2023 Hug A Sheep Day

Thirty-one years ago this month I rescued a tiny lamb born at the local stockyards and, looking back, the only thing I regret about that was that I didn't save his mom.  I wish I could have changed her life the way I was able to change her lamb's...and how he changed mine.

I can't even imagine a different life than I have today.  I cannot fathom not walking out to the barn to check on my sheep each morning.  Standing in the driveway with my oldies, wearing a wool hat I spun, dyed and knit from my own flock. The way it's feeling this afternoon I'll be wearing a wool sweater tomorrow as well, probably Jared's.  He and I will both be warm.

I'm proud I know how to trim feet and check eye scores and what different wools feel like and how they are best used.  And how to move sheep through a chute or work in a pen and how a herding dog is different from a guardian dog and how to prepare my sheep for shearing.

Would I have learned how to take pictures?  Paint folk art Christmas cards?  Needle felt wool ornaments?  I had zero interest in fiber arts and now I can shear (if I have to), skirt, wash, comb or card, spin yarn, knit a sweater or weave a blanket.  

I opened a calendar last night and found Hug a Sheep Day included as a national holiday.  I'd been told a paper "days" calendar had picked it for October 28th, but I wasn't sure I'd ordered the right one until I saw it for myself.

Hug a Sheep Day was based on Punkin's birthday.  He was actually born on a Friday, but when I decided to host the first farm party 15 years ago, his birthday fell on a Saturday so we've since stuck with it being always the last Saturday on October.  This year it's the 28th.

We are once again hosting an on farm Hug a Sheep Day party.  The traditional party will be on Saturday from 1:00 to 4:00 as usual and will include sheep hugging and cookie feeding and visiting with old friends and new.

On Friday, the 27th, we are adding in an extra day for anyone who'd like to come out to learn about sheep, sheep care, wool processing, spinning, knitting, felting...  I'm open to anything!  We could even take some pictures or do some sketching or painting...  I am no expert on any of this, but I'm happy to share what I've learned over the years.  

I'll post some more details as the next two weeks fly by, but wanted to give everyone a bit of a head's up.  Let's get together and have some fun and celebrate all the gifts of our wooly friends, near and far.