Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our little shepherd!

Kohen, Chase, Isaiah, and Braeden visiting Santa at Bentleyville.

Christmas has arrived at the Rice River Lamb Company, if I'm ready or not! This evening was spent at St. Paul's Church in Alango for the children's program, and then to Grandpa and Grandma Butchy's for a great dinner. Kohen played the part of Joseph, and Isaiah was the cutest little shepherd ever! (Maybe next year Annafleece can join the program!) Now the boys are in bed, the cookies and goat milk are beside the fireplace, and my eyes are drifting closed as I sit in the recliner. Tomorrow morning will be present opening here before trekking over to Nanny and Papa's to meet up with the cousins and grandparents for a Christmas lunch, followed by persimmon pudding with gold sauce; ok, now not only are my eyes closing, I'm also drooling on the keyboard. Merry Christmas!!

December

The Lights of Love tree in Cook. The boys hauling in the Christmas tree.

It's hard to believe that it is December already, but with sixteen inches of snow on the ground it looks it! The holiday festivities have begun already. The house is decorated, we went to Cook's Country Christmas on Friday night, and look forward to more holiday parties and get togethers. Nate, the boys and I ventured to the back of our property yesterday, and after a lot of tree shaking we found the perfect tree. Now to start thinking about some holiday baking...

Books

My cousin's wife is a consultant for Usborne Books. I've decided to have a party/show. My goal is to raise enough in free books to buy some Christmas gifts for my students. So if you're looking for some great books for gifts, look no further! Click Here to enter the eshow.

Cowboy Up...Isaiah's Three!

Isaiah chose a cowboy theme for his third birthday party. It all started with wanted poster invitations, and encompassed family, friends and fun before ending with a cowboy birthday cake. All while the snow fell fast from the sky. We appreciated everyone who braved the first snow of the year to come and help celebrate!

Some of the cowpokes waiting to "Brand the Cow."Addison, Heidi, Isaiah, Kohen & Alex.Great-Grandma Butchy was lucky enough to open packages.

I've come to realize that for my kids the most memorable part of the party is the games we play. We didn't have as many as the halloween party two weeks ago, but we did enjoy some cowboy freeze dance, roundup and branding the cow. Roundup was a great time. Six mini brooms, six colors of balloons scattered around the great room. Each cowboy or cowgirl was assigned a color and had to round up their balloons with the brooms. Add in some cowboy hats, bandanas, sheriff badges, western silly bandz, and cowboy suckers; I think the kids enjoyed themselves.

Nate and I worked together on Isaiah's cake. A chocolate, pincherry filling, and strawberry cake that included "Cowhide" complete with a three patch, bandana, and cowboy ready to lasso up some ice cream. I even made the slow-cook, as in all day, goat milk caramel sauce to top the ice cream. Guess if I had been really crazy I could have made goat milk ice cream, but I ran out of time.

Gramma Jan made the trek from Rochester to help her middle grandson enjoy his birthday. Nanny, Papa, Grandpa Bud and Grandma Butchy also made it. Friends that joined us included Crystal & Rory Scuffy, Cari, Heidi and Ben Johnson, and Eric, Stephanie, Alex, Addison and Zoey Burckhardt.

Isaiah's present from us was a violin. He always wants to play his brother's, which at 1/8 is too big for him. We bought him a 1/10 size, and he is very excited to start to learn what Kohen knows. Of course Kohen had to try and steal some of the spotlight and take out his violin to play a song for everyone.

Today looks like it will be a day of clearing snow, chores, and hopefully I can sneak away for a few hours to go to my friend Jeri's for our spinning group!

Forked Eyeball Party & Sheep Huggin'

Today we hosted a Halloween Party for twenty little ghosts and goblins. It was great, I'm exhausted but it was worth it. I think (hope) that all the kids had a great time. For a great Halloween Party mix together the following:

• forked eyeballs (Family Fun recipe)


• putrid punch


• sloppy joes


• pin the wart on the witch


• pumpkin bowling


• pumpkin bean bag toss


• weaving a web


• treat bag decorating


• feely box filled with gross feeling things, and kids courageous enough to stick their hands in!


• monster mash freeze dancing


• "looking for Dracula"


• ghost poop toss


• sheep hugging


• turkey chasing


• hay ride


• sunshine


• lots of happy, excited little kids

We also took time in the day to celebrate National Hug a Sheep Day. Annafleece was well loved today.

Multi-tasking: Hug a Sheep & Halloween

Saturday's a big day at the Rice River Lamb Company. Try a Halloween Party for twenty plus children, plus celebrating Hug A Sheep Day. Since I know the kids will want to hug and love the sheep, it's only natural that we participate. So far I think Annafleece and Opilio will be the lucky ones.
I gotta go... my plan is to have the whole house clean tonight so tomorrow evening is reserved for cooking and game organizing. Wish me luck!

Most of a Month

A busy month! Things have been going well, just the business of school, kids, and getting ready for winter.
Add to that plans for a big Halloween Party for a bunch of kids next Saturday, and it's extra busy.
The boys are doing well, and as soon as I get a chance I'll post more pictures. Kohen is "discovering" reading exactly how he's supposed to, and loving it. Isaiah is getting excited about being three in a couple of weeks.
We've got a barn full of hay, a large pile of firewood waiting to be cut, and sheep growing meat and fleece. The plan is to do one more round of worming to try and preven liver fluke losses before putting Marshmallow in with the ladies. We are breeding fourteen ewes this year.
Nate has been struggling with a pulled muscle across his shoulder and chest for the past three weeks, but is still managing to get plenty of work done, just don't make him laugh!
I'm just trying to stay ahead of things at school. They are hiring another half time special ed. teacher to help Crystal and I manage all the students.

October, here we come!

October First, wow! Here's a few updates, hope for time for a more complete post with pictures tomorrow.

• The first four weeks of school have flown by. They were very busy weeks, and my classroom still isn't in the groove I like it to be, but it takes time.
• Kohen still loves school, and loves his teacher even more. On the second day of school she gave them each a small 2x2 inch square of polar fleece "blankie" as a comfort item. Kohen might as well be nicknamed Linus. I had to spend ten minutes searching the house for blankie before he would go to bed tonight. It goes in his pocket to school each day too. Whatever it takes, right?
• In sheep news, I am down to my winter size flock of 17 (15 ewes, one ram, one wether) along with the eight still to be butchered. It feels good to have sold so many ewes to good homes. In fact two moved up the road a few miles and are being spoiled as backyard pets! My plan is to not breed until late November this year. I want to get a tighter worming regime completed first to combat the crazy deer liver flukes that inhabit all the pastures around here this year.
• In goat news, I am still milking Nora twice a day, and still getting a gallon of milk a day! She is such a good, mellow goat. Got to make the breeding plans for the goat girls too.
• Weekend plans include planting trees, putting the garden to bed (have to remove carrots and beets first), planting garlic, cleaning the coop, finishing siding the barn, and general fall cleanup. Is there really only two days in the weekend?
• Tomorrow night the boys and I get to attend a bonfire as our final "Moms and Kids" event of the season.
• Last weekend we attended the Roach Family Pig Roast. I wish there was a way to bottle up this event. It is the coolest, laid back, get-together around. I love Missy and Tom for their great hog roasting abilities and group hosting abilities. It doesn't hurt that Kohen has decided he is "in love" with their daughter! The combination of cool fall night, dozens and dozens of people you wouldn't see all in the same place, a wonderful assortment of food and goodies, bonfires, wine, home brew, I could go on and on. Thank you Tom and Missy!
• I'm trying to come to terms with Is turning three in a month, not sure I'm ready to be done with the two's stage. He idolizes his big brother, scary as it is.
• Koe is back to violin lessons. I am amazed at the memory capacity of his brain. He started back like we had never stopped for three months! We even played a pizzicato duet of "Boil 'em Cabbage Down" the other night at his lesson.

Sheep Shape

It's the time of year when I start making flock decisions. I am excited with the progress we've made with our sheep, and for what's to come. Last weekend saw four ewes leave for a new home; Manda, Gabbiewe, Sugar, and Seaa headed south. Two of my ewe lambs from this year will also be going to a new pet home soon. Add in seven ram lambs to be butchered, along with Jimmer, and our flock size will be down to 16, a number I am comfortable with for winter. Fourteen ewes, one wether (Opilio) and one ram. It looks like Marshmallow will be our one sire this year, though I've been eyeing up a moorit ram lamb on another blog, but not sure that now is the time to make the jump.
I have commitments for five of the seven butcher lambs, which is a good feeling too. My main goal for this fall season is to develop a sound plan for dealing with the deer liver fluke that continues to haunt us. Fecals come back clean for all "regular" parasites, but last winter we lost three ewes to liver flukes. Worming with valbazen in the fall prior to breeding season takes care of mature liver flukes, but not all the immature ones. I've got an email into Pipestone Vet to discuss options for dealing with this problem. We had planned on being selective on how we grazed late in the season, but all the rain this summer has caused snails to be present everywhere. Even in my raised bed gardens!
We continue to make progress on the barn and are currently modifying fencing around the goat shed. Feta has turned into a big pest and escape artist. Not fun. Nora and Brie are much more mellow than she is. Nate keeps mentioning sausage. Our breeding plans for the goats look to be a boer buck with milky lines owned by Jackie Clay. Next spring will bring lambs and goat kids to the farm.
Our second crop is getting baled as I speak, Nate is in the field alone this time, while I get to stay home with napping boys. We only ordered up 80 bales, my goal is to have it for late gestation for the sheep and goats, I am so excited about having a full hay loft, it is a good feeling!
I better go and accomplish something while the tag-a-longs are slumbering. Sometimes it is much easier to get things done without help!

Tonight's Storytime Theme

There is a definite theme to story time tonight. It doesn't have to do with insects, farm animals, or llamas (the current reoccurring bedtime stories.) It has to do with a life transition occurring for a family member tomorrow. One that his mom isn't so sure she's ready for, or should be happening yet! He is more that prepared. The backpack is packed, clothes and folder labeled. We've been practicing the shoe tying.

Kohen with the newest family addition, Winnie, complements of the Carlton Animal Swap.

Kohen had another first yesterday, his first races with Papa. They traveled to Brainerd along with Chuck to watch the TransAm series race there. Of course Papa was kind enough to remind me that it's been so long since these races have come to Brainerd that the last time, I was still a teenager. Thanks Dad.

Saturday night's forecast carried a frost advisory, so mom and I spent some time harvesting tomatoes and herbs on Saturday while Nate and my dad finished putting steel on the barn roof. I also took some time to transplant some of my pepper plants. I've got to start them from seed much earlier next year. I've only gotten a handful of beautiful peppers from them so far, with many small ones still on the plants. Kohen was a great help and hauled the produce and plants to the back porch for us. Gotta love the gator! Wish us luck, and few tears tomorrow!

Well Said

I have to link to this post by Deborah, it sums up so well why we made the choice to live the way we live too: Antiquity Oaks
In other events, we have rafters on the barn, and the scaffolding is ready to start installing sheet metal. It's looking like a barn!
I had to go into school this morning, and will work the next two days as well. Still with mixed feelings but acceptance.
The wind is blowing like crazy today so I'm off to the laundry room...

Summer's End

You know that summer is wrapping up when:

• You finally have a tomato harvest, though few of them actually make it into the kitchen.


• You experience relief that the weather is cool enough for a young boy to wear jeans, thus hiding his mosquito bitten legs from the public.


• You need to close windows for the night.


• You are making phone calls to order hay and firewood.


• It's too dark to milk at 9:30 pm anymore.


• When scrubbing the floor you reflect that this is the last time you'll scrub wayward wild blueberries off the floor for a year.


• The sheep are looking wooly.


• The canning jars are lined up on towels on the counter, filled with beans, pickles in training, and one last batch of wild blueberry jam.


• You can actually bake some bread during the day without causing heatstroke in house members.


• Family members fly into town for the Heiam Foundation benefit.

Wrap my head around

It's the time of year I love and hate the most. I love all the produce in the garden, the days of summer, and spending time at home. I hate the thoughts of going back to work (for real next week) and making the transition from a busy crazy summer to the super busy, crazy, school year. This is my time of year of most frustration, anticipation, depression. I love being home with my boys, and even though I haven't gotten everything on my to-do list done, I want to keep trying. All school year I put things off until summer, when there will be time, only to have summer arrive and get consumed in the daily life and activities that we need to do and the realization that there is no way to accomplish all that I expected to.

I know I'm whining, but it is with the hope that once I get this out I'll feel better and be able to get something accomplished today. The frustration of the transition is getting to me. Add to that financial frustrations, and I'm pulling out my hair (hopefully just the gray ones.)

I know things will get better, and that once I'm into the groove of work I'll be better. I just don't know if I'm ready to slide from summer into fall yet.

Plus Koe makes the kindergarten transition. Where did that come from? How did my first baby grow to this lanky five year old who wants to know all the answers to his worldly questions?

Time keeps going, I just need to figure out how to wrap my head around it.

Adventures in Pressure Canning

A new adventure for me! I've water bath canned for years, and have had an old All American canner in the closet for a couple years, just minus the courage to use it. I've heard too many horror stories of a poor canner, plus I had no reliable gauge or way to test the gauge I had. Enter the Lions Club "Million Dollar Sale" this year. I didn't even go until the second day, and there under a table in a closed box was a brand new looking Mirro pressure canner, 16qt. size. I snatched it up, brought it home, and did some research on the web for a manual.
Today the boys and I cut, cooked green beans, and then I canned. I didn't blow up the kitchen. I didn't break any jars. No one was injured in the making of six quarts of green beans. The test will be if they are edible and I don't kill anyone with botulism. Boy am I optimistic today. Now to blanch some broccoli to freeze...

Como Zoo

Almost a month ago we headed to the Como Park Zoo with the boys, Nate's mom, and Annalise. It was a hot day, but we had a great time.

Nate decided the day needed to start with cotton candy. He didn't get any protests from the kids!

Annalise was hot and hadn't brought a hat, so Gramma Jan bought her one. It was a good choice and did the job.

Como does a wonderful job of interactive tables and passing information on to the public. The volunteers were great.

We wavered on standing in line to tour the butterfly house at the end of the visit, but Koe, aka "Bug Boy" wanted to, so we did. I am glad we did. It was a great experience and we all enjoyed it.
Annalise loved the seals and sea lions. She would giggle whenever they came close.

We had a great experience in the polar bear encounter. The bears where being lazy and sleeping in the sun on the hot day. We were able to witness one slowly wake up and then slowly, almost teasingly approach the water, and finally jump in. The kids loved it. The air conditioning in that building wasn't so bad either.

Current Residents/For Sale

Our little bit of a farm has grown a lot in the last four years. It currently houses the following:
31 sheep: 2 rams, 13 shetland ewes, 1 icelandic ewe, 1 jacobs ewe, 14 shetland/shetland cross lambs.
1 donkey
3 goats: saanen/nubian crosses
18 turkeys: (Turk and Henny, along with 4 poults hatched Friday, and 12 2monthers that joined us yesterday.)
20-something chickens, standard and bantam
1 barn cat
1 farm dog
1 house cat

Now that the barn is going up I need hay to fill the beautiful hay loft. In order to fill the loft I need hay, in order to buy hay I need money. SO.... I'm offering for sale the following:
ewes:
Fiona (icelandic) $150, black iset
Kizzy (3/4 shetland) $100,
Sugar (7/8 shetland) $100,
Plum (7/8 shetland) $100
Manda (shetland) $100
rams:
Marshmallow (shetland) $150
Jimmer (suffolk/shetland) $150
lambs:
I may also have some lambs for sale. I have to contact past lamb meat customers to determine how many we are butchering this fall.

I still have not decided on my keeper ewes for this year. Depending on how many adult ewes I am able to sell/butcher I will decide. My goal is to be down to 15-17 sheep to winter.
If you are interested in any of the above sheep, please let me know. We would also be open to trades for beef, hog, or hay. Please contact me at tifanybriggs at yahoo dot com.

Adding On

Yesterday we celebrated four years of living in this house, along with the hubby's birthday. It was a good day, and a busy one. We hosted our "Barn Raising- Take 2" day. Barn Raising-Take 1 occurred last fall, with limited success, for lack of labor. Take 2 was much more successful. All told we had eight friends and family helping throughout the day, and were able to get quite a lot done. Decking on the second floor, "nailers" on the first floor, and three walls up on the second story. My two days of cooking culminated with our feast yesterday: smoked turkey, brisket, and lamb, fresh bread, assorted salads and sides, and blueberry pies and cake for dessert. Lots of work, but worth it, along with lots of leftovers!

I should probably put a disclaimer below this picture- I wouldn't recommend my husband's methods of working on a ten foot ladder, balance on two boards on top of seven foot scaffolding, with hard ground and piles of lumber beneath.

We "added on" a bit more in the turkey department this weekend as well. Our turkey hen hatched out four poults on Friday, Nate quickly put a fence around her nest along the garage to protect them from the fox that are still in the neighborhood. Today the boys and I took a short road trip to trade an ewe lamb for 12 half grown turkeys. We'll be eating good this winter!

It's amazing to me when I look back and think of all we have done in the last four years to see how much we have accomplished. Sometimes in the "wanting more" mode I forget how much we have gained and completed. There are SO many things we still want to accomplish. Finishing the barn obviously, fencing in more land for the sheep, more remodeling and work on the house, landscaping, sauna, workshop, the list is endless. I am so thankful for what we do have, and for what I know we are capable of in the future. All with lots of hard work! The help and support of family and friends sure doesn't hurt either! Thanks everyone!

Kiting

We've had a few windy days this summer and Koe has been working on his kite flying skills. He's become proficient enough that he's stepped up from his dollar store kite to the large nylon one. Still, mishaps occur.

The grain pail just wouldn't give him the boost he needed. Thankfully Daddy has tall ladders around!

Post Please!

I know I have been lacking in blogging when even my hubby asks me if I've blogged lately, and he is usually complaining about my computer time! If you are on facebook you know things have been busy with the boys and Izzie's recovery. He did receive a clean bill of health from his Mayo doctor last week at his follow up appt., so we are grateful. The biggest treat is how much he has changed in the last few weeks without his tonsils and adenoid. He eats, breathes, sleeps, and talks so much better! His amount of energy and appetite have improved a ton! He is just happy now, and more mischievous. We are very glad that we went through with the surgery. I'm hoping his immune system will improve enough that I will use many fewer sick days this school year.
Speaking of school, Koe is getting so excited! We've already packed in the school supplies. I was lucky enough to hit some great rummage sales while we were in Rochester and stock up on clothes for this fast-growing boy.
Speaking of rummage sales, my grandmother and I are having a rummage sale today and tomorrow in Cook. Having it at my dad's vacant building (for sale by the way!) has been great. It's so nice to be able to set up and just shut the doors. I've sold a lot of baby clothes and gear, but have a lot to sell still. Hopefully tomorrow is a good sale day as well.
Finally, I wanted to link to the radio interview I did this morning on KAXE. It was their Friday morning "What's for Breakfast" Feature, but included not only what I had for breakfast, but what was for sale at the rummage sale, why my name has only one f, how I met my husband, and even the usage of a lemon zester. It was fun, and random, plus I get some great Homestead Mills pancake mix for doing it! If you have 15-20 minutes, it might be an amusing listen: link here.

Talented Sheep

for my shepherd friends. I stumbled upon this video during nap time (shhh don't tell Nate I wasn't scrubbing the floor.) It was too cute to resist.

Happy Fourth of July!

Isaiah, Kohen, Braeden, and Chase, ready to roll.

Dave Manick ready for Kohen to throw some giant jawbreakers to him! What a guy! He told Koe he would drive up to watch him in the parade, and he did complete with his snowmobile helmet to protect him from all the candy Koe was throwing out!

Much of our celebration took place yesterday at Orr's 3rd of July Festivities. They have a great children's parade and we made the drive to participate. Kohen, Isaiah, Braeden, and Chase proved their patriotism. So well in fact, they won the grand prize for their entry "Four for the Fourth." It was very sunny, and hot, but we made it through. With the help of some cotton candy! This morning we awoke to a lot of rain. From 3-9 am our rain gauge registered 5, FIVE, inches! Yikes!

Artists

Combine a beautiful summer afternoon, an easel bought for $1.00 at the Lion's Club garage sale, some old watercolor paints from my high school days, a few clothespins and paper plates, and you have two happy boys.

Tonsilfree...is that a word? How do you spell it?

Isaiah post surgery, it took him two days to drink that sippy of juice.

So it has been a week since Isaiah's surgery, and he finally ate a freezee today. Along with some mac n cheese. I can count every single rib on him from across the room, and his breath smells obnoxious, even though we brush twice a day. The road to recover has been rocky, but we keep trekking. The good news is his lymph nodes have already gone down in size. The bad news is we broke Nate's green chair with all the rocking. As long as he gets his tylenol every four hours he is functioning. The toughest part is getting him to take the tylenol. Bribery, force, all have been executed in the past week to help Isaiah deal with the pain of his healing throat. The funniest part came via postal service last Saturday. A 5x7 picture of Isaiah's tonsils on a cartoon face/mouth. He is fascinated by it and carries it around the house. I am simply disturbed.

Updates

Isaiah: Isaiah had his surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids last Tuesday at Mayo. Surgery went well, though he was a wild child when he was coming out of anesthesia and pulled out his iv and other monitoring devices. I ended up sitting in the recovery room rocking him for over an hour before they would let us head to a room. After an overnight stay we brought him home to Nate's moms for a couple of days before making the drive home. So far so good, though it's a challenge to get him to eat, drink, or take his medication. It will all be worth it if we don't have the periodic fever and other symptoms.
BWCAW: Before Isaiah's surgery Nate and I had a quick trip to the Boundary Waters with our friends Andy and Mandy. It was a short camping and paddling adventure, but overall a good one. This was the first time Nate and I have gone camping together, along with the first time we have been away from the boys for that long of a stretch.
Animals: While we were gone we brought Feta to Geri, one of my spinning friends farm for a stay. She took good care of her and was happy with the milk. In other goat news, Feta's sister will be coming to live with us on Wednesday. Lots of goat milk here, anyone have any ideas? I'm currently perfecting a goat milk fudge recipe.
The baby turkeys finally hatched while we were gone, and then were eaten by a fox (assumed) before we ever saw them. My parents said they were a variety of colors, hopefully we will get one more batch this summer, and this time they will be caged.
The sheep are doing well, the lambs are growing fast with all the good pasture and clover this year. Nate took time tonight to go and mow down the thistles in the south field.
Daisy the donkey has been busy protecting her charges. She actually killed a woodchuck this last week. She loves when the goats are in her pasture, though Brie sometimes annoys her enough to get in a game of chase.

Love

Kohen with Opie.

Isaiah with Darla.

Now that school is complete for another year, my goal is to spend more time with the sheep. Since turning them out to pasture they haven't been socialized much. They are getting fat and lazy on all the grass and clover. Last night Darla and Opie received extra loves from the boys. I believe the feelings were reciprocated.

In other news, I will be on KAXE on Wednesday morning for an interview for their local food beet. KAXE is a community supported local radio station that I listen to every morning on my commute. If you are in the area tune in around 7:15 am to 91.7, or http://www.kaxe.org/. Kohen's favorite part of the morning show is Tuesdays for the phenology report, but hopefully he'll listen to his mom on Wednesday!

New Editions

It has been a busy spring. I finally feel as if I am catching up, just in time for summer to arrive. One more week of school, and then summer can begin.

Lots of news happening, I'll give a few bites:

• new editions: Manda lambed last Tuesday afternoon, in the front yard with the rest of the flock watching. This first time mom gave birth to a black krunet (white spot on top of head) ewe. She was licking her off as I pulled in the driveway. Both are doing well. Annalise, our niece, has been staying with us for the last week, and will be here until Friday. Her mom, Holly, had complications with the end of her pregnancy and has been hospitalized for over two weeks. Being 300 miles away the best way we could help out was to bring Annalise up for an extended visit. Having two 2 1/2 year olds in the house is a new experience; Annalise and Isaiah are only three weeks apart in age. We've been keeping her busy, and she loves all the animals. We'll bring her home on Friday when school is done, and get to meet new baby Gabriella as well.


• Nate's been busy with various small jobs this season, but no big building projects lined up for the summer. Anyone need a new garage, remodeling or additions?


• We've been rotating the sheep often as we wait for the grass to catch up. Having 30 ewes and lambs in two rolls of electonet makes for frequent moving. They did a great job on the front lawn though. We had them in the same area last year and that is now the nicest lawn on the farm. Good fertilizer plus the aerating effects of little hooves. It was an added bonus to look out the windows and watch the lambs three feet away. The kids loved it.


• Kohen had his preschool graduation last week. He looked quite something in his suit and cap and gown. I was only mildly frustrated with his on-stage behavior this year. In his attempts to counteract the bright stage lights he spent half the concert portion of the evening with his hands cupped around his eyes. Oh well, entertaining!


• We finished planting the garden yesterday. I'm happy with our efforts so far this year. In addition to the main garden I now have four raised beds along the waterline to the woodshed. They are filled with tomatoes, peppers, and herbs. My parents are also planting their potato patch garden with the three sisters method this year, and have also started another garden that will grow potatoes this year. Hopefully we have a better season then last year.


• June is going to be a busy month with classes for me, a BWCA trip for Nate and I, bibleschool, and Isaiah's surgery at Mayo. I'm hoping the lambs and garden can keep growing well through it all.

Iron Range Earthfest

Catch up post.

The second annual Iron Range Earthfest was held on Saturday, April 17th, in Mt. Iron. It was the debut of the Rice River Lamb Company. I had a fun day visiting, informing, selling, and managed to card some wool on down times. I had brought along raw fleece and some tanned sheep hides to sell, to no avail. However there was a lot of interest in lamb meat. I ended up taking deposits for some fall orders. I didn't get as much time as I would have liked to visit the other exhibits and vendors, or attend any speakers, but I did have a fun, worthwhile day. My mom and Nate assisted for shifts of the day, along with Kohen who critiqued my display and said that if I really wanted to make sales I should hold up a photo book that contains pictures of the sheep. Maybe that was my problem.

2010 Lambing Stats

Cornelia, even though 3/4 shetland 1/4suffolk, I'm loving the spots! Keeper?

So our lambing season 2010 is over. Poppy, our first lamb born last year was the last ewe to lamb this year. She had a white ram yesterday, while we were in Rochester.

Our stats for this year:

Lambing season 3/27-4/21.

7 rams, 9 ewes.

Purebred Shetlands:

Johanna (Plum, Marshmallow) grey ewe

Laya (Sugar, Marshmallow) black ewe

Opilio (Annafleece, Marshmallow) white ram

Time (Shrek, Marshmallow) grey ewe

Bandit (Shrek, Marshmallow) white ram

Seaa (Cocoa, Marshmallow) white ewe

Shetland Crosses:

Sig (Jacobs, Jimmer) polka dot ram

Northwestern (Jacobs, Jimmer) white ewe

Edgar (Scar, Jimmer) black ram

Splash (Scar, Jimmer) black krunet ewe

Jona (Kizzy, Jimmer) white ewe

Than (Kizzy, Jimmer) white ram

Cornelia (Pamela, Jimmer) white & brown spotted ewe

Marie (Pamela, Jimmer) white ewe

Captain (JJ, Jimmer) moorit ram

Andy (Poppy, Jimmer) white ram

All the lambs are healthy and growing quickly with the exception of Laya and Jona. Both of these ewes are unable to stand on their own, and appear to have white muscle disease/selenium deficiencies. The hardcore shepherd would have taken care of them at birth, but I'm a softy whom tried to give them a chance.

Laya was born 3/30, and continues to live in the sheep fold in the garage with her mom, Sugar. She is able to get herself upright enough to nurse, and navigate around with a push/jump method. The two vets I consulted soon after her birth both said I did the right thing with BoSe and vitamin E, and to give her more time; unfortunately, there has been no miraculous recovery.

Jona was born 4/16, and was very weak at birth, she has only been bottle fed, with a great sucking reflex. I was able to give her colostrum milked from her mom and some frozen I had left from last year, along with sheep and goat milk from the other residents here. Jona spent the last three days living in town at my grandma's while we were working and out of town. She was given regular bottles, lots of lawn and sunshine time, and physical therapy. Grandma rigged a sling for her and would walk her around the yard. She is now able to walk for three feet if you get her balanced on all fours.

It is a frustrating experience to have two lambs that are suffering from an unknown. If you know me you know that I don't like secrets, HATE mystery novels, and want all to be right with the world. Not sure how this story is going to end. I'll keep you posted.

In other events, Isaiah was seen at the Mayo Clinic yesterday and surgery is scheduled for June to remove his tonsils and adenoids. It will be a good excuse to spend some time with family and friends!

Last Saturday was the Iron Range Earthfest, and the debut of the Rice River Lamb Company, but more on that later. I'm looking forward to this Sunday, as our spinning group is meeting here for our last spinning meet, along with some lamb races entertainment.

More Lambs!

Scar's twins

Anna's ram lamb.

Just a quick update, as my workshop starts in ten minutes.

Anna's ram lamb is doing well, even though her incessant maaing is hurting everyone's ears.

Scar decided to join her with twin lambs yesterday morning, one ram and one ewe, both black, though the ewe has white on her face and an adorable ring around her right ear.

Shrek didn't want to be left out of the party, and had twins yesterday morning also, a white ram, and a black ag ewe, all healthy and doing well.

More later...

Finally!

After fifteen days of waiting since the last lambs, we finally have a new one! Annafleece gave birth to a nice sized white ram this morning at about 6:15. Of course Kohen thinks he is a keeper since he is Anna's, but Nate and I are not overly impressed with his fleece. Time will tell. Seven ewes remain looking like they are going to lamb at any moment. I though Kizzy would be the first to lamb, and that was three weeks ago! I no longer waste my sleep checking on them every two and a half hours each night. If I wake up with Isaiah's coughing/breathing (that's a whole extra post.) I turn on the "lamb cam" and survey the seen. Otherwise the alarm does not go off until 5:15 am.
I am in the midst of a crazy schedule and feeling very overworked. School is crazy with the spring season of IEP meetings, transitioning students from early childhood special education in anticipation of next year, lambing, trying to get the seedlings and garden going, along with Earthfest on Saturday. Please come to the Iron Range EarthFest on Saturday in Mt. Iron. I enjoyed it so much last year that I have a booth this year! Of course I could use an entire day to get organized and ready, but in reality I have about six hours, in the course of three nights. Should be interesting! I have a feeling I'll be skirting fleeces at about 10:30 on Friday night by the light of a headlamp.
We are also preparing for taking Isaiah to Mayo Clinic a week from today. We are determined to get to the bottom of the lymph node/tonsil issue. I picked up a paper copy of all of his medical records pertaining to these issues last night, the stack is over an inch thick! We are praying for some answers and relief for his little body so that he can eat and drink, and grow!
Better quit blogging and get some work done, I'll post pictures soon.

The Waiting Game

Not my favorite game! Nate is now convinced that all the ewes will lamb next week after I go back to work, not while I'm off. So, while we wait for more new lambs to photo, here's a wrap-up of what's going on around here. In no particular order. Kohen holding Johanna, Plum keeping a close eye on both of them.

Darla loves a good rub on the head from the boys. I didn't have my camera ready moments before when she had leaned over and laid her head on Kohen's lap. Isaiah was jealous and tried to pull his chair in closer, and ended up pushing Darla back.

The boys love their new sheep. Thanks Sabrina!

Kohen riding his new Christmas bike for the first time. Hopefully the training wheels can come off before the St. Judes trike-a-thon next month.

This is sweet Kohen "checking Anna" to feel for her baby.

"Checking" Kizzy's swollen belly. My hopes are for twins from this one!

Nate and my dad finished the second of three sections of the hay loft floor last night. The forecast is for rain today, so they worked while they could last night.

Isaiah taking a break in the sheep fold. His favorite place to be right now is with the sheep. I've finally taught him to move slower and not chase anyone. Progress!

If you remember back to Christmas, we bought the boys a john deere gator ride on toy. Kohen promised me he would do lots of work with it. I put him to the test yesterday, having him haul hay from the shed up to the ewes. They did well.

Our newest tenants. This pair of honkers has been residing in our big pasture for over a week. They are bravest in the evening and come up quite close to the chicken coop.

Some friends came over last Sunday, with their gator. Alex, Addison, Kohen and Isaiah enjoyed cruising together in their matching wheels.

Ok, time for another barn check! Have a GOOD Friday!