WOW .............. 2017 already

Where has all the time gone.  Working on changing the little house into a wool house, progress is slow, but then so am I.

I finally made enough room that the 4 harness floor loom I bought last winter was delivered by it's former owner in October, and I have some cones of yarn and bought some odds and ends of leftovers at the Handweavers Sale this fall.  Now to find the time for weaving.

California is finally getting some much needed rain.  Front pasture is flooding but not as much as last January so far.  More rain is predicted for the next week.  Sheep and goats are enjoying all the green grass, but not so much the muddy spots.

Hope everyone has a great 2017 and the world gets back in balance where it should be.

Happy New Year

It's about time for ..................................

an update.

Here are the Shetlands back in March waiting for their turn to meet the shearer.

After sharing fleeces with my helpers for their services that day and their purchasing

a couple more, sold some fleece, took some to the mill, and donated over 80 pounds to

Wool for Worthy Causes, I still had shelves full of fleece, I decided to venture into a new

endeavor and entered 7 fleeces in  the Monterey County Fair.

So pleased with the results when I opened the mail on Saturday.

Here is the comment sheet on Ebony's fleece

and Daphne's comment sheet

Can't wait now for next year's shearing

Fire Season in CA is here

My neighbor called me Sunday afternoon about 4

and said her power was out and there was a fire on the mountain. 

You can just barely see the smoke and patch of burnt grass.

As you can see all the green grass is now brown and very dry.

it didn't take long for the wind to expand it's territory, fortunately

Cal Fire brings in Air support immediately here.  The Helicopters

are able to refill in the lake at the bottom of the mountain.

There were also 2 fixed wing planes too along with a spotter plane flying above.

so glad there is an orange grove between me and the mountain.

Great job by Cal Fire getting this under

control in 2 hours and staying overnight

watching for flare ups.

2016 Update

January 30th brought a lot of rain all at once but still not an end to the California drought

March was shearing time, fleece, lots and lots of fleece

Shearing staff taking a break

Not much time for the shearer to take a break

One of the three Finns getting sheared

and one lone Babydoll Southdown after shearing

if you look close in my weed patches you might find some flowers

Shetlands started lambing April 9th, here is Clara and her ram lamb.

This morning Ousto also lambed, two black ram lambs.

And waiting her turn is Ollie, hope there is a ewe lamb or two in there.

How green is my valley ...........

 

Hoping all my friends in Blog land are well and enjoying spring, for those areas making the news with still getting snow or hail the size of golf balls there is still some open space in California.

Today is Hug A Sheep Day

 



 

Cookies?  Did you bring cookies?

 

 

They even like Wheat Thins Popped

wow it's ben a year.

I am still here, still having computer issues, will try to use my tablet and do more posting. Until then enjoy one of my morning sunrises.

Everyone ready for Halloween?  Thanksgiving?  Christmas?  Time is flying by, time to finalize Shetland breeding groups, bring in another load of hay, find some motivation to get things done.  I have been needle felting, and made some orifice hooks for spinners out of wine corks and beads, now I need to find spinners that need orifice hooks, lol.

I didn't make it to the big Fresno Fair this year, missed my chance for a corn dog and other fair food.  Weather is finally cooling down into the 80's with even a 79 in the seven day forecast, now where have I stored my sweat shirts and cold weather clothes?  The big draft horse and equipment sale is coming up the end of this month, always a fun event.