Hug A Sheep Day - 2020 Style

 

The only complaint I've ever received about our Hug A Sheep Day farm parties is that out of town folks can't join in.  This year?  Everyone gets to come to the party! :-D

National Hug a Sheep Day is this Saturday...which is also Halloween...wink, wink.  While we mostly aren't up to hugging Maisie, you know we are probably going to make her dress up ;-).  As far as hugging goes, we are going to try to do several fun live online events throughout the day.  There will not be an on farm party this year :-/.

The tentative schedule involves a couple of flock walks, a cookie party, a spinning demonstration, a fleece show/sale, a surprise in the Wool House...and Maisie's Halloween costume, which might be our most epic yet.  "There may be no survivors."  That book quote is not just a prediction, but also a clue.  Any guesses?

The live events will be hosted on Instagram.  I should be able to record them and post links over to Facebook and hopefully on the blog as well.  I'm not super tech savvy though, so the safest (and most likely funniest) thing would probably be to watch them live. 

I'll post the firmed up schedule on Thursday.  We'll be doing some live audiovisual tests on Friday, so there may some opportunities to give it a try ahead of time if you need/want to.  My best recommendation is find a kid somewhere that can help you get set up.

Stay tuned!  

By the way, 20 wanted me to assure everyone that he had absolutely nothing to do with 2020 and he hopes no one is holding it against him.

Put Your Coffee Down

The 2020 Iditarod started yesterday.  Well, the ceremonial start was yesterday.  The actual start is today.  And like the Iditarod, my Iknitarod has once again made a ceremonial start...and will restart today.  Sigh...

I was planning on doing my official start post yesterday to let you know who and what I was knitting and introduce my Iknitarider and share my Ravatar, but something hilarious happened and I'm going to preempt that post with something silly.

Put your coffee down.

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😂😂😂😂😂 . . We are using a working chute for shearing this year. I wanted everyone to practice going through ahead of time so they wouldn’t be scared on shearing day. I know you shouldn’t laugh at your kids, but... 😂😂😂😂😂 . #theyareFLUFFY #orfat🙄

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Mar 7, 2020 at 3:07pm PST

A Strange Voice In The Barn

As I was starting to do evening chores the other night and the sheep were filtering in from the back field I heard a strange "ba-a-a-a-a".  Low and gravel-y. 

"Who was that?" I called out. 

"Ba-a-a-a-a."

Hmmmm...  "Who said that?" I asked again, hoping to see someone's lips move, but it was nearly dark. 

"Ba-a-a-a-a."

I know pretty much every "baaaa" in the flock.  Rarely does someone say something that I don't at least recognize as a familiar voice.  A deep voice does not necessarily mean a ram or wether; a high voice doesn't necessarily mean a ewe.  Liddy can growl with the best of them and Jared sings soprano ;-).

I called out one more time.  The sheep looking most intently at me was Big Moose.  He was standing just outside the door though and it was too dark to see his black face...and besides, I knew his voice.  Still...  I pulled out the lamb dinner call.

"Beh-bies?"

"Ba-a-a-a-a-a!"  "Baaaaaa!"

It was Big Moose.  His voice had changed!

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This is fixin’ to be a blog post and will make more sense in a few minutes. Just need to have this sound bite uploaded first 😉.

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Mar 5, 2020 at 7:43am PST

And Mini Moose's hasn't.  Just something silly to make you laugh :-).

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Running and jumping their way back to the barn.

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Mar 3, 2020 at 8:03am PST

Speaking of big voices, if you missed this video the other day, that's Biscuit with the Big Baaa hollering as the sheep run up.  And you definitely don't want to miss Maisie racing everyone in with her propeller spinning :-D.

Lamb Camp Legacy...The Outtakes

My plan was to do the official post for the new Lamb Camp Legacy yarn this evening, but the  photo outtakes were so funny I couldn't help posting them first.  For all you Baaxter fans... :-D.

I'd been walking around trying to take some nice pictures of the yarn and noticed the sheep were in the side field with a lovely sunset behind them.  I set the basket of yarn down in there thinking it would be nice if I could take a picture with Rocky and Jared in the background.  Rocky and Baaxter walked right up.

Baaxter in the lead.

I couldn't believe my luck and started shooting.

I moved over a bit to get out of the sun glare...

...and that's where things headed south.

"You sure you're supposed to eat that, son?"

"Yeah, I get to do whatever I want..."

...because I'm yarn worthy!  And I know my Auntie Reg will bail me out ;-)."

He ate the tag.  I tried to take it away from him, but all I could get back was the yarn.  Hope his Auntie Reg makes him something nice with it ;-D.

I'll post the "real" pictures tomorrow and if anyone would like to buy some really nice yarn with only a little bit of sheep spit on it...

Because...

...there's obviously a shortage of grass in this field.  Boys...

There is obviously plenty of grass here.  So much so that I have spent much of this week sitting on a tractor or mower, trying to get back on top of it.  I am So Excited by the thought of another inch or two of rain forecast for this weekend :-o.  The obvious answer is I need more sheep, right?  Right.

I have no idea why Daniel and Baaxter are trying to eat the same piece of grass, but I love the dark gray stripe down Baaxter's back. I haven't skirted his fleece yet to see if the stripe shows through. To be honest I haven't skirted any fleeces yet...and the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival is Next Weekend.

So guess what I'll be doing this weekend ;-).

When We Last Saw Our Heroine

(because you KNOW it's going to be Maisie ;-D)...

"Maisie!  How did you end up on the wrong side of the fence all by yourself?"

"Wrong side of...wait...what?"

"Oh, bleep.  How did this happen?"

At this point I can't decide if she's scared or embarrassed, but she is headed out!  I assumed she was  just going to rejoin the rest of the sheep...

...but she sashayed on past them...

...tail swinging...

...as sassy as you can imagine...

"I'm taking my dishes and dolls and I'm going home!"

Yet another reason (in a long list) why we all love the little darlin' :-D.  Go back and biggify the closer up pictures.  That mouth...yet one more reason ;-).

Forced Out Into The Wilds

If you are following along on Instagram, you saw the picture of Jared staring forlornly at the closed gate to the front field yesterday.  It's closed so that no one, mostly Hank, has to worry about any sheep/horse/dog conflicts, and fer cryin' out loud, Jared, there are 20 other acres of this farm to enjoy!

I have a funny picture story coming tomorrow (fingers crossed).  There is a clue in this last picture ;-).  In the meantime, here's a new puzzle.  Enjoy!

Halloween Or April Fools Day?

Monday evening the Cynthiana Dairy Queen held a Howl-O-Ween Pet Costume Contest as a fundraiser for the Harrison County Humane Society.  I couldn't resist.  

My original plan was to take sweet little Liddy dressed as a pumpkin.  That would have been easy.  She's quiet and kind and walks on a leash and wouldn't have minded (too much) being dressed up as a pumpkin.  Somehow that plan got changed to taking Maisie.  Dressed as a devil.  To Dairy Queen.  

Yeah...

Tim's first question was "What are you going to do when she hurts someone?"  Not if...when.  I stewed about it for a couple weeks and finally came up with what I decided would be the safest plan for everyone involved.  We had two different types of halters packed, a collar and leash, a set of panels to make a secure pen if needed, cookies, Cheerios and her entourage. 

This is what walked out of the trailer (cue angelic music).

Maisie not only rode over there like a champ, tolerated her costume (she has a bow tie and a devil tail as well as her horns), stood quietly while we waited in line, walked up to the patio (she's never been trained to lead!), through the crowd, stood for her interview, walked off the patio, posed for some pictures and then back onto the trailer. 

The devil went to Dairy Queen!

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That went almost too well 🤔. What on earth is Maisie up to?!? #thedevilgoestodairyqueen

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Oct 29, 2018 at 2:29pm PDT

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We are on the lane 😀. #thedevilgoestodairyqueen

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Oct 29, 2018 at 2:34pm PDT

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Getting ready! #thedevilgoestodairyqueen

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Oct 29, 2018 at 2:46pm PDT

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She’s ready! 😀 #thedevilgoestodairyqueen

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Oct 29, 2018 at 3:36pm PDT

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Dairy Queen! 😀 #thedevilgoestodairyqueen

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Oct 29, 2018 at 3:44pm PDT

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Who IS this sweet well behaved sheep and what did you do with Maisie?!? #thedevilgoestodairyqueen

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Oct 29, 2018 at 3:51pm PDT

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Acing her interview! #thedevilgoestodairyqueen

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Oct 29, 2018 at 3:57pm PDT

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Waiting for the results… #thedevilgoestodairyqueen

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Oct 29, 2018 at 4:13pm PDT

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And she won a prize! 👹🐑 #thedevilgoestodairyqueen

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Oct 29, 2018 at 4:37pm PDT

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Goodnight, Maisie. You were an awful good girl this evening. I love you very much.

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Oct 29, 2018 at 7:03pm PDT

I'd like to think Maisie knew she was doing all this to help other animals, but I'm guessing it was more that we just got lucky ;-)  However, always remember to support your local humane societies not just at Howl-a-ween, but throughout the year.  They need all the help they can get.  Sometimes even just a couple cans of wet kitten food makes a big difference.

Happy Halloween!