Sunset

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Robin

It rained all day today, but here is what the sky was like a few evenings ago.

American Sheep Industry Convention

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Robin

I spent the last two days at the ASI Convention in Reno. I caught a ride with a couple of friends who also raise sheep. (See Flying Mule Blog in my links). I didn’t take too many photos and I can’t believe that I didn’t take a photo of the best part of the trip. That was the Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning sessions presented by Ranch Management Consultants. Dave Pratt is a gifted speaker (who happens to be my brother) and teaches a business school for ranchers. His classes and 6-day school are very intense, but so valuable. Every time I hear him speak I “get it” a little better.

I had my new video camera with me and found my self wandering in the nearly empty casino filming, but I didn’t take anything worth showing to anyone else. I did take a few still photos.

These are some magnificent Merino and Merino x Rambouillet rams, the only sheep in sight at the convention. The ranch also displayed some fine Merino fleeces. I wish that I could harvest a 20 lb fleece!

View from my desk on New Year’s Day

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Robin

I should modify the title of this post. This is the view to my left and behind me. The view to the right is SOMEBODY sitting in the recliner with a cat on his lap waiting for football.

This morning our non-landscaped front yard seems like a wildlife sanctuary. I’m taking photos from the comfort of my house through the windows. Those are female pheasants.

We support the fattest quail!

And behind me:

I didn’t see the whole Rose Bowl Parade, but these were my favorite entries of what I did see. That’s a Brahma-cross steer he’s riding. The rider looks like a kid on that big guy.

This was such a beautiful float honoring wild horses.

Amazing.

Bad kitty!

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Robin

This is one method to knock all the dead needles and debris out of the tree! This was yesterday. Now I have lights and garland up. I don’t know about ornaments this year.

Heart-FELT Christmas

Posted on December 18, 2010 by Robin

Look at what my friend, Jackie, made for me.

She got Rusty’s markings just right!

Christmas photos

Posted on December 17, 2010 by Robin

I had this idea to take photos of a sheep and my dog with a Santa hat. The sheep were in the pasture yesterday, but I thought we’d try the dog since Jackie was willing to help. It’s not that easy to get a good photo.

Rusty is not looking very enthusiastic.

Ok. Now he’s obsessed with shadows on the ground. Let’s try again.

In the meantime, Jacki’s dog, Mobi, cooperated a little better.

Rusty, Take 3. At least he doesn’t look too unhappy when he’s watching shadows.

This is the best we could do for that day. Maybe I’ll try a sheep.

Holiday Open House

Posted on December 12, 2010 by Robin

Does it bother you when people call an event the “First Annual…”? Well, we had such a good time today, that I can say that we had our First Annual Holiday Open House. We WILL do it again. Two friends joined me with their wares. Jackie’s business is Jack’s Wool/Isabelle’s Items.

This is one of Jackie’s signature paw-print felted bowls and a felted sheep.

How about a felted hot-pad?

or felted ornaments?

Diane’s family are commercial bee-keepers. She has recently explored local marketing of their honey and beeswax products.

Diane had sage, wild-flower, and clover honey. We sampled them and there are definite differences in the flavors.

Jackie and Shelby taught visitors needle-felting throughout the day and everyone took home a needle-felted ornament.

One of the best things about the day is that my shop is clean and orderly.

Thanks to Jackie and Diane for helping me with that. It is such a relief to have that done. What a pleasant place with Christmas lights sparkling and Christmas music playing. This was our big advertised day, but I plan to be open again next weekend even though Diane and Jackie won’t be here. I really love my shop and it’s a great place to spend the day!

Not quite winter

Posted on December 9, 2010 by Robin

When it’s raining and foggy and cold it seems like winter. But winter is still officially a couple of weeks off. Yesterday was a day that reminded me it is still fall.

What’s your sign?

Posted on November 27, 2010 by Robin

Shearing Day

Posted on November 14, 2010 by Robin

I look forward to Shearing Day all year and this was one of the best ever. That is due to the number of friends who helped and to the outstanding shearer. Farm Club members helped in the barn and two good friends staffed in the shop (unfortunately I don’t have photos of them). That left me free to run and back and forth for things we needed, take photos, move sheep, and thoroughly enjoy the day. Shearer John sheared 67 of my sheep, 19 sheep that belonged to other people, and 7-8 Angora goats. He started a little before 9 a.m. and finished at 1:30! Here’s the photo tour.

Sheep in full fleece the day before shearing.

This is Fran.

Here is Tioga…

… and Clint, the ram lamb I got from the Sweetgrass flock in Michigan.

We gathered all the ewes while John was shearing my friend’s goats.

Farm club members, Tina and Kathy, and Kathy’s friend, Haylee, helped bag fleeces…

…and keep the shearing area clean.

Shelby (and her husband, Greg, who escaped my photos) did a lot of sheep wrangling. This is Shelby with her namesake sheep.

Tina did her share of sheep handling too…

…while my son multi-tasked.

John is an excellent shearer, making shearing look easy (and I know it isn’t). He is fast, the sheep look great, and the fleeces are perfect wth no second cuts. We are very happy to have found him. It is always impressive to watch the rams being shorn. This is Savor being shorn.