Saturday, April 20, 2013

LONG day

Look at this pile of sheep. waiting to be sheared this morning. It was a beautiful day. Kind of cool, but beautiful. My friend came with her DIL about 10:30 and we grabbed Abraham, the ram. Well, her blades were not sharp. So they had to all the way to TS about 25 miles from here to get new ones. Thank goodness, they had some. So got started again about 1:00. She got Abraham sheared. He looks like a different ram now. All black, like he looked when he was little.

Then we got Darla. She just laid there and fell asleep while she was sheared. She was a happy lady! So glad to have all that heavy thick wool off her at last.

Then Leelah. She has looked like a viking for the past 2 years now and I wanted that nasty doat off her. She's Katahdin-Dorper, so she's a little more wooly that hair. And the wool had felted. So it was tough to get off. But she looks great now.

Then her son came and he sheared Adele, the wild one. She's Leelah's ewe lamb from last year. And she's the biggest one of the bunch. I think she might be pregnant, but not really sure. Not much of an udder yet if she is.

Then she sheared Annabelle. She's mostly Finn. Lucinda's daughter from last year. Lucinda died last year from Barber Pole parasites. Annabelle had some really nice wool.

So I'll only be able to use Abraham and Annabelle's wool for spinning. Maybe Adele's.

It was about 5 by then, so she'll come back next week to get Adalaide and Amarillo. I am so tired and all I did was hold them mostly. But sheep are strong buggars.






Here's Abraham. He was so good. And I think he is feeling better now, without all that heavy hot wool.


                                   This is Leelah, the viking ewe. She really looks good now.


                               This is Julie's son, shearing Adele. He did a great job. No nicks at all.



We also trimmed hooves. They were pretty bad on some, but not so on others. We've had such a wet winter. So muddy here. I'll take after pictures tomorrow. My camera was acting up and all the pictures were fuzzy.

So tomorrow, a few board members from the Main St. Market are coming for a farm visit. I still have a lot of mulching to do. So I hope they come later in the day. Didn't get too much done this morning. I so hope I get in at this market.

And I was a bit worried about my bees. Yesterday was rainy and cool and dark. I didn't see a single bee in the morning before I left. I was gone all day. Checked on them when I got home and didn't see but one bee. This morning, I saw bees all over the place! I was so happy to see them. I have a lot to learn about bees. They don't like it cold.

I hope y'all are having a great weekend so far.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Can you see them?

I am so happy! I went out just awhile ago and heard that all too familiar sound. I walked over to the tree and there they were. A pair of Ruby Throated hummingbirds! I had just put the feeder out yesterday too. Just in time. They are so beautiful. And it's going to be in the 30's the next few nights. I hope they have a nest built already. They are SO fun to watch.








               This is pretty with the horses across the road and the sunset and of course the sheep.





                                                                   I love this shot.


                                                            See her in the upper window?



She's over in the left right at the mountain line. It's a male and female pair. I only saw those 2 so far. But there will be more.



Do y'all have hummers yet? Are you ready for them? I found this little hanger at the dollar store and it's just perfect for their feeder. And they can perch on it too.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Bees



Can you see the little tiny bee drinking water at their pretty little water bowl? I've already had to fill it up so I know they're drinking from it a lot. I think it's so pretty. I put some sticks in it so they could land on them to drink, but they just land on the side like this one so far.

The bees have really been busy with all the trees blooming and flowers all over. I planted some sunflower seeds last week and they are all coming up! And I got 3 more blueberry bushes and just planted them to day. I have 10 now! All full of blooms full of bumble bees.