Katherine The Great

Kate

October 26, 2005 - October 30, 2021

I'm sorry, Katie.  I'm sure you'd rather I had picked a serious herding picture or a pretty portrait, but you rolling around in the yard, playing with a favorite toy as we walked together to and from the barn all day long, every day until today never failed to bring me joy.  Thank you.  For everything.  It was truly an honor.

Knitting My Fingers To The Bone

"Did someone say bone?"

I have actually been knitting.  You may have seen occasional glimpses of this on Instagram over the summer and fall.  It should have been finished months ago.  I realized it would be the perfect thing to wear tomorrow for Hug a Sheep Day and have made a big push over the last few days to get it finished.  Nothing works like a deadline!

Regarding tomorrow, if you'd like to follow along on Instagram Live (look for the small round picture of 20 at the top of your home IG screen), we'll do a similar schedule to last year.  I should be able to then post the recorded videos over to Facebook.

Morning flock walk 8:30ish.  Remember the beautiful sunrise and weather of last year?  Yeah, that ain't happening tomorrow (she says, trying to jinx it into proving her wrong and being nice ;-).  

Cookie Party 1:00

Knitting Project Reveal?  Maybe? (I hate to be on screen :-o)  3:00

Late afternoon flock walk 5:00

Night check  10:00

These are all tentative/hopeful times, but being ornery sheep, they may run on a different schedule (unless there are cookies involved), especially since it's going to be cold and rainy that day.  Go ahead and prove me wrong.  I dare you! ;-)

Hug A Sheep Day Is Extra Special This Year

The first year we celebrated National Hug A Sheep Day was October 30, 2010.  Punkin would have been 18 that day.  This year the "last Saturday in October" has once again come back around to the 30th, Punkin's birthday.  He would have been 29.  Twenty...nine...

Punkin...what a funny life story.  Who'd have thought one little "throwaway" lamb could change a person's life so completely and inspire an official holiday. 

Days of the Year has posted a great update, adding in more information about sheep and wool products.  Happy Days 365  has as well.  It's fun to follow #hugasheepday on various platforms to see sheep from all over.  Don't forget to add the hashtag to your photos!

This year our farm party will once again be virtual.  That actually ended up being pretty fun last year because everyone could watch.  We'll do another virtual flock walk, cookie party and of course, the now annual embarrassing of Maisie.  That too sounds like something that could become a new national holiday, but we all know that at some point she's going to take us all out and that will be the end of that ;-).

This was the original Hug a Sheep Day logo, with my good buddy Ewen McTeagle, the best hugging sheep ever.  Punkin would let me hug him, but pretty much tried to punch anyone else.  Still, as it's his birthday this year, I updated the logo to match his cute fuzzy gray face.  Feel free to use it for anything non-commercial.  If you would like to use it for something commercial, please just email me for permission.

In Case You Missed It

I'd probably drink a cup of coffee or two before you watch it so you can keep up :-o.

   

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Have a great weekend!

Alright, Whodunit?

I found this beautiful painted rock in my car one day last year (or so ago).  I was convinced that Auntie Reg had hidden it there and held out for a long time thinking she'd finally cave and own up to it, but she still swears she didn't do it and is sticking to her story.

I carried it around in my car for several months and then finally took it out to the B Garden so it could hang out with some bee friends and it continues to make me happy.  The picture really doesn't do it justice.  It is bee-autiful!

So, to whoever gifted me such a sweet painted rock, thank you!

Strange Bedfellows - Updated

If you've been following along on Instagram then you are well aware of the unusual relationship Possum has with dogs.  Possum and Salt.  Possum and Kate.  So, so sweet...and then along comes the Bea-st.

Possum attempted to introduce herself that first day and Bea...was a naughty enthusiastic puppy and scared her...so she ran...which Bea thought was Big Fun and there were a couple days when I seriously toyed with returning Bea.  Everyone must get along here and especially must be kind to Possum who has taken such good care of two of my very best friends.

Early on Betsy popped Bea a couple of times and backed her off.  I think it never occurred to Possum to smack a dog and I had to resort to carrying a pop can full of rocks everywhere we went to either shake or throw at Bea whenever I saw any sign of cat worrying.  That got really old, really quickly.

Bea got a bit bigger and faster and even more excitable puppy-ish and decided to give Betsy another run and we are still working on that.  Interestingly though Bea pretty much stopped bothering Possum and now I frequently see them hanging out together in front of the barn.  I still don't think Possum really likes Bea, but there seems to be some sort of truce. 

(Warning - graphic story ahead)

I originally thought maybe Possum had just figured out if she didn't run, Bea wouldn't chase her.  But at the same time I started noticing that Possum was leaving little "gifts" on the Wool House porch, specifically on Bea's red blanket.  One afternoon when Bea got exceptionally quiet, I finally found her in the garage eating on a teenage size rabbit (!).  

I wish we didn't need a barn cat, but we do.  We would never use poisons because of the dangers to other animals like owls and have not had great luck with traps.   Possum has cleaned up the barn and runs a tight ship.  I still worry about the three little chickens, but they are pretty good at staying out of her way.  The bunny was heartbreaking.  

It's hard not to make a connection with the "gifts" and the end of Bea chasing Possum.  The rabbit almost the same size as Bea?  Was is a gift...or a warning... 

It's a good thing she's cute!

Just after I published this post, I walked outside and took this picture.  Awww, aren't they cute?  And then an hour later had to holler at Bea for chasing Possum.  I'm not quite sure she's cute enough... ;-).

Fall, Falling, Fallen

Rocky and Jared taking the road less/well traveled this morning.

The last couple of weeks has been a blur.  Well, not really a blur..more of a fog.  Even though I didn't set up the Punkin's Patch booth at the fall Wool Festival this year, I did go up early each morning for an hour or so to help out if needed before the gates opened and the crowds streamed in.  Who came out of the festival sick?  Yep, me.  

So to get a bit caught up, let's see...Bea's growing like a weed and is as sweet as she can be...when she's asleep ;-).  Awake, she's a terror.  Kate is hanging in there, but she had another really close call last week yet somehow rallied once again.  Frankie and Lancelot are enjoying the good fall grass and the let up on most of the horrible summer bugs and the sheep are as well.  

Betsy and Possum seem to have come to a shaky truce...most of the time and while Bea still picks on Betsy a bit, she and Possum seem to have come to a...um...strange truce...but that would make a good story for tomorrow ;-).

September...Fer Cryin' Out Loud

Lots of good stuff to remember in September this year...even if I almost didn't remember to post it over here.  

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