The Winner

Well, besides the animals at Wolf Run, is Marcy from California.

A huge thank you to everyone! I believe we raised around $350. That surely puts a good dent in the hay bill for Bluebell and her barnyard buddies :-).

I used RANDOM.ORG for the drawing.

The Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Even the "old" porch had beauty. And this particular beauty is tired of sitting out in the middle of the yard like a bunch of shiftless hobos live here. I think Hank might have even peed on it last night as he made his "rounds" :-o.

Anyway, the porch is almost done!

Some things I've learned:

Don't ever try this yourself. Whatever it costs to have a professional painting CREW come in will be worth every penny.

If you DO have to do something like this, steal Saint Tim's iPod. He's got some classic tunes...and a few real stinkers. Sylvia's Mother? Seriously?

If you play Robert Earl Keen loud enough, the cats stay clear away (from the wet paint).

If a bluegrass band covers a vulgar rap song, you will laugh. Every time it rolls back around.

Mary Gauthier. Some beautiful songs there. Some are so sad though that you sort of feel like Snoopy listening to Schroeder playing the piano. Here's a link to a new (to me) favorite.

Blue masking tape isn't infallible. Sigh.

Oil based paints are a real PITA and will ruin perfectly good, brand new (Renny tossing) Crocs.

But Zappos will ship a new pair within 24 hours.

I deserve them.

And maybe a little mercy.

Surely by noon EST tomorrow I'll be able to move all the furniture and plants back on the porch (see oil based paints above) and out of the yard. How about we draw for Bluebell's fleece to celebrate!

If you donated to Wolf Run, sent me an email and did not hear anything back, send it again so I don't miss anyone for the drawing. If you donated and forgot to send an email, the address is thecrazysheeplady AT gmail DOT com. If you'd still like to donate (or at any time in the future) you can follow this link.

Whew!

Lamb Camp

Poor lil' Lila.

"What do you mean I'm a sheep???"

"I was born a [Border Collie]! I remember the days, sittin' on the porch with my family..." **



"Wait. We didn't have one of these on the porch."

Good ole' Miss Ewenice, looking on.



Renny tried to be nice (only because when she wasn't, I'd throw a Croc at her ;-).



But in the end was just a big butt. A really big butt. But with not a scar to be seen :-).

I set my cot up in this makeshift stall (the little lamb pen shed was just too hot) and spent much of the first day up there, making sure Lila wasn't too stressed...or punched on. Sometimes things went along just fine, but I'm not sure if it was the heat or being jealous of having to share Ewenice, but Renny got voted off the island around midnight the first night.



Not only for being snarky to Lila, but YOU'RE BLOCKING ALL THE AIR FROM THE FAN, RENNY!!!



Miss Ewenice wasn't super jazzed about being put back into work, but really, there's no one better. When I explained to her that she was obviously irreplaceable, she sighed a couple times and buckled down. And took a nap.



They did make it outside a couple times. Renny and Ewenice would head out to graze. I would try to stay in the shade (still 90 degrees). Lila would just want to stay with me (sleeping by my cot - sniffle sniffle) so I'd have to go out and "graze" so she'd learn that's what sheep do.

I could see the pool. It was a rough, hot afternoon.



But the bees were out working the clover. Which seems like a no brainer except for the fact that a bunch of us have been watching the clover and never seen a bee and were starting to wonder...

I've been blown away by the response to the Wolf Run Animal Sanctuary fundraiser. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Updated: If someone local wins and wants to learn how to spin Bluebell's wool themselves, I'd be happy to teach you.

Spread the word!

** This is a line from what movie?

A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing?

On these miserable hot days, I frequently sometimes think about cashing it all in, putting on some clean, not sweaty clothes and heading back to an air conditioned office job. I update my resume while hosing myself down with cold water before heading back out in the blazing sun to mow dusty grass and I'm sure there are ways to reconstruct my daily activities to fit the corporate world.

"I am able to motivate large groups of [sheep] only occasionally resorting to yelling, cursing, bringing out Big Blue (the barn broom - works exceptionally well on chickens too ;-)."

"I am able to prioritize duties (for God's sake, whatever happens, don't run out of cat/dog/sheep/horse/chicken food)."

The one thing I never dreamed could be added to my list of experiences was "I sheared three sheep at a wolf sanctuary."

"Excuse me?"

"Yes, and in the middle of it all, an ambulance went by on a nearby highway, sirens blaring, and the wolves (all around us) started howling. The sheep seemed unfazed."

I think you get extra points for something like that.

So yes, I went out to Wolf Run Wildlife Refuge last week and sheared three sheep. And yes, it's a wolf (and big cat, some monkeys, deer...) refuge. I normally don't like to get involved with something like this, but it was super hot and they (most importantly the sheep - one very old, one blind) were desperate.



This is Bluebell. I wish I'd taken my camera. Bluebell is the very old sheep. A handsome, big Corriedale (guessing) ewe with a face that looks like it could tell some stories. Most of her fleece had felted and some of it had some weird dandruffy stuff, but I was able to salvage a big bag of really beautiful fiber.



Super soft, gorgeous color.



I wonder if Bluebell has ever had her wool spun before. Was she a breeding ewe past her prime? Was she someone's pet they "outgrew"? Was she the last sheep in an retiring spinner's flock? How did she end up at a wolf refuge?



At least there are some places like that, bizarre as it sounds, where she can live out her days.



I asked to take a tour after we finished shearing. As I said earlier, I don't tend to get involved with places like this. I don't enjoy going to the zoo and seeing lions pacing the fronts of their runs...those sorts of things. I was pleasantly surprised.

It wasn't fancy, but no one seemed at all distressed. They had clean water, plenty of food, shelter, shade, trees, toys, companionship if they wanted... The barnyard animals all run together (except the two pot bellied pigs) and everyone has a name and is well loved.

Wolf Run, like every rescue - people or animal - is struggling right now. The economy is tight for everyone and those of us feeding animals definitely know the costs. In light of all the recent disasters, there are so many organizations, local and worldwide, that need our help. I'm wondering though if we could all get together and do something small (which becomes something big) to help this wolf rescue that has rescued three sheep.

I have a bag of beautiful Bluebell fiber - 16 ounces washed. I test spun and knit a small sample yesterday (yes, there was actually spinning and knitting in the wool house!) and it definitely passes the ooh/ahh test :-). Someone should have been rescuing her fleece all along.

Wolf Run has a "donate" button on their Help Support WR page. How about if anyone who'd like to make a donation do so - directly to Wolf Run please - and then send me an email at thecrazysheeplady AT gmail DOT com and let me know you did. We'll do this on the honor system, Yarn Harlot style, and for every $5 you donate I'll create a "raffle ticket" and at the end I'll draw a winner.

If you are the winner and a spinner I will send you the bag of beautiful Bluebell and you can enjoy spinning it yourself. If you are not a spinner, but would like to have some yarn from a very special sheep with a great story, for an additional donation of $50 to Wolf Run, I'll spin it for you. If you are neither a spinner nor interested in the yarn, don't feel (too) bad ;-) We'll put together a suitable prize for you.

How does that sound? I think it will work. Let's set the drawing deadline (never a deadline for donations ;-) at - well, I'm not sure. Do we let it go until the end of the month or is that too long?