2014 Hug A Sheep Day - Part One

We had a great Hug A Sheep Day Party yesterday! Thanks to everyone for coming out and a huge thank you to everyone who worked their butts off to help us put this together and make everyone feel welcome!

As usual I took a ton of pictures.  I'm going to break them down into manageable "collections" over the next couple of days.  We'll start with some special sheep stories...because it's all about the sheeps anyway :-).

I wasn't really planning on putting Burrnie in the hugging pen, but when I started sorting which sheep were going to work first shift, he came out.  I decided to give him a try - he does really, really love cookies - and if he was too scared we could always pull him back out.

He was pretty concerned, but I thought if he could figure out that the scary people had cookies, he'd be happy to be there and at least get some good social experience.  We positioned a few people around the outside and the other sheep were happy to demonstrate.

"You've got cookies?"

"And he's got cookies?"

"And you've got cookies..."

"Okay, I'll try a cookie."

"Cause I do love me some cookies."

And next thing you knew, he was eating cookies without fence protection ;-).

"But I'm not letting anyone hug me!"

There's always next year, Burrnie.  You did a really good job for your first big party :-).

Don't Get Your Feelings Hurt

A few weeks ago some folks came all the way from Missouri to meet Maisie.  They wanted to get her hoof-ograph.

Um, okay.  How do I say this...

That's really not an off base idea...except it's Maisie.  Everyone I told about this had the exact same reaction.  "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Can we come watch???"

"Maisie?  Some nice folks are coming a long way to see you."

"Umbfwchrgh"

"Could you be polite and go over and let them take your picture?"

"Yeah.  I guess.  Munchmunchmunch."

And they'd like to get a hoofprint, too."

Maisie, Maisie, Maisie...

She's actually a very sweet girl.  That time she bit Saint Tim when we were trying to catch her to trim her feet was just a fluke.  Mostly ;-).  She's had that sassy attitude her whole life.  And that's probably why she's had a life.  Still, if you come out tomorrow hoping to hug Maisie, just be prepared.  she might give you the tail!

So don't get your feelings hurt ;-).

Hugable Mugs

I was only planning to do mug shots for potential hugging candidates for the Open Farm Day this Saturday (details below), but I got carried away.  Besides, even if Jester and Elizabeth are really. quite. sure. they do not want to come out for hugs, they said they'd love some cookies back at the retirement home. 

I think the mug shots are hysterical.  Between the first batch with baby Maisie, Keebs, B. Willard, Petunia and Henri and the second group with Graham, Hershey, Ewen and Baaxter and now this big bunch, I'm getting close to having one for almost everybody.  

Why I felt "mug shots" were the best way to present our flock, I just don't know ;-).  In no particular order...

Who would you most like to hug?

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Hug A Sheep Day Party at Equinox Farm October 25th!  

Come out this Saturday between 1:00 and 4:00 and hug your favorite sheep.  We'll once again have a small pen set up in front of the barn (since the weather looks great!) and we'll probably rotate a couple different groups of sheep in and out so no one goes into a diabetic coma from too many cookies.  

Vanilla wafers and graham crackers are their favorites, but saltines and other crackers go over well too and aren't quite as sugary.  Seriously, the sheep have no self control, so let's all work together to make sure no one over indulges.  A stash of leftovers is a treat that keeps on treating ;-) 

If you have any questions or need directions, drop me an email.  If your directions last year had you coming out Hwy 32, you need better different directions.  Coming the longer way is actually almost shorter and definitely less "interesting", which would be a good thing ;-).

Bring your wheel, spindle, knitting, crocheting...  There will be plenty of seats on the porch and around the barn and we'd love to see what you're working on.  Show and tell of finished items is always especially exciting! 

Have a question about something you are working on or maybe you'd like to learn how to spin, knit...? There will be plenty of uber knowledgeable fiber artists here who'd be happy to get you started down the path ;-). Come find me and I'll pair you up with someone.

Have questions about sheep - breeds, care, wool, wool processing, guardian dogs, foot warming dogs, useless cats...we'd be happy to share what we've learned.  We'll even have some beekeepers on hand :-).

Hope to see you Saturday!  

It's That Time Of The Year

The 2015 calendars are ready!

A good mix of our favorite cast of characters.

Renny

Queen Elizabeth

Comby's sleeping again.  It's become our little joke (since he's the only hard working cat on the farm ;-).

We can't fit everyone on a month, but there are lots of little pictures.  Don't worry, Hank got his own month.  He's also in the small pictures to keep an eye on Miss Maisie though ;-).

Plenty of Maisie.  Maybe a little too much of Miss Maisie (look at that tummy!).

Of course, 20.

Iris hated having her picture taken, but sometimes she'd grin and bear it.  Sort of like having to babysit silly lambs or sleep on a sisal mat rather then her own comfy bed (Baaxter!).    

The horses, Betsy, Emily and Casper Belly, baby birds, Spud, Hank, Blossom and Miss Tilly.

The Lamb Camp calendars are a different shape this year.  The pictures are approximately 6" x 9". I'm not sure why I do these smaller, but I kind of like that they'll fit almost anywhere.  Please let me know what you think.

Again, lots of favorites :-).

Lots of snorgling :-).

Lots of good naps :-).

And a bit of (temporarily) controlled naughtiness.

If this isn't a kissable face...

Getting kissed...

Napping AND kissable combined!  Excuse the glare on this picture of the picture :-/.

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Let's do this like we did last year.  Equinox Farm calendars are $12.50 each and the Lamb Camp calendars are $10.00. Shipping (to the US) should range from $4.00 to $6.10 and the padded Priority Flat Rate envelopes will hold at least three farm calendars for that price.

Shipping overseas last year was not as expensive as I feared (except one country, maybe Australia?). I'm happy to get a quote for you.  Likewise for Canada.  

If you'd like to order one (or more), just send me an email with what you'd like and your shipping address. I'll send them out with an invoice and a return envelope and you can drop a check in the mail upon receipt.  

There are also Lamb Camp note cards, Christmas cards, drop spindle kits...in the farm shop if you are interested.

One other (and more fun :-) option - for the local (and maybe not so local) folks - everything will be available for pick up at the Open Farm Day celebrating National Hug A Sheep Day this Saturday!

Sunday Stills - I'm Going With Green

Ed posted a picture of a Green Bay Packers hat and said we had to guess what the challenge was for this week. Hmmm, could be the color green, could be football, could be the Packers (but seems unlikely ;-)... Since the last time I posted about the Packers they stunk, I'm going with the color green!

Stella and I were just talking yesterday about how green it is for this time of year.  The lighter green inside the fence is where everyone over grazes the hillside instead of utilizing the taller grass out and about.  The grass next to the driveway is only grazed when I leave the gate open ;-).

Hank and his shadow, Spud.

I couldn't figure out what he was looking at until I cropped this in.  Gentle Hank :-).

For more guesses about this week's Sunday Stills challenge...