Coming Up for Air

My sister has been scolding me for not updating more frequently, but it seems like we've only had two types of days lately.  The ones where it pours rain and all I could post were pictures of wet, miserable sheep or sunny days where we are frantically trying to make up for lost time and don't have a camera anywhere near us.  So to make up for it, here is a list of things that have happened while we've been treading water:

1.  We had two new pastures fenced off.  This was supposed to be done in the end of April, but see the note above about the endless rain and inability to get anything done during. 

2.  The yaks, despite getting new pastures, are relatively unimpressed. 

(Niobe, giving Adam "The Unimpressed Yak Look."  Note how she is standing next to the barn, and not in a new pasture)

3.  Nutsy's babies have gotten a lot bigger:



4.  Adam got three of our CVM girls sheared, Dutchess, Contessa and Princess.  Dutchess and Princess had really nice fleece this year, but Contessa has a little wool break.  So does Milady, who had a difficult time birthing Charlie and Edmund.  I have a feeling that we won't even try to spin up their fleeces, but rather have them made into batting or pillows.  Dutchess is so soft I couldn't resist washing up a few handfuls and then drop spinning it right away to see how it did.  And that was so lovely I had to then blend it with some of Nimbus's angora.  Wonderful yarn both ways (although being a big softie, I prefer with the angora)

From top to bottom:

Princess

Dutchess with angora

Dutchess plain

5.  Speaking of Charlie and Ed, they have been temporarily transplanted.  The Bratlings, as they were called around here, had no respect for fenced pastures, new or old.  They were constantly climbing under the fence to nap under the lawn mower, of all things.  They were also getting into the neighbor's yard and inching ever closer to the road, so we've sent them to live with Adam's parents for awhile until they're too big to fit under our fences.  Fathead, The Nose and Sweet Pea also went with them.  In exchange, some of the larger ewes from their farm will be coming over here to stay through the fall. 

6.  We are not having baby chicks this year.  We had several hens that went broody, but we were gone for a week to California and during that time, in a supreme act of mean girl-ness, someone kicked someone else's eggs out of the nest and then laid new ones and some hatched and didn't make it and it was a big mess.  And to tell the truth, we need more chickens right now like we need more mosquitos.  So Adam cleared out all the eggs to prevent any disease from starting in the coop and we'll try again next year.