Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Where do we go from here?

It's August...what now?
The temps are hovering around 98 in the shade, there is full sun after the morning haze burns off. There is almost no breeze, and our well pump and pipe is laying on the ground.
Figures!
Yes, the pump was acting up again. Rather than have no water, we called to have it fixed before we were without water in this heat. Of course, I asked how many days it might take....how much water do we need to store for the animals?
No problem.....I was assured. We'll be done in a day. Yaaah right!
So now, after they found a slight hitch, we are waiting for more pipe. We can't put in a new well to fix this problem...that would take a month!!!!....I don't think the hot month of August is a good month to have no well.....so we'll fix this one some day....maybe even this week?
Is that too much to hope for?
At least we have the pond....but the water quality is suspect, since in this heat, it is bubbling.....Maybe we'll have to hit the spring.
On the subject of sheep....which, after all, is what I think about.
I still have three ewe lambs looking for a new home. I looked, and I still have about 6 ewes who are too young to stop breeding, and may have some traits that would prove valuable in a breeding program.
Easter....Grey ewe from Sheepy Hollow Bianca. Easter has a little spotting , but it is covered by her Ag....She does, however, have the finest and softest fleece I have sheared this year. She gets that from her dam.
Powderpuff, a spotted Ag....had her first lamb this year. Powder puff is from Bunny...who is also a Bianca daughter. You see where I am going here.
Dixie....Dixie isn't a friendly ewe, she is from another farm. But she did have two of the cutest black and white lambs I have had here....with long white curls of white wool. Dixie has a recessive spotting gene...and the last two years has had plain lambs....but I know the powers are in there to produce again.
Totter.....had her first lamb this year....Totter had a mioget sire...and her lamb this year looks mioget too. She has lovely fleece...as did her lamb. Too nice of a little girl to stay here.
There are a couple of others that I have mixed feelings about...they aren't as young, but have nice qualities for a breeding program.
I would like to place the three ewe lambs before winter. If you have a spot for some nice fleece in your breeding program, I may have a deal for you. If not, they can just stay here.
Kitty hasn't eaten any more that I can tell. We still have lots of spotted rams running around, too hot to catch them. The dogs are still attached to the front porch. Whatever they encountered, they won't go down in the pasture unless we are there...and then they beat us back up to the porch. Still hiding under the furniture too. But they do bark all night. Our neighbor is missing two dogs too. Remote, that's what they call it.