Winter Storm Hercules

First storm of 2014

So, the first snow storm of the new year was okay. Not nearly as awful as it might have been, but long ago I've learned to be prepared for the worst.
Snow here is a non-event. We are used to it, and cold temps as well. You learn how to manage your life and the lives of your critters so that the snow isn't much of an issue, and given my "druthers", I'd ruther have snow than blistering, humid heat any day. So would the sheep!

Aside from winter we have Spring which I've come to refer to as "mud" season. Yuck. Between the melting snow and the April showers which start in March, we spend a good six weeks if we're lucky ( 8 weeks if not ) up to our knees in some sort of dirty, slimy, boot sucking mud which leaves everything looking wretched. Best case is a short "mud" season, God willing.

At any rate, things are moving along a bit here. Ewes are bred and due to lamb in April. I am spinning like crazy, felting soaps, and weaving with pure Finnsheep wool from the 2013 clip, whilst looking forward to shearing 31 animals this year with a lot of lustrous, soft fleece of many colors. Can't wait!

The sheep hardly noticed the conditions and came through just fine!

Regards,
Kathryn

Saturday - Opening Day for Hunting

 November 16, 2013

Opening Day!

Its a beautiful cool, clear and sunny morning here for opening day of the 2013 hunting season.

We live in an excellent area for all types of wild life and deer are abundant so we hear and see quite a few hunters throughout the season.

Many of the small and not-so-small camps are bustling with activity and the traffic up and down our otherwise quite road, explodes.

Like most people, we have company - an old friend
and hunting buddy of the D.H.

As it happens, he's also a duck carver of many decades.

These past few years he's expanded into other
creatures and this year we were gifted with a very
unique and unusual carving of our beloved pet
Finn ram - Earl.

To say the carving looks like Earl is an understatement.

We are thrilled with the unexpected gift and honored to give it a place on our wall. How cool is that?

 

Over the last few days I've been preparing to finish off some textiles I've been working on.

The pictures are of a saddle blanket, a rug and a rug made solely from rovings. I'm still working on a throw blanket even as I prepare the loom for another saddle blanket. This one will be from Alpaca.

 

The rugs and saddle blanket are not yet finished, though the weaving is done. Remaining is the hemming and fulling and final touch with a steam iron, but in my impatience I went ahead and posted the photos knowing they aren't exactly the best. Can't help myself ! :-)

 

We are now down about 26 sheep from our original total this summer of 61.

While I feel I've culled, sold and parted with everyone I could afford to, we are still a bit on the heavy side as winter eases its way in.

 

As sorry as I am to see any leave as I love them all, I feel confident that those remaining are the beginning of a new core group that will advance the flock over time.

 

I've learned quite a few lessons from all of this selling of sheep.

 

1) Really, don't keep a ram longer than 2  years

 

2) Fiber being the priority for me, I see value in every sheep because it simply has wool. It is just as easy to have top quality sheep with excellent fleeces as it is to have lesser. Go for top quality.

 

3) Make up your mind from the beginning that sheep die, and be okay with orchestrating that when the time comes. As shepherds, we are both the midwives and the grim reaper when the need arises.

 

4) Because my role as shepherd is primarily one of care giver, it is understandably hard to STOP caring when the time comes to part with any animal. Be patient with yourself as you learn to do this.

 

At any rate, life moves on, things are good, hope abounds and we look to the future about five months from now, while we take the winter to hope, envision and expect new life in due course.

 

God is good!

Regards,

Kathryn