Tuesday, June 3, 2008

trying to catch up!

The longer the day light, the busier I get. And that's a GOOD problem...considering my boredom/depression I tend to get in the winter when the days are so short and there is not much one can do in -30 degree weather with feet upon feet of snow!

Last week Minwawe Skippy, a smirslet fawn ewe from Peeps that I got last year as a lamb, gave me a very feminine black krunet ewe lamb out of Barish.
WHITE PINE SALIDA (NFS)

Today I checked Slipper and Kit Kat (the only two left to lamb) and there was nothing...I was for sure KK would lamb but when I came out to fill mineral tubs this afternoon I noticed slipper had a bag of blood sticking out...you know....the kind that comes out AFTER the lamb and BEFORE the placenta is expelled!? I couldn't find the lamb!!!! Here he was already having jugged himself and waiting for him momma's milk! I quickly got her in the jug with him and he appeared to be moorit....upon his drying off more...he is defintely KATMOGET and smirslet AND flecket! how cool is that!! Talk about saving the best for last! I was bummed it was a boy, but I already have a home for him so I am very happy about that!




WHITE PINE SLATER (reserved)

As soon as Kit Kat lambs I'll be posting my stats for the year...a very LONG year of lambing...over TWO MONTHS!

I've also added a few more photos of lambs for the fun of it. Indulge with me :)
White Pine Silverthorne (Ag/At) and White Pine Sheridan (Aa/Aa) F2 Jerichos out of Wintertime Jazz and Justalit'l Shasta. The one on the left may be for sale. Ewe on the right is NFS.
White Pine Rye (grey kat ewe) reserved, White Pine Peyton (Ag black gulmoget ram) possibly sold, White Pine Rush (white ewe) NFS.
(F2 Jericho, F3 Dillon, F2 Orion respectively)
White Pine Brighton, black ewe lamb SOLD
White Pine Rush (NFS)
White Pine Rye (reserved)

White Pine Parker (reserved)

Minwawe Cloud (bersugget) and White Pine Grover (black, F2 Timothy) both are for sale...see what a few weeks in age will do for a size comparison?! :)
White Pine Longmont (F2 Orion) NCWGA registerable only. he is turning modified...and will at least be fawn, maybe the gold mioget like his mother. For Sale.
Minwawe Bejig and Minwawe D.C. Bejig is shaela, her daughter could be modified. goregous structure and both very friendly. Ewe lamb would like to be retained but may be for sale depending on nubmers this fall.
Love-E-Ewe Cleo. Black iset ewe. She is sold.

I sat on a pail in their night pen and just sat. Almost immediately I was surrounded by familiar and not so familiar faces. I had about a dozen lambs crowding around me, jumping on my lamb, nibbling on my coat, asking to be pet and some just curious.

I had over a dozen EWES vying for my attention and affection, some familar like Cleo, Cori, Kershope (a BFL), Maya, Buttons, a few new comers like Layla, Chloe, and Peep and a few new surpsrises...a few from Mary Ellen, Bejig and Miracle...and even Shasta came up to be loved. With all those girls to be scratched I had some very dirty hands (lanolin) to be scrubbed when I got in to the house......

They must know that many of them are leaving next week for their new home at a petting zoo. What a perfect life...spoiled rotten by kids and fed some good stuff! I'm very happy for them and nearly ready to cry. I know they are LIVESTOCK and not pets, but they have stolen my heart and I'm forever grateful to them for letting me take care of them and repaying me with healthy lambs, soft gorgeous fleece, and every once in a while, a sigh or deep breath when I'm scratching them........ g'nite ya'll.

4 comments:

Sharrie said...

Looks like and sounds like you have a great bunch of lambs and sheep. Those buckets make great seats, don't they? Puts you right at the perfect level for sheep noses.

Becky Utecht said...

Wow, Garrett, you've got some nice lambs there. I love Rye! And your new little guy is really flashy. Congrats! I know how you feel about seeing them go, it's hard after they worm their way into your heart. Sounds like you've found them a great home, so good job!

Alaska Shetland Shepherd said...

Garrett - you wrote something about the winter doldrums. Being a bit further north than your location, we certainly know all about that problem up here - many people get it. You know, when it's sooo cold out, you need GREAT, and I mean great, lighting in the house and barn too. This summer, go shopping for super bright lights that you can flip on as needed. I was sick of 100 watt bulbs in the barn, I can tell you that...just blah. I went to the commercial lighting business and I bought 150 and 200 watt light bulbs, and put them where I want them most - like above my milk stand area and down the aisle. We spend plenty of time in our barns in the winter, light them up and feel better too!! I also put up strings of white Christmas lights down the aisle...they are their night lights and soft lighting for the stalls when the barn lights are off, but you can still sneak in there at night to check up on everyone that way and see that they're ok. Hey, it's summer - put new extra lights in the house too! When it's been dark too long outside and too many dark cloudy days, I crank up the woodstove and get the temp up to 78 degrees in the house, throw on shorts and a t-shirt, turn on the bright lights, and clean house! HAHA! Whatever it takes, might as well do it now when it's warm out so you can ENJOY your sheep more this winter!!
:-)

Kathy said...

I am so very happy you've had a "colorful" year, Garrett! What a nice crop of good lookin' lambs. :)
I'm with Suzanna....we tried "saving energy" with lower wattage lightbulbs, but found out they just increase the doldrums around here so went to the higher wattages and have been the better for doing so. As I have gotten older, I have noticed I need higher watt bulbs just to read without my eyes getting tired. And the energy saving bulbs weren't do it either - they were giving me headaches plus we haven't found them in the higher wattages yet.
Now, if I can just get the sun to let me sleep to 6 am, I'd be happy! :)

A long time coming!

 It has been a long time. Too long in fact. We lost access to our farm website and ebonwald website when WEBS.COM was closed by VistaPrint. ...