Let's discuss it

Hey its my blog! :P

So over the past few weeks I've had the pleasure of visiting Becky Utecht at River Oaks, Kim Nikolai of Kimberwood (thank you both for supper and drinks!) and had the pleasure of having both of them, as well as Rayna Frigon of Northstar Shetlands up to view my flock, discuss fleeces and talk about Shetlands and life in general. I have always enjoyed the company of them (having traveled with Becky and Kim to Michigan Fiber Festival last year) and Rayna to Tennesee to pick up goats and several trips to Cynthia Allen at FirthofFifth Acres.

I'm always nervous about my own flock or pigeons or herd of cattle when people come to visit. I'm not a bragger, but tend to let my animals speak for themselves. I don't claim to know it all, or claim to have the best.

There were several comments made that I really was gracious about, the first being how great my hamburgers tasted (homegrown, homemade Simmental Beef!) Everyone agreed it was delicious. Phew! First round over. Kim was also happy with the heifers she had purchased sight unseen, one for her own freezer, and one for breeding purposes. Becky also had shown interest in aquiring some beef down the road. Mission accomplished!

I was really nervous about them seeing my sheep. I think the biggest concern was I had only had Gail VonBargen and Sabrina Erickson see them so far (and I highly respected their opinions on my sheep also). I have only been in Shetlands and sheep in general for a mere two years, but having had a lifelong experience raising all kinds of livestock, I felt that I might have a good start in Shetlands. With many thanks to Cynthia and Karen for giving me such great starter animals to work with!

I was quite happy to hear the ooooo's and aaaaaah's when they touched fleeces, saw the uniform crimp, and saw the adults shorn fleeces. I think Becky could have gone home with quite a few....hey Becky...you still can!

To further educate myself I have researched the UK rams that have been imported, followed their offspring and their lineages, hunted down F1 offspring from most of the lines that I felt could be useful here with my flock goals and needless to say I'm happy. I'm happy that I am able to micron my animals without nervousness or anxiety. Its better to know, than to go blindly. Especially when I am supposed to be IMPROVING the animals that I have, and I personally think that I am from what I've gathered from my much respected friends. To know that the handle on my sheep is soft, is backed up by nice low micron reports, that are quite uniform. I can back up the saying that I know my sheep are soft. Can you prove to me, that yours are? Handle is very important indeed but why not micron? what's holding you back? Its a mere $1.25 per animal, that is only a few animal cookie boxes when you think about it. And do they really NEED those cookies? Hey WE don't need them either! LOL

To each is own and if you decide to not raise the same kind of Shetland that I do, that is fine, I don't care if they are domestic or UK, double coated or single, big or little, but let's work at making our fleeces uniform, and FINE. I'd think anything UNDER 30 AFD as a mature 5 year old ewe would be considered fine. And if we all continue to improve them to be softer, the more soft animals will be available to others. Let's get the name of the Shetland "The finest of the British breeds" to actually be true.

(Garrett steps off soap box and exits stage left)

Spotted starter flock available

After much deliberation I have decided to sell a group of ewes that are spotted or carry the spotting gene. There are a range of colors and patterns and they are available at a GROUP PRICE!! All are NASSA registered.

Minwawe Bejig S26887 A Shaela ewe with some iset on the britch. Very open crimp from midside foreward, more straight fleece in the back. This year she produced a black krunet ewe who I'm retaining and a black yuglet ram that was totally white except for his yuglets. Nice big lambs. Great mom.

Minwawe Hopscotch S20014 Fawn ewe, proven spot carrier and produced a gorgeously crimpy, flecket ewe lamb this year. At three months old her daughter is almost as big as she. Good mother.

Minwawe Do Si Do S26887 black bielset, yuglet, sokket. First time mom who gave me a loudly patterned yuglet, flecket, sokket moorit ram lamb. Good mother.

Minwawe MopsyII (NASSA pending)half sister to Hopscotch. Black ewe lamb who carries moorit. Her brother was a black HST with gorgeous horns. She has gorgeous bedroom eyes. carries spots and moorit.

WhitePine Salida (NASSA pending) black krunet ewe lamb. Out of my F1 Timothy and Minwawe Skippy (fawn smirslet) Has a good chance of being modified down the road as both parents are, or carry modifiers.

There may be two more adult ewes available if there is any interest.

Choice of ram to accompany above ewes/ewe lambs:
Minwawe Fiddler - yuglet, flecket, sokket moorit ram lamb out of Do Si Do. Domestic lines.

WhitePine Rifle - is going modified, mostly likely EMSKET. Has scurs. Out of F1 Timothy and Minwawe RedBud. Both parents microned in the low 20's. Could carry spotting.

WhitePine Peyton. Krunet Ag Gulmoget scurred ram lamb. Is spotted/carries spots, plus gulmoget and Ag, as well as moorit

WhitePine Rico - Long scurs, Bersugget F2 Orion. Is spotted, carries moorit, very crimpy fleece, very soft

WhitePine Romeo- black, small scurs, F2 Timothy, could carry spotting and possibly moorit. Extremely even and crimpy.

Price of ewes with ram depends on which ram is chosen. Please email for more details or photos.

Ell's 2 point photo from Cambridge

Ell is growing up to be such a cute little thing :)

I'll try to NOT comment negatively about myself since Sabrina told me to not do that so there I am. sweaty, sun burned and thinning hair. *sigh* when did I get OLD?

Anyway its Ell's first two points towards her CH title (she needs 15 points with two 3,4 or 5 point majors included in the total) She's growing up so nicely!

Sadie's photos are online!

http://greatdanephotos.com/store/index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=3583&vp=1

There are only four of them but you get the idea :)

How cute is she?!! I'm SO PROUD of her!

A great quote

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

A Pet's 10 Commandments

Sniff...

A PET'S TEN
COMMANDMENTS...

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is
likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment.
You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only
you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand
your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt
you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if
something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right
food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old
or weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you
can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier
for me if you are there, because I love you so. ALWAYS!

~Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy and take good
care of them. Life would be a much dull ER, less joyful experience
without God's critters~ Now please pass this on to other pet owners. We
do not have to wait for Heaven, to be surrounded by hope, love, and
joyfulness. It is here on earth and has four legs!

Catching up with flower photos

I'm typically on the garden tour for our county every year but since I'm not this year, I thought I'd so a 'year long' garden tour online for all my blogger friends!
Polemonium aka Solomon's Seal. This is a native plant here
One of the many 'traded' iris plants that i have no idea the name, but it sure is pretty!
A freshly weeded bed with Ostrich ferns (native) Ligularia Desdemona and Siberian Iris Gull Wings.
Native Canadian Columbine
Beareded Iris variety that my Great Grandmother Augusta had at her house. They are a shorter variety and are BEAUTIFUL. Click on the photo to see the amazing detail of the falls.
Persicaria Polymorpha (tall native plant) and an iris I got at a Church Bizarre beareded Iris. Its cute too!
Lamiastrum galeobdolon Herman's Pride (bee's love it)
European Wild Ginger (such shiny leaves)
Wild Giner (native plant)
Tiarella Spring Symphony

I have so many photos of plants I'll have to come back and do more later :)

She did it!

Sadie my heart dog and little princess received her third and final leg today for her Jumpers with weaves title abbreviated NAJ (novice agility jumpers). It was a LOT of fun watching her fly over the bars and I had good friends there that have been my first friends in Cardis so it made it even more special!

I got a collage of photos coming from professional photographers and they should be on their website shortly and can give you the link!

Her registered name (pending AKC approval of course) will be Qwaynts Midnight Forest Sadie CGC NAJ

Hooray for the Sadie Girl!

Sales List - UPDATED 7-10-08

Going through your own animals, day after day, gets quite stressful! Questions that always come up are:

How many can I keep comfortably?
What does their micron report tell me?
What does their handle tell me?
Do I have any others in that line?
Do I have any others in that color?
Do I have any others in that pattern?
What are its conformational faults or strengths? Can I live with them, or improve them?
Is their ewe lamb better than they are?

After second guessing myself, re-evaluating my flock and what my current and future goals are, this is what I have for sale. Granted they are moving on because I cannot use them for MY GOALS, but that doesn't mean they aren't NICE for some other flock!


A gorgeous and soft, square little modified moorit who may go mioget. NCWGA registerable $150 F2 Orion.
Bersugget F2 Orion scurred boy who carries the poll gene and is spotted. Super crimpy and soft! $300.

White Pine Peyton Ag black gulmoget scurred ram lamb $400. Very solid and square and growing fast! NASSA registerable.
White Pine Salida - black krunet ewe lamb. One of the only girls I'm letting go this year.$250 NASSA registerable.
WhitePine Peterson, black, crimpy, nice set of growing horns NCWGA registerable $125
Minwawe Skippy - fawn smirslet - shown with her ewe lamb Salida. Both for sale. $300 for Skippy, or $500 for the pair. Skippy is modified and spotted.
WhitePine Romeo - F2 Timothy, jet black, crimpy, soft scurred boy. Carries poll gene. Quite the gentleman NASSA registerable $250


Minwawe Fiddler - moorit yuglet flecket ram lamb. $250 very striking boy!


There are a few I missed, but do ask for details. I may have a starter flock ready to go shortly for wildly patterned babies! Discounts when three or more are purchased!

Lambs

A few photos of a couple lambs I was able to stalk this evening :)
This is WhitePine Columbine, a Jazz x Cori daughter who is one of my bottle lambs. The other one is in her new home just down the road with her favorite 8 year old girl! She is going to be used in 4H and I'm excited about that!
WinterSky Layla (F1 Orion) and her son WhitePine Longmont. He was my only moorit ram this year and he is going to be turning into that mioget color as well! He may have to be kept!
WhitePine Romeo is a Barish x Rahu son, so he is an F2 Timothy. Jet black color, loads of crimp and he is going to have tiny scurs on his head as he carries the poll gene! He is available for sale.
WhitePine Slater is the smirslet flecket grey katmoget and some patterns I can't describe (like incomplete sokkets, a near yuglet, but having black nose and ears etc). He is just so dang cute and he's the youngest lamb by about 2 weeks here...Today he was trying to get the older more 'mature' lambs to lamb race but it was just too hot to do that. He is going to live with Rayna at NorthStar Shetlands.
White Pine Rush, my little white ewe lamb out of Aman (F1 Orion) and Rachildas. She is so even and crimpy I can't wait to see what she produces! Her brother is the bersugget and he is going to also be a scurred boy, as he got the poll gene from his dad via his grandma's line (Wintersky Sandstone)

I can't believe how fast they are all growing up!

Rams

The four 'colors' of boys that I currently have. Clockwise from the top WhitePine PayDay, black scurred ram, WhitePine Heath, moorit ram, WhitePine Rolo, mioget ram, Wintertime Jazz, black katmoget. They were too busy eating to smile for the camera.
Here is FirthofFifth Barish, a grey katmoget, F1 Timothy ram. He has long scurs or abherrent horns. All three of his ram lambs are scurred this year and all jet black solid boys.

I'm retaining both the katmoget boys and possibly the mioget. The other two are still available for sale. Don't forget to check out the available animals. I may have a starter flock becoming available later this summer of ewes that carry spotting or are spotted. More on that as it gets closer to that time.