De-horned and De-maned..ouch

I had to take my ram lamb to get him cut today..both horns and well, you know. I was expecting blood and pain and any number of other unpleasant things but the horn cutting was actually painless, clean and basically no big deal. The vet used this gigli wire to saw the horns off. You can run your fingers up and down this wire and not cut yourself but it just zips those horns right off. He used the screws to hold onto the wire. Then he showed me how it would also cut through a wood post. He gave me one and told me "just do it yourself next time." So, now I can check off one more thing on my I have learned to do and don't need the vet for list For those veteran sheep owners out there, this is probably no news to you...but I thought it was pretty cool.

Verse of the week

I searched and searched and finally found a Bible verse that not only referenced sheep but the harvest as well.

The fields around us have all been cut...the harvest is in. It makes me kind of sad to see all the corn cut. It is kind of like my own big fence. When it is gone, the prarie looks deserted to me, the winds blow more freely and it feels less private than before. I am however thankful for the different seasons. What an awsome creation God made for us. Each season has its own beauty to look forward to. Fall seems to be the most vibrant to me. I am always amazed by the colors, especially when the sun hits a maple tree just right.....amazing. My God is an awsome God..(one of my favorite songs).

Here is the verse of the week...hope you enjoy it.

Verse of the week:

Mattew 9: 35-38

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Another Weird Tree

Once a year, a friend of mine and I go to the Covered Bridge Festival in Indiana. It is a huge event in this area for anyone who loves crafts. There are several ( I forget how many) old covered bridges scattered throughout the area and the festival is scattered out as well. It is not possible to see it all in one day but I am grateful I am able to get away for a day and see as much of it as I can. Our day this year is coming up soon...Oct. 15th!!! It made me think of all the things I have purchased there over the years. I usually try to get a little Christmas shopping done while there but inevitably, I buy something for my house. It is simply too hard to resist.

I dug out my Fall decorations and thought I would share this picture of another one of my "weird trees" I brought home from there. It has pumpkins (not sheep) on a gnarled tree and I just love it.

I love Fall and am ready for some cooler temps here. We are still having mid 80's and absolutely NO rain. I think I have lost 3 trees this summer due to the lack of rain. It hasn't done much for my pastures either!

Verse of the Week

I recently had a birthday (the big 40!). Not so big actually, I really don't mind getting older...yet. I figure it is better than the alternative. This Willow Tree Angel was a gift from my middle child who is like most teenage girls...clueless that the whole world does not revolve around her. I guess that is why this gift was so surprising and wonderful to me. She is a good kid and has been working hard at school, her part-time job and her volleyball games and practices. She picked it out and paid for it with her own money and it was so obvious she really worked to get something that would be meaningful to me. I would have been happy with just a card...what a wonderful surprise.

Here is the verse of the week...hope you enjoy it.

Verse of the week:

Revelation 7:16-17

..Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Just too buisy

I thought I would post some pictures to show why I have been so neglectful in posting to my blog. Since school has started, I just don't seem to have a free moment. Baseball season is now over and there is one more football game this Saturday. But of course basketball practice starts on Sunday. Then there is volleyball. Usually, we have 3 games a week. That will go on until the end of October. Don't misunderstand...I love watching the kid's games. However, I find myself actually looking forward to winter(did I actually just think that?!) when things will hopefully slow down a little. I also hope to have a little time to dive into my wool and start some new projects. I really want to find a class to learn to spin. Not what every girl dreams of doing but hey...I am who I am.

I've not had as much time as I would like to spend with the sheep either. Looks like Lucy has it covered! She is getting so big!

Verse of the Week

I have my own little sheep room in my basement. It is just big enough for my loom, a small cabinet for storage and my computer desk. I have a small collection of "sheepy stuff". I like finding a piece here and there and adding to my collection gradually. One of my favorite things is this quirky sheep tree. I bought it at the Covered Bridge Festival last October. I had seen these willow trees in several shops but never with sheep on them! I have to tell you, this tree was a great source of amusement to my children and husband. Their amusement is actually the reason I now have my sheep basement room. I brought home my sheep tree and was so excited to find just the right spot in my kitchen for it. After their "amusement" at my tree got really OLD...I marched my sheep tree to the basement and set it on this shelf my daughter made for me. I have added a few more items to the shelf and when I look at it..well..it makes me smile.

Here is the verse of the week...hope you enjoy

John 10:27

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.."

Felted Purse

I made this felted purse early this summer after attending a fiber festival. They had such beautiful purses I couldn't resist so I bought some lovely blue/green roving, a form and a felting needle and gave it a try. It turned out pretty cute but a bit too small to be very useful. I added the sheep pin to give it a little "something". I enjoyed making it because it is something I can do while watching t.v. or sitting at practices with my kids or pretty much anywhere.











I am in the process of making a larger purse with a brown/gray roving. It will have a flap that comes over the top to close the purse. It is made by layering the roving in alternating directions on the form and using the needle to felt the layers together. You felt about 5 layers and then take the purse off the form and turn it wrong side out and then following the same method. Take it off again and turn right side out on the form and felt until you get the look you want. It is time consuming but I am enjoying it. I would love to take a class on felting. Maybe I'll find one within 100 miles of me one of these days! People around here just don't get excited about wool..I don't get it.

Getting aquainted

I picked up 3 new sheep this weekend ( I told you this was an addiction) from Gail Former. Gail has so many wonderful sheep to choose from and she is a great source of information. I enjoyed my time visiting with her and I am very lucky Gail only lives about 1 1/2 hrs from me. I am very excited to bring some moorit into the flock. 1 yearling ewe and 2 ewe lambs. I think they are beautiful and one of our cows seems to like them too! She keeps sticking her head through the hole to say hi. Our barn was originally built for our horses and the hole is an automatic waterer that can be shared between the 2 stalls. I missed the shot of the cow licking one of the girls as she smelled the intruder. Below is a better shot of the girls, one is a katmoget and the other 2 are light moorit. I am already dreaming of spring lambs.

Verse of the Week

Early mornings have become one of my favorite times of the day. Before I feed the animals, I take Lucy out to walk the pasture and let her spend time with the sheep. When I open the gate to the pasture, the sheep form this single file line and follow me and Lucy. Once they branch out and start grazing, Lucy makes her way to each one to say hello. She still wants to lick their faces and bite on their ears which is a no no. The lambs are in love with Lucy. They sleep beside her pen in the barn and tolerate her puppiness very well. Isn't it funny how these little things give us the most pleasure in life? Here is the verse of the week...hope you enjoy it.

John 10: 7-10

"I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture."

Country life + Technology does not = Love

Well after only 2 weeks my Internet is back up. Living in the middle of nowhere....well, there is no place I would rather live....but....our options for Internet service is limited to Direcway/HughesNet and they STINK!!!!!

That being said...it has been an incredibly busy few weeks. We took my daughter to college last weekend . I actually handled it better than I thought I would. I woke up early to go feed the animals since I knew we would be home late that evening. I had a good cry with my sheep and Lucy. I started thinking of all the mothers in this world who are facing horrible things with their children and how lucky I am that my kids are safe, healthy and my daughter has this incredible opportunity before her. I have prayed and I have prayed for her safety, for the right roommate, safety, her to make good friends, safety, well, you get the picture. I have to let it go and trust God. He always works things out the way they should be even if it is not how I think it should be. Well I wont dwell on that anymore. As Forrest would say.....that's all I have to say about that.

Lucy is growing so fast. My son still begs to take her in the house to stay. Right now I am wishing she was already grown and ready to patrol. I went out to feed this evening and I noticed movement on the far end of the fence row...I couldn't tell if it was a coyote or a dog. Probably a dog but a stray for sure. I put everyone up for the night but I can't quit thinking about it. It ran into the corn when it saw me. I made everyone as safe as I can for the night. I sure hope it is enough.

Alllllmost there!!!

This is a picture of my trumpet vine that I have been babying for a year and a half. It has finally reached the top of the post so it can start growing horizontally now. We built this deck last spring after 10 years of having to jump 3 feet to the ground from the kitchen door. The deck that was here when we moved in was rotten and unsafe so we tore it down. I'm still not sure which was more dangerous...the 3 foot drop or the rotten deck?

This vine grows wild and I probably could have dug one up somewhere but this one has variegated leaves and I really liked that. It is also a fast grower and that was the main reason I wanted it. The sun comes in my kitchen window and door in the afternoons and makes the kitchen so HOT. I know..why not just get blinds or curtains? I am somewhat anti-binds and curtains. I live in the middle of nowhere and I want to be able to see outside all the time. I just have a weird thing about blinds..maybe it is the cleaning of the blinds I don't like?
Unfortunately, this is how far we still have to go. I have been told, however, that the vine will grow much faster horizontally than vertically. We'll see I guess.

Lucy the Great Pyrenees

Meet Lucy, the newest addition to our farm family. She is the sweetest little thing...well not so little for a puppy but little compared to how big she will get. We got her from Brenda Lelli of Beechtree Farm in Michigan. I almost didn't get her because I could not get away to go pick her up. Fortunately for me, Brenda had sold one of the puppies to a couple from Indiana who only live 1 hour from me. They agreed to bring her with them and I met them only 10 minutes from my house today. It was so nice of them to do that for me and they were the nicest people. Below, Rex was curious but minded his manners..

Lucy was the name my children came up with...not bad...but not descriptive of a guardian/protector/watch dog/coyote deterrent. I hope the coyotes don't hear us call her LUCY!! Ellie Ann left the rest of the flock to follow us when we took our walk around the perimeter of the pasture this evening..I think she likes her.

Thank you God for puppies....Here is the verse for THIS week...hope you enjoy it.

Acts 20:28

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the Church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

Verse of the (last) week

I neglected to post a verse last week..I guess my excuse is the fair kept me running back and forth so much I did not have time. So I guess I could post a verse twice this week to make up for it. I have the perfect one in mind for the picture I hope to have by tomorrow evening. No telling yet! This picture is just one of those random things that I enjoy looking at. For some reason, these things of the past make my house feel homey to me. I really think sometimes that I was born about a century too late. I like antiques but not just any antiques. The ones I like aren't really even worth anything. They are usually beat up and need repair. They are things that were useful like my grandma's butter churn, old quilts....I even have the cotton scales that my grandma and grandpa used not only to weigh the cotton but they used it to weigh my dad when he was born!! Here is the verse of the (last) week. Enjoy!

Verse of the week:
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40:11

Goat Tote

This is a picture of a GOAT TOTE a friend let me borrow to use during the fair. It is very handy for 4-5 sheep but that is about all that will fit. Then there is no room in the bed of your truck for hay, straw and other necessities. We have been trying to decide what kind of trailer to buy to transport the sheep and although the goat tote is handy I think I want something a little bigger. I was grateful to have the tote on Friday when my daughter and I headed up to Juliann's house to pick up my 2 new sheep. We spent the first half of the day dorm room shopping. We didn't get to Juliann's place until around 6:30. I enjoyed visiting with her and looking at all her beautiful sheep and I also picked up some of her roving while I was there. I wish I would have had more time but we had a 4 hour drive home so we made it quick and got home around 11:30.

The two new girls are settling in nicely. I have been trying to rig up more fans this morning...it is HOT!! I am up to 10 sheep now with a few more to get next weekend. I am already excitedly trying to figure out breeding groups! I just love these little sheep!

County Fair Week

It is 4-H fair week!! We had the sheep show early this morning and now I finally have a moment to post. It has been a very hectic week but we are having a great time getting to know other "sheep people" in the area.

Here is my son showing the GRAND CHAMPION RAM!!! Our 4-H show lumps all breeds together instead of separating them so I could not believe the judge placed our Shetland ram over all the other breeds. Our 4-H show is not very big and it seems to get smaller every year...but still...it was very exciting. I think I saw a few jaws drop when it was announced. Don't get me wrong, everyone there thought our sheep were "cute and sweet" , but I really don't think anyone expected us to win anything. The judge thought our sheep had wonderful conformation and fleece.

Our other sheep did pretty good also. We had a first place ram lamb and first place ewe lamb. The Junior Fair followed the 4-H show and we were the only wool breed there....so as you can imagine...we did REALLY well in the wool breed class!!!! My son learned a lot about showing and he had several friends help him out when he had more than one sheep in a class.
I was approached by a man from a neighboring county and he asked if I would consider bringing my Shetlands to his county fair next year. He told me they would have a separate Shetland class if I was willing. I thought that was awesome!!! We will try to make that happen next year. Well, I am off to check on my sheep....