Uma's Knight in shining Armour

Uma left our farm for the first time in her life today. She traveled comfortably in the back seat of our jeep with our dog Max, and was feed peppermint candies by my son Michael. Her destination was a rendezvous with a handsome fellow named Midnight, resident buck at Spinnakees' Farm in Augusta.

Uma actually came from Spinnakees' Farm three years ago, She has been a wonderful addition to our family. Since she is small in structure, we have waited for her to mature. This seemed like the right time... and I cannot wait any longer! :) So in three weeks I will pick her up and hope that in June a little "Uma" or two will be bouncing around the barn yarn. The best part though is they will be ours to keep.

Things to do......

Today was a day of things to do. Of course getting ready for tonight's game topped the list. I made dips, buffalo wings, and brownies. We picked up and unloaded two loads of hay, I finished clipping Alice, my Angora bunny, I checked eyes and feet of sheep, cleaned up pony "plops", cleaned water buckets and last but not least ... gave my son a hair cut.

Tomorrow I plan to work in my basement preparing my new, super-huge work table for my next project.

Oh and maybe I will deliver my Angora goat Uma to Spinnakees' Farm for a rendezvous with a handsome silver buck.

Now time to go to friend's to watch the Patriots kick some .....

Sledding with a Mastiff

How can one resist these warm days with all this snow!! Of course sledding at our house is a bit dangerous. Not because of the long, sloping, tree-covered hills that require a sledder to be on the top of their game when launching from the top.... no.... it is the Mastiff who thinks you are a ball to catch and pursues you to the bottom.

This is all you'll see before she catches you ... good luck!

It's Snowing .... Again

Well, it was another snow day for us. I needed the day to complete many unfinished projects, but of course farted most of the day away. How can you resist not playing in such wonderful fluffy snow when the temperature is so mild. I guess the trade off for all of this snow is the bearable weather.

I remember the clod blast we had last spring after 40 degree temps through December and January. I foolishly sheared my sheep and had to go buy them all fleece pullovers at Goodwill!

Max played hard in the snow today. After a feast of sheep grain and some yummy chicken poop, Kathryn read him a story ( Curious George is his favorite) and then it was time for a long winter's nap. Ahhhh the life of a dog.

The Stockings Were Hung......

I am bad mother. I made three new stockings for my dogs and even one for the Guinea Pig, but when I started the new stocking for my daughter.... I broke the needle on my sewing machine! Hopefully I can get out tomorrow to buy some new ones and finish her stocking. If not I will sew it all by hand. She told me it was okay and that she would just use her Dad's stocking since it was so big ... smart girl!

10 Inches And Counting!

Well... when I fed this morning it wasn't snowing. I walked up to the barn, opened the door, fed, smashed ice out of water buckets and refilled them, and brushed Lady Bug.

When I walked out the door, not 10 minutes later....it was snowing! As of right now ( 5p.m.) we have 10 inches on the ground. It s fluffy and easy to shovel and so beautiful.

I took a bale of hay out to Joker and the girls in the front paddock a spread it in their shelter. I know they will eat some and bed down in the rest for the night. I took a bale in one hand and the shovel in the other so I had a weapon to protect myself with as I exited. The snow was so deep, that even when the little bugger chased me I could easily out run him. It was so funny that I almost fell down I was laughing so hard! He is such a good boy to protect his harem from the Shepherdess with the shovel! :)

Inspiration

I am often surprised at what inspires me. In the early morning hours, just before I head out to do chores, I like to stand on the deck and take in the very different world that exists in slight daylight. With the snow on the ground and trees, twinkles of light wink at me all around as the light begins to grow. If I am quiet I can watch the sheep lying in the snow. It is always interesting to see who has chosen who for a sleeping partner.

What touches my heart lately is the sight of my Shetland pony lying down, surrounded by sheep. Do they have early morning meetings in the wee hours? Do they too appreciate the beauty around them ... the silence ... the peace?

I also find "snow piles" interesting. How the tinyest flakes become shape on a branch, looking much like a skeleton on the outside. I hope everyone is enjoying the season as much as I am.

Happy Holidays.

Winter Wonderland

I have to admit that the thought of shoveling snow, wearing boots, and treking up to the new barn ( now a few hundred feet away) was not on the top of my "favorite things to do" list ... but I have to say .... today I enjoyed it. I was supposed to drive 45 minutes away to my business class today, but my Jeep was stuck in 4-wheel drive, and I had to call in. Hmmmmm ....what to do?? Ahhh yes! My camera!

My sheep always look so beautiful in the fresh snow. I have waited for years for this barn, and years to take this picture of my woolies peeking out the door. I feeling of contentment settled over me while I sat on a bale of hay in the "nursery", a corner I have set up for my younger and smaller sheep. I just love them all. Lady Bug was looking pretty cute in the snow too, she is all fuzzy and ready for cold weather.

I found a radio station that was playing classical Christmas music and left it on for them. Of course I did not have my camera with me when I walked up for my nightly check tonight. Lady Bug was laying in the barn with all of the large sheep. I truly think she believes she is a sheep ....silly pony. :)

One Happy Boy!

Today has been a day of preparation. The weather man says we will be waking up to winter white in the morning. The barn roof has to wait, but the trusses are up and a ( rather tacky) heavy duty, silver tarp covers the sub roof until next weekend ... if mom nature cooperates!

I brought my camera out with me today while I worked around the yard preparing for the storm. Joker, my ram, was very interested in my work and I managed to get a few great shots of him. This one I love. He certainly is one happy fella in the paddock with his six girls!

Calendars are in!!!!!

The UPS man just drove in with my calendars!!! So for those of you who have ordered and are waiting patiently for them I will be mailing them out on Monday.

Here is a sneak peek. :)

Thank You!!

TGIF!!!!!!

What a week!

I have been looking forward to this looooooong weekend since Monday! :) I am sitting at my desk sharing crackers with the newest member of our farm....Cusco! This fall we lost or sweet little Guinea pig, and I have really missed that little squeek-squeek-squeek for months. Soooo last Tuesday morning, on my way to my business class, I stopped at the local feed store for grain ... I knew better than to go look at the rabbits, and hamsters, birds and fish....for who should I spy in the corner, but this little cutie! So I brought him home.

I am till planning to put my rambunctious ram in with my girls this weekend...I am only a week late! And.....we finally have some progress getting this darn barn erected. Just call me "SUPER-NAG", cause, boy I have earned that name!

Now it is time to go put hay away before it gets dark.

It is movie night at our house and I cannot wait to sink into that sofa with a blanket and a cup of tea.

Coming Soon ......

They are almost here! My 2008 Calendars are soon to arrive. I pulled them together ( after deciding I did not have time to design them .... then deciding I did after receiving MANY e-mails wanting more... more... more...! ) after several late nights, and MUCH encouragement from Loopy Sheri ( thanks Sheri!) They are designed and off to the printers ... and from what I hear shipping out soon!

This year's calendar is smaller, 5.5 X 8.5 to be exact. I am very pleased with the clarity of the printing and the colors...WOW! So take a look. Go to http://www.romneyridgefarm.com/ and click on the link under the calendar cover. I'd love to hear what you think.

Isabella

I have had several folks call me lately, wondering who I am breeding this year. A lot of them are interested in my Babydoll/Romney crosses, but can't imagine what they look like. I tell them they look like mini-Romneys.

Here is Isabella, peeking in the door of mt shop. It is hard to compare her in size as she is loose in the yard most of the time. I will have to put her in with her mother Millie and take a picture so you can see how small she is.

Baby Sheep

Yesterday was a day of organizing my house. The beautiful weather was too hard to ignore though, and I had to leave the cleaning supplies to spend a little time with my woolies. Vespa a.k.a Baby Sheep, brings me so much joy. She walks on her little Border Leicester legs like a gracefull little balerina. My husband named her

Vespa because he said she looks like a little "motor scooter sheep" puttering around the big Harleys.

He best friend is Pippin. They are rarley apart.

Autumn Yarns

Well ... I went a little nuts this past weekend, dyeing my new batch of yarn. I was the Mistress of Mixers, blending greens, yellows, reds and oranges. No rhyme of reason, just play. I LOVE the end results...what do you think?

Uma

Last week I clipped Uma, my Angora goat ( with help from my good friend Deb....thanks Deb! )

By cutting back on her grain intake, I found her clip to be much cleaner, softer and no matts.

I carefully clipped as many ringlets as I could from around her ears, and her "pantaloons" for Rug Hooker Susie Stephenson who will be using them on her latest design. Susie displays her work at the Stable Gallery in Damariscotta. Uma's curls will be used for mermaid hair in her beautiful new rug!

Marigold & Pippin

Marigold is soooooooooo darn cute! I have to keep sharing her! Ohhhhh and Pippin ...... how can you resist!!??!!! So I know, I know, you all have seen the before, but I just have to share them as they grow.

Laverne & Shirley

Yesterday, two new residents of Romney Ridge Farm arrived. I pride myself on a diverse flock, and sizes are as different as colors and fleeces. I now have giants to go with my elves.

Meet Laverne Longleggs and Curley Shirley. Both are Columbia sheep from Stoneheart Farm in South Paris, Maine. They tower over my Babydolls, though I watched my ram Joker adjusting his step stool .... persistent little bugger, and even my Romneys. I have no plans to breed them, instead will rely on them as LARGE fleece producers. Welcome girls!

Progress

It seems like we are in a constant state of chaos here. But occasionally my nagging gets results and my husband builds new, needed, things for me. Today, as hot as it was, he started the pony's fall run-in. It will serve as a sheep shelter when the pony moves into the new barn, but for now it will provide some shelter for her when the temps drop and the cold November rains arrive.

There is never a lack of help around here. Joe & Martha are always up for assisting. Today, they transported boards to the project site. They were rewarded with back scratchings. Ahhhhh cheap help... got to love it.

Think Twice .....

There is never a dull moment here. Yesterday I was driving my babysitter home when I realized ... there was a chicken riding on the hay bale in the back of my truck!

Usually it is Romeo who is invading the cars of customers, the pockets of visitors, and of course my vegetable garden .... but we won't talk about that!

Here he is hitching a ride in my husband's bucket truck. Romeo is EVERYWHERE whether he is invited or not!

Last week he pulled the tags of several skeins of yarn, opened the door to one of my rabbit cages ... I just caught the rabbit, and got in the kitchen before I realized he had come in. He ate a half a watermelon! So think twice my friends before you add a goat to your "collection". :-)

Lady Bug

Every little girl should have a pony right? :)

This is Lady Bug. She has come to us from a horse rescue here in Maine.

Currently she resides with our ram Joker in the front paddock. It sure is nice to see a horse again when I look out the front window ... only much smaller. :)

August Already?

Time is flying by.... when I wrote a check today I realized it was almost August!

My lambs have been growing beautifully! Here is Marigold, almost too big to hold now. Socks is her mom, but she is built like her dad.

I dyed up a few batches of roving for something new to spin. Been working on a cabled vest, and getting ready for the class I will be teaching at Fiber College in September. Check it out. It is a GREAT event.

New Slide Show!

I have been trying to get to this for sometime now. It is a slide show of my farm! I chose some of my favorite pictures of my life to share. I believe I can keep adding to it. so check back every now and then! What fun!

Here is my darling little Gromit. He is such a combination of his mom and dad. We know where those ears came from though! :)

They are growing up...sigh

This morning it was clear and dry, so I sat in the paddocks with my camera. I find that peace with my woolies especially soothing on a Sunday morning. Perhaps it is the biblical link of "lamb and God " or perhaps it is because the usual hum of traffic on Rte 1 is somewhat non- existent in the wee hours.

Here are Marigold - now 6 weeks, and Moon Pie - now 10 weeks. Moon Pie has kept his terrific spots, and Marigold is exhibiting a great Babydoll beard. I am so enjoying watching them grow and learn more and more that they can trust me. Eventually I will become to them a fellow sheep in the paddock. Like the older sheep they will know me as friend.

The WEENIE MARTINI

Poor Pirate... yesterday he had a tumor removed from his hind-end. The surgery went great but unfortunately he has to wear the E-Collar since he pulled out 7 of his 16 stitches and had to be stapled back together this morning.

Being two inches off the ground is not easy wearing one of these things. Everything in his path is scooped into the collar! My husband thought he looked like a martini glass so felted him an olive and he reluctantly posed for this shot ...THE WEENIE MARTINI! :)

The Dog Days!

I guess the dog days of summer aren't here yet, but they will be soon. Being the owner of two shelter dogs, I am always looking for ways I can contribute to my local shelter. I donate old towels, food and other needed items at drop off centers, and even held a fundraiser here at my farm last fall. But I always want to do more. Soooo ... for every can or bag of dog food you drop off at my shop, you will receive $1 off any yarn purchase of $10 and up. Let's see how many dogs we can help feed through the summer. Bags of treats count too!

Comet Jumps Over The Moon

This pattern was designed with our bunny Comet in mind. He is grey Rex bunny that we adopted from a pet shop. He jumps higher than any rabbit I have ever seen. My daughter said she bet he could jump over the moon. Of course it would have to be a carrot-orange moon!

This pattern is available in our Yarn Shop.

Lawn Mowers

The grass is getting tall with all of this rain. The lawn mower won't start.

Plan B ....

Shop Shots

Here are a few more shots of the yarns and other goodies I am offering this year in my yarn shop.

Almost Ready!

The dye pot has been bubbling and I, in my witch's hat ( I am thewoolwitch after all ! :):) ) have been creating some great colors for all seasons! My shop will be officially OPEN next week!

Hours are Mon- Fri 12:30-6 and most weekends. Best to call ahead if you aren't sure ... I am here most of the time ( when I am not delivering kids to baseball and girl scouts) and welcome you to visit!

This year I have found a new passion ... Dyeing and working with wool fabric! I have hand-dyed small strips for appliqueing and hooking. I also have my own patterns for sale!

And speaking of patterns I have ordered some very nice patterns from Cabin Fever and Knit Spot. I have chosen projects for we " knitters on the run", easy beginner projects, and patterns I felt would work best with our worsted and bulky weight yarns.

Green Mountain Spinnery spun my worsted weight yarns. The whites have been dyed, and now I await the browns to be finished. I also have an assortment of hand-spun hanks spun by yours truly. Sunshine Pottery has provided me with some wonderful and unique stoneware buttons, and Betty Stover of Spinnakees' Farm is preparing some wonderful roving blends from her farm. We have yarns from Grandview Farm and yarns from The Stonehouse Farm. You won't believe how much I have packed into this old pony barn! :)

Hope you will stop by. Directions are posted on my website.

http://www.romneyridgefarm.com/.

Yello-Gold, Pumpkin-Orange

My fingers are yellow, gold, blue and purple ... but I don't care. I am surrounded with color!!!!!!

Winter seems so dull as it draws to an end. Even when the daffodils and the tulips bloom, I am happy to add more color to my life with help from the dye pot. This year, Green Mountain Spinnery spun our fleeces into a beautiful worsted weight yarn. This particular day was yellows and golds day.

Marigold

When something beautiful enters your life, you need to give it a beautiful name. This is Socks's sweet little baby ....Marigold. She is a beautiful Olde Babydoll Southdown lamb.

Moon Pie ...again

Well I just have to share this sturdy little guy as he grows....what a doll! Can't decide wether to keep him or not. Socks finally had her baby two nights ago. A little white ewe. It was a rough delivery, but both mom and baby are thriving. I am happy to say ... lambing is over ...whew!

Meet Moon Pie!

Our first Olde Babydoll Southdown ram lamb!

Look closely...he has a half black, half white tail!

We Are In Hobby Farms Magazine!

On a cold February day, a wonderful photographer named Dusty Perin, and her husband visited us to take pictures for the May-June issue of Hobby Farms Magazine. It was during one of this spring's cold snaps and I was shearing the next day...and hoping for warmer temps. She spent a great deal of time taking pictures of my Babydolls and then joined us for tea and cookies to warm up. Joker, my ram was a fairly good boy, though her husband played matador for a few minutes while we picked hay off from the ewes heads to make them look presentable.

In the end, it was Joker and I that made the cut. Thank you Dusty and thank you Hobby Farms Magazine! :)

Lamb #5

Without showing any signs of having her baby, Lucy ate her grain and laid down. A few hours later she delivered a ewe lamb. It has to be the most lively lamb I have ever seen! It is black and has a few tiny little white sprigs of white wool on it's head. We are waiting for it's owner to name her....I think it might be Penelope. :)

In this photo she has dirt on her nose that makes it look white.

My How Fast They Grow

Well, our first two sets of twins are a week old. They are gaining weight, bouncing around the paddock and quite curious! Lucy is close to lambing. The signs are there and she is quite restless. Socks and Annie, our Olde Babydoll Southdowns are both due on the 14th.

It is snowing hard here and I am praying that they wait until this storm is over! :)

Pictured here is my daughter Kathryn holding a fast growing Issabelle. This lamb is a Romney/Babydoll Southdown cross.

Introducing.....

Wallace ( black) and Gromit ( speckled) !

10 pounds each! Well done Judy.

Lambs!

After great anticipation ... we have lambs! And it was not Judy who lambed first, but Millie! Two, black, ewe lambs. Isabella ( in the front ) and Fiona ( in the hay) .

WIDE Load

Well here is Judy ... and we are still waiting .....

What do ya think? Twins? Triplets? :)

Thinking Ahead

I am still waiting on those lambs to be born. Fortunately there is always something to be done around here to keep me busy.

The planners of The 7th Annual Maine Fiber Frolic have been doing a great job organizing classes, and have asked me to teach again this year. I had so much fun designing the vest ( look a few posts back January I think) I made from my photos, that I decided to teach a class on my technique.

These photos show a finished pillow and a knitting needle holder in progress. I will also be teaching this class at The 2nd Annual Fiber College in September. Now... off to the greenhouses to go look for some babies!!