Hershey

Hershey had a lump on the side of his jaw.  It started small and we thought maybe a bad tooth.  It didn't respond to antibiotics and continued to grow so the vet came and drew off some fluid for a biopsy, but the results came back inconclusive.  

X-ray showed something that wasn't involving the jaw and as it was growing quickly and starting to affect his ability to eat, we decided to go in surgically in hopes it was just a weird pocket of infection...but knew that it was most likely not.

The surgery was scheduled for yesterday and luckily we were able to do it on the farm.  Shipping one sheep into a clinic is very stressful.  I'd told Hershey what we were going to do and that we were going to try to fix him but even if we couldn't, it would be okay.  

It was a very aggressive malignant tumor...and we did the hard right thing.  And it will be okay...eventually.  

Hershey

May 2013 - October 2019

I picked this picture not only because it was one of my favorites, but also because it's been so long since he's been chocolate colored (his first shear only) that it's fun to remember why he was named Hershey.  There is a lot fun to remember about Hershey.

Now for a head's up.  The next two posts are not going to be any easier to read.  I'm posting them all in a row tonight and separately because they all deserve their own posts and I don't want to drag it out over three days.  

It will all be okay...eventually.

Work In Progress

Sadly not new pictures of my only knitting WIP...which is a basically just a work with no progress :-/.

Just a pretty fleece and a bunch of drop spindles on the porch.  Yep, it's that time of year.  Time to be getting ready for the upcoming fall festivals.  I have two coming up - the Millersburg Chautauqua Days festival this weekend and the big Kentucky Wool Festival the first weekend of October...which isn't far away...but it sure feels like it.  96 degrees this afternoon.  'Nuff said.

Happy thoughts, happy thoughts...this is Hershey.  Remember when Hershey was...Hershey colored?  2013 :-o.  How did that happen?  

He's a beautiful silver now.

Sure looks pretty and cool and relaxing on the porch this afternoon...  Luckily now that "August" is finally here (after two months of July apparently) the evenings cools off pretty nicely.  The Wool House Crafters meeting tonight shouldn't be too awful.  Auntie Reg made chocolate cake so that will make it all better...until tomorrow when it's 96 again.  No break until at least next week.  'Nuff said.

A Good Day

Like most [days], best celebrated every day :-).

Snow Day

Baaxter's not looking too excited about it...although I think he actually likes snow.  He stays out in it a long time and likes to eat snow off the gate rungs... 

Hershey is well, um, insulated ;-).

So is Chocula.  Snow will sit on top of the sheep's backs for days, never melting, much like on the roof of a well insulated house.

"I'm well insulated, too, which is good because my mom is still locked in the Pepperpot Cafe for breakfast and I can't go snuggle up with her."  

"That stupid Pepperpot Cafe is set up right where I always sleep.  That's MY spot."

Thelma and Burrnie

The snow ended around noon and the sun came out.  A very pretty afternoon :-).

And a new puzzle.  Enjoy!

Christmas Stills

Petunia

Liddy

Mrs. Pepperpot

"I heard there would be cookies."

Hershey

Thelma and Tara

Woolliam

Bullwinkle

PPPP and Renny

Baaxter

"Where are the cookies, lady!"

We actually had a Christmas cracker party...and I tricked Maisie into eating one.  I made sure I was out of there before midnight so I didn't have to listen to what she probably had to say ;-).

Merry Christmas!

Hank Appreciation Post

Hank and Comby, getting ready for the early evening shift.

Which is a bit hard to do when your close talking co-worker won't leave you alone ;-D.

Spud is so cute.  He and Hershey love to hang out with Hank.  Marcel did, too.  

Hank can smell trouble.

A not Biscuit and Muffin puzzle ;-).

Enjoy!

Almost As Sweet As Baby Lambs

I glanced out the back door yesterday morning and saw sheep in the driveway.  Wait, just one sheep, not shorn (waiting until hot weather is here aka yesterday and today :-o), it's Jester.

"Yeah, it's just me."

And he tootled around for a good while, grazing in the yard and in the meantime, I posted this to Instagram and headed off to Lamb Camp.

Momentary panic that I'd left a gate open and the sheep were loose. Not that that has ever happened before 😆. Jester has apparently moved from the Del Boca Vista retirement village to the yard. #theybrokethemoldwithhim #oldsheep #17yearsold

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Apr 19, 2017 at 7:54am PDT

Remember this.

My view coming through the gate when I got home.  Glad I had my camera handy.  I just love this scene - sheep, horses to my left, Jester back out looking around.

And there's Hank and even Amelia is there, right above Jester's head.  I think that's Hershey getting a drink.

Sigh...  A peaceable little kingdom :-)

And then I see the Ts walking across the driveway in front of the barn.  Unlike Jester, they do NOT have run of the farm...unless I leave a gate open.  

You just can't make this stuff up...

April Showers

The chickens love Del Boca Vista, especially when it's raining.  Jester is a good sport about it.  Just realized I never shared that we put Ford down a few weeks ago.  Jester was pretty upset about it for awhile, but he's doing okay now.  He's had to watch a lot of old friends go over the years.  There are a lot of old friends...and some sad decisions coming up :-(.

Front row:  Chocula, Burrnie, Levi  Back row:  Murphy and Spud

Chocula

Liddy and Murphy.  I don't really think of Liddy as being super small, but I guess she is.  Or maybe Murphy is just super big, which is true.

In case child services comes after me, I had to pick up a new sheep arthritis prescription for Woolliam at the "people pharmacy" today.  I had to sign off on my "relationship to the patient". Since there wasn't a check box for sheep/pet/animal...I checked off that he was my "child". They'd put it under Murphy's name I guess because he was the most recent animal on the scary vet bill this month.  He's fine now, but gave us all quite a scare.

  Maisie: "I stay inside when it's raining."

Not sure why Hershey felt like he needed hair extensions.  Kids...

Yarn Along - More Hats...Really?

It's not midnight yet! Close though :-/. Got my iPad updated (finally) and sat on the couch for probably two hours working puzzles this evening. Who's big idea was it to make sheep puzzles??? Sigh...

Meanwhile, back at the Yarn Along, I finished (well, mostly) the Gone to the Mountains hat.  It, of course, doesn't fit quite the way I want and I toyed with frogging the whole thing and trying to knit it tighter, but decided a re-knit probably wouldn't make it significantly different so have decided to try fulling it a bit to see if I can shrink it just a hair...or a bit...shrinking a hat a hair sounds kind of funny ;-D.  

I'm in a huge quandary about what to knit next.  I've yet to complete a project that really felt like I'd done a good job and was back on my game.  This is troubling on several levels, but the most timely reason is because we are about 16 DAYS UNTIL THE START OF THE IKNITAROD! 

Yeah...  

I have another hat in my queue, the Owl in the Thicket hat.  I have the perfect yarn for it (Hershey's lamb fleece).  I think the pattern is neat.  And it reminds me of a fun afternoon spent with good friends.  We'd gone to a raptor presentation and been able to see a Great Horned Owl up close.  I love owls.

Here is some crazy strategy for you.  The last several projects I've attempted have been pretty straightforward and "easy".  And I've "failed".  This seems so improbable after some of the complicate projects of the past.  I'm thinking I need to go harder rather than easier.  Maybe I just need more focus.  See that chart above?  That ought to give me something to focus on!  There's even a cable in the brim. 

I could have cast on this afternoon, but I ended up getting distracted while trying to take pictures of the hats.  Winter sunshine is the best...if you can stay out of the wind.  Come sit on the bench in front of the Wool House with me.

And Hickory and some sheeps.

And Kate.

Even Betsy.

Something set Hank off and he called everyone in.  I could tell that bark was different, but I'm still trying to figure out exactly how.  I'm impressed I knew they'd all come running though, just by the tone of his voice.  I might turn into a sheep yet.  Fingers crossed!

I don't think I've read anything new this week.  I need to be reading the inside of my eyelids.  Off to make a barn check and then it's lights out!

Joining in with Ginny... 

Howling At The...

The back story - I saw several sheep grazing out by the ponds.  Not many sheep out these days between the several days of snow and many days of rain.  Sheep out in the "wilds" was a treat!  I grabbed the camera.

As I was snapping some grazing pictures, a heron flew in, just to my right, and landed at the small pond.  I'm actually further away than it looks due to zooming in.  The sheep all startled as it landed, but went back to eating.  Hank lost his mind though and called them all in.

"What?"

"We're coming!"

Just call Hershey Fabio ;-D

They were gettin' it!  Wish I'd thought to video it.

Liddy's not that fast.  She was closer to the front ;-).

But Bullwinkle is!

And so is Levi the Squirrel aka Captain America (someone please remind me to tell that story!)

Look at those luscious locks, flowing in the wind :-D

"As long as we can still beat a Jacob sheep, we're doing okay."

Turns out it might not be so hard to outrun a Jacob sheep around here anymore.  More about that later as well.

Murphy crossing the bridge.  Baaxter and Hershey holding up.  I'll share a couple more of them later this week.  Those boys...

It was a fun series of pictures and I just laugh out loud every time I see them running like that.  Too bad Maisie wasn't out there, but Bullwinkle and Woody are almost as funny.  And Hershey and his big 'do.  But really, was a heron that big of a threat?

Nope.

Long before I could hear anything...

Notice that he's run down the hill to put himself in between his sheep and the "coyotes".  Guard dogs are just amazing.  I might wonder what he's thinking, but I never second guess him.