Hot Heads in the Cool Morning

Wow! It's a surprisingly cool August morning. After the heat of the past month, the welcome coolness makes the sheep frisky. Apparently some power struggle had ensued. I got to the barnyard in time to see two ewes, Cassiopeia and Zenith, butting heads. Maybe Cassie (the black sheep) called Zenie (the badgerface) a cruel name. I can only guess what the root of the problem was, but after seeing what happened next, I'm thinking it was some "to do" over the new ram, Blue. Here's a photo of the two ewes butting each other:

Ewes butting at each other isn't too alarming. Rams fighting can be fierce or deadly, never funny. The rams act just like the big horn sheep you've seen on TV.

See what the winner does: she steps to the fence to visit Blue.

I called this photo "I Like Ewe":

Dye Day

the kool-aid yarn, originally uploaded by lamb lady.

Vickie invited me to her home a couple weeks ago for a dye day with the South Cumberland Fiber Guild. What a fun day we had. I'm used to working with the great array of natural colors of the Navajo-Churro sheep we have here. Adding dye to the mix was so much fun. I hope you'll slip over to my slide show and take a look at the photos and read the captions.

Handsome New Ram

bide a wee Blue, originally uploaded by lamb lady.

Through an amazing effort on the part of Maria Amodei of North Face Farm in Mass, Brad and I were able to pick up Blue near Williamsport, PA, one evening after work in May. I love the looks of this guy and I'm pleased to have him here at Shepherd's Loft. He is from Bide a Wee Farm in Oregon. I'm hoping he'll make lots of badgerfaced babies for us next spring.
I love bagerfaced sheep and haven't had any for awhile.

A Day Off Work - that means I'll be working tomorrow

The Sparrow Nest

For Mother's Day I received a New Guinea Impatien hanging basket from my son and daughter-in-law. I hung it under our deck and a sparrow promptly added a chickweed and sheep's hair nest. I removed the nest and she put it back. I left it there and she and a cowbird both put their eggs in it. I removed the 2 cowbird eggs. When one of her 5 eggs had hatched, I couldn't wait to photograph it. Unfortunately, the first baby somehow got out of the nest and died. Mama kept sitting on the 4 remaining eggs. The first 2 of those eggs have hatched. Two more to go. They are such tiny mites. Fuzzy little critters with transparent skin, so fragile looking. I'll keep you posted.










Hay Mowing
Merlin and I went out to check the freshly mown pasture and hayfields this morning. He loves to run ahead looking for something to chase. I let him go, in hope that any snakes will clear out before I pass through behind him.

The sheep were in the pasture that Dad will mow today. The grass was taller than they. The lambs have really grown. It's time to take some of them away from their Moms. Not my favorite thing to do, just a necessary part of life. This is Toffee in the tall grass. She's delivered triplets all three years she's had babies. Her 2008 ewe lamb, Tresor, is a treasure. I plan to keep her as a part of my flock. Dad saw the sheep in the freshly mown grass this morning. He said they were romping around, enjoying that it was cut.

Summer's Here

We've been waiting for warmer weather. Now it's here and I'm hiding in the air conditioning. PA is having quite a heat wave after the cool, wet spring we've experienced. I wish the hay was mowed and I will fret about it until it is in the barn.

Last Friday, my niece's daughter had her first dance recital. She is a beautiful child, so animated.

On Saturday, my cousin and his wife celebrated their 25th anniversary. Congratulations, Bret and Lorie!

Dad returned from his fishing trip to Maine yesterday. He missed the recital and the anniversary party but he had a great time with his fishing friends. I think Mom was glad to have him home.

Last evening all the lambs got their second tetanus shots. We were stinky and sweaty till that job was done. Today the sheep are all hanging out in the barn with the fans running.

My hobbledehoy yarns (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=23459 ) arrived in today's mail. They are just as wonderful as the posted photos that made me want them. I'm not sure what I'll make with them but something good. Their names are Lemon Drop and Pine Trail. Their creator, Liz, dropped me a note to say I could come spin with her a day. I think I'll take her up on that. There's much she could teach me. I was looking at a spinning class next March at The Mannings. It looks like it's only offered annually.

I'm working on a lap quilt to give to my great aunt at a family reunion in a couple weeks. I need to get busy with that. It's a good reason to stay in the house and be cool. I'm so glad we have air conditioning. It's hard to imagine that it wasn't long ago we didn't have it.