Farewell

For over 10 years, my heart has been with my Bluefaced Leicester flock. It was a breed that I first saw in the UK with my friend Isabel. The fiber is spectacular and as a breed there could not be a more gentle sheep to raise. From the first very ugly BFL lamb I purchased, the Potosi flock had become the beautiful fiber animals that I had seen at the shows in England. It was a joy to sit on the porch and watch them run with their long locks flowing. Although I did the wool show circuit with yarn and roving my life in the barn gave me the most pleasure. Especially at lambing, when a walk to the barn was like Christmas morning finding a new lamb or two. I loved my travels to shows all over the country to buy rams for my breeding program. Not only did I buy rams but I made some wonderful friends that I hope I will keep for life. Things have changed here at Potosi. My husband is no longer able to do anything outside so those jobs have fallen to me. Along with sheep chores I mow,fix equipment,run the house and take care of Bill. Too much for this old chick. The farm will be for sale soon so my Beautiful Blues had to find a new home. This morning they left for Colorado and a new home on the mesa. The silly Shetlands remain until the farm sells. Good thing too. It will give me fiber to spin and chores to do outside, although not as many. I couldn't imagine not smelling like sheep or being bowled over with a feed bucket in hand. Sheep are a passion and an addiction. Wyatt, my remaining BFL ram realizes that the Shetlands are the only game in town now and has made his way into their pasture. Nice crossbred babies in the spring I hope.

Canadian Wheel for Sale

Changes

It's been a busy summer. Since my husband is unable to work any longer I have too many jobs that I thought I couldn't do. Thursday night I smuggly announced,"All gates are hanging on the pegs and working." An hour later my Shetland ram removed one!!!! My neighbor continues to provide me with tasks. When I went out to see what he was chain sawing I found my sheep muching on a pile of branches...cherry included. For those who don't know, wilted cherry leaves kill sheep. All the gates he had passed through were open behind him leaving the Shetlands clear access to the road. The neighbor watched me frantically drive the flocks into safe pastures away from the road and the poisonous leaves. He offered no help. With new fencing and all gates workable, my sheep are now safely contained. I hope. The neighbor and I no longer share a fence line or gates. Potosi Sheep Farm will not be setting up at Rhinebeck this October. It is my favorite festival and I will miss it and all of the people I meet there but I'm just too busy with the farm and the sheep to dye wool for sale. My flock is much smaller also. Many of my BFL ewes have moved to new homes. Hopefully a few more will leave in October bringing my BFL flock down to single digits. Can't believe it after having a flock in the eighties for so many years. The Shetland flock remains for the time being but they will be fewer soon too. Just can't let go of shepherding completely right now. One step at a time.

For Sale

Shetland ram lambs for sale both sired by White Pine Ruben. One solid black, the othe ris katmuget. Showing nice horns and soft fleeces. Colored BFL ram lamb. Sired by AI Mossvale Masterplan "Scotty" ram. He has fine crimp like his sire.

A Shepherd's Joy Returns

Sharieka cannot be replaced but look what I found this morning. I've already decided that I don't like her at all!

Sharieka

Being a shepherd brings such joy to my life most of the time. My little shetland ewe lamb, Sharieka, made me laugh from the moment of birth. Her entrance into this world was a tight squeeze requiring me to pull.... hard. As I pulled, she shreiked into my ear. Hence her name, Shareika. As soon as she hit the ground she was on her own. Uncatchable for CDT shots,worming and just plain attention. She ate grain through the fence so I couldn't grab her from behind. She was crafty and good at avoiding me. Last week I noticed a twist to her head a stagger to her gait. Catching her for treatment was a fierce battle of human versus lamb and I was elated when I won round one. Successive treatments were curtailed by Shareika's craftiness. Everything about her that made me laugh was suddenly NOT funny. It wasn't until she fell over and could no longer walk that I captured her and began serious treatment for meningal worm. All the while I treated her,every six hours, her mother stood behind me watching. She stood sentry like over her lamb. But I was losing the battle. Extreme heat added to my worries. This morning Shareik's mother was gone out to pasture. An omen for sure. Mom told me it was time for all of us to give up.Sharieka died shortly afterwards. Every shepherd knows something always happens to you favorite lamb so you try to be impartial or just not acknowledge "specialness". Sometimes being a shepherd loses its joy. For all you folks who think when you get sheep they just stand around and eat grass with little care, think again. It is a labor of love.

East Meets West

Getting together with other Bluefaced Leicester breeders at nationals is ALWAYS fun and educational. As an eastern breeder, I am fascinated with the predator perrils of the west. We have infrequent dog attacks here and sometimes a coyote or bear attack but western breeders face these attacks daily. One the other hand, here in the east summer brings our worst predator....worms. I have begun watching my lambs for this wee beast of the east. Vigilance is the key word for good shepherding here in the land of grassy pastures and humidity. Breeding for worm resistance has been a goal here in Potosi. Adult ewes show good resistance and hopefully the lambs will follow suit. Contrary to what people think, you don't just turn sheep out and let them eat grass all summer. Shepherding is a time consuming labor of love.