So...Funny Story...

I've been enjoying baby Big Moose's picture in the 2020 Lamb Camp calendar this month.  Look at those big eyes and big ears!  He was such a handsome and silly lambie.  Still is  :-).  I'd like to say that's all the fun December Lamb Camp Calendar news...but it's not.  

I ran out of 2021 Lamb Camp calendars a week or so ago.  No worries, I just ordered some more from my maybe too local printer.  He brought home a fresh stack and I promptly sent them out to fill the waiting orders...and on Saturday afternoon noticed that he'd re-printed 2020 calendars.  

I think I've emailed everyone who may be panicking about having to go through 2020 all over again, but just to be safe, I'm posting it here as well.  Double check that you received the correct Lamb Camp calendar and let me know if you didn't.  The cobbler's kids...

While you are checking your orders, please make sure you received everything you wanted.  I ended up with an extra drawstring bag and possibly an extra felted wool pin when I tidied up the shipping area.  Hopefully I just miscounted, but at this point I'd say anything is possible.  Sigh...

House Cleaning

Don't get excited.  It ain't the actual house I'm cleaning ;-D.  

Just some check in notes:

The calendar sales were amazing.  Thank you so, so much!  Everything has been shipped and other than a few far away destinations, should be there by now.  If you haven't received your order, please let me know!  

I have no idea what Maisie has been up to, but her Orneries and kits are sold out.  I'd like to think it's just that she's so popular, but she's been popular for years and she's never sold so many...so, nervously, I'm afraid she's up to something.  Just a head's up if you are fixing to hang one on your tree...

Speaking of Maisie Ornerie kits, I'm trying to get up my nerve to do a live video of how to make them.  There are written out directions online, but it might be easier/more fun to watch me make one?  Part of this is to try to ease into doing more online or virtual stuff.  I'm not very comfortable that sort of thing, but as the spring festivals are already cancelling for next year, we are all trying to figure out a way to move forward. 

The Christmas card has finally been started.  I had a perfect idea all year...even wrote it down so I wouldn't forget about it...and changed it at the last minute.  Hey, it wouldn't be 2020 if it went by the plan ;-).   

Everyone here is doing okay.  I hope you all are well as well.  Stay safe and remember to look for joy...all around.

Warmest Before The Dawn

In the summer I wake up with the sun (around 6:00 a.m.) and start my day.  I let the dogs out, feed them and Bad Betsy, fix myself a big cup of coffee and walk up to the barn to do an early morning check.  

My main concern is B. Willard.  He likes to dig himself a comfy bed, but if he isn't careful how he lays down in it, he can get stuck with his feet higher than his overly round body and then not able to get up on his own which can be dangerous.  I hate to find him that way and on occasion he's given me a bad scare.

If I wasn't worried about him, I'd probably keep my 'get up with the sun' schedule during the fall and winter and sleep later in the morning like most animals.  However, that leaves him unwatched for a couple extra hours each day as the sunrise is so much later right now and I don't think it's worth the risk.  Plus, I love watching the sun rise

During the fall I sat on the Wool House porch with the dogs, and now frequently Possum, and check on my social media sheep friends while I finish my coffee.  If it's too rainy or windy and cold, we sit inside.  If it's not windy, I can tolerate some pretty cold temperatures and those cold, still mornings are some of my favorites.

This morning the moon was still pretty bright even though it's almost a week past full.  I did a flashlight check to make sure Willard was right side up and then stayed outside talking to Salt, giving Possum a snack, visiting with the horses, listening to the neighbor's rooster crowing and watching the stars disappear and the sky brighten.  There was no wind, so even though the thermometer said it was cold, I wasn't. 

This is the first year I've had to do these early morning checks and by doing so, I've learned a few fun things.  One, I love to be outside at dawn. Being able to watch everything on the farm wake up is a peaceful treat.  Another, you might think the coldest part of the day is right before the sun rises.  It's not.

The first couple of times I got too cold outside I thought I was imagining that it had gotten instantly extra cold.  Then I thought maybe it was just that I'd stayed out too long.  I'd be warm as toast for an hour or so and then suddenly freezing cold.  It didn't happen every day though and I noticed it was only happening on clear mornings with a bright sunrise...

Sure enough, if you google "Why does it get colder after the sun comes up?" you'll find the answer.  

Did you know it got colder just after dawn?

Meanwhile Back At The Wool House

20 has taken over shipping out orders because he says I'm disorganized and make too many mistakes.  Fine by me! The house is pretty disorganized as well...just sayin', 20 ;-).

20 has a stack of packages for me to take to the post office this afternoon and we are hoping to be completely caught up by tomorrow except for a couple of special orders.  Hay feeding season started two nights ago and it's amazingly comforting to know that the farm calendar sales will cover that bill and at least part of the straw bill.  

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Thank you all so much!!! 

What's That Smell?

 "Snow!"

Salt kind of shows up everywhere.  She comes up to the house to eat with Kate and Tilly.  She greets visitors at the barn.  She follows me around while I work and sleeps in the tack room.  Hank had his routines, too, but they were pretty much all behind the barn and out of sight...until it snowed.  

I remember his first night of really nasty winter weather here.  I *knew* these dogs were well equipped for cold weather and I shouldn't worry, but I did.  When I couldn't find him in the barn with the sheep or tucked into his dog house, I thought the worst.  He was miserable and had run away.

I finally found him out back.  He was running big excited circles in the front field, bounding through the snow with a huge grin on his face.  I went out and joined him and from then on, any time it snowed he and I would have a party.  

We got our first snow of the year yesterday morning...and even though I wasn't consciously thinking about Hank, my subconscious remembered and I realized I was looking around, expecting to see him.

I ended up having to run a lengthy errand in the afternoon and didn't get back until dark.  As I hustled up to the barn for evening chores, I cut through the snowy yard.  As I approached the big pine tree in the middle, a big white snow dog came bounding out to greet me with a big smile on her face.

A fine memory.

The Birthday Parties

Maisie got two birthday parties yesterday! We tried to do her party at 2:00 thinking that might be the warmest part of the day.  Turns out this is more of a Happy Hour crowd and that party sort of flopped.  Not to fear, Reg "baked" another cake and we had a birthday party re-do around 4:30 and a good time was had by all.  

The first party wasn't a complete bust.  Maisie enjoyed eating some birthday cake, but most of her friends didn't realize it was party time so they were heading out to graze the front field and she wanted to go with them.  If you are the birthday girl (or pretty much any time), you get to make the rules.

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I had technical difficulties with the live and recorded video with the first party, so I didn't even try to use my phone for the second party...and that may have been the best gift of the day.  I dusted off the Big Girl Camera and took actual pictures just like in the olden times.  

Love her little pink nose.  That's Andy in the front.

I love sweet Baba on the right, politely waiting her turn.

Walking out into the middle of this crowd carrying a box of "cake" is not for the faint of heart.   I always forget how big Murphy (at Reg's left elbow) is.  Jared, in front of her, is not small.  Muffin, in the background, is not small either, but she's doesn't like to get bounced around in the mosh pit so I snuck her a cookie later.

Reg shared with everyone, but made sure the birthday girl got the biggest share ;-).

Baaxter loves Auntie Reg.  Liddy's just there for the "cake" ;-).

Now that was a party!

Happy Birthday, silly Maisie :-)

The Birthday Girl

Today is Maisie's birthday!  She'll be stomping out her number 8 candle around 2:00 this afternoon and we're planning to share her party live on Instagram if you'd like to join her :-).  

It's hard to believe she was ever this tiny.  It's not hard to believe how sassy she was!