Lighten Up

Some of my sheep are a LOT lighter tonight. Jim Baldwin came from Ithaca to shear, Andrew and Loren came from New Berlin to wrangle sheep, and Mattie came to bark orders at everyone (except Jim, ofcourse). The skies opened up and rain poured down, leaking through the tin roof over the barn extension where Jim was set up. We managed to get through 40 sheep. Some had been shorn over the summer and did not need another haircut, and some had run off into the rainy pasture and escaped. A few fleeces were so felted they came off in one piece, suitable for a floor rug. Others were so downy soft and fell apart in little locks, typical of Bluefaced Leicester. We were honored to have the famous local potter and felter, Suzanne Farrington, as a guest at our shearing today. On the last day of the farmer's market she asked if she could come over and buy some fleece for teaching. I told her we were shearing and would she like to come and pick a fleece right off the sheep? She was so excited and called this morning to confirm. It was great to have another pair of hands. While Matt and Loren caught and wrangled sheep over to Jim, Andrew and I took the shorn sheep off the platform. Andrew held them still while I did shots and hoof trimming. Suzanne and I picked up the newly shorn fleeces and bagged them. I fantasize about having a "skirting team" to pick debris out of fleeces before they are bagged - maybe someday. Anyhow, we quit around 3, as Jim said he had a date with his living room sofa. Andrew and Loren hauled the bags of wool up to the grain room for safe storage, while I showed Suzanne some older fleeces. She felts with natural colors, and was looking for some grey and brown accents in a black fleece. We found the perfect fleece and she went home happy with several bags of wool, including the felted pelts which she wants to use as rugs. She has just ripped up her wall-to-wall carpeting and is excited about the new look. It was a good day, and I'm hoping Jim will come back and do the rest of the sheep and goaties. Jim is so funny and wonderful to work with. He takes his time and cares about the sheep, showing concern about this one being a little thin, etc. He advised me not to keep big and little sheep together, as the big ones will always take more and squeeze the little ones out. Loren and Matt caught some big wethers like Andrew, Aragorn and Bilbo and others, and put them out in the boy's pen. At last look they were getting along fine. I have some pregnant ewes and have to start feeding them more. My new sheep, a Cotswold mix, I think, is a lot lighter now, being relieved of her gigantic fleece. She is very overweight, but on a diet now. Sheep are not overfed on Maggie's Farm...