Weaning time for lambies

Since I have found it nearly impossible to obtain good current photos of each lamb to put together on one post, I have decided to direct my efforts to focus on just a few at a time........and it still isn't easy to get them to cooperate for photo ops. The following lambs are all destined for new homes soon, so they will be my first subjects. I am starting with their lamb pictures so that you can see how much they have changed in just 3 short months.

You probably remember Nantucket, "Tucker" with all those flashy spots.

Here he is all grown up and handsome. Tucker will be moving to Wisconsin in a couple of weeks to join Kelly Bartels lovely flock.

This was Orleans at just a few days old.

Orleans has grown into a very striking boy. His fleece is amazing. Orleans is heading for Colorado to join Debbie's Shet-Tu Sheep Farm flock.

Orleans and Tucker together.

Aaaaand, of course, Ande had to get in on the photo action.

Lastly, for this post, we have Katama. Katama was kind of over-shadowed by some of the flashy spots and patterns that some of the other lambs had this year, so she went a bit unnoticed as she quietly grew into a very stunning young ewe.

Katama will be headed to Colorado to live in the Denver area.....I am kind of having "seller's remorse" on this one. She has beautiful conformation and presence. I generally have a hard time getting really nice, soft, crimpy fleece on my black sheep, but this girl has that going for her too.

One other thing.......she is a BIG pig. Katama has developed a case of "fence neck" this nasty condition is caused by gluttonous sheep thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence...the neck goes through the fence, the fleece comes off the neck-then you have a naked necked sheep that you are sending to someone who has never actually seen the sheep in 'person'... not the greatest first impression.

Naked necker. 

What really chaps my cheeks is that THIS is the grass that she has available to eat in her pasture....

Aaaaand THIS is the....uh, "grass" that she wanted on the other side of the fence??????

Orleans and Katama will begin their Journey tomorrow morning at 4 AM when Marie and I load up the truck and head out with the two lambs-and a yearling ewe that I am delivering from Lori's  Sommarang Farm to Orlean's new owner, Deb. We will be meeting Deb in Omaha where she will pick up the three sheepies, take Katama to her new owners in Denver and then continue on to her own farm in Northern Colorado. By the way, If you are ever interested in buying sheep from a breeder that you think may live too far from you, never underestimate a Shetland breeder's desire to enable sheep addiction. Last year, Nichol , from Mississippi (who I had never met...except on Face Book), wanted a ram from Garrett In Minnesota, so I met with Garrett at the Jefferson, Wisconsin Sheep and Wool festival, picked up the ram and brought him home, Nichol drove up from Mississippi to our farm in Iowa, spent the night here, picked up her ram and left the next day (thanks for not being an ax-murder, Nichol ). So, you see, there are no lengths that we won't go to to drag you down the slippery sheep-hoarding slope with us. I digress.

 Soooo, Marie and I are leaving at 4 AM on a road trip that will take us from the very Eastern border of Iowa, all the way across Iowa and into Nebraska with a load of sheep in tow.......how could that possibly end badly????? I think there may be a blog post pending on that one.

Oh, guess who else is all grown up? The little Barn Swallows. Isn't it amazing? They just hatched on June 16th.

"Maybe if we all squish down and hide she will quit sticking that stupid camera in our faces!"

Have a great weekend everyone!