Cold and More Cold

I have come to admit to myself that I am not a reliable blogger.  Is that such a bad thing?  Spent the weekend cleaning out and setting up the barn in preparation for kidding in March.  The girls are starting to fill out and despite the awful, bone-chilling weather, fleeces are growing, slowly.  The promise and expectation begin to light the end of the tunnel.


What I always see as the opening of the fiber season, the High Desert Wool Growers Fiber Day in Prineville the end of March, looms a head like a beacon.  I have been spinning and felting, hubby has been weaving, knitting needles are strewn about the house heavy with projects (yet to be completed) and I continue to learn new stitches and how to read patterns.  The blessing of this biting cold is that one stays indoors working on projects warming the lap.  Focus and finish, wash and block.  So much to try and do; so little time.

Lots and lots of locks were meticulously separated, washed and some combed.  All have been sent off to new homes to be incorporated into wonderful projects. I find myself now scavenging my stash to have something to work with.  Another blessing in disguise; I was forced to blend . . . what fun that turned out to be.  Super soft and lofty alpaca, fine, white BFL and long, luscious merino all blended and carded with white and colored mohair locks - WOW, they are all gorgeous!  I am, however, looking forward to shearing next month.  A whole new supply to play with.  See you then ...

Spring Brings Life ... Again!

It is only the beginning of May and we finally managed to get our shearing done!  Our very manageable herd of 15 (excluding the 5 kids born this year) are running around practically naked.  I really love seeing them like this.  The bouncing fleece is beautiful but naked you can see their body condition, really evaluate their conformation, pinpoint strengths and identify weaknesses.  They are shinny and clean and bouncing about the pasture as if they were all kids.  Surely they feel free with the weight of the world lifted from them.  They certainly seem very happy.  Of course here on the high desert the nights turn cold and the last two stripped today will be seeking out the deepest straw bed they can find as the sun goes down and the temps plummet.  

They will survive to play in the sunshine again tomorrow. 

 

Last weekend I taught a class on felting soap at a local event known as the Goat Jamboree.  The Central Oregon Goat Association sponsors the event every year about this time.  The group is comprised of goat owners of all varieties; milk, meat, fiber and pet.  This group welcomed fiber goats into it's world when no one else in the area wanted us-we didn't quite fit the mold.  They have been helpful and supportive and it is good to be around them and support the education process.  There were classes on clipper care, making soap, making cheese, hoof trimming, fitting, making jewelry with felt, cooking the meat and basic animal care.  There was food, a raffle and lots of good friends to catch up with.  I won a gift basket in the raffle filled with various types of goat cheeses crackers and drinks.  A couple of friends and I baked one of the cheeses after rolling it in a bit of olive oil, curry and fennel seed.  Spread on a nice crunchy baguette slice it was simple and yet totally yummy!

Kids have all arrived; 3 girls and 2 boys, 2 Caramel, 1 Oatmeal, 1 Not Quite White and 1 Black.  A nice assortment making choices of who to keep and who to sell seem much easier than the days we had 15 or 20 in a kidding season.  Over the last 4 years we have been downsizing trying to find that magical number that gave us all the mohair we wanted to play with, some to sell and a herd size that didn't kill us with chores.   We think we have done that.  As long as we go into winter with no more than 12, life seems good.  Last year we got to 11 and we have our eye on the magic number of 10 for this winter.  We shall see if we can stand strong on that goal.  We have kept the best of the best and selling any of them will be difficult (even the darling little boys).

Sunshine and warm weather is predicted for next week and the weekend.  I wish everyone a happy Mother's Day and hope you enjoy Spring!

The End Of Quite A Year!

Where did the year go? Well, we kidded, we sheared, we washed, we spun, we sent fiber in for processing, we wove, knitted and felted, took classes, attended fiber events and gatherings, went to shows, bred, farmed, worked full time and as if that were not enough we threw in some major landscaping for our oldest daughter's wedding! There, in a nutshell was our year. A great one, but boy it filled every waking moment. Then we had a major computer failure and are just now getting back on the tech train.

On the farm side, we are looking forward to a relaxing year. We downsized our herd having been blessed to find great homes for a number of our foundation lines. We now have 4 breeding does, no yearlings at this time, 5 kids to raise and evaluate and only 2 bucks! Testarossa, pictured left is a white color carrier (Seneca, a favorite black doe's son by Thorn) and assumed the herd sire position this year. We shall see what he can do. Life is simpler and the fleeces they are growing are looking fabulous! It is good to have time to spend with each and every one.

It has been a cold, dry winter here in Central Oregon. Although it makes caring for the animals easier it does make us worry a bit about water this coming Spring and Summer. I am by nature a worrier so if it wasn't that it would be something else. The extra time has given me opportunities to focus on projects. I am an accumulator of projects I want to do...someday. I have decided to tackle one at a time and try to reduce my "project inventory". That is not to say that I won't accumulate more as I come across them, just that I have inventoried those "in house" and prioritized them - somewhat. I am a great "concept" person. I event get them underway, it's just focusing and finishing that I need to be better at. I see a resolution in that sentence somewhere!

Spring is Here?

Well, you couldn't tell it from our weather! Snow, wind and freezing temps continue, but we all know things could be worse. I have been remiss in not posting for a while but here we go. It is now time for kids to be coming and we have entered that arena.

We have seven kids on the ground and five came all at once; a set of twins and a set of triplets.
Are triplets a set?
Oh well, they are here and we are thrilled. So far we have one caramel and two black does and two caramel bucks, a red buck and a black buck. Not bad numbers and great color. Oddly enough, the caramels are out of a red doe and a registered white buck. As I said, we are thrilled!

We have five more girls/ladies to kid and they are all taking their own sweet time. Two of these five are first time moms and represent white color factors we out crossed for two years ago. We are having a really hard time waiting to see what they will bring into the barn.

This next weekend is the annual Wool Growers Fiber Market Day in Prineville and it represents the opening of the fiber season in my mind and heart. After the long and relative calm of the winter this event always warms the heart and sparks the desire and motivation to grab some fiber and make something! There is always so much to see, so many people to reconnect with; color, fiber, projects and great fun. I know it will be a great day!