Sheep Grow Up

I didn’t get around to registering most of the lambs that I kept last year. JSBA was in transition from me being the Registrar to having an outside organization handle it. So I waited. Why add more workload? Besides, the applications can now be submitted electronically (no more printing lots of photos for each sheep) and photos will show up on the registration certificates. Here are the sheep that I submitted, now yearlings.13022 Santana lt Meridian Santana = Puddleduck Sullivan x Genesis Farms Belinda13035 Alex rt Meridian Alex = Kenleigh’s Matrix x Meridian Alexandria13005 Lana rt Meridian Lana = Meridian Fogerty x Meridian Loretta13056 Racquel lt Meridian Raquel= Meridian Miller x Meridian Rosie13068 Cascade rt Meridian Cascade = Meridian Miller x Meridian Sierra13077 Mae rt Meridian Mae = Meridian Miller x Meridian Mary14013 Sophia rtMeridian Sophia = Kenleigh’s Matrix x Meridian JazzMarilyn 13007 leftThis is Marilyn who was registered last year so I didn’t get a new photo of her. This photo is before shearing her as a lamb. Marilyn = Meridian Miller x Meridian Hot Lips.DSC_7521This is some of Marilyn’s wool. I am spinning her fleece now during the Tour de France as part of Meridian Jacob’s unofficial Tour de Fleece group on Ravelry. Join us!

Who will the 2014 keepers be?14041 GinnyThis is one. Meridian Ginny = Meridian Hendrix x Mud Ranch’s Ginseng14053 and VickiMaybe this one shown with her mom. Not named yet = Meridian Miller x Meridian Vicki.14013 hd (1) Meridian Miller x Meridian Jane14062 lt (1)Meridian Hendrix x Meridian Alison

 

 

Vacation Interlude – Back to Work

I’m on Day 4 of describing our wonderful vacation to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone last week, but I will insert a post of what I am doing now that I’m back home.IMG_0106 This is the north fence of the pasture. This is AFTER grazing. The sheep don’t venture in this far once the combination of dallisgrass and blackberries grow so thick. Access is hampered since there is an irrigation ditch just in front of this mess (the left part of the photo). IMG_0107 There is a fence under there. IMG_0109 This was yesterday morning’s achievement. Sheep eating blackberries I dumped the branches in the corral and the sheep were happy to work on defoliation when it was easier.IMG_0130However I’m not happy that the branches  get stuck in their wool.IMG_0129IMG_0128IMG_0114 This morning’s task was to finish the  job.IMG_0126    IMG_0132IMG_0111There are plenty of these still on what is left and they will be easier to get to. With my luck though they will all ripen just about the time that I go to Texas for the birth of my granddaughter.

By the way, you’d think that I’d come up with another solution to this problem. See this post from just over a year ago. Maybe some strategic fencing to hold some sheep right at that fence line.

Stay tuned for our adventures in Yellowstone!

Around the Farm in May

I went back through my i-phone shots during May, most of which I deleted. But here is a collection of what I thought was photo-worthy at the time.IMG_9637Sheep on new pasture lining up at the blackberry buffet.Goose on barn roofGoose on the roof. There was another just out of site on the high part of the barn. Note ongoing wool washing activity. Also blooming bottle brush in the background…Rusty in bottlebrush…which makes it clear where Rusty was hiding out.IMG_0033 Felt flower done by someone who came to my weaving class.baby wrap Baby wrap brought by another weaving student. I had no idea that baby wraps were in such huge demand and people will pay huge prices for them. I’d love to weave some but my shoulders start hurting just thinking of weaving yards and yards of relatively fine threads, even on my AVL. What I wouldn’t give to have joints that were 20 years younger.Painted in Waterlogue Playing with the iPad when I should have been sleeping I found this cool app that turns your photos into paintings.IMG_9661  Mom’s and babies. This is Laura and twins.Jazz and tripletsJazz and triplets.wool with burr clover

I spent a huge amount of time this month sorting fleeces that were beautiful except that they were filled with obnoxious burr clover. A lot had to be thrown out. This wool is finally  in route to the mill.cat I found this tom cat with a foxtail in his eye, huge ticks on his neck, and very weak and skinny. Through the wonders of Facebook within 24 hours he was on his way to a new home where I hear that a vet has ruled out any severe problems other than starving and he is eating up all the food and TLC he can handle.straw bale garden My latest attempt at gardening in my raised beds that have been gopher-ravaged is to try straw bale gardening. I am in the phase of watering the bale to start it decomposing. Then you add fertilizer, keep watering, and then plant. My hope is that a gopher will not tunnel all the way up through the bale.

Photographic Challenges

This is the year that I am determined to get those perfect jumping lamb photos. I have posted some others here and in other posts. I welcome any advice from you photographers out there. My lens info is at the end of this post. DSC_0082 Too darn many lambs in the way.DSC_0093The lambs are most active in the evening when there is lower light. I am shooting with a larger aperture and therefore more shallow depth of field. Notice the lamb in focus is not the one that is jumping. In addition, those black lambs are hard to photograph in detail.

DSC_0092 More lambs in the way. DSC_0095Lambs in the way AND depth of field issues.DSC_0097 Same problems.DSC_0101 And more lambs in the way.DSC_0114 Focal length issues again.DSC_0115 Lambs facing the wrong way.DSC_0159 Focal length and shutter speed issues.DSC_0167 I think I got this one on depth of field. Too bad the lamb is facing the wrong way.DSC_0179 Sort of OK but needs a faster shutter speed to really get it. Also the black one lying down is distracting.DSC_0180 This photo probably has the fewest issues.DSC_0194The running lamb photos have similar challenges. These photos were all taken with my Nikon 40 mm f 2/8 lens to take advantage of the larger aperture but that gives me the more shallow depth of field. My other lens is the 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6. Any recommendations?

Fifty Lambs So Far

I talked to a friend of mine today and she asked what has happened since I wrote about Marilyn’s fleece in the post about a week ago. Hmmm. I guess it’s been about 40 more lambs here for a total of 50. I think there are about a dozen still to lamb. Here are some photos and you can go to YouTube for videos of lambing and lambs playing.14009 Meridian Loretta x Meridian Hendrix14013 Meridian Jane x Meridian Miller14014 Twin to the last one.DSC_9610Meridian Jazz with triplets sired by Meridian Miller.Mable with tiny lambI’m not sure what happened here. This is less than half a lamb at 3.8 pounds. This lamb was up and nursing when I found it and hasn’t needed any help. It’s the smallest lamb I’ve ever had here.DSC_9490DSC_9502DSC_9509 yearling ewes  These are 5 of the 6 yearlings that I kept from last year’s lamb crop. They sure look different than a year ago.

Marilyn’s Fleece

Marilyn is one of seven lambs that I kept from the 2013 lambing season.Hot LIps and 3007Here she is with her mom, Hot Lips.30071st place ewe lamb 3007 Marilyn was my choice to take to Black Sheep Gathering last year where she won her class. (Hot Lips was Champion Jacob Ewe at BSG when I took her there!)Marilyn 13007 leftHere she is at 9 months old last fall. When Farm Club members chose their fleeces “on the hoof” I put my name on Marilyn’s.Shearing MarilynShearing Day.DSC_7448 Marilyn’s fleece looks brown, but those are sunbleached tips.DSC_7429 This is what her fleece looks like from the cut side. Isn’t it gorgeous?DSC_7521 Detail of the staples.DSC_9047 Last week I carded Marilyn’s fleece on my Clemes & Clemes electric drum carder.

DSC_9056  Here are the batts ready to spin. Hopefully there will be a post before too long in which I’ll have photos of finished yarn and a project. To be continued…