Time for an Update

Well - I've been a bit busy lately - but thought that maybe it was time for a little update.

We are so happy here to finally have a Bluff Country
sheep. Zha Zha Mikaela kind of had to take a bit of a round trip to get here - but here she is. Isn't she just a darling. With the Canada/US border being a real hassle to bring sheep through, I had to do this by a different route. Nancy - she is just a little darling - I'd love to have more of your sheep!!! Micky - as she is being fondly called, has a lovely dense black fleece with a good deal of white hairs mixed in. Kind of reminds you of a dusting of powdered sugar. Micky is very gentle and sweet.
I bought her from Bill Stearman, who is just downsizing his flock a little.

We also brought home this little cutie. She is
Windwater Lilac, and comes from Shauna Gray's farm near Uxbridge, Ontario.
Lilac is a real little sweetie. She's just a little over a year old - and very, very gentle.

Shauna also gave me some of her very own hand made Goat's Milk soap to try - it is "luscious" and absolutely wonderful! She milks her own goats to
make this soap by hand - what a wonderful craftsman. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit at
Shauna's farm.

Oh - and I almost forgot - Shauna also gave me some Angora to spin - I haven't spun with Angora yet - but I'm looking forward to trying this.

Well - that's enough for tonight. I'll update a little bit more in the next few days.

Yummy Rovings!!

I've been meaning to post - really, I have, but it's been so darned busy lately.
A couple of weeks ago, I went to Wellington Fibres outside of Elora, Ontario,
http://www.wellingtonfibres.on.ca/
I came back with 12 pounds of lucious, wonderful rovings. I was so pleased with the results.
Here are some samples of the rovings I got back.
I brought in all white rovings, and had them dye
several pounds in the olive, blue and bordeaux shown here. The remaining white, I had mixed with mohair. It is so soft and silky.
If you check out http://cornerstonefibres.blogspot.com/
and scroll down to July 17th - you'll see some of these rovings that have been dyed by Kim's son
Jared. Jared is only 9 years old - but boy - does he have a way with colours!

The next few weeks are going to be very busy - lots of stuff happening, however - I will try to post as much as possible.

I'll have an updated sales list coming up, and pictures of my new hobby - needle felting.
Oh - and I've been taking some pictures of the lambs this last few days - I'll try to get them posted as well - they are growing like weeds!

Ram for Sale or Trade

This is Pedro. I really don't want to sell him - however - I have to make room for ram lambs coming in - and he's too small for my big boys at the other farm - they would kill him. And - he's too big for my little rams - you know the drill.

Anyway - Pedro is an equisite HST (head, socks, tail) - or for you more traditional types - yuglet, sokket, with a lovely, crimpy black fleece. Conformation is correct in every way - and those horns are awesome - and striped. Just love them.
He is very much a gentleman - but friendly enough for chin scratches.

And his genetics are very diverse - he comes from Valley Road Rusty (who is a mioget - so he carries the modified genetics), and Woolly Nelly - who looks very much like him.

I am willing to part with him for $350 - or an even trade for a solid, non fading moorit EWE lamb - or yearling with single coated crimpy fleece and good conformation.

Please - if you are interested in this fella - contact me - I'd hate to have to send him to market.
He will produce flash in your flock - if you breed him to another yuglet, flecket or sokket - you should get something pretty much like him. Bred to solids or spots - you'll get lots of smirlets and flecket markings.

I'd like to see his genetics continue on. Oh - and one more thing - I am heading up to Uxbridge
in later July - so if you can meet me somewhere around that area - I can at least get him that far. I am also probably heading to the Kingston area in late August - or September, so that is also an option. I also frequently travel up the Bruce Peninsula on weekends as well.
Otherwise - contact me re shipping and we'll see what we can work out.

Today I am Very Sad

This is my beautiful baby girl. Her name is Brittany.
In May she turned 18.
This morning, at 6 am, I drove her to the bus.

She is gone until July 28th, to Petawawa (a military base about
10 hours from here) for a training course.
Now - don't get me wrong. Brittany is in the reserve forces - and NO she's not going to Afghanistan.
She is my right hand - and I am going to be so lost without her for a whole month.
She manages the farm with military precision - she points - and the sheep march. It's so amazing.
I point and the sheep scatter.
She's been gone for a whole day now, and I miss her so much. Not because I need her help - but because - even though she's a teen-ager - she's also my best friend, and we might bicker occasionally - but we do spend a lot of time laughing and joking around, and shopping.
I miss her. I spent most of the day feeling self pity and lying around. I am such a big baby.
But - she's off to university next year - and I keep telling myself that I have to get used to
her being away - because she probably will be at university on the other side of Canada.
On a brighter note - my son is here to help me out, because my DH, my left hand - also had to go out of town today for 2 weeks for work.

Tomorrow - I am going to post pictures of all the wonderful rovings I picked up on Saturday at
the mill.