Oldies But Goodies

I think I've talked about "Easy Breezy" on the blog, but in case I haven't, it's the bigger version of Del Boca Vista, utilizing the end of the outside stall and the level paddock next to the barn.  DBV is perfect for a couple sheep, but when the population as a whole starts getting older, more and more sheep needed to move into "assisted living" this fall.

Silly Lila, one of my very favorite bottle lambs from quite a few years ago.  She's not exceptionally old, but she has some arthritis issues that make it hard for her to keep up with the younger sheep.

Popcorn PeePee Pants.  Her birthday is in January, but I don't remember the exact day.  I'd look it up on the blog...but she's older than the blog!  She will be 14 next month.  

PPPP is the lamb on the bookmarks we hand out in the festival booths :-).  She makes a nice puzzle, too ;-).

Renny the invincible.  She's not old and definitely not skinny, but she's starting to have trouble with her horribly damaged back legs and can't negotiate the hills on the other side of the barn any longer.  She's loving the Easy Breezy life ;-D.

Billy Belly and Heidi.  Heidi is another of the old girls.  She'll be 13 this spring.  Billy Belly is only 12, but he was a bit thin heading into fall so I moved him into EB so he could get some extra food.  He's also loving the EB life ;-D.

Ewen McTeagle, Woolliam and Allie do still come out and graze at least a little bit.  Ewen can usually be talked into grazing in the yard for a few minutes after breakfast if I stand out there with him.  Allie likes to go out in the afternoons and Woolliam does a bit, but he's also quite happy to hang out indoors and eat hay and wait for the next Bingo game ;-).

Warm Winter Sun

It can be way down in the teens, even single digits, and as long as it's not windy and the sun is shining, it feels warm to me. Some more pictures from the Del Boca Vista Distraction Party the other day.

Maisie

Heidi - who's foot is all better now since I popped a big mud ball from between her toes after the Boxing Day cookie party :-).

That is Muffin (!) standing just to the right of Levi in the foreground.

Renny

Bullwinkle, Levi and Spud

Biscuit

The Sheep Chicken and Woolliam

A little slice of heaven...and two new puzzles :-).  

Enjoy!

Checking In With The Ts

Tavia, everyone's little favorite.  Even though you shouldn't have favorites ;-).  What a sassy, inquisitive little lamb.  She'll come up and sniff a cookie...but no takers yet.

Interestingly, the two multi horn girls (Tavia and Tabitha) tend to hang out together...

...and these two two horns (Thelma and Tara) pair up as well.

Poor Tessa isn't really as left out as she looks here.  The whole group is a tight knit family.

They do mingle with the older Jacobs some, but the older Jacobs are, well, old...and boring.  Much of the day the girls are off on adventures of their own.  Today is the first cold rainy night since they moved into the side field.  After moving Heidi the Grouch back to the main flock, they feel much safer coming into the barn.  I'm getting ready to go check on them, just to make sure.

Soaking Up Some Sun

It's been a little colder than I'd like (down to 4 the night before last) but I've loved the snow!  Walking out to the barn late at night to check on everyone and toss out a little more hay - everything is so bright and crunchy and sparkly and quiet and...  

We've been lucky and no wind.  Everyone can handle single digits when there is no wind.  Beautiful sunshine yesterday.  Clouds moving in today and we are headed back to the mid 60s and rain in a couple days.  I (and the sheep, but maybe not the chickens ;-) will take sunny cold and frozen any day!   

Annabelly, Billy Belly and Heidi

Keebler and Allie

Keebs again

Buddy.  He may never have a cool 'do but he has awesome ear fuzz :-D.

Hershey, Hank and Liddy

Ewen

Oh, and from the If something weird is going to happen, it's going to happen to Maisie department...here's a sort of funny Maisie story.

I did remember to unhook the hose from the hydrant last week, but forgot to drain said hose...so it's been full of ice for the last four or five days.  Not really a problem as I can carry buckets of water to refill the water tanks.  Just an inconvenience...much like the pioneers faced ;-).

The other night I was carrying out a big bucket of water.  Somehow Maisie bumped into it and got thoroughly splashed.  It was heading down to five that night.  Five and wet would be horrible, except it was Maisie, who has probably five or six inches of wool on her so it probably hadn't reached her skin.

Still, I didn't want her to lie down and have it soak in, so I quickly (and sort of without thinking) started madly brushing as much water off her side as I could.  For those who've met the little darling, let's just stop and think about what was going to happen next...

 At least I lived to tell the story ;-D.

The [Sheep] Days Of Summer

The Dog Days of Summer - dictionary.com

1. The sultry part of the summer, supposed to occur during the period that Sirius, the Dog Star, rises at the same time as the sun: now often reckoned from July 3 to August 11. 

2. A period marked by lethargy, inactivity, or indolence.

The Sheep Days of Summer (or Fall or Winter or Spring) - Equinox Farm

1.  Every day.

It has been super hot and humid this summer.  Every day.  More days in the 90s than not. I hate summer.  At least we've had decent rain up to this point.  I think we are headed for a hot, dry spell though :-(.  I really hate that.  I've been trying to keep everything rolling, but I'm about to embrace my inner sheep and just hibernate until fall.

Daniel

Annabelly always looks sleepy.  Heidi is just scratching her face on the mineral box.  The Jacobs can handle the heat better than the others.

No one naps like Baba (Blossom).  

Miss Allie, Elizabeth's daughter.

Rebecca Boone

Liddy and Maisie, both using the ole gate pillow.

Petunia

Bed Head ;-).

How Hot Is It?

There are Jacobs in the aisleway of the barn!  Completely against the code of Jacobs.  Jacobs hang out in the outer stall (except Billy Belly who is always in the inner stall - maybe because he snores or something).   Jacobs, being a more "feral" breed than, say, any of the Nistock sheep, don't like to draw attention to themselves.  They stay "outside".  Yesterday they were "inside".  That's pretty darn hot.

Ford, Henri and Jester have learned to like being in the aisleway.  It took awhile.  That's Heidi and Allie standing up.  Look how many sheep are lined up along the wall.  

I'm not sure who's idea it was, momma Baby Belly or daughter Clover Belly (like Emily and Casper Belly, they are inseparable), but there they are, smack in the middle of the aisleway.  I took this through the gate because I knew if I got too close I'd spook them and they'd scatter.  Let 'em sleep.

Oh, and here comes Casper Belly with momma Emily behind her.  It's getting pretty crowded in there!

Uh oh, and now Hershey (cue duh duh duh duh music).  I'm not sure why he left his Number One Profile position in front of the outer stall's fan.  Possibly Murphy finally got one over on him.  Or maybe he came in to get a drink and saw I was in the barn.  He's the opposite of feral ;-).

Daniel has been ruling the left side of the aisleway fan.  Last year he had the outer fan.  Hershey pushed him out this year.  Is he making a move on the aisleway fan too now???  Can you tell how close he's standing over Daniel?

"Ready to say Uncle yet?"

"I can take whatever you dish out."

Actually, I'm not sure that's what's going on.  For some reason, the hotter it gets the closer sheep want to stand.  The physics of it probably work if everyone's a sheep, but if it's me they are all leaning on, usually at least four at a time...it's not at all cooling or comfortable.

But it could be a show of strength.  I think of Jester as being a pretty big sheep.  He's definitely big for a Jacob.  He's actually using the gate as a head rest (I think), but I wouldn't be surprised if he's was wishing he could get a couple licks in on Hershey.  

B. Willard just wishes everyone would go back inside.

Yesterday seemed to be the hottest day so far.  Today is supposed to be in the 90s too, but tomorrow there's a chance of rain and the high is just the upper 80s.  I can't believe I'm saying "just the upper 80s".  Sigh...

May Your Year...

...be spent walking in sunlight...

...surrounded by friends...

...with a good guardian watching over you.

What To My Wondering Eyes Should Appear

Sheep back on the dam of the big pond!  And why should this be such a surprise?  I have no bloomin' idea.

Our sheep have had access to the pond dam for years.  There's a gate right back there and so much grass growing on it that they couldn't eat it all if they tried.  No one has ever ventured over.

I finally had to go grab the camera so I could see who'd joined the adventure club and record their first meeting.

Looks like Baaxter, Woody, Woolliam, Heidi, Chocula, Spud and the other white sheep might be Keebs.  Yep, that sounds about right.  Murphy tends to hang out with the "big kids".....and that might help clarify the Christmas card design that I am struggling mightily to pull together!

And poor Hank is left in the middle, trying to keep an eye on both groups....which is where I already have him positioned in the card design.  It might come together after all!

*     *     *     *     *

When I added in Maisie's emailed birthday greetings, we were at almost 100 so we kicked in another box of cards.  Maisie was all for that as she'll apparently kick anything that isn't stuffed full of Cheerios ;-D.

Using Random.org, here are the winners!  Please email me with which card design you'd like and your mailing address. 

Kim Ridge

Marsha

I'm gonna tell mom

Bow Street Flowers

Doing It Her Way

I've had several requests for some Maisie pictures and updates. It's been a crazy couple of weeks around here and my cameras have been gathering dust (and rocks - don't ask), but I made a "date" for this morning and headed out. 

The morning sun was beautiful...but the sheep weren't in it.  And Maisie was just interested in eating, and just eating she looks a lot like every other sheep out there.  Which is nice really.  I'm glad she fits right in with the flock and "is a sheep".  A successful graduation after months in the house :-).

As everyone started to head in, I trained the camera on Maisie and her silly long tail.  If she's walking or trotting, it swings back and forth like a metronome - bing bing bing bing.  When she runs she still swings it around like a propeller :-D.

In they go.  That's Heidi and Chocula in front of her.

But she has to stop to see what Hank's into. 

"Hey, don't you like playing dog games anymore?"

Bing bing bing bing bing...