More Snow Mixed with Rain

Just when I was beginning to think winter was on the wane more snow will be arriving today. This is lambing season at Tumble Creek Farm so I went out to check the ewes. There are triplets on the lamb bar so I was planning to bring that in for cleaning and refilling. No lambs yet this morning so I grabbed the bucket and turned to face a gust of wind coming through the barn. Wet drops on my face say rain. So I got back into the house and my husband is standing at the living room window saying, "Wow, look at the snow blowing in." It was snowing on the north end of the house and raining on the south end. Interesting...
  We have 9 lambs now at a ratio of 5 rams to 4 ewes. Awaiting 10 ewes still. Five should be this month with the last 5 grouped in the first week of April from the last session of AI. The last ewe lamb was born Friday night when we had an Arctic Blast and the temp dipped to -3.5. All did very well and were cozy by their mom's sides or under the feeder nestled in the uneaten hay. Where is the camera when you want it?
  On today's schedule is bringing in the last of the bred ewes so they can share in the shelter of the barn. They also need shots and shearing so I am not just spoiling them.  Their condition will be checked and a shearing date set when the weather looks more promising. Within the next two weeks I will have more fresh fleeces to skirt and post for sale.
  The bag I have been knitting is finished and awaiting felting. Project for this afternoon. My washing machine is the new style that is a water-saver and does not have the agitator in the center. It is low and does a good job on the clothes but not good for felting. So the shoulders will get a workout today and I hope to have success. I used some Bluefaced Leicester yarn plus a few odd cleanings of fiber that were lurking on the racks in the studio. Most of the natural colored is from the neighbor that grazes my retired Border Leicester ewe which I know felts very well. My next project is a wine bottle cover with a leaf design in the center. This will go in the gift collection drawer along with the kid socks I make up for a last minute gift. I like quick projects that I can see the design grow and as a small space-taker. That way there isn't so much to clean up if I need the coffee table for company. Pictures will arrive shortly.

Lambs and Wet Heavy Snow

So typical on the high desert for this time of year; a few warm days then an unexpected heavy snow. We woke up to the downspout dripping and thinking it was just a bit of rain. Outside was a mess with branches broken under the weight of the snow. There was only 7" but it felt like 12" when we started shoveling off the deck and cleared a path to the barn. My husband came home from work early and we spent the rest of the day with the chainsaw removing a very large limb hanging over the metal tool shed. It was so heavy with snow and near to breaking at the trunk. Another tree limb was hanging over the corner of the barn but we were able to shake the snow off that without cutting off the branch. When the emergencies were over he used the quad and blade to clear paths around the yard for me to walk easily for chores. The chickens would not come outside so watched from their doorway.
  There are now eight lambs from four ewes. One is a single ewe lamb and a set of triplet rams plus the two sets of twins. More are expected next week. The triplets and mom are doing fine after a tough week keeping her going. She was not interested in her food or water so I was drenching her with water and hand-offering hay. She would eat it that way but very slowly. Life is much better now and she is out of her jug and with friends again enjoying her lambs. I did put up the lamb bar and they almost have it figured out except they look at my knees first. It might have been cute and friendly had they been ewe lambs, but I don't want rams bouncing off my knees in a few months.
  The knitting project of the bag is coming along well. I am now in the top half and have put the two bottom pieces together. I'm not quite sure that the pattern is correct in the change from garter stitch on the lower half to knitting in the round as the texture has obviously changed. The bag will be felted when finished and the pattern does not show a picture of it prior to felting. I figure it will be an original either way so will carry on with the directions.
  

Waiting for Lambs

The WIND woke me this morning! The past week has been in the 50's and now the wind has come back in gusts. I was up checking the pregnant ewes in the barn this morning so missed the weather report. I'll just go back outside again and figure it out.
   The five bred ewes are now in their 'due' time as of yesterday according to the Pipestone Sheep Management Wheel. These were AI'd so should come in close together where as the pasture bred ewes will be sprinkled anywhere from now into the next month.
   Last night I started a new knitting project. The plan is to make a felted bag for a pair of dance shoes using some of my spun yarns that I have been saving. It requires four colors so I chose two grays and two pinks. I am not thrilled with it at this stage and could easily take it all apart and start over if the mood strikes. To be continued...
   One other project that has been ongoing is to blend mohair with my Bluefaced Leicester on my card and then make roving. The staple lengths are the same so I am looking forward to test how it spins up. A friend has requested this as she owns the mohair. I'd also like to dye some and see if it would work in the above felted bag project...

A Warming Trend

While the East Coast is below zero, here on the West Coast we are having a warming trend. The next two weeks should be, as forecast, in the high 20s at night and up to 50+ for daytime temps. What a great time for me to start shearing the expecting ewes. Lambing should start here in early February so I started on the first eight yesterday. This ewe pictured is Emma and this is her second shearing. Some of the white flock is in the background happily chewing.

Happy New Year!

Now that the holidays are over and my daughter is back to college, I will get back to life on the farm. We had a wonderful Christmas with the family and friends. There was a good snowfall in mid-December and it stayed for a long time. We were too busy inside to have any time to play outside on Christmas Day. The grandkids love to make snow angels and I find them all over the yard when they leave. The quail seem to find something under the trees and the sun shines pink and yellow on the mountains.
  Yesterday I sheared two of my ewe lambs that will be shown as yearlings this year. The pregnant ewes will be sheared in the next two weeks with lambing commencing in early February.
  This is a busy time of getting all the tools and equipment assembled, plus putting the lambing pens back together. They are separate panels that are put together to make 5 x 5 pens for the new family groups. When not in use they are taken apart and stand against the lamb creep fence.
  After the lambs are a week old I will put up a divider fence in my barn and between the last two 12' feeders for a creep. I have a creep gate with a man gate on one end so I don't have to jump over the fences in the barn. This was at the Black Sheep Gathering last year so just had to add it to my collection. I already had a six foot creep gate that I will now set up in the pasture to continue feeding the lambs after mid-April.
  We flood irrigate here so until the water comes on in April there is no drinking water in the fields unless I put it there. And the grass is just not up year-round to make it worth having them out there. Sometimes on sunny days I run the ewes out there for exercise and new scenery, but they always want to know what is going on in the barn.
  I am seeing a faint shade of green which is promising. This spring will bring tilling one small field and replanting. What will take the most time if picking up the rocks that the tiller will expose. This area is volcanic and we have about 6-12 inches of dirt on top of the rock shelf. Unless the rock comes up to the surface I don't go looking for it. Of course there are places where it is deeper soil and I am learning my field.
  The sheep think they are starving so I will bid you a good day. Enjoy!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Christmas will soon be here, the tree is trimmed, the presents are almost wrapped, cookies are baked, and snow is on the ground. We have had several days of snow with a total accumulation of 8 inches. It has been very dry stuff and just sweeps off the walkways. Today I think it has stopped so will shovel out a trail to the barn for the cat and I.
   The cat found us the day our dog of thirteen years left us this past summer. We had seen her in the barn and garden a few times and she proved herself friendly but when Bear was gone she just took over the yard. My husband told me not of feed her but when she brought a mouse across the yard to show off he figured she could stay for a meal. She has pretty much taken over. The barn is her favorite place to sleep in the haystack and watch the sheep. I call her Kitty but because she has a crook at the end of her tail my daughter has called her Cricket. We'll see if I can remember to call her that at any given time.
   The last pair of socks it on the needles. I am using up matching bits of sock yarn for this pair for a granddaughter in shades of turquoise with blues, pinks and purples. Must finish these soon. I have also found patterns for an 18" doll so more scraps of all my yarn can be used up.
    The computer was down for almost a week but is better now. Something about the virus program interfering with the internet program. Hummm...
   We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. God Bless us, everyone.

Winter Has Arrived!

Wintertime in Central Oregon is now upon us. Some days are bright and sunny, others bitter cold with or without snow, and sometimes every weather type happens in one day. Rain is rare on this east side of the Cascade Mountains and this year seems to be our year for snow, so far. The local ski mountains of Mt. Bachelor, Hoodoo and Timberline are enjoying the fresh snow. Usually the sun comes out and melts the few inches that accumulate but not so this time. It started early Sunday morning with approximately three inches, stopped for the day, then another 1/2 inch this morning and is still coming down. Great fun for the grandchildren and making snow angels.

After the morning chores of feeding sheep and chickens I will have time to devote to my sock knitting. With five little ones ages 1-6 it is fun to plan and create a new pair of socks for Christmas morning stockings. I have loads of books and loose patterns that I have collected but haven't been able to find one with a ruffled cuff. If anyone has one they would like to share, please do.