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...

The 2021 Calendars

From the back cover...

"As most of you know, I really struggled with creating the farm calendar this year.  2020 was a year of incredible loss on and off the farm and I've heard so many folks talking about how much they are looking forward to welcoming the new year and putting the old year behind them. I can't help but agree...and yet, in having to look back through all the photos I took throughout this strange, sad year, I actually found so very much to be grateful for. I hope I’m not alone in that.

So, once again, Miss Tilly is still keeping our feet warm, but now Kate is mostly just trying to keep herself in line.  Salt has taken on as many of Hank's duties as she can and hearing her deep ba-roo makes me smile.  Betsy is still on house arrest for not only the menacing of birds, but now also sweet little Possum out in the barn. Every so often I catch a glimpse of orange out of the corner of my eye and can't help but hope that Comby is napping in the sun somewhere nearby. 

As always, a very special thanks to Saint Tim for doing all the hard work and heavy lifting and a grateful thank you to all of you who have become such an important part of our farm family.  You were spot on in voting to give everyone a Victory Lap.  I hope you enjoy welcoming the new year with this calendar."

The Victory Lap was hard...but it was the right thing to do...if for no other reason than to force me to go back and look at pictures from when the year was new and some of my oldest and dearest friends were still pretty young at heart.

I like the new format.  The calendar is a bit larger, but not outrageously so.  It was a bit more expensive to print, but luckily I "know a guy" ;-).  The shipping will be a bit more too, but hopefully not outrageously so.  

The big pictures are a little bigger...but so are the little pictures and I like that.

There are more columns (7 days) the rows (weeks) which left a gap at the bottom, so I filled that in with a little something, sometimes a story, sometimes just some thoughts.  I like that, too.  The calendar feels maybe a bit too personal at times, but as the only place it will be for sale is here with us, not at a random crowd festival, I think that's okay.

Of course there's Hank...

...and Early and his adopted moms and dads.

...and Comby with some of his oldest and dearest friends.

The Lamb Camp calendars are comfortingly the same.  Lots of cute lambs and good mommas...

...and Early doing what I hope we all remember most about him.

The Lamb Camp calendars are still $10.00.  The Equinox Farm calendars are $16.50.  The shipping, which has become the bane of my existence these last few days, is where it gets a bit messy.  

For the past couple of years I was able to use the USPS flat rate envelopes no matter where in the country I was shipping. The new calendar doesn't fit in those envelopes.  This could be good news if you are close by because it may actually be cheaper shipping to you now.   If you live in California, the shipping could cost around $15.00...if I'm understanding everything correctly.

To make this even more exciting, I'm going to try to do all the shipping from home this year rather than stand in line at the crowded post office every day.  Also, I realize that UPS or FedEx might possibly be cheaper...but I don't have those options in my small town.  Thank goodness for the USPS.

While especially in this year of no fiber festivals, these calendar sales are going to be an important fund raiser for the farm, I also know that the farm calendar is important to many people who look forward to turning the page on each month.  

2020 was hard on everyone.  I'm sorry the costs have gone up.  If you are not in a position to pay for a more expensive calendar this year, send what you can.  It will all work out somehow and 2021 will be better if we all have Hank, Salt, Tilly, Kate, Comby and Possum at our back.  Maybe not Betsy so much ;-).

As always, if you are interested in buying a calendar or anything else from the farm shop (except for the felted pumpkins that I just can't seem to get made this year :-o) just drop me an email and tell me what you would like to order.  Don't forget to include your address.  I'll send everything out from my "on farm postal desk" (:-o) and include an invoice and return envelope and you can drop a check back in the mail.

Save For A Rainy Day

 

This sweet sun bathing lambie picture doesn't really work for the 2021 Lamb Camp calendar, but she might be just what we need on this dreary, drizzly afternoon :-).

Spring 2020

Final Frontier Farm, Paris, Kentucky

Blast From The Past

 

I was looking for an old photo the other day and stumbled on this Lamb Camp picture I took back in 2014.  I thought to myself that that momma's face looked mighty familiar. Wouldn't it be sweet if it was Cheeto?  I zoomed in...and sure enough...#186 :-).  I've apparently been in love with Cheeto for a long time :-).

Happy Mother's Day - Lamb Camp Edition

These are California Reds at Morgandell Farm in Cynthiana, Kentucky.  One is a new puzzle :-).

Lamb Camp - Kitchen Edition

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“Hi!”

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Apr 12, 2020 at 6:42pm PDT

My name is Early.  I was born on Saturday.  I wasn't early.  I was actually late.  My mom had my brother almost four hours before she had me.  That's very unusual.  Of course by then no one was watching for me and my mom was pretty confused and it was pretty cold out and I nearly died.

I got cleaned up and tube fed some warm colostrum and held on a warm lap in the "warming oven" also known as "the old blue truck" with the sun shining in on me and I finally came around.  I have a warm wool jacket to wear, too.

Of course, between my strange birth and the time it took to get me revived, my real mom decided I was better off in the truck so thecrazysheeplady brought me home and now I live in the kitchen with her.  I'm doing okay now she thinks, but I know everyone was pretty worried about me.

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Mobile day care set up. This is why I try to not bring home a lamb until the end of lambing 🙄. . #workingmom

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Apr 13, 2020 at 7:53am PDT

We still go to Lamb Camp farms during the day and I stay in the back of the car when she's busy.  I have lots of snuggly straw there and she comes out to check on me and give me babas and when there's a good break, I get to come to the barn and play with my cousins.

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Playing in the barn 😍

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Apr 13, 2020 at 7:39pm PDT

Last night I got to go to our barn and play for awhile.  I met some of the big sheep and they seem pretty cool.  A sheep named Big Moose was really excited to play with me, but my mom said I was too little and I'd have to wait until I got bigger.

Lamb Camp

Lamb Camp is in full swing...and that's been good.  We know these hard times are coming when we live with old animals and it's what we have signed on for, to follow through to the end, but that doesn't really make it any easier, eh?  Thank you for so many kind words and good memories.  

So there's lambs!

I've been taking pictures with my big girl camera, but haven't had time to download them yet.  In the meantime I'm enjoying the convenience and quality of the camera on my new iPhone.  I've posted some pretty cute pictures on Instagram/FB and a couple fun videos.

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My afternoon project, to help teach this very cute, but a little challenged lamb how to use the “milk dispenser”. He finally got it 😀. Such a patient momma 🥰. . #lambing2020 #lambcamp #finalfrontierfarm

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Apr 9, 2020 at 1:31pm PDT

I caught this little guy still trying to nurse off his momma's front legs this afternoon, but he's getting there.  Boys... ;-).

Whatchu Doin' Lady?

I'm taking pictures of cute lambies like you!

And then I grab one for some snorgling :-).

Thanks for the pictures, Miss B!

A couple of cute lambs from the nursery pen at Final Frontier Farm, Paris, KY

I Hope Everyone Is Using Their Time Wisely

I know I am (I'm not :-/).  I took the biggest horse on the farm and shrank him down to Breyer Stablemate size and taught him to balance on a fence plank.  So there!

* * * * *

I have tons I want to post, the most important being our new baby chicks!  That was my plan this morning, but I got sidetracked by this funny picture of Lancelot.  If I'd gotten the chicks posted earlier in the week, I'd have said they were the "cutest" thing to post, but now Lamb Camp has started ...  :-D.  

I will do better!  I will try to do better.  Everybody hang in there.

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Two sets of triplets today! 🥰 . #lambing2020 #lambcamp #finalfrontierfarm

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Apr 2, 2020 at 4:33pm PDT

Whatchu Mean?

"...I wasn't supposed to be born until April?"

Whoops ;-).

Lamb Camp Legacy Yarn

After we got Baaxter back under control, I was able to get a couple really sweet pictures of the sheep with the new yarn.  

(new puzzle :-)

I always wonder how much they understand about...life.  I know they understand that getting sheared makes them feel a lot better, but do they know that what's in the basket is the wool from their backs?

Or their kids backs?  Rocky was very, very interested in the yarn.

Remember when I threw Rocky under the bus for being a spoiled sport about getting his picture taken?  Jared...  This is as close to the yarn as he'd get and it was just for a split (and blurry) second.

"Dudes, I don't know nothin'  about that yarn.  I'm just here for the ladies...and the cookies."

So this is the Lamb Camp....Legacy yarn.  It's a limited edition, small batch run, spun from some of the nicest lambs sired by Nistock Farm's Rocky and Jared when they were working over at Tring Farm, before they retired over here.

The yarn is a really versatile DK weight and I think it would be suitable for almost anything, except possibly socks...but I'm not a sock expert, so I could be wrong.  It's comfy and soft, but still has some texture and feels like actual wool.  I'll stop here before I say something disparaging about over processed merino... ;-).

Rocky and Jared are Cotswold crosses and the mommas are crosses of North Country Cheviots and Polypays and maybe a little Dorset, so the blend is a lovely mix of crimpy down type wool with a lovely longwool drape and luster.  I love the natural colors and the soft sheepy feel.  It really is beautiful.

Each washed skein measures 250 yards and the two grays weigh around 3.5 ounces and the white weighs almost 4 ounces, so it's on the heavier end of DK weight.  I can also wind off skeins without washing, for weavers.  Unwashed skeins are measured at 262 yards to account for shrinkage.

I've knit the three color sample and dyed and knit the Forest for the Trees hat.  I've also woven a dollhouse rug  with it for a friend.  I enjoyed each project and am very happy with this fun and useful yarn.  I'm also getting ready to start a small cable project, too, you know...for marketing purposes ;-).

Speaking of marketing, each skein is $18.  And it often goes without saying, but buying this yarn supports not just our farm and sheep, but also Tring Farm, who raised these legacy lambs, and Stonehedge Fiber Mill, who spun the yarn, and our sheep shearers, our veterinarians, our local feed mill,  our hay and straw producers...

By the way (more marketing ;-D) there are still about a dozen Equinox Farm calendars and 4 Lamb Camp calendars left in case anyone is still needing a 2020 calendar!  We are no longer able to recycle paper here (do not get me started!) so I'd love to find them good homes.  Sale prices $10 (farm) and $8 (Lamb Camp).

Top Nine 2019

It's the time of the year to join the "Top Nine"...whatever you call it...thingy...where you "click the button" (my brain is mush) and it searches through your year of Instagram photos and assembles a collage of your nine most popular photos.  Mine is pretty cute this year :-).  

Two from Wovember, one of silly Mini Moose and the rest from Lamb Camp at Final Frontier and Tring Farms.  I kind of thought Frankie would show up somewhere, but as we all know, it's hard to compete with babies ;-D.

The card is painted and printed and hopefully going in the mail this afternoon.  Whew!  It was a real struggle this year and I'm not really sure why.  Now that's it's done and I'm almost 48 hours away from it, I'm pretty happy with it.  It's cute and sweet and I think everyone will enjoy it.

Here's a funny story...Saint Tim's superpower is making me laugh when there seems to be nothing to laugh at.  After several super late nights struggling (unsuccessfully) to paint the card, I got up (still too tired) the other morning to find Eli's tree ("the stairway to heaven") had fallen down after the latest 3" deluge of rain.

The tree was very old.  There were only a couple branches left on it and they were barely, but bravely hanging on.  Eli used it to climb up to the porch roof (his "office").  I framed pictures of the back of the farm through it's lacy leaves.  Momma birds raised babies in the hollow trunk.  It was a good old friend.  

I stood there staring at it...turned and walked back inside...stood in the kitchen...didn't pour myself a cup of coffee...finally went to tell Tim...and then the tears spilled.  Tim's not as sentimentally attached to trees as I am, but it was Eli's tree and it was special because of that.  

He listened to the tree story, the unhappiness with the card painting, the "I wish I'd stopped after last year like I'd said I was going to"...and "clicked the button" in his brain and said, "You should just download the Loony Tunes font and plaster "That's All Folks!" across the front...and all I could see was Maisie pasted in where Porky Pig usually is, saying "Th-th-th-that's all folks!" :-D

That's (probably) not all folks, but it was just what I needed.  

Keep laughing!

Sunny, Smiley...Cheeto?

I wish I'd never called this pretty ewe "Cheeto".  It was cute nickname at the time...but surely we can come up with something better?  Help!

*      *      *      *      *

I first met "Cheeto" back in 2014 apparently.  I recently stumbled across an old photo of her in my sheep files.  She was snuggled up with a cute white ewe lamb and I'm wondering if she was one of the early Lamb Camp Calendar models?  I'm not sure why it was in a random folder with no similar pictures around her though.  I honestly think it was destiny.

The first time I actually remember meeting her was early last spring.  That morning she was just another ewe I was watching in the lambing field.  She was resting out in the field, legs crossed in front of her, and I thought she was cute...so I took her picture.  

Later that day and into the evening, every time I turned around I'd see her looking at me.  Sometimes standing right beside me.  "Hello there! Would you like to take my picture again?" This went on for a couple of weeks until she lambed...and I took pictures of her and her pretty lambs.

This spring she picked up right where she left off last year.  I'd be crouched down helping a lamb or taking a picture and I'd turn around and she'd be standing right next to me.  "Hi there!" It never failed to make me smile :-).  

She had two beautiful lambs this year, Big Moose and a sister who is staying at Final Frontier Farm as a replacement ewe.  She probably could have lambed one more year, but she has an arthritic knee and I wanted to retire her here so I could see her smiley face every day. 

I don't know why we pick the friends we do or why they pick us.  I'm just glad we're friends.

"Hi there!"

"Would you like to take my picture?"

One of these is a new puzzle :-).

Enjoy!