We could not have had a more beautiful start to the day. I was concerned about my timing of 8:30 for the flock walk because I was afraid everyone would be done grazing and ready to head back to the barn and it wouldn't be much of a walk ;-). With the hard freeze last night everyone was slow getting started and the timing couldn't have been better.
Showing posts with label videos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label videos. Show all posts
Saturday, October 31, 2020
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
A Live Christmas Eve Cookie Party
"Do we get to have two parties like we did last year?"
The sheep would like to do the Live Christmas Eve Barn Parties again this year :-). I don't remember any problems from last year, so if anyone does, please remind me!
If there are no changes, we'll do it like last year and at 9:30 p.m. I'll go live on Facebook and then go live on Instagram at 10:00. I think the FB video is automatically saved and the IG video will save for 24 hours so you can watch it later.
Here is a link to the Punkin's Patch Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/MyFavoriteSheep/ I think you just need to go to the page to start watching. You shouldn't have to join anything. If it's more complicated than that, somebody please chime in!
Here is the link to the Punkin's Patch Instagram account. https://www.instagram.com/thecrazysheeplady/ I'm not sure if you'll have to have an IG account to watch a live video there or not. Again, someone chime in with further instructions for those of us over 12 who are super techy.
If we don't "see" you this evening, we all wish you a very Merry Christmas!
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Snow Warriors
This was just a split second standing still shot, but I have to laugh at how those two silly boys look like they are the bravest of warriors standing tall as a huge attacker charges their way.
Really, Levi was just bouncing around in front of them trying to get them to play tag or chase or whatever sheep play when they don't have a space ship to defend.
This is a new puzzle! I hope you have as much working it as Mini Moose had creating it :-D.
A fun snow video from yesterday. That's Big Moose chewing over the background music :-).
Monday, October 21, 2019
A Special...But Not Really Wanted Guest
We've had a fox visiting our farm for the last couple of weeks. With no lambs here, I'm not really worried about him or her bothering the sheep. I do worry about the chickens though and I especially worry about Comby, who likes to hunt out in this same field.
Yeah, I see you, too. I think you are beautiful, but you better beat feet before Hank sees you.
If the sheep are out grazing, Hank calls them in to safety. Doing that usually frightens the fox away, but if not, he races out to escort him under the fence.
Hank has been much happier since it's cooled down. I think the fox is probably less happy ;-).
* * * * *
The Rhinebeck Blues Party was really fun. We had a great group of sheep and fiber enthusiasts, the weather was perfect and Auntie Reg nailed the Artichoke French! The sheep all behaved (because we didn't use Maisie for any of the demonstrations ;-) and the only "workshop" we skipped was washing wool. Karen taught wheel spinning and wool combing. I taught shepherding, fleece judging and skirting. Let's do it again next year!
The forecast for our Hug a Sheep Day farm party this Saturday isn't looking quite as good, but that's several days away. Hopefully they are just wrong. It will be fun, regardless :-). Hope you can join us!
Monday, September 2, 2019
The 2019 August Snow Report
It sounds like the Farmer's Almanac is predicting a colder and snowier winter than normal this year. It will be fun or interesting (depending on which camp you are in regarding winter ;-) to compare their forecast with the August fog forecast.
We really didn't have a lot of big fog this year. There were several that I counted that were probably a bit questionable, but I figured flurries were better than nothing and maybe those light fog days were calling for light snow.
Interestingly, as happened last year, on the very last day of August I woke to a big fog. And on September 1st as well. Maybe that means the snow will be late again this year...just in time for the Iknitarod.
Enjoy!
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Frankie Was A Rockstar
Some long time carriage driving friends came over on Monday to help me hook Frankie for the first time. I didn't have any concerns about him not knowing how to drive, but the cart he'd be pulling was much heavier and probably different feeling or sounding or some other possible issue that I hadn't even thought about.
We've done quite a bit of ground work while he was acclimating to being here, finishing up his rehab work, adjusting to being turned out on full pasture, building some much needed muscle... I felt like he and I were a pretty good team and I felt pretty confident I knew how he'd react. Still, it's always better to have extra help on hand in case something doesn't go as planned.
Frankie strolled out of the barn, navigated through two offset gates to get into the arena and was as quiet and relaxed and well behaved the entire drive as you'd ever want. He was definitely a "Rockstar". I'm sure he found the work a bit hard, especially in the grass, but I think he had a good time. I know I did :-).
Frankie loves to drink from the hose while he's getting a bath. That's fairly common/normal.
Holding the hose in your mouth? Well, he wouldn't be the first rock star with a drinking problem ;-D.
A big thanks to Jack and Virginia for expert carriage assistance and photos and videos and Jennifer for the Instagram posts. Give us a little time to build up some fitness and then we'll go for some fun drives this summer!
Monday, May 20, 2019
Something Special At The End
We...well 20, Pip, Auntie Reg, Miss B and I...had a great weekend at the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival. Tavia, Tabitha and Kaala...won't be going out in public ever again. They hated it. A lot. And Tabitha made sure everyone heard about how much they hated it. A lot.
This was the 10th year for this festival. Seems kind of crazy when I think about it. That just flew by! Here is a quick tour of the booth for anyone who wasn't able to go and would like to take a peek. You can even hear Tabitha...because I know everyone would like to hear what she had to say...all weekend long :-o.
We were stopped by a road block on our way out of the park last night. As the person walked up to my truck to explain why the road was going to be closed for a few minutes, she laughed and said "Oh, I don't need to tell you what's going on." The Bluegrass Classic Stockdog Trial was over and they were moving 500 sheep into a secure field for the night. I got out of the truck and walked up to watch.
Before there was a fiber festival I used to set up my Punkin's Patch booth down at the stockdog trial. It was my favorite weekend of the year. I'd be set up close enough to the trial field that I could watch the sheep and dogs all day long. I'd bring my spinning wheel and my dear old collie Sam. I made some really good friends down there over the years and it was like the best vacation ever.
I'd stay until the very end of each day because once the last handler finished they'd run all the sheep out into the open field to graze for the night. That was my favorite. I love big flocks of sheep and I wonder now if my love of big flocks came from watching all those sheep filter out across that big field each night.
I didn't have a good camera back then. Heck, I didn't even know I liked taking pictures in those days. Maybe that was a good thing. I might be able to still see things in my mind and heart that I probably couldn't have really captured on film. Now, 16 years later, I pulled out my iPhone and recorded some video as they trotted up the road.
I included a bit of that footage at the end of this compilation. I did that mostly because it is a treasured memory from my weekend. A little gift from the universe to a crazy sheep lady who, while she enjoys being a part of the fiber festival, sure wishes there was a way to be two places at once.
I also included it because there's something of Punkin's Patch significance at the very end. The man walking past in the red and white striped shirt is Paul Tucker, now one of those good dog trial friends. But I met Paul long before I knew anything about border collies or sheep or that I even liked sheep. 27 years ago he gave me a little bottle lamb...that I named Punkin.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Resting During The Heat Of The Day
I've got the body basically finished (still deciding on final length and what sort of bottom edging I want) and both sleeves started, so I can almost see the lights of Nome off in the distance. Once I get finished, I'll get the official shearing post up and also some other fun pictures from before shearing.
In the meantime, enjoy sitting in the sun with everyone for a few minutes :-).
Monday, January 21, 2019
Sunday, December 23, 2018
A Live Christmas Cookie Party?
"Cookies?"
You really need to biggify the picture to get the full wonder of Maisie's mouth :-D.
* * * * *
Holiday greetings from the land of the not so super tech-y! I THINK I've figured out how to do a live Facebook video and I'd like to share the Christmas Eve night check with you tomorrow. We can peek in on all the sleepy sheepies and I'll also stuff my pockets with cookies, so it might be my very first...and very last...live Facebook video :-o.
Here is the plan: At 9:30 p.m. EST I'll turn on the video and head to the barn. That should be late enough for most folks to be done with dinner and still early enough to visit with the sheep for a bit and get to bed before Santa comes. I think it will also record it so you can watch it later. I think.
Here is a link to the Punkin's Patch Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/MyFavoriteSheep/ I'm guessing you'll just need to go to the page to start watching. If it's more complicated than that, somebody please chime in! I may do a quick test run tonight just to make sure we are up to speed.
Sound fun?
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Why This Is The Best Christmas Gift Ever
While mud is ugly to look at and irritating to slip and slide through, this is the real reason we are putting done so much fresh gravel. There is probably a proper term for this, but I call them mud clods. The sheep walk through mud, it sticks in between their two "toes", dries into a rock hard and usually sharp clod and then is very painful to walk with.
I picked these from between Beanie Baby's feet last night.
If this happens to the front foot of a friendly sheep who will let me just walk up to them and pick out the clod, it's not a big deal. If it happens to a sheep who's not willing to be field caught, I have to bring them into a confined area in the barn to catch them. That's too is not a big deal and I can't stress enough how important it is to have a catch pen area so you aren't having to chase your sheep down to catch them.
Picking clods from front feet is an easy job. Picking clods from the back feet is a challenge even with a friendly "pet". Liddy had mud clods in both back feet the other day. I had to set her down on her fat butt (like for shearing) to reach them and pick them out. This is has become a daily job and I had to catch, set down and pick clods from eight sheep's feet last night.
Time to take care of the mud...since it doesn't seem like it's ever going to dry out. I didn't say that. I'd always rather deal with mud than a drought!
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