Today was Sheep Auction Day. After much deliberation, we decided to purchase a Dorset cross to show at the Fair, rather than show Jean Valjean.... As surprising as it sounds, nobody shows Dorpers!!! (I think that is because it is a newish breed, it was only introduced in America in the 80's....) If you have ever been to a sheep show, Dorsets are very tall and elegant when you compare them to a Dorper.... So the kids decided to share in the cost and raising of this sheep, although only Maura is allowed to show - a real disappointment since Remy really, really knows his way around sheep....but, hey! He will get to it and when he does, he will have that much more practice under his belt!
The way the auction works, you select 4 sheep first, and then you separate them from the herd and get to examine each more carefully....Remy really had his heart set on a little brown beauty, Maura on a cute white faced ewe, our project leader was of the opinion that the white ewe would be best, and since we respect his opinion, we decided to go with the ewe. It just so happens that Remy had picked her during the first selection, so it's all good...! In this picture, they are feeling the loin...(remember the sheep clinic?)
We all have so much to learn and practice before the fair, but for now, 'Julie' is ready to come home....
(..and yes, this is a large dog crate in the back of mr. sassafras' van... as Mr. P so eloquently put it: 'The headline should be..... "So, you think you cannot raise sheep.....think again!")
Since yesterday was National Pie Day, we decided to celebrate! It was a group effort, Remy and I made the paté briseé (fancy word for pie dough, oo0- la-lá!), we all sliced and diced apples, Maura added orange zest, honey, flour and sugar and mixed it all up, we all waited patiently and finally our efforts paid off - yummy, fresh, hot apple pie....
It took 4 long wet, months, but finally, our Cosette is here! Two of our ewes lambed today, one at 3 a.m., she delivered one skinny little lamb, Remy says his name is Curly, and our lovely Miss Daisy delivered around 10 a.m., a single healthy girl, Maura named Cosette... They are both, it turns out, Desperaux' babies....Cosette has very funny markings...Dorpers are suppossed to be either all white, or white with a black head. She looks like a cow - which I guess makes sense, since she is Maura's lamb, and all of her pets just happen to have the same type of markings....Possum her cat, Skunk her cow, Trouble, and now Cosette.... they are soooo cute!
A read about a lady in South Africa who, as part of her New Year's Resolutions, ( and also, as part of a bigger movement to make environmentally conscious changes, one month at a time) decided to use oil lamps instead of electricity at night....a no go here - it sounds rather dangerous....hmmmm....well, I do have the new serger....and I read my friend's blog about using cotton wipes..(instead of toilet paper, girls only)...so here goes: I made them, and we are using them!!!! The older boys in the house say yuck! Remy, my love, thinks they are cool, and Maura and I are loving them! They are sooo soft...and soooo pretty...! Thanks, Jen!
The way the auction works, you select 4 sheep first, and then you separate them from the herd and get to examine each more carefully....Remy really had his heart set on a little brown beauty, Maura on a cute white faced ewe, our project leader was of the opinion that the white ewe would be best, and since we respect his opinion, we decided to go with the ewe. It just so happens that Remy had picked her during the first selection, so it's all good...! In this picture, they are feeling the loin...(remember the sheep clinic?)
We all have so much to learn and practice before the fair, but for now, 'Julie' is ready to come home....
(..and yes, this is a large dog crate in the back of mr. sassafras' van... as Mr. P so eloquently put it: 'The headline should be..... "So, you think you cannot raise sheep.....think again!")
