The Last Day...

The local ski hill finally closed out the season last Sunday. Clancy took some photos of the boys snowboarding last Saturday. And yes...we still have that much snow.

Here is my youngest landing a jump. Nope, he didn't fall. He's been snowboarding since he was five.

My adorable nephew. He graduated to the big hills this year!

My oldest taking a break.

AceMan heading down the slope.

ShelteringPines Bombarde Fleece

I plucked a fleece sample from Bombarde's hip this morning. He came up for a scratch-or maybe to see if I had any corn-and since a big chunk was hanging there I just pulled it off.

I had no idea how hard it is to photograph fleece samples. I tried a dozen different settings on the camera, and a half dozen different locations and backgrounds. Poor as it is, this is the best shot I got. Maybe if you biggify the picture, you can see the crimp better.

I really love Bombarde's fleece.

Ram Fleeces

Unicorn's locks are silky spirals. Bombarde's fleece is super crimpy. Hopefully I will have a chance to get some samples soon. Then I can take some closer pictures. It's a bit hard to get good photos from the other side of the fence.

Slowly...Slowly

...Spring approaches. Here is Windswept Unicorn looking all buff and heavy like he always does. Really, when he is sheared, he's normal size. His fleece is bigger than life though.

This photo is about a month old. Since it was taken we have had some bitter cold, and some major snow...over a foot this past week. The sheep all get water buckets to drink from, but they love to eat the fresh snow when it's available.

It is hard for me to imagine that lambing should begin in exactly one month. I need to get CD&T's to the pregnant girls this weekend. I've started graining the ewes and providing molasses. The bred girls are wild for it and the fat ewe lambs only nibble a bit before they head off toward the hay feeders again. Probably by Monday I will bring home some alfalfa from a generous neighbor to finish out the next 6-8 weeks. I think I'm a bit late on all this extra feed. Work has been too busy to get much else done though. So...I'm doing the best I can.

Anna Belle is looking bred. She might actually give me twins again this year. Delyth also looks like she is carrying a lamb. The others are just too fluffy to tell. With singles being probable, I don't expect to see much until the udders start developing.

I have not set a shearing date yet. I hope I can get Byron again this year. The air turns blue around him but he is so careful with the shears. Usually only one nick per year, and that is hardly worth mentioning. I appreciate his work. Clancy appreciates it even more since he has been relieved of scissor duty. I don't mind scissored fleeces. But after the third one in a week, it gets old and the shepherd's husband gets grouchy.

I took some fleece shots last time I was out with the camera. Only a couple turned out. Maybe tomorrow I will have time to post them. My UK boy, Bombarde, is already rooing. He's starting to look very tattered. Unicorn usually has at least one tuft of musket fluff impaled on his majestic horns every morning. For as big and tough as they act, the boys actually cuddle up together each night.