am I going with this??? Well..... yesterday my purchased hay arrived. Made by a local farmer, it smells like stale cigars and looks like straw that was rained on! My comments were not appreciated by the farmer. I gave some to the Shetlands who quickly left the barn after one whiff. The first load I got from him was nice so I expected better than this! Mumbling under my breath while stacking the stuff in the barn, I managed to grab a handful of wasps nesting on a beam. My swollen hand took my mind off the disappointing bales. Passing the hay entries at the York Fair later that day, I saw what looked like my hay six years ago with a blue ribbon it. Fortunately, the sheep don't remember the good stuff.

York Fair

2010-09-14T15:53:00.000-07:00

As always, I worked the Orchard booth at the York County Fair last weekend. I had to miss the BFL show in WI but I still haven't mastered the art of being 2 places at 1 time try as I might.

As Molly's mother, part of my duty at the fair is to attend the free country music shows after my shift and get autographs and pictures of the performers for Molly who can't be there. Tim says if I had a facebook, I'd have to list yelling at small children in my wool booth AND stalking performers as a hobby. Here's my latest victim...David Nail. Doesn't the look on his face say, "why do I have to put my arm around this old chick?" I'm sure Molly will photoshop me out of the picture. I can't wait til Molly can stalk for herself.

When friends were listening to the Beatles, I was into country music. My best friend Madeline got bamboozled into going to NYC to see Hank Williams JR.....I think, back when they wore lightning bolt suits and jazzed up western wear. Madeline was beautiful, blond and wanted to be a Rockette. When the show started the look on her face resembled that of David Nail in the picture..... "how did I get into this?" She never went with me again, but I appreciated her sacrifice that one time. Every beautiful girl needs a dorky friend to keep her humble, right? Sorry, Maddy.

RAMS IN PLACE

2010-09-11T15:54:00.000-07:00

All the ewes were sorted and placed with their breeding ram last week! We should have babies on the ground by late January from the activity in the pastures. I am holding several ewes for AI with the semen purchased from rams selected by Jared on his trip to the UK. Altho apprehensive, I am excited about doing this procedure for the first time. I was really happy with the condition of my flock coming in from summer on pasture. All but 2 looked great! Worm resistance in the adult flock is very good. Some of the lambs have had problems but they usually gain resistance by age 1. No ewe lambs will be bred this year and I mean it this time!

Sheep for Sale BFL and Shetland

2010-09-04T09:49:00.001-07:00

Here are a few BFL rams for sale. The dark one OR22 Kyle is sired by R1/Blackmoor ram. Nicely pearled fleece.

Y19 is sired by a natural colored Titus ram with an F2 dam CH V2. Y19 has very dark pigment and a wide nose. His fleece is very dirty from our dry hot summer but it looks awesome when wet. $250. each

I can send better pictures if interested. Can't get them to pose for me!

Home Again

2010-09-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

After getting Molly moved in I had some R&R in Salt Lake with sheep friends I hadn't seen in years. We had started sheeping at the same time in PA. when our kids were small. They are from Brooklyn and I'm from NJ so farming and sheep were not something we knew much about. We laughed about lambing with open books on those cold nights in the barn and calling each other for HELP! Those poor sheep that survived our lack of skill will always be remembered with sympathy.

For 3 days we talked and laughed....lots. Chuck took us on a beautiful drive through the Wasatch on a road some would consider a goat path. It was so much fun that I could have stayed longer but wearing out my welcome was a concern. Beware tho.....I will be back!!! I'm thinking adoption maybe????

I returned home to a dead mouse hidden somewhere in the walls. (How can something so small smell so BIG?)and another dog!!!! She was in the road and when Tim stopped to get her to safety,she jumped in his truck. As luck would have it no one had advertized a lost dog and Tim's attached now so that makes 3 dogs.

My sheep were better than I left them thanks to Tim. Now, I have to get them all regrouped for breeding season. Still hot and dry with no grass in several pastures.

Tim Shepherds

2010-08-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

My flock has been left in Tim's care while I enjoy the west. Something out here makes me feel comfortable but I miss my flock. Tim has decided that the Shetlands are "real sheep" while the Blues are divas. He calls the Shetlands wild but predictable. Ruben my yearling ram has already dotted Tim's legs with bruises from horns that curve to the perfect poking angle as he pushes his way in to eat. Gotta love him. That's his only fault. After feeding, the Shetlands dash out to pasture to get far away from the barn. The BFL lambs eat and then refuse to go out. As Tim chases they scatter in all directions but out. They want to linger and loaf in the cool barn for the morning. Tim finds their scattering behavior infuriating and wonders how I can love such a high strung breed. Easy......they are my beautiful flock while the Shetlands are comical and low maintenance.

Tim has managed to mow pasture weeds and clean the barnyard for me. I will return to a farm looking much better than the one I left. Thank you,Tim!

Molly storage locker is empty! All her possessions are again in a third floor bedroom. How many times have I told her I will not help her move again.....especially if she can't get ground floor. I'm too old for this!

We found a Celtic Fling in a local town to attend tonight. Looking forward to seeing how western Scots party. Hope they have lamb since the mountains around us have plenty of sheep.

The Cool Mountain Air....We're here

2010-08-26T06:27:00.000-07:00

Arrived in Utah last evening. Woke up to a magnificent mountain morning. Like some people love the ocean, I love the mountains. The smell in the air invigorates me. Eastern humidity is forgotten and my air has lost its curl. I should have jogged my fat butt to this cafe instead, I drove the Yaris, blinded by the national collection of bugs on the windshield. We tried to scrub them off in Wyoming but only made visibility worse. At least we didn't collect an antelope.

Our 2100 mile trip was wonderful. First day...900 miles to Hannibal,MO. We had a great audio book that made the miles timeless. Guess we should have been reading Huck Finn to ready us for Hannibal. Beautiful old river town full of history with amusing Mark Twain quotes in every window. In search of a coffee shop I wandered to the levee at 6:30 AM while Molly slept. Only finding an open cafe for coffee could have made the morning better. AAHH Sunrise on the Mississippi. The lighthouse reminded me of Tim and how we would drive extra miles anywhere we went to visit one. Lacking time to write my name on the whitewashed fence by Becky Thatcher's house, we were off to our next stop. North Platt NE. What did I find crossing the Missouri into Nebraska???? A Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center that I'd missed! It was one of the best too. Could have spent hours there doing all the interactive centers but as Robert Frost said, "miles to go before we sleep" or something close to that. Molly had a lot of things to say but not as quotable. Not many stops after that but beautiful plains to watch fly by. We are listening to PEACE LIKE A RIVER, which takes place on the plains of North Dakota. Great book!!!!

Day 3 begins with a stop in Cheyenne at the restored territorial prison , former home of Butch Cassidy. Since PEACE LIKE A River alludes to Butch frequently, this stop was imperative. As prisons go, this one was pretty homey. Molly and I visited the Montana Territorial prison years ago and it was eerie and creepy. Molly shivers at the mere mention of the place. The exhibits in Wyoming were educational and invited us to spend more time than we expected .Just as we got going again there was a roadside historic site......a tree growing out of a rock in the Laramie Range. We laughed but it turned out to be a geologic and historic point of interest. Still listening to our audio book filled with wonderful vocabulary and images, Wyoming was behind us in a flash. A few cowboys later were were crossing the Utah line .Wyoming was more interesting and fun than we imagined with just a few stops. Just think, Molly graduates in December and we get to do this whole trip again.

Another Road Trip

2010-08-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

Molly returns to Utah for her LAST semester tomorrow. She is a a bit apprehensive to return since summer was so much fun. Of course this also means that we will be driving the car back home for good in December. We've decided to find a new route to make this trip as interesting as possible. Route 80 is the most direct but it deals with Chicago traffic, Iowa floods, and the dreaded stretch of southwestern Wyoming west of Rawlings. I know, you geography buffs are asking.....What about Nebraska? Yup it's there between Iowa and Wyoming. Molly and I both enjoy the Nebraska part of I80. No dread there. Driving home in May we came across I70, which was fantastic. This trip we need some variety with new quirky sights to visit. When I drove to Estes Park 2 years ago by myself, I took the old route 36 from Indianapolis all the way to Denver. It was slower than an interstate but I met some great people along the way and even managed to dodge a tornado. It's the old pony express trail. That could be a fun route, if I remember to pack my ruby slippers. We've decided to just head west tomorrow and let the road dictate the route.

Getting the flock ready to leave for a week has been a 3 day challenge. Getting away from 103 sheep isn't easy! In the last 3 days I have handled every one of them to make sure Tim, my substitute shepherd, doesn't have anybody die on his watch. With everyone wormed and given" a good to go", I just need to write feeding instructions.

No Complaining ....Honest

2010-08-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

WE now live in at least the 20th century. AC on the first floor and it is oh so wonderful. My whole outlook has changed knowing I can run in the door and get cool. My flock is probably wondering why I have enough energy to spend more time in the barn. Sam and I mucked one stall in 4 hours...a record. Being able to be cool afterwards gives me so much more incentive to work. I know this sounds trite to those of you with central air but it's a BIG DEAL here with the continuation of this hot humid summer.

I will be driving back to Utah with Molly for her last semester at USU one week from Today. We'll take her car out and I'll fly home after getting her things out of storage and into her apartment. How many times have I moved this kid????? Too many to count but it's what moms do. Molly's 4 years in college have been an education for me too. Without Molly, I'd never know my way around Philadelphia (Temple U) or have driven thousands of miles across the USA (having fun the whole way) multiple times. Wouldn't have missed it for the world. I've visited all 50 states but there are some places worth seeing again. The USA is just an amazing place!

Speaking of travel, Molly and I went to a free concert in Baltimore last Saturday. Jimmy Wayne..country music, what else? I put my Jimmy Wayne CD on in the car on the ride down to practice singing along. After singing a few choruses in the key of off, Molly informed me that I was not to sing at the concert. Except for the standing...6 til 11.... it was great fun. Between the music and the people watching we were totally entertained. We were in the front row, best standing room in the house. I DID sing along and I even caught Molly's lips moving altho she'll never admit it. The inner harbor in Baltimore is such a cool place with great bars and restaurants, an aquarium and Orioles baseball field. When I lived there in 1971 no one could have envisioned that the shabby harbor area would have morphed into what it is today.

Just returned from a quick overnight trip to the NJ beach with my brother,Joe, and his family. Molly needed one trip to the ocean before going back to Utah. It's not summer without the beach and Molly was unable to go with Brogan and I in July. The only thing we missed there was seeing my brother, Tim, and his family. Never enough time to do it all! No wonder my house looks like it does. I have a trick tho. I leave the vacuum out in the middle of the living room and when people drop in I just say,"Oh, I was just in the middle of cleaning, but I don't mind the interruption." I've convinced myself that people believe me.

Murphy' s Law Prevails

2010-08-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

Sick of me complaining about 2010 yet???? Well, if so, don't continue reading because Murphy's Law struck again. We finally found an AC unit to work in this old house. It was affordable and looked just perfect to cool the first floor of the house without ripping out ceilings to install ductwork. It had to be ordered so we waited patiently. Today the installation was scheduled. The unit and installation crew arrived but the electrician didn't!! We called him and he's out of town. AAHHH. By this afternoon, we'll have an AC unit that I can admire as the sweat pours down my back. I had to laugh at the guy who installed the unit inside. His quote, "Boy is it hot in here lady." No joke. He should have been here two weeks ago. I'm going to fly the Murphy's Law dish towel that I use as a flag in front of the house. Most people have cute little sunny faced and flowery flags. None of that frivolity here til 2010 is over.

2010 Continues

2010-08-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm not sure how I'm feeling about this year. From excessive snow in the winter to extreme heat since May, the year has been a challenge. My retreat from heat in the past has always been to mow the pasture weeds in the air conditioned tractor with the radio blaring. Well, today the AC there quit on me! Is this a conspiracy to drive me completely round the bend? Thankfully, I have had some remarkable trips this year to make things tolerable. (I think of those cool sweatshirt days in Oregon and long to return.) Bill has really struggled this summer so everything on the farm has become my job if Tim isn't available to help. Since I have turned half-assed into an art form, this place is now held together with baling twine and a prayer. This afternoon, I broke a thermometer. Please don't tell me that means 7 more weeks of hot weather.

Freedom

2010-08-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been wonderful! My neglected flock and gardens have gotten some needed attention since I am no longer the designated hostess and tour guide. Molly and I enjoyed all the places we took Brogan to but it sure was a lot of driving in one month. Wait til I get the bills for the gas I pumped into my car! AAHHH It is cooler now giving me the energy to wash a few fleeces. The old routine feels oh so good. Molly and I plan to go for a bike ride then I'll make Lisa's lamb dish for dinner. MMMMM Perfect day.

Photos from our Adventures in New York

2010-08-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

A friend at FAO Schwarz

Ellis Island

Lady Liberty

Mmmmm Nathan's hot dog!

Last Week with Brogan

2010-07-31T07:24:00.000-07:00

Our last week with our young Irish friend,Brogan, was another week of heat and miles of driving. We went to Ocean City, MD for a day so she could feel how warm the ocean is in America. It was a beautiful day with cool breezes. We were with my friend Terrie and her family who have a condo on the beach. She has got to be the most gracious hostess ever! I think Brogan had a good time since she spent hours in the ocean laughing with Terrie's daughter and friend. She never says she likes a place or says "thank you for taking me" so it's hard to tell. It gets a bit disheartening at times. It was a long day with 7 hours in the car but worth it. At least I had a good time relaxing and laughing with my friend Terrie. We escaped the heat of this house for a while anyway.

Thursday, on our way to the airport, we took the ferry out to Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty. It was so humid and hazy that the skyline was NYC was shrouded but Ellis Island is incredible. Much money spent to restore the crumbling buildings there, but so worth it. The National Parks Service again has made a place affordable for all to visit. Wonderful museums,a great film and even a place where you can look up any ancestors that may have entered America through New York. $12 for the ferry and museums on both islands. Enthusiastic rangers will tour and instruct and answer any questions. Go NPS...you rock.
The ferry ride out was full of tourist from so many foreign countries that English was just one of the languages spoken. As we pushed our way off the ferry to the cooler breezes of the island I couldn't help but feel a slight kinship with the millions of European immigrants who also walked into a new land surrounded by many languages.Did you know that 40% of all Americans have an ancestor that came through Ellis Island? Their journey being so much more overwhelming than mine for sure. They were made of sturdy stuff. I have already decided I am going back to spend a day on Ellis Island only. We didn't have enough time there to see everything.

Allowing 4 hours to get to the airport, never know about NY traffic, we were early so we headed to Coney Island to get a Nathan's hot dog at the original place and check out the boardwalk. Brogan was enthusiastic about her hot dog, so this was at least a good stop on our journey. Since we allowed so much time and the was no traffic( Go figga) we got to the airport early. We could have spent more time at Ellis but who knew. I'm sure Brogan is glad to be home and cool. I'm happy to be cooler and free!

Retreat in Bedford

2010-07-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Lisa Rodenfels,Anne Bisdorf and I met in Bedford PA for just a shepherd's escape. Where did we stay???? ON A SHEEP FARM, of course. We rented the Shepherd's Chalet in the hills surrounded by sheep studded pastures. 1800 sheep, but who's counting. It was fun to watch moms and lambs and not have chores to do. Saturday's dinner, made by Lisa was amazing... after we cleared the smoke, that is. Lamb of course. MMMM. Diane Kelly another BFL breeder who operates a weaving studio in Bedford joined us for dinner and laughs.
Sunday we toured the Coverlet Museum. Not air conditioned, we glistened with sweat but the gentleman giving the tour was too interesting to hurry. The second room was suppose to have AC but you could have fooled me. I can't wait to take what's left of my coverlet collection out of the blanket chests and study them with my newly acquired knowledge.
We drove the covered bridge tour which included an aside to GRAVITY HILL. The Bedford travel brochure writer gets kudos for his clever way of attracting tourist to this spot. The advertising is so humorous that you simply HAVE to go. You travel on a tiny road and follow the GH's spray painted on the road and the back of the stop signs.
Once there you stop..put your car in neutral, and when you let off the break your car rolls backwards UP HILL. (No we were not drinking before this excursion.)We were just as the ads said,"awed by the laws of physics breaking", AND laughing hysterically. So of course, we had to do it again. Sufficiently awestruck,we headed back to town only to see several more cars arrive for the experience. We all waved and smiled as we drove off. Silly but fun. It's the little things in life.
Back to reality and my own shepherd chores today, but thankful that I have such great friends to share such a laugh filled relaxing weekend with.

Ninety Degrees in the Family Room

2010-07-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

Brogan and I retreated to the basement to escape the temps in the rest of the house. She watched the Disney channel while I tried to read. Ever tried to read while the Disney channel is on???? Don't. Ears cannot block out the stupidity of the programming.
The ancient AC in the basement is on its last legs but we can get the room to 75, which is a great relief. If I could find a T shirt that said, "I survived 100+ in the USA" I'd buy one for Brogan. Bill attempted to go to the store in an atheletic T shirt. When I protested he said, "young guys wear them out all the time".(I'm sure he's recalling the 1950ies.) My reply was that Michael Phelps wears a Speedo and looks great but when the old man up the road wears his size 40 Speedo to mow the lawn everyone just laughs. He got the analogy and Molly got him a shirt. Aside......Speedos should not be made in size 40.
Coward that I am, I am leaving town. Meeting Lisa Rodenfelds and Anne Bisdorf for a few days of R and R in Bedford, PA. sounds heavenly. Spinning,knitting, someone else cooking and sheep talk. Sounds heavenly.
I promised Brogan to take her to the beach on Tuesday for her last big USA trip then we are off to NYC on Thursday. We'll ferry out to the Statue of Liberty on our way to the airport. Her month in the great oven will end. Back to cool rainy N. Ireland.Sounds wonderful doesn't it?

NYC in the Heat or Melting in the Big Apple

2010-07-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

Molly and Brogan had a trip to NYC on their wish lists so we went up on Friday. Stayed in NJ with family on Friday and drove off to "the city" on Saturday morning. Over 90 and so humid. Waiting in the AC for the Empire State Building elevator line was long but bearable. The view on the 86th floor was fairly clear. It had been years since I had been there but the view is still exciting.It is hard to believe so many buildings can stand in such a small area. We walked down to the Mesa Grill (Bobby Flay's) but without a reservation there was no way we could be seated. Should have planned ahead. A little hamburger joint in Greenwich Village wasn't exactly the dinner we had in mind but it was good and very affordable. Anything that didn't run too fast would have tasted good by the time we ate we were so hungry. Great street entertainers to watch in Washington Square. This part of NYC is my favorite. Residential and quiet. The train ride back to our hotel in Jersey City was a nightmare. Too few trains and too many people. We were stuffed in like cattle, sweaty and miserable. Finally back at the hotel room, I put the AC down to 65 and we wrapped up in covers, enjoyed being cold and watched the NY skyline light up out our window. Beautiful.

Sunday morning up at 6:30, I took my coffee to the dock and watched the Chinese ladies do their AM yoga routine. To my amusement, when they finished yoga they began teaching each other to dance...ballroom style. It was so cute to watch. Jersey City is sooo different now from what it was when I lived in NJ. It is safe,clean and completely revitalized.

When the girls finally got going we braved the train again where we met the nicest man who gave us the skinny on all his celebrity shoe store clients.It was fun meeting him and made the train ride seem too short. Subwayed uptown to Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel and all those stores near the Plaza that we can't afford. The girls loved it. As for me, I just felt hot, dumpy and poor. Again, not fit to be seen in such places but who cares. The girls dumped me whenever possible,but they found me when they got hungry. I hope Brogan, who was suffering from the heat too, will remember NYC as a fun place and not just remember it for the heat. We tried to make it fun. Hope your 22nd birthday was memorable, Molly. Let's spend the next one in a cooler place.

GGGRRR

2010-07-15T05:06:00.000-07:00

Spent all day Tuesday locating and hauling in large square bales of hay for my starving flock. Pastures are gone so the bales were greatly appreciated. Now for our dinner. I had seen someone make Pad Thai on the TV in the morning so after getting all the ingredients I started cooking what was to be an easy meal. It was TERRIBLE. Mine went in the trash as Bill ate his afraid to tell me how it really tasted. Going for a bike ride seemed like a good idea to relax. Later as I sat in my horribly hot house, hungry and glad the day was over, the rains came. The next hour was spent covering the bales with tarps by flashlight. Some days just never end.

Drove to NJ to get Brogan yesterday. She was with some fellow Irish and American kids for a few days. She needed a break from the heat here and the company of kids her own age. She stayed with the wonderful Torres family. Thank you guys so much for your hospitality. We'll get together again next week.

The drive up was fantastic. AC on, coffee, with MY CDs playing. I could play and replay favorite songs without complaints. Played one song 5 times, just because I could. I love being alone.

Brogan didn't get to the beach while in NJ due to rain so we drove just to see the other side of the Atlantic. Amazingly,it was sunny for a few minutes so she got to put her feet in. The sun didn't last long so we headed home. My favorite ice cream shop was gone. This economy is really taking its toll on long established businesses that you expect to be there forever. So disappointing.

Rain? What Rain?

2010-07-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well the rain that was predicted seemed to fall on everyone else yesterday. We didn't get enough to penetrate the mulch in the garden. Soo disappointing. The front did blow out the humidity and reduce the temperatures so we took Brogan to Washington, DC today. Seeing the White House was on her list of American "must sees". We went right into DC without getting lost, like I did when I took Garrett there in April. We found 3/4 of a parking space right on the Smithsonian Mall. My lucky day! My Honda Civic squeezed right in. No parking meter...free parking for as long as we wished to stay. It doesn't get any better. We walked to the Washington Monument with the sun beating down on us. Brogan asked,"I thought we were going to DC when it got cooler?" My reply..."it's only 90 with low humidity, this IS cool for DC in the summer." The White House is so guarded now that we couldn't see the south entrance or the rose garden at all. The front is still visible for pictures. Brogan was surprised at the size, expecting it to be much larger and more imposing. After lots of walking we retreated to the AC in the Museum of American History. Super place. There were Dorothy's ruby slippers, an original Kermit the Frog puppet, AND Julia Childs' kitchen. The science exhibits presented a American genius that really made me proud to be an American. In all my trips to DC I had never been to this museum. I really have been missing a good one. Glad we went. With so much more to see, we plan to go back in 2 weeks.

Another squeezy parking job in Chinatown got us into a restaurant for a great lunch. Finally. We were so hungry from lots of walking, but that's what you do in DC.WALK!

2010-07-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

The heat and drought continue with high humidity added to the mix. Torture. This weather always makes me grumpy as I feed my winter hay to the flock. Brogan,Lillian and Molly and I have worn out our welcome at anyone's home where there's a pool. I am so grateful for friends. Thank you all so much.

Tim manages a pool. At night he relates tales of poolside brawls that challenge his management skills. Yesterday he called the police 3 times. The weather must be bringing out the worst in everyone. Time for a rain dance on the front lawn... or where the lawn used to be.

Brogan is a real trouper and deserves an award for enduring this weather with humor and smiles. Nothing like this in N. Ireland. Maybe another round of Mini golf tonight will get us all laughing.

Heatwave

2010-07-07T16:35:00.000-07:00

Trying to find anywhere cool, we have been to the mall twice (I hate it) and the theater, which I love. Brogan loves to shop so the mall is great. She loves American bargains. Yesterday she got a pair of jeans for $5 and lots of other bargains. No wonder...she's a size one..short, and I'll bet there's not another person in York County that is that small. She HAD to wear her new jeans today when we went to Lancaster to see JOSEPH at the Sight and Sound Theater. It is an amazing theatrical performance in a huge theater. Bigger and more spectacular than some Broadway shows I've seen. The show was "cool" in more ways than one. A fellow BFL breeder, Kyle McCleary, trains the animals which are included in the show. Today he amazed me by walking 3 Jacobs sheep through the audience, onto the stage during a song no less. No halters were involved. I can't even get a sheep to walk on a halter through the barnyard without music!!! Lisa, we need to hire Kyle for Wooster next year.

Antique Bikes and Old Biker

2010-07-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

Before it got too hot, we decided to ride the bike/hike trail with Brogan. That meant digging thru the pile of antiques in the barn for "wheels". One found bike was fairly contemporary while the other were two relics of the fifties.....chrome fenders and a basket on one. Molly got that one. Mine was an ancient English road bike. Just my style..upright handles and brakes on the pedals. The tires inflated without blowout so after a little oil we were off. I keep forgetting that young people worry about how they look. That doesn't bother me at all, never has, so my enthusiasm for the newly reborn bikes was greeted with the famous eye roll from Molly and Brogan. They did refuse to wear the cobwebby helmets offered tho. The trail was gorgeous. A bit sunny so we made sure Brogan was covered in sunscreen. Those Irish freckles were just waiting to light up. Along the way another rider, about my age, smiled and said, "nice bike". Was he laughing or did he really admire my "style". I know...that's a biker pick-up line right? I'm just so gosh darn cute. Our ride felt like 100 miles to me but Molly burst my bubble and informed me it more like 6. Killjoy. I was beginning to think I could do that ride across N. Dakota with a little practice. The old bikes and the old biker made it home. Molly and Brogan are now making cupcakes to restore the calories I just burned. They are getting even for making them look like the "red neck bike club".

NYC Trip to Get Brogan

2010-07-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

Our Irish guest for the month of July arrived yesterday. Brogan comes from County Derry in Northern Ireland. She is a member of the Project Children Group which brings Irish children under 15 to the USA every summer.

Brogan had to be met at Kennedy Airport. Too many years since I had been there I relied on my brother Joe, who works in NYC, to get me around. And get around we did. We met on Staten Island and since we were both early, going to Coney Island to walk to boardwalk seemed an appropriate way to while away the hours. The fishing pier was proof that America is truly a melting pot. Each fisherman was a different nationality and their boom boxes played an international musical language. Being at the beach with the NY skyline right behind you is a unique experience for we non city dwellers. Passing up a hot dog at the original Nathans, we opted for dinner at an Italian clam house in Queens. Going from Brooklyn to Queens the farewell sign read "Fegeddaboudit", not simply good bye. Dinner was amazing. Mussels marinara and calamari....mmmmm.

Brogan was ushered in by bagpipes and since it was just sunset, Joe drove off to show her the NYC skyline after dark, taking us to some cool places that tourists never go. Ice cream under the Brooklyn Bridge lights was magical. The Statue of Liberty from Red Hook dock was illuminated by fireworks in Jersey City. So beautiful. We rode on cobblestone streets...who knew they still existed? It made me want to reread A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN.

Brogan was fading fast so we left NYC with a promise to return. I hope she had as good a day as I. Being with my brother was fantastic and the tour of NYC unbelievable. We grew up going to "the city" as we called it but it is so different now and I think I have grown to love it again after years away. Seeing the remains of the 1964 World's Fair in Flushing brought back great memories of how special those World's Fairs were. "The city" reminds me too of birthdays my mother and I celebrated with a Broadway show and dinner at a fancy restaurant. We saved all year for it and couldn't wait for April to come. Gotta love it. Maybe I am still a city slicker at heart. Where would I put my sheep?

Sooo Hot

2010-06-24T17:39:00.000-07:00

It must be over 100 in this house today and equally as humid. In my next life I'm getting a house with central AC. No more of this old farmhouse stuff. I watched my 5 year old charge,Lillian, today and we turned the hose on each other while we watered the plants. That felt wonderful.

100 bales of alfalfa went in the barn today. With as dry as it is that might be all there is for this year. My pastures are looking spotty and it's not July yet. We have a 13 year old girl from N. Ireland coming for the month of July. I hope she can endure the heat. Most of our Irish guests melt in the PA summers.

I'm signing off to find a cool spot.

Home From Oregon

2010-06-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

Molly and I spent the last week touring Oregon and attending the Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene,OR. Returning to heat and humidity of the East is not fun after enjoying temperatures ranging from 52 to 70 in Oregon. Everyone knows how I abhor hot weather. We both agree that Oregon would be our first choice for relocation.

Our first day was spent along the Columbia River in Astoria. Wonderful seafood and of course several Lewis and Clark spots to hike and enjoy on both sides of the river. The 4 mile Astoria Bridge would have been less fun if the passenger in my car would have opened her eyes and stopped whimpering. She is so like my mother was in that respect. With only one segment of the Lewis and Clark Trail to do....Bismark into western Montana, I think I will be sorry when the Trail is finished. Following it has been such a wonderful experience for me and such torture for Molly. Bet she'll finish it with me though since we need to experience more of North Dakota than just Fargo.

From Astoria we traveled the coast tasting Tillamook cheese and of course more seafood. No whales appeared but there were lots of harbor seals posing for us. We revisited Corvallis on our way to Eugene. For those who have never been there,Eugene is abundant with hippies,old and young,tie dyed wear and other "groovy" things. Molly and I got the shirts we regretted not buying last year...they read "Eugene We're all here because we're not all there." The shirt says it all. Eugene hosted the Black Sheep Gathering and the 3rd National Bluefaced Leicester Show. Shetland Breeders were meeting there also. So many great people to talk with and learn from. You just come home so motivated to make your flock and wool products better. Our Shetland friends from home,Roxanne and Bill Dean met us for lunch on Sunday. They are always fun to be with.

After leaving Eugene on Sunday, we needed some solitude so we drove to Silverton. It's where gardens and landscaping are top priority. Treating ourselves to a room at the Oregon Garden Resort we wandered the gardens and hiked the trails at the Silver River Falls. Molly took dozens of pictures since her solitude is cascading water.

Our last stop was VOODOO Doughnut in Portland. Have you seen it on the food network? Another line like the one in Hoboken at Carlo's Bakery but again full of people to meet and chat with. Inside it was dark and strange like its name. Imagine, people actually get married there. Go figga'. What would the bride wear in such a place? A catered doughnut dinner ..... how interesting. Molly has opted for something more traditional when the time comes. Don't think I could find that place again anyway.

Great sights,great food and wine and ever better friends. What more could one ask for in a vacation? Now back to reality...my cooking( if you can call it that) and heat. GGGRRR.

A Few Less Mouths To Feed

2010-06-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

Molly and I loaded up 5 BIG old ewes to go "across the river" on Sunday. For those asking where?....across the river is the Lancaster stockyard. Chick power rules. They didn't want to go but our determination prevailed and we managed to lift and push them into the truck. I'm always glad the the truck doesn't "leave us sitting" as the PA Dutch say, on the way home because my appearance and smell after the trip would never cause some good samaritan to stop and help us. As I have said before, I hate taking my loyal old girls away but I can't keep them all, especially this year when rain has been sparse and the pastures are thin.

My Turn Finally

2010-06-06T10:07:00.001-07:00

Well it was finally my turn to use the broadband card for the computer and my computer would not honor my requests to get on line!!! YES...time for tech support again. This time I got an American voice. Does that ever happen? I have enough trouble understanding computer lingo without an Indian accent added to it. Tech Tom is the new love of my life. Who says I'm easy. In a short 4 hours my computer was again working up to its usual low standards but it worked. Now on to a week's worth of unanswered emails.

Finally finished knitting Molly's cape. It's my entry for Black Sheep Gathering in Oregon. The yarn is from our Bluefaced Leicester sheep hand dyed to match and coordinate with her dress. Took at lot of skeins to match the purple but tadahhh.....it's done. Robina Koenig hornswaggled me into doing a weaving for BSG. I said I was easy. Well the yarn is spun but I am not doing the weaving since I sold my loom. My fellow spinning friend has volunteered to weave for me. Thank you Kris. Before Kris volunteered, I had nightmares of me weaving on the cardboard looms I made for the kids when they were little. Are you seeing a pattern here about never saying no? I am so lucky to have friends that bail me out.