Shearing is always fun, but it is also nerve-wracking. I worry what the fleeces will look like, I worry that maybe the sheep won't be in top condition under all that fleece (it is difficult to tell how fat or thin some of the ewes are when they are carrying a full year's fleece), I worry about nicks from the clippers...I just pretty much worry about everything. But, as much as I worry, it is such a thrill to see that beautiful clean fleece peel away as the clippers slide through all that fluff, and to see the results of a year's hard work after keeping the sheep clean and properly fed to produce that wonderful fleece.
Ande also worried and kept a watchful eye on his sheepie friends....from a safe distance outside of the barn, of course. Little did he know what was in store for him!
Fluffy goodness.
I was thrilled to see that all of the fleeces were in excellent shape, only a couple of the girls had started with the rise so there was not a great deal of grease to contend with (which makes for a happy shearer).
People have asked me, "What the heck are you talking about when you refer to the "Ag" pattern with some of your sheep?". This photo is a good example of what happens with that. The white part is actually the part that was growing close to the skin and the dark ends were the sheep's original color, this shows how the fleece changed and lightened through the year. Now that the dark has been sheared off this ewe will stay the lighter color. This is why I don't like that genetic pattern to pop up in my spotted sheep. With the Ag gene, a lamb will be born as a pretty spotted, or solid, or patterned, colorful baby and then as they get older all the pretties go away and they end up a very light grey (if they are black based), or a very light brown ( Musket if they are brown based). Not that there is anything wrong with Ag sheep, one of my fav ewes is Ag and she has some of my nicest fleece, I just don't like my patterns and spots to fade.
Same fleece, just upside down now...I just wanted to show it again to taunt Garrett with it's crimpiness.
After shearing, CDT vaccinations and hoof trimmings were done (and fleece samples gathered), I had the opportunity to check conditions of all of the sheep and evaluate the bred ewes to see how far along they looked. I was so happy to see that, despite the very harsh winter that we had here, everyone looked great. No skinny sheep here! I always forget how much smaller they look once they have been sheared....and how many more can fit around a feeder now.
Below is Sage....nope, not preggo, not anywhere near the boys...just a big pig.
I also always forget how ginormous the sheep's heads look without all that fleece! Here are a couple of my wethers to demonstrate the look.Dillon...or..ET phone home (for sale BTW).
Diego
Diego and Dillon.
After we got all of the sheep finished and returned them each to their respective pastures, it was time to turn our attention to Ande. My shearer will NOT shear llamas. This was something that I would have to contend with on my own......or with the help of my unsuspecting, ever-helpful sister, Marie. By past experience, (see previous post about Mama Llama) this was something that would have to be accomplished far away from the watchful eye of Mama Llama. Once all of the sheep had been removed from the barn, we distracted Mama with some breakfast and lured a very gullible Ande into the barn and closed all of the doors. We decided that it would be best if I would be the one to hold onto Ande while Marie did the actual cutting of the fiber. Marie is not known for her discipline skills and if Ande decided to try to kick or wiggle away I thought it best to have someone in more of a position of authority to handle the situation, clearly Marie was not the best choice for this....she is the cookie lady to the animals, they love her, but they laugh at her meager attempts at sternness.
Now, I didn't buy any hand shears, because, after all, I decided to have the shearer do the sheep for me...but in retrospect, I should have purchased some for Ande's haircut. I should have, but sadly, I didn't and when Marie started using the scissors that I provided it was a bit like using a butter knife. Finally Gary came to the rescue with a sharp pair of scissors from his office and saved the day...or the fleece...or Marie's hands...well, whatever, all of that stuff.
I never said that it was pretty, but we got it done! Mama Llama will have to wait for another day, when I am more ready to do battle.....and I am wearing a wetsuit.
"Did you see what they did to me, Edrea?"
" Look at this, Aleena, I told that shearer only A LITTLE off the top and now look at me!"
"I know, Fiona, he said that I had some grease in my fleece and that's why I have these little clumps everywhere, I can't go out like this!"
"Daddy, it was terrible, that shearer set me on my bum, and ran those noisy clippers all over and then mom and Auntie Marie gave me shots. I expect that from mom, but et tu, Auntie Ree?".
Of course, if you make chowder, you have to make some kind of bread to go along with it! I am a carboholic. If it is starchy, I gotta eat it, so I made some Italian bread to round out my carbo overloaded soup.
Here is the chowder recipe ( or chowda as my parents would say in their New England accents). 
Having livestock that depend on me for their care and comfort, I have to brave the elements regardless of what may be falling from the sky or blowing across the land, so I just have to make sure that I am properly attired for whatever I may encounter. In this soggy situation, that was difficult to do. I had the misfortune this morning of trying to make my way across the horses' "dry lot", which ironically, was anything but dry, while carrying half a bale of hay for the rams out back. After my first few steps I came to the sad realization that I was already quagmired in what I like to call "boot sucking mud". You know what I'm talking about, when you take a step or two and then realize that you suddenly have a naked foot and somewhere along the way your boot decided not to continue the journey with you, and then you turn to see your boot tightly nestled in a soup of mud and manure while you stand balancing on the still booted foot wondering how to get yourself out of this predicament. Once I finally freed myself and returned the boot to it's rightful position, I gave up on the idea of staying dry and just continued on with my routine, sloppy boots and all, trying to convince myself to just be thankful that it wasn't snow.
She is just sad that no one seems to want to stay outside and play with her.
Bailie enjoys the water as well, but she is getting to be an old girl and can't quite put up with the cold as long as Emma.
I am confident that warmer days are on the horizon. I have seen Robins hopping about and flocks of migratory birds flying in formation in a proper northerly direction.
And I was very excited about seeing this today...yes, I know that it is a 
" Whatever mom, we're not going out there, it's yucky out!" 
I make all different kinds of figurines, mostly whimsical animals, seasonal items and holiday decorations. Of course I make sheep! They are really hard to photograph because they are actually pretty small. Yes, I know that they don't have eyes...I just didn't feel like adding eyes, but people have bought them for years without eyes, so I just keep on making them with no eyes!
One of the things that I was hoping to get accomplished since retuning home, was to get fleece samples of all of my sheep to send for micron testing. I did get the fleece samples, sort of. I KNOW that I read somewhere that I only needed a pencil sized sample from mid side, but when I finished taking samples and reread the instructions for sending the samples in, it said take a two inch square from mid side.....so now I have to re-catch all of the sheep and snip and clip AGAIN! They are not going to like me at all!
