Mid October

Wow, Have you started to breed yet?
I have my little ram lamb in a pen by the girls...but he hasn't attracted anyone yet.
I have three ewes who are contracted to breed. So there will be lambs if my about-to-be new daughter-in-law comes in the spring. Hopefully the lambs will fly away shortly before the wedding next summer.
So I will have to catch the girls and throw them in.....My girls are snobs....they prefer big horns on their males. Oh well....maybe just this once they will decide to follow my wishes.
I deleted my political blog this morning. It didn't tell me how to delete the whole thing...so I took off the posts one by one.
If anyone knows how to take the whole title off...let me know.
We live in the police state of missouri. Claire and her city thugs won't allow anyone to speak against her messiah. You think joe the plumber was raked over the coals for speaking the truth....here they want to actually throw you in jail for such things.
Used to be a free country.
Close your mouth peeps....

making lists

Good morning,
It's foggy in the ozarks this morning. Our dogs do a lot of barking in the early morning hours.
Sometimes, they are sleeping inside most of the night, and they charge outside barking wildly, and run towards the barn. Since we cannot hear anything that could cause their ire....we are assuming they must smell something.
Something that moves quietly, and has an odor. Could be a bear, but I would think a bear would make some noise walking thru the leaves. Could be something else? Usually, when the dogs see someone coming with a flashlight or a rifle....they jump the fence and run into the woods to chase their enemy. Maybe a stray coyote, or some other animal walking thru the creek bed.
This morning, they were staying close. Angel, our older pyr was backed up to a fence close to the house. She barks with alternating high piched snaps and long throaty woofs. Her feet lift off the ground with her intensity. The younger dog, Sugar, was backed into the barn. Peeking out just far enough to let her continuous woofing echo in the hills behind the pastures.
I wonder.
On the subject of dogs. We have been making shopping lists. For when something hits the fan. You know, difficult economy, new president, rising taxes, disappearing jobs, and limited access to necessary goods. If you haven't started your list yet....you better. So, beside putting in canned food goods, and baking supplies, we write items to buy for everyday use.
Last week we were reading the list on the way to the store, and at the bottom, in my handwriting, was "dog remover"! Now, yes, we have dogs, but I wasn't planning to remove them. I thought about dog care items, but couldn't think of one we needed. We puzzled over that list for a week. "dog remover" What could I have meant by "dog" remover? My husband took the list while I concentrated on usual food items. Later he came back with a grin. "I found it" he announced. He had the item in his hand. Liquid plumbing helper....." clog" remover!
Have you made your lists yet? Things to have on hand if the country changes for the worse? Sheep to breed? Sheep to sell? Sheep to eat.
I had a sheep-to-keep list for years. No, I didn't keep them all. I did sell some of them to new homes, where they would be safe and well fed and I put away their water wings. Do you have a sheep to sell list? Ones that don't make you happy when they leap by you to escape your grasp? Ones that throw you into the wall as you grapple with them to hold them? I have one of those....kept her too. Better start a list.
Do you have lists of necessary chores...clean the barn....put up hay....clean out the buckets....fix the gate? Better get going on those....winter is coming.
My neighbor stopped to talk. He said he had to walk out in my hay field to see if that was really clover growing. What are you going to do with all that clover...he asked? I asked him if it was tall enoug to cut....No. Then I'll let the girls out there this winter. Bingo....another list was made. We only have three sides of the hay gound fenced right now. The side where the kitty was eating lambs has no fence.....Although I would like to put the fence in the middle, so I had plenty of space....I suppose I will have to fence close to the tree line. Ish.....I have some cross fences I can dismantle and move out there....maybe not enough to reach all the way.....but, I'll think of something.....maybe an electric wire acoss the empty space.....maybe electric wires all along that side!.....dang cat.
Got to go get another pece of paper and a pen.

August 10th, no....September 10th....no,.... October???

Good morning, Boys and girls....
How did it get to be October? I have no clue.
When I last was with you, I still had sheep to sell. I am now down to my own.
OK, I have three more rams to deliver, but at least they are inside my state. Finally!
It has been a difficult choice, a hard emotional battle, a sad moment, but yet worthwhile.
I have placed many sheep in new homes this past summer. It was necessary. I could not predict the weather, I could not guarantee their safety.
I want to go out of my way here and give a special thank to ALL you wonderful shepherds who asked to help me, who adopted my lambs, and my ewes and even my rams. Who send me photos of my babies living peaceful, happy days...on lush pastures, with beautiful children and adults petting them...and giving them hugs. Yes, they are missed....but it is better.
How many sheep have moved? I started out this spring feeding 74 ewes....all but 20 were pregnant. We birthed 86 lambs, forty in three days of a 100 year flood. There were over a dozen adult rams....some very nice! Yes, I even miss those rams.
I now have 22 ewes and 11 ram lambs.
On a positive note....we went to the beach! This was my constant thought all summer...my motivation for long trips delivering sheep....my reward for a job well done.
There can be a life after being a shepherd for all those years.
The ewes notice the difference in numbers, the pastures now have to be mowed....the barn still needs to be cleaned!
So how are all the rest of you shepherds? You heard my tales of woe all summer....what are YOU doing? When will you be breeding? Who will you be breeding? Have you lined up a buyer? If you haven't noticed....the world is crazy out there! Oh...not as bad as they would have us all think....the people making the biggest fuss are the ones trying to pick our pockets dry so they can go to spas. Good grief.
Then there are the elections coming up. If that wasn't scarey enough...there's voter fraud, too.
I for one am tired of the political correctness, and blame game.
This is the greatest nation in the world. I am tired of the rest of the world, and certain candidates blaming all their ills on us. It's time for us to start making things again, and buying the products made in the USA. That includes shetland sheep! We have the most amazing quality and variety of Shetland sheep in the world! Give those rams a chance!
Now that I have a little time, I have some projects.
Keep you ear tuned, they could even benefit you.
I even have some stories to tell, boys and girls.....thanks to all you who have contacted my to see if I am still here. Yup!