Sunbursting With Happiness

For my dear friend, Kim, who was wondering how the house-building was coming along.  We are nowhere near finished.  But we are making progress.   :)

With the help of our good friend, Chuck, something happened yesterday that I have been looking forward to for many years...

The sunburst that Clancy designed and I painted was finally mounted at the peak of our South gable.

I love it. 

I love the colors. 

I love how Clancy managed to capture the idea I had in my head. 

I love its three dimension-ness.

It makes me happy to look up and see that this detail of our dream house has become a reality.

Late Summer Ram Lambs

I should know better than to judge a lamb the day it is born.  But I had to learn that lesson over again this year.  When Nhu gave birth to two ram lambs by White Pine Arvada, I was disappointed because they were not ewe lambs...and because they had small horn buds.  I was hoping for girls or polled.  So I dismissed both as little cuties and a very nice pair, considering it was Nhu's first pregnancy.

Tecwyn & Beck

Fast forward to late summer... I am absolutely in love with Tecwyn.  He is beyond soft...and his parents micron tests confirm that I'm not imagining it.  His horns are either long scurs or aberrant horns.  So that puts him at a disadvantage in the polled market I am aiming to be a part of.  But I think he's just super in every other way, especially in the fleece department.

Beck

I loaded more photos on my Stock for Sale page.  In between rain storms and long grass I was able to manage a few snaps.  You'll find Tecwyn and Beck featured there, as well as updated photos for Clennam.  Thanks for looking.

Glow

Greta glowing with early morning sunshine.

Late Summer Rams

"I like my clover patch!"

I snapped a few photos Saturday evening as the sun was going down.  We had just moved the adult rams into a new paddock.  With all the rain we have received this summer, the pasture growth is amazing.  Usually I have to supplement with a bit of hay in late August.  But the sheep are up to their bellies in grass and clover this season.  It would be wonderful to count on these conditions every year.  If so, we could easily sustain a cow-calf pair in the yard as well.  But nature is rarely that reliable.  So I stock my pastures according to worst case scenario.

Clancy did get the old 10 acre hay field plowed up this summer.  He will be disking it a few times this fall and we may put some rye out there to prevent erosion.  Next spring we will seed alfalfa.  Hopefully that will put us back on the road to producing our own hay again.  I bought hay last year, and I still have to buy hay for this winter.  Those costs prohibit increasing the flock size.  Putting up our own hay should allow more ability to add livestock.  Maybe we will do that cow-calf pair then...or add a milk goat!  Regardless, I will feel much more secure once we are harvesting our own hay.

In other farm news, the gardens have been supplying us with lovely veggies.  We have red potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes whenever we wish.  Clancy's watermelons and cantaloupe are coming on strong, but he will probably have to protect them from frost to get them to maturity.  It got down to high 30's the other night.  Brrrrrrr.

Speaking of shivers...Clancy does not yet have the wood stove going.  He is in the process of moving the outdoor boiler to a new location...50 feet from the house AND the new garage.  He has poured the cement pad already, but now we need to trench the new pipe line in.  Meanwhile, the house is getting awfully chilly at night.  Since I had the time today, I gave Betty Cockatiel a bath under some trickling water.  (Actually, she decided to take a bath while I was washing my hands.)  Then I got out the hair dryer and aimed it at both of us while she sat on my shoulder.  She loved it...and I didn't mind being warmed up either. 

Time to get back to work...

Micron Measurements Glossary of Terms

This Glossary was provided when I received my report back on the fleece samples I sent in for the OFDA 2000 micron test.  Click on photo to enlarge.

Fleece Prices Listed

My Fleece page is now updated with prices, weights, and descriptions of each fleece.  Thank you in advance for looking. 

:)

Bald Eagle

Clancy and the boys were working in the back yard a couple of weeks ago.  Some one looked up and there was this beautiful eagle sitting on the old dead tree just east of the back door.  We've seen eagles on this tree many times before.  It must be an advantageous perch. 

The photo is grainy, not because the bird was so far away, but because I have the camera set to the lowest density photo possible...so I can get them to upload on dial-up.