Fall busy-ness

Every season has its busy-ness, except winter.  Settling sheep in new homes takes first priority now, as the number of sheep remaining for winter tells me how many bales of hay I'll need -- about 20 per sheep.
So far, I'm a hundred bales short--maybe--two more sheep may go to a pet home soon.  Oh why didn't  DH get the phone number of the nice lady who said she'd be back for those 2 ewes after their barn was finished . . .  I'd better have an extra 40 bales.
See how that goes?  40 bales takes up a lot of barn space, some cash-- we don't make our own hay anymore, and have to buy some. 

Simultaneously, I'm canning, freezing and giving away all the garden produce;  apples now, too.  I'm drying a lot of apples in the little dehydrator.  Better snacks than pretzels, I think!
We've also been cutting and cleaning up limbs from a big tree.  Two weeks ago a young man came out to cut curly willow for his wedding decorations. We have these curly willow trees, I advertised it on Craigslist. . . he happened to be a tree trimmer by trade.

I have had a  Huge, dying ash tree--

We both got a very good deal, there.  Love those country trades.

Today I had a visit from some fiber-friends met through this blog.  They drove 2-1/2 hours in the rain to show and tell wool crafts-- Candy and Connie were here most of the day.  And a cousin and her husband whom I've never met stopped by on their long trip from CA to CT.

We petted sheep in the cold, slow rain.  Well, I bet they won't forget that experience.

Boston Lake Newcomer WITH PHOTO!

Did I tell you I traded sheepies with Sabrina on Sunday? In the rain, in a Dollar Store Parking lot in Long Prairie, MN--?

And that we were very lucky that a helpful citizen decided to watch us and our antics, pickup-to-pickup-tailgate, managing animals in crates-- until he burst out of his idling car and offered his help (and then, his wife's!)

Aw shucks, I'd have liked to have turned him down-- NOT!

We do-si-do'd the 2 ewe lambs and 2 rams, thanked the couple profusely, talked sheep over the tailgate awhile, and then drove off to Northern and Southern MN.

Little Boston Lake Niav came home to the lambing barnyard, where we placed a few nice local girls as roommates. She is a very pretty gray katmoget, and dear--a follow-you-around lamb.

Notice also the mioget color of roommate LRO Belle. The third ewe roommate (hidden)  has a little of the modified gene, but Belle is really golden!

White Pine Parker, the ram Sabrina traded me, was also given a few roommates here at home, young rams with young horns. Parker is a yearling, but has tiny scurs-- I didn't want him duking it out with any bigger-horned rams (though there's only one left!). So much scuffling ensued, regardless, that I didn't get a single good photo of him, so later with that.

I'm delighted to have some new bloodlines in this flock, and delighted to share some of our polled genetics from this flock with Sabrina.
Breeding for specific outcomes keeps the whole shepherding-thing interesting.
EDIT:
(Hooray-- I finally figured out how to get the add photos option back on my blog.  It's changed, a little, and I could only find the photo button if I used the Compose tab. )

Last of the lambs leaving. . .

...At least I think so! Tara, from Wisconsin, is sending her husband and son to pick up these 3 girls tomorrow to begin her new flock. She's taking one of the little rams I showed you on the last post, too-- and has another at home for genetic diversity. I think it's great that I had a white, a black and a brown ewe left for her. The katmoget ewe lamb, January, is going "up north" to Sabrina Wille on Sunday. She and I are both breeding for polled stock, and we're trading ewe lambs and a ram lamb, each, to increase the blood lines in our future polled flocks!

Dang, that sets my voluntary scrapie program status back, as Sabrina's not enrolled in it, and I'll start with a new date on Sunday. I decided it didn't matter that much to me; I think people appreciate knowing your flock is monitored for health, but most shepherds aren't in that program anyway. I'll be happy to meet her little Niav and White Pines Parker, a scurred yearling ram of hers. The fleece photos I've seen on both look great! Sabrina's blog (among the favorites I list here) is Boston Lake Farm, in case you are interested in looking at her pictures. Niav and Parker are in there. (I sound a little excited, don't I?)

Here's a blogger quandary: so, having now figured out how to show my fave blogs at the right, with info as to when those folks update a post, why isn't it working?
I've been seeing the same posts listed by name and time for several days. In reality, I go to their blogs and see that they've written several new posts! It doesn't show on my blog-roll that they've changed.

Stuck in time. (no one wants to be. . . )
I must be tired. Good night!

Ducky updated, etc.

Just a few weeks later, she's a teenager! And definitely a she, not a drake.
Her grownup voice came to her-- instead of infantile peeps, she quacks-- and drakes don't quack, DUCKS do.
Mama hen is still acting like a mama to her.
These are the gi-normous pumpkins I planted in my lambing barn yard. The first five got eaten by Lily and Poppy the naughty bored twins who were quarantined in that yard after their county fair adventure. (Did I mention that they came home coughing from that fair? It never fails-- it makes me want to keep 'em all at home!)
Anyway, we threw the five pumpkins to the big sheep flock, and now these next five are big-- but will they ripen this month?

Here's some little ramlings who're quarantined by the pumpkins this week. They are all horned boys who are looking for homes; I think one or two is about to get lucky!

Little brown rams & Easter Lily

Remember Lily the orphan twin? She regards this mounting block as her little home, I swear. I had to get a snap so I'd always remember. When she was tinier, she slept UNDER it.

Handsome horned ram lamb and his polled cousin, Little Red Oak Ash.
I think Ash will be going to a breeder who wants polled rams; I'm afraid April's horned boy will go "on the truck" in a few weeks. Sigh.

Not a terribly flattering picture of Ash--

And here he is, wondering if he really wants to walk away.
He just wants to be petted, always.

Back from Jefferson, micron counts

At the WI Sheep and wool festival, I took spinning and felting classes with my friend; looked at other people's Shetlands in pens and in the show ring; felt and saw the soooffffttt fleeces in the judging area (way to go, Champion Shetland fleece Tori Gygi); looked at the Other Breeds of sheep there (NO FINNS, darn it)and had a nice dinner out with Shetland people and their friends.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to see much of Shetland show judging-- I thought it started earlier, but no, Noon; my second class was at 1pm.

This is a felted bag I made at my Friday class-- it got a little wild. The brown and white locks are from my own sheep; I do not have blue mohair animals!
It was quite fun to wet felt this bag and get it done in one workshop. The teacher, Mary Wallace, and other students were all so funny and kind.
It was a wonderful, three-day weekend, talking wool, sheep, felting, spinning, everything with many, many different nice, knowledgeable folks.
I got home and found fleece micron reports from Texas A&M on 8 sheepies I'd caught and sampled.
I have not been "into" this in the past-- it's just more work-- but it seems so many breeders are measuring fleece samples now, and a few asked about some of my lambs.
No great surprises, but the reports were still interesting.
Six of seven lambs were in the mid 20s, good-- my one older ewe sampled was 30 or 31?, and the one lamb I KNEW felt NOT Soft came in at 30-- while her twin was 24. So now I know that SHE goes to the pet home that wanted a lamb, and her twin stays here.
We're talking about Smudge, of Splash and Smudge, LRO Catnip's April or May lambs. Nice little brown girls, both, but Smudge is friendlier.
Good thing a pet home came up over the weekend at the local University of MN Small Farm Expo we exhibited sheep at.

(This is wool from my own Yarrow)

Will someone email me to tell me how to add to Blogger the "links to posts I like" item IN ORDER Of RECENT activity? I really want that, and spent a LOT of time trying to figure it out today.
Edit: THANK YOU VAL, I'VE GOT IT NOW!

Now, there are a million tomatoes and peppers that need attention in my kitchen!

Fairs and more fairs

I'm going off to the WI Sheep and Wool festival in Jefferson this weekend. I'll drive with my spinner friend, Angie, take some fiber classes, look at other people's sheep and visit with shepherds. It should be fun.
My family is staying here, and will bring lambs and ewes to a University of MN Extension offering "Small Farm and Rural Living Expo" at a fairgrounds nearby. I would have LOVED to stay here to show off our sheep in their Aisle of Breeds, but we were asked to bring the Shetlands AFTER I'd signed up for the Jefferson classes.
That's alright, others in the family know a great deal about the sheep and can promote them well.
I only feel sorry for them loading sheep without me.

I leave you with pictures of our Carver County Fair in early August:
Do you see that little Shetland among the (not gigantic)Southdowns?

My daughter took champion in Lamb Lead. This younger fellow was very cute with his sporting hat and the sheep's tie!

Piggies in repose.

Birds to Market

Actually, to the processors in Hector, MN. I'd heard of the Hector chicken processor, but I hadn't had 50 birds (their minimum) and a date reserved with them, until this year's batch of birds.
So on Tuesday, we loaded 50 nice, 8-week-old cornish-rock-cross roosters into the bed of the trusty Ford Ranger farm truck (with topper).
It was a chilly morning: the birds crouched together for warmth and moral support as they took the 43 mile drive down Hwy. 212. They steamed up the windows--
and I'll spare you the events that took place at the business we arrived at.
Today I picked up 50 frozen, packaged chickens and ran them 43 miles back home again, to grace our supper table all winter long (as well as that of a few friends and relatives).
I arrived in Norwood Young America a little late for my 2pm haircut, but the funniest thing happened: after chatting in the salon chair with the stylist about why I was late -- she said she'd love to have 2 chickens as pay for the haircut!

Mama hen and Ducky

We did it again; asked a broody hen to set duck eggs.
We got too impatient, though, and ended up with only one duckling. (After a month of setting on that nest? Poor hen!)
But she loves her duck.
Takes him outside in view of his relatives (could be his real mom in the background!)

She teaches him to dig for yummy dirt, bugs, whatever it is they like in there:

And takes him back to the barn.

Lambs for Sale

Okay, I said I had a few to sell! So I had to get some pictures on here, right?

My grand old favorite, Highland Hollows Bluebell, lounges with her daughter, LittleRedOak (LRO) Ivy; my lovely country home and gardens providing the backdrop. Ivy looks just like her mama, I think. Bluebell is the ewe famous for triple-thick, lustrous, crimpy wool-- her best trait, besides her pleasant demeanor. Ivy's dad is Kimberwood Leonardo, a smooth polled moorit ram. I think (for you sheep geneticists) Ivy is likely a black ewe in white pattern (!); I just learned her mom is. Ivy had a quarter-sized black spot in two places when younger. Both girls can throw brown babies, though; Ivy is AaAwtB?Bb, and I think Bluebell actually carries spots, too; she's had a smirslet daughter-- so Ivy could get that.

I'd keep Ivy because I love all that comes out of Bluebell, but that's the problem; I already have so many out of her. Besides, Ivy doesn't like us yet!

Not to be rude, but here's Ivy's posterior. A slightly longish tail, just like Mom's. And the same crimpy, thick wool Bluebell has, too!

Next, LRO Splash, one of LRO Catnip's twins. Catnip is the spotted-udder ewe seen on the last blog entry, and on several others in months past. Catnip is a loudly splashed moorit & white ewe, friendly as a labrador retriever. So are her daughters, Splash and Smudge. Splash had a white splash on her head at birth, Smudge had, you know, smudges of white instead. Their dad was also Kimberwood Leonardo, whose solid moorit largely won the pattern war in these lambs.
Splash, then, is a Bluebell great-granddaughter who is half-spotted and half-polled, if you want more of those traits in your flock.

Oops, here's Splash's backside, with LRO January nearby!

January is my shy, fawn katmoget-patterned lamb. She's out of Minwawe November, a kat, and Kimberwood Leonardo, again! January's twin brother is a smooth-polled ram-boy who will be breeding for me here, this year.

Here she is, laughing as she evades my camera:

Prices for these lambs varies; unregistered, they can go for $125; registered, $200. If you wanted me to bring a lamb or two to the Jefferson, WI Sheep and Wool festival next month, I could.
I will charge less for groups of 3-- and I have a lot of handsome little rams for sale! I'll post again soon.
Email if you are interested: gvonbargen at aol dot com.

Ducky fair photos

I forgot to mention my great surprise when Garrett Ramsay, Perham, MN Shetland (and other species) breeder, strolled into the Carver County 4H sheep barn as we were setting up Lily and Poppy's stall. He told me he was at our little fair to judge the pigeons!I hope I did not distract him too greatly while I snapped a half-dozen pictures. (If you want more of them, Garrett, email me!)
Duck showing followed pigeons; they are such inherently funny creatures, I had to photograph a few. Sweet children, intensely awaiting the judge's scrutiny:
And this little girl, not interested in showing, but in taking home this duck she bought from a big 4H girl! Adorable!

Carver County Fair

Little Red Oak Poppy (left)and LRO Easter Lily went to the fair this week! Emily (right) asked her friend, Samantha, to help her show one of the lambs, and having her friend there doubled the fun.
The lambs took home minor ribbons in the "any other purebred" class; the fleeces won big time.
More pictures and stories to follow.

Sheepy goodbyes

We've sold a lot of sheep in the past week-- Ten! A year ago I sold off the sheep who never liked us, so selling any of our remaining sheep brings twinges of regret-- even when it's for all the right reasons. Like, that we can't support 50 sheep here! Or, that we don't want horns in our flock anymore-- or too many offspring from a certain ewe.
So sadly, we sold 5 old friends and 5 spring lambs.
Here's old Bramble Elsie, the big white ewe who ran to you, smiling, if you sat or kneeled down. Elsie and her friends, Bramble Bess, Minwawe Chicklet and my own Little Red Oak Mullein went to Rochester, MN to live with a kindly older shepherd. Elsie's little ewe lamb, Elise, is staying here. Her other lamb, Lizzie, is living 5 miles south of here, with a wonderful young family new to this area.
My friend, LRO April, the first friendly lamb born here, went, along with Minwawe PandaBear's ewe lamb, to live with Stephanie and her charming daughter Colleen in Hammond, WI.
I hope they are all happy in their new homes, although all the people who bought sheep clearly loved them as much as we do.
On a funnier note, I have wanted to post this June photo of the ewes n lambs in the morning-- Maple is peering out of the barn, Catnip, her brown lamb and another are nearby. What I love is (click on the picture to biggify it)Catnip's brown and pink polka dotted udder! So funny!

Rose-breasted Grosbeak story

Last week, a very loud THUMP hit my 2nd story bedroom window. Poor bird. I looked out to the porch roof just below, and watched a small, stunned bird roll and shake its head repeatedly.
We took the little bird in and put it in a box, thinking that more restful, for her, than balancing on an angled roof.
She clutched a finger tightly, so we knew she was strong--
and we put her in the backyard maple tree. She sat there all day, and later, flew away, with a squawk at us!
The next day, we saw the rest of her family, on the birdfeeder outside our kitchen window, where a sunflower, sprung from a dropped seed, grew.

Her sleek Mama, and brighter colored Daddy.

There were at least two offspring, learning to eat from the feeder and presumably, to fly a little better!

Back home

The first produce of the garden (not counting volunteer cilantro) were big green kohlrabi (we've eaten our fill!) and these tie-dyed beets! I have fallen in love with them! Roasted, steamed, grilled-- not just pickled!


These lambies are Eino, the Finn ram lamb, and January, a little katmoget ewe lamb. See Eino's little scur horn buds? He broke them both off, now. Eino went home with his new owner on Saturday, and I'm hoping January will find another home, soon!
I haven't focused on selling sheep this summer, and need to, now-- my pastures can't support so many.
January has a full poll brother, a moorit who I am keeping to use. I can sell either January's mom or January herself-- but I've grown rather attached to her mom, Minwawe November. January's dad is Kimberwood Leonardo, a smooth poll ram.
I'll post better pictures of her soon.

Is this the last of Washington, already?

Ruby Beach, on the Western Pacific Coast:
Quinalt rainforest, without rain:
Salmonberries:

Are these salmonberries too? Or blackberries?

Random flowers in the lush green:

What else did you see on your summer vacation?

A Happy Harp Seal at the Seattle Aquarium:
Sub-Alpine flowers on the looonnnggg walk up Hurricane Ridge, near Port Angeles, on the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula:

DH on the looonggg walk down the mountain

Tide Pools at Salt Creek, 10 miles W of Port Angeles:

A quiet starfish hoping to go unnoticed:

Back on the farm, catching up. . .

Yoiks, I wrote the last blog post in Washington, 3 weeks ago!
Of course, when we came home, the weeds had taken over the gardens, so we were busy taming them-- and the other usual stuff took my time.
However, sorting through a few hundred digital vacation photos --
can't we just click so much faster now, no worry--
was daunting.
Here are a few-- I'll do this in installments:

Dungeness-- that's the "spit" going out to sea. . .

Driftwood was the main attraction here, and the stones. . .