With an udder that looked full to the point of explosion, I knew Eleanor wasn’t far from lambing. Sure enough, an afternoon trip to the barn revealed this lovely sight: A white lamb and a black lamb, both ewes. The black one is stronger and larger than her sister, but they were both up and [...]
Archive for the ‘sheep’ Category
Eleanor has twins!
Posted in sheep on April 1, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Phoebe’s twins
Posted in sheep, spring on March 22, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Every morning when I give the sheep hay, I take attendance. It’s not a long process–there are only four ewes and a ram, after all–but it makes me feel better to continually take stock of everyone during lambing season. This morning, when Phoebe wasn’t waiting at the hay feeder, I felt the tingly beginnings of [...]
Happy spring!
Posted in around the farm, sheep, spring on March 20, 2013 | 1 Comment »
We may have had 30 cm of snow descend upon us (with 10 more expected tonight, but we won’t talk about that) but that doesn’t matter. Spring is here, and I have proof. This sweet little thing was born sometime last night to Penelope, a sheep we never had high expectations of. She was always [...]
Hello, Charles
Posted in fibre fun, meat growing, sheep on February 25, 2013 | 2 Comments »
Behold, the grand visage of Charles the Shetland ram! We picked him up last fall, driving south in our rickety old truck to the farm we got our four ewes from. After telling the story of our scrotum-less surprise wether last year, the farmer only chuckled and shook his head. “We’ll make sure you get [...]
The slaughterhouse three
Posted in autumn, cooking from scratch, let us give thanks, meat growing, sheep on October 16, 2012 | 2 Comments »
It was a fine September morning when we backed the truck up to the pen where our wether sheep, Guinness, was feasting on tall grass. There was a fine layer of frost on the grass, but not enough to damage the garden, and the dew on the tomatoes shone in the morning light. Iris waited [...]
Pastoral
Posted in around the farm, let us give thanks, sheep, spring on May 13, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
After letting them stare longingly at the lush green grass growing on the other side of the pen, we finally let the grazers out onto the pasture. They are happy. And, with sun sparkling on the river and green leaves on high, so are the humans.
Shearing day… and sheep balls
Posted in around the farm, fibre fun, meat growing, sheep, spinning, with child on April 1, 2012 | 3 Comments »
The spirit was willing, but the flesh was 6 months pregnant. So instead of hunkering down and risking a hoof to the growing gut, a shearer was hired. Look, someone is shearing my sheep and it’s not me! Above is Eleanor being sheared. Below is her glorious fleece. She is my favourite of the five. [...]
Farming… it’s biblical.
Posted in goats, meat growing, sheep, spring, winter on November 24, 2011 | 3 Comments »
“All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.” -Matthew 25: 33-34, NKJV I suppose it depends on which direction you face, but [...]
The things we’re making
Posted in around the farm, autumn, cooking from scratch, fibre fun, meat growing, sheep, spinning, weaving on October 16, 2011 | 3 Comments »
A winter home for the goats. We’re using galvanized stucco wire as a hopeful alternative to page wire, and crossing our fingers that it stands up to all the ruminant sex that will take place. Beautiful yarn! This is one ply of dyed polwarth and one ply of handcombed romney. It’s a beautiful yarn indeed, [...]
Standing still
Posted in sheep, standing still, summer on August 27, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
On a frosty winter morning, when the sides of my nostrils stick together and I’m trundling in the dark through deep snow to get to steam-emitting critters, I will remember this cool August morning: standing in the doorway of the barn with a full milk pail in my hand and silvery dew on the grass [...]
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