Me Tarzan...

Well yesterday was just a rainy day, as was today. Wyatt and I went out to check the sheep as soon as the rain let up (only to have the skies open up while we were still in the pasture). Chloe was having contractions the first time we were out checking on them, but I didn't know how long she had been in labor. I kept checking on her and the next time I went to the pasture, the lamb was showing. Long story short, an hour and a half later, I called my neighbor for back-up, support, and child care! (just imagine the baby in the stroller, me stradling the ewes neck with my knees - she's facing downhill, I'm facing uphill, she's headed downhill- I'm going with her... the goat is headed to the stroller... ) Thanks Marlene for all your help, advice, and entertaining Wyatt. I don't like to get involved unless it's absolutely necessary, and even though the ewe was still able to get up and carry me downhill, Marlene helped to reassure me that she did need help. This is actually the first time that I've had to assist a ewe. I was afraid that it was too late and the lamb wouldn't make it, but as you can see this story ends well. The angle of this picture, the lamb looks like he has a little head, but it's just the angle.. this fella was huge! Once he was on the ground, I headed back to the house. The next visit to the field I found a little sister. Seeing these two next to each other, for whatever reason, made me think of Tarzan and Jane... I don't know why, but that's their names. Tarzan has to eat on his knees because he's too tall to eat standing up.

We have 7 lambs now - 3 rams and 4 ewes.

Lambie's rammy.

5 Ewes to go... hoping they will lamb when the sun is shining. (and not need any help.. that would be great)

Recipe

I started a post back in February and just recently went back and finished it to publish it. Of course it posted it in the February files. Anyways, it's a good and easy recipe for bread- and a starter if anyone is interested.

http://icelandicwool.blogspot.com/2010/02/bread-and-roll-recipe.html

Finally, something to blog about...

Well no one wants to hear about tax preparation. It's been absolutely beautiful this week, but I've been inside trying to get the tax return together. Yes, wait til the last week or so, and you're bound to lose out on some nice weather!

I went out this morning to check on the sheep and couldn't find lambie. Of course she was at the last place I looked. She had company too! (we're not surprised like we were when the calf arrived.. we knew lambs were coming, but to be honest, I didn't know exactly when they would start arriving this time around)

This is Lambie's first lamb. (a ram of course) Lambie was rejected by her mother, and was our only bottle lamb we've had, but I can tell she's going to be a great mother to this little guy. The picture isn't the greatest - had a little guy sleeping in the house and I was way out of range on the baby moniter, so I snapped a picture and ran!

I took this picture of Myrtle a few days ago. She has to be the funniest sheep we have here. She followed me this morning when I went looking for Lambie.. she hops more than she walks, and is just fun to watch.

Snapped a quick pic of LeRoy the other day too. He is looking so much like his papa Charlie that it's sometimes hard to tell them apart from a distance. He's almost a year old now - still has a lot of growing to do. Our rams/wethers are starting to shed and really need to be sheared soon! (this weekend-if all goes as planned) I'll shear the ewes as they have their babies.

The morning sky this morning. It won't be long before those branches are covered with leaves!

Shearing School..

Sorry, no photo available.



Of all the times to leave my camera home, this past Tuesday wasn't one of them.



The drive alone to the U.K. Sheep Shearing school held in Midway, Ky was enough for me to realize that I should never leave my camera home. The scenery was outstanding. Rock fences, board fenced farms... just a beautiful drive.



(I might have been a little pre-occupied with getting ready to leave that morning. I dropped Wyatt off at Grammy's and it was the first time in -well, over a year that I've been apart from him! He did fine, but mom here might have had a little separation anxiety)



The shearing school was just fabulous. There were 15 students taking the class and great instructors and staff. They first demonstrated shearing sheep on their rump, and after lunch they had a demonstration of shearing a sheep on a stand. The "hands on" is what helped me the most. I have sheared our sheep both standing (with manual blades) and attempted shearing them while on their rump with electric clippers. It's been hard for me to feel comfortable with the electric clippers while not knowing for sure if I was holding the sheep right, and I was always afraid I would cut them. This class is just what I needed to have more confidence with shearing.

I can't say that I'm excited about shearing now, but less scared anyways.