The Jumping Olympics

We looked it up and Pinto is going to be five this year (!).  That seems crazy.  He doesn't appear to be slowing down at all.  I got a lucky catch of him jumping over the high side of the barn lot fence yesterday.  

This just cracks me up.

Olympic Medal

I ended up really happy with my Winter Olympic spinning.  I didn't get yards and yards of yarn spun, but I did spin all but two days (the Superbowl and an Illinois basketball game ;-), I challenged myself to spin different types of yarn and I liked them all.

I spun two different weights of Murphy, a worsted and a DK.  I spun each a little differently, but that's a post for another day.

The creamy white is Peter, a special sheep from Tring Farm.  The prep on this was a bit rustic, but she wanted a bulky yarn so I tried to embrace the rustic and I got better at spinning bulky and I think it turned out pretty nice.

I spun the Jacob (Tabitha) on the right a soft bulky weight as well and was happy with how that turned out, too.  It could have used another pass or two through the carder to smooth out the fiber, but that would have smoothed out the colors.  I loved the streaks and speckles of gray mixed with white.  I think I'll do some more of that one. 

The light gray skein is Mini Moose and it's just a soft and squishy as he is.  The dark gray is Jared, always a lovely spin.  The white in the front is the Romney I posted a week or so ago.  I will spin some more of that as well.

I really enjoyed making pretty yarn during the games and I've left my wheel up at the house and have continued on.  I'm spinning some Muffin right now.  It's nice to get back to doing the things that remind me why I got started on this whole sheep journey in the first place.

Friends And Family

A local shepherd needed a place for her small flock of beloved sheep...so three of them came here.  The other two went to another friend.  

"Hi!  My name is Krista, but I've heard there's already a Krista here, so I might get a nickname.  I haven't met her yet, but I've been told she is my grandma.  I wonder if she'll recognize me when we get to meet?"

"My name is Coonie and I'm actually really friendly.  My ears are back because the photo lady told me to Stay Back so she could take my picture.  Me and Krista were trying to get a good sniff of her to see if she maybe had some of the cookies she gave us last night in her pocket.  She says my face markings look just like Mini Moose, but that I actually AM mini.  I have no idea what that means."

"My name is Holly and I've been told my cousins Biscuit and Muffin live here.  I don't remember a Biscuit, but I think I remember a little scrawny black lamb who hung out in the front of the barn with her mom and drank a bottle.  I'm not sure how friendly I am, but I was the first one to try the cookies last night and I really liked them."

I think Holly will come around, but Krista and Coonie are already pocket sheep.  That's how they ended up here.  You know there's nothing I like more than a friendly old ewe.  

Everyone settled in quickly yesterday and this morning I was standing out with them and noticed Krista's pink nose and it reminded me of Maisie's cute pink nose...and then I really looked at her right ear.  

I noticed it looked a bit off yesterday, but she's missing her ear tag so just assumed it had torn out funny.  On closer inspection I found the whole bottom had been sliced off along the edge, not from a torn tag.  I'm guessing an old freak shearing accident.

Why is this even worth mentioning?

I think it's maybe a little wink from an old friend.

Fire Horses?

A few mornings ago I walked up to the barn, saw Gato resting on the hillside in front of the barn, didn't think anything about it.  When I came back out of the barn a few minutes later I saw him flat out, legs flailing.  Instant panic mode.

I raced over thinking about what to do.  Was he colicking?  Having a seisure?  He's 29.  Anything could happen at this point...and then he stopped.  Okay, now what?  I still need to figure out what is happening and how to handle it.

I watched him for a few seconds and saw one ear flicking back and forth...sort of like he was asleep and dreaming.  I've never seen a horse run in their sleep, so I'm still thinking seizure...and then his lips moved a bit...like he was...dreaming...

"Gato!"

(Rolls up on his chest) "What?"

"Oh, good grief."

(Goes back to sleep)

A few days later I saw him sleeping not far from where he and Frankie are in this picture...and he did it again.  I have never seen or heard of a horse running in their sleep and I asked a few friends and they are in agreement, no, even though it makes sense that they could.  

Maybe Gato's just faster than anyone else's horses...in his sleep ;-).

Lancelot was standing watch.  Sometimes I'll catch all three asleep on a sunny afternoon, but usually one horse stays up.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Thursdays Are For Spinning

A friend picked up some leftover fleeces from the North American wool show last fall and I claimed a Romney fleece.  I think that breed is exceptionally pretty (and cute) and by looks felt like the wool would be a Sara fleece (aka Not Merino), but wanted to find out for sure.  I washed my fleece a few weeks ago and yesterday pulled out a big handful to process and spin.

There was no wind and the sun was shining so even with the snow on the ground, it was too pretty to sit inside.  I carried my wheel outside and thought this picture was kind of funny with my muddy barn boots contrasting with the pretty wheel.  I ended up using them to hold my waiting to be spun bundles :-).

Pretty (and cute :-).

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As the afternoon cooled, I moved back inside for the last bundle.

I wound my bobbin off into a center pull ball and wrapped it around a plying ball.  This is my favorite way to ply samples.  Putting the two ends together around the plying ball keeps the two strands tidy and well behaved.

Ready for a soak.

And after.

I've called some of my Cotswold/Texel crosses "fake Romneys" and now I can say for sure that I was pretty correct.  Not too soft, but not too coarse.  A nice bit of halo and a good bounce.  Definitely a yarn I'll enjoy using ;-).