Evening

More from The Training Center the other evening.

Golden Even Without The Light

That golden light only held about two minutes last night.  I'm sure it had something to do with how the sunlight was reflecting off the dark blue rain clouds or some such theory, but I don't really know and I'm not going to over-analyze it.  It was a gift well received.

Tonight, after evening chores were finished, I walked down to that same spot where the sheep were grazing last night and sat down on the new stone bridge.  Maisie checked in with me, but went right back to eating.  Her favorite spots always seem to be right at the water's edge. 

Enjoy!

Held In The Light

It rained much of yesterday. Dark, broody clouds, big rain drops pounding the roof.  A dogs sleeping in the wool house sort of day.  As evening approached, it tried several times to clear off.  I kept looking for a rainbow as it poured in bright sunlight, but never found one.  It's probably that you can't see the rainbow if you are standing in the pot of gold.

Sunday Stills - Flowers And Wildflowers

I'm glad Ed picked this challenge.  The flowers around here were starting to get their feelings hurt with all the lamb pics.  Didn't really get what I wanted, but did capture a couple fun shots. 

How about a tree house surrounded by flowers?

Could she have been bringing in a piece of wool for her nest?  Um, no.  Chicken feather.  Stupid chickens mumble mumble ;-).

"Go find your own tree house.  This one's mine!"

Apple blossoms as far as you can see.  My favorite.

I love the look of this even with the honey bee facing the wrong direction (stupid bees mumble mumble ;-), but it was complete luck and a nice combo of light, depth of field and composition.  I'm not sure I'm smart enough to recreate it, but if I get a minute I might try. 

A big bumble type bee on the pear tree.  All bees are pollinators as are lots of other insects.  We're equal opportunity bee lovers here.

Lift off.

For more Sunday Stills...

Two Things I Forgot

I'm sure there's more than two...but I can't remember what they are.

1.  For goodness sake, I had a video of the little lamb putting himself down for the nap in the feed trough!



2.  The bird nester winners are Tombstone Livestock (just what you need, more wool ;-) and Miha Giustina (I need your address :-).

Who IS That Cute Lambie?

Well, yeah, that's a cute lambie in the front, but look in the background!

Looks like Chunky Monkey might run in the family ;-).

If you haven't already guessed, this one ear cocked backwards look ought to give it away :-D.

It's Maisie's sister!  And I think that's her mom next to her in the first two pictures, but need to double check that.

** Update - yes, that's Maisie's mom.  Well, her birth mom ;-).

Oh, and "Who IS that cute lambie?" is what I say to all my babies.  Not sure how that got started, but they all hear that (and also that they are the softest, smartest, fastest, best jumper... ;-)

Quick Fix

A few more lambies from Kathy's, because we can never have too many lambies :-). 

I receive some of the nicest and most interesting comments and emails regarding birds and bird nests today. So many neat people in the world.  However, it's late, I'm tired AND I have the hiccups (!) so I'm cashing it in for the day.  Tomorrow is another (spring) day.  

I'm not complaining.  I figure if I'm complaining about having too much green grass, too many flowers, too much wool to wash, too many sheep to hug, too many people I want to talk to, too many pictures to take (including the mother of all bird nests - found on the Wool House porch today!)...I really don't have anything to be complaining about ;-).

'Nigh

A Tale Of Two Nests

I found the funniest bird nest the other day.  I'm used to seeing wool and horse hair in the nests around here, but holy moly, look at all this!

In case the labels are hard to read, this bird used wool, horse hair, felt scraps, chicken feathers, baling twine, one of B. Willard's gray/brown curls and a couple hunks of Hank hair.  This has to be from last spring as Hank hasn't started shedding yet.  It blew down in the big storm the other night, along with this robin (I think) nest.

The builder had used wool to anchor the nest to some branches.  It held so well that the branch broke before the nest did.  I'm sorry little birds :-/.  So much hard work down the drain.

Almost all the nests I find on our farm are constructed at least partly with wool.  Some birds use it for structure, some to anchor it to the tree, some to pad out the inside to keep their babies warm and dry.  I love it :-).

Last spring we assembled some bird nest builder kits but I never got around to marketing them.  We designed a stamp, found the muslin bags at a shop here in town, stamped and stuffed and tagged...and then Blossom showed up and I lost focus.  I was planning on advertising them at Christmas...and Maisie showed up. I think I need more practice focusing with a baby lamb, eh?  ;-)

"Wool Nest Builder - Birds love to add bits of string, flowers, horse hair and especially wool to their nests.  Drape tufts of all natural (and washed!) wool on nearby branches and watch for fleece lined nests in the spring."

I've seen several blogs talking about birds and nests and the simple and not so simple beauty of spring.  None of these nests have any wool! 

If you'd like to start seeing some wool in your bird's nests, leave a comment telling either your favorite bird or the birds most common to your part of the world.  On Friday I'll draw for a couple winners and get a Wool Nest Builder kit out to you right away.

If you'd like to purchase a kit without waiting to see how your luck is going to run, just drop me an email. For the rest of April (which is flying by :-o), free shipping (for nest builder kits only) to blog readers!

Lots O' Lambs

More from Kathy Meyer's Final Frontier Farm. 

Our Favorite Local Lambie

Much to her dismay, Miss Maisie has been living in the barn for several months now.  She's had a "crib" to sleep in at night so no one would pick on her (B. Willard, I'm talking to you!) and the little lamb lot for during the day.  

Lately she's gotten big enough that she's had free rein to go in and out of her lamb pen and has started going out into the big field with the rest of the sheep...if I go with her.  If I don't go with her she just stands around and yells at me.  And tries to get me to give her babas (!).  Or "cereal".  Or both.  We were beginning to think she was never going assimilate.

Today though, I looked out and saw a sheep with a big, long tail out with the big kids.  All by herself!

"What do you see over there Maisie?"

It was her best friend, Hank.  She quickly joined him on patrol duty.

You can see how frustrating it must be to be a hard working, honest, loyal, kind protection dog with the majority of our sheep.  Hank strolls up and everyone makes a run for the barn.  Yeesh, you all!   

Now you have to keep in mind that while they act like they hate Hank, they can be out in a field when he  barks his special warning bark to tell them to get to safety and they'll run to him like he's their only hope.  He seems to let that just roll off his back...like the good dog he is.

So, almost everyone has now run to the barn.  Just Hank's "kids" are left out by the Frog Pond.  I watched Maisie for a few more minutes and the called her name.  Her head popped up.

"Mom?"

"Mom!"

She's still my baby :-).

Flat Creek Lamb Camp

I think these adorable Icelandic lambs look like they are straight out of a fairy tale.

A whole family of good shepherds at Flat Creek Wool and Pottery.