Old Friends

I went to a friend’s shearing earlier in the week. She has some “pensioners” who used to live here.214 Diamond This is Diamond who was born in 2002…706 Laura …and Lucy who was born in 2007 and is Diamond’s granddaughter.c13-Diamond  Here is Diamond with one of her last lambs in about 2010…Laura…and Laura a few years before she went to live at Jackie’s. There is a video of Laura lambing a couple of years ago here.

DSC_4899 Old Friends Forever.

Meet the Sheep – Part 1

Meet the Sheep was a fantastic success. The weather was perfect and dozens of people came out to enjoy the farm, the lambs, and the bunnies. Yes, bunnies!

These photos of people enjoying the day were all taken by Dona.DSC_5857 DSC_5862 DSC_5886 DSC_5901 DSC_5903 DSC_5906

This is Julie Kuroki who raises show quality French Angora rabbits and Angora goats. I can give you her contact info if you want it.DSC_5967

The bunnies are always a huge hit with the kids. There is more in Rusty’s blog about the bunnies.DSC_5928

DSC_5910 DSC_5914 

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DSC_6026Alison led a workshop in Sheep Portraits.DSC_6001 

March Miscellany

I am fairly organized with my photos when I transfer them from my camera to the computer. But the “photo stream” from the iPhone is another matter. They all show up in a file labeled March. I take a lot of these intending to write blog posts that never make it through the fingertips to the keyboard. So this is a jumble of these photos that might have become blog posts if I didn’t have to allocate at least a few hours for sleeping. I’ll probably need to break this into two posts.lambing startsThe Lambing Board at the beginning of the month.15017 lambFirst day on the pasture and looking for mom.

"What the...?"The Little Chicken, who has lived here forever, was not too crazy about…New chickens from Carolyn…the New Chickens that a friend gave me.eggsFinally, fresh eggs again.RH class, clasped weftThis is an example of clasped weft in a rigid heddle weaving class…Rhonda and Amy holding lambs during RH class…and this is weaving students taking a lamb break in the barn.holding lambsAnd speaking of holding lambs, I love this photo. These are three Farm club members (and friends) who have spent many hours helping me here, not only during lambing but at other times also.blanketsWeaving. I’ve spent a little time at the loom, although I still have projects looming hanging over my head and that is getting very frustrating. These are wool blankets woven using one of my favorite patterns, but usually done in one color.Marilyn and lambMarilyn with the first lamb of twins.Grave markers for Noacks & momAbout a week ago I went to my uncle’s memorial service. His ashes were placed in a family plot with his wife’s and next to those of his two sisters (one of whom was my mom). The end of that generation in our family.Sheep puddleLife moves on. This is Spring who looks as though she should have sprung days ago.

Farm Day

This year’s pre-lambing Farm Day overlapped with Stitches West so some of our members chose shopping over barn cleaning, thinking that their yarn stashes needed a little reinforcing. However we still had an effective crew and finished our scheduled chores in just a couple of hours. (Dona was shopping so thanks to Lisa for providing some of these photos.)IMG_2153Lisa, Cindy, Alison, and Stephany helped clean the barn and vaccinate all the sheep. Betty came later and we skirted fleeces.img_1706We gathered  all the ewes in the barn.img_1705

Some are looking quite large.

img_1718We checked eyelids of the ewe lambs for anemia using the FAMACHA scorecard and dewormed those who scored 2 or 3.img_1723Amaryllis is always happy when Lisa comes.

img_1731   Faulkner was all fired up after yesterday’s tryst with Donna, who spent the day with him in anticipation of July lambs, but alas, it was just us Farmers who came to call today.Alex 13035After skirting fleeces in the afternoon…IMG_2172…Betty and I treated the ewes to snacks.img_1737Usually Farm Day lasts well into the afternoon but today everyone had places to be (including me who went to Berkeley to see out-of-state cousins who had all gathered for a birthday celebration), but it was a beautiful morning to spend with friends.GinnyWe didn’t do much hard labor today but someone was tired out.

Random 1030 photos

I had a good time with this post of random photos so here is another. Jazz (#1030 ) is another one of my ewes. Here is her photo and a bunch of other photos that come up when I search 1030.1030 JazzJazz as a yearling.

1030 Jazz and tripletsJazz with triplets.

DSC_1030 I took this at Pinnacles National Park  when we camped there last year.

DSCN1030 Chris showing his goats when he was a sophomore in 2006.

IMG_1030 A  handwoven vest from the new book Weave, Knit, Wear, that I just got into the shop…the book, not the vest. But I tried on the vest at TNNA and it fit me. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Matt & Kaleena in 2009.

Benny & Katie 2002Katie and Benny in 2002.

Distracted

I am updating my sheep info in my sheep database. I am looking through the manual to pick up on the stuff that I haven’t figured out or noticed yet–entering photos, entering ancestors of sheep I didn’t breed, etc. I am exporting photos so that they can be entered properly. Searching sheep by # and/or name in Aperture, my photo program. As you can guess from this blog, I like taking photos. I have A LOT of photos. Entering #868, a sheep named Clover born in 2008. Not too many photos of her but when I search 868 dozens of other 868’s pop up–of course these are photos that have 868 somewhere in the file name. So here is a random idea for a blog post and, in my opinion, a better way to “waste” time than on Facebook because I like looking at my photos. Maybe some of you will too. 868 Clover Here is the 868 I was looking for. I wonder if I should put the rest in order by date or not… I think I’ll go with random.Sincere Sheep One of the wool blankets I wove for my recent show using Sincere Sheep yarn.1994-12-12 This is Katie, about 6 years old, and Sequoia, a calf who was born prematurely and I raised on the back porch for months. That’s my first Border Collie, Flash.62931_10150098601304896_602374895_7468868_2709628_n Kaleena (DIL) and Matt (son) and Guinness and Sam a few years ago somewhere in the El Dorado National Forest.298686_2007701074626_1306658646_31804832_1107818243_n Dan, Matt, and me in my once/year 5 km run to support Kaleena and research on ovarian cancer.298943_10150486899394896_602374895_11503352_929827052_n This is Chris and Meryl and Matt and me (Kaleena must be taking the photo) taking a Duck Tour in Boston on the way to Katie’s wedding in VT a few years ago.DSC_1868 A handwoven blanket of Jacob yarn on Mom’s rocking chair.DSC_4868  Spotted in the pasture.DSC_5868 My cousin, Kyle Vincent, (who has a new album out) performing in our barn.DSC_7868 Christmas in 2013 when all my kids and spouses (and spouse to be) were in one place.DSC_8689-leaping-w Leaping lamb.DSCN1868 Chris selling a hog at the auction at the Solano County Fair. He looks young–maybe a sophomore?IMG_6868Tencel scarves woven in advancing twill that made an issue of Handwoven a couple of years ago.

Well, that’s it for 868, Clover. This was fun. I may do it again.