So far its been an incredible summer.  For those of you who live in Virginia, you will recall the two+ weeks of 100+ degree weather last year.  This year has been a "normal" summer.  It's still hot and oh so humid- but wonderful anyway.

          NEW WEBSITE PAGES

          If you signed up for email updates you already know that I've added 4 new pages to the website.  I often get asked a zillion questions for how to care for sheep.  I was in that position myself once and it takes a long time to figure it all out.  The pages I added are "Caring for Sheep, "Handling Sheep," "Sheep Behavior," and "What Is A Ruminant?"    I will keep updating these pages as I discover new information or have personal experiences to share.  I'd love any feedback on these pages and also if there are other things I should add to my website.

           NEW BARN KITTIES

          Some of you may think I've lost my mind - but I went back to the local shelter and brought home 6 more barn kitties. There is solid logical thinking behind this decision.  The original kitties (now almost 1.5 yrs old) have decided that they prefer living in the woods and hanging out in the pasture.  They come to the barn to eat and often go on long excursions for days at a time.  They love to play in the pasture and tease the sheep.  It will be interesting to see if they decide to live in the barn during the winter.   The second 3 grey year old kittie I got about a month ago (well only 2 actually - one immediately took off for parts unknown) are very personable and do hang around the barn.  Our shelter is no kill - that's the good news.  The bad news is they are no kill and extremely overtaxed.  I have two barns with tons of room for cats to live, play and hunt.  I'd rather have the kitties I bring home disappear due to natural predators than to be caged at the shelter.  At least they can live and die free. (sounds like something Paul Revere said?)

          Anyway - these are very little kitties.  And they all have varying degress of an upper resipiratory infection which I hope will clear with good food and care.  The following are some of the pictures we took the first day - you get the added bonus of seeing my very cute grandsons.  It's a miracle those kitties have any fur left after these boys got through loving on them!  You've never seen 3 boys so in love with kitties.  They wiped their eyes every day they were here.  Unfortunately, they are a tough act to follow - I do not spend 4 hours a day playing with them.  They'll get over it I'm sure.

          If you look carefully you will see that the little black and white one playing with the cat toy only has 3 legs.  He is missing his right front leg.  You'd never know it by the way he zips around.  I call him Tripod.  I'll add more pictures in another week or so.

           THINKING OUTSIDE THE PASTURE

           The ewe pasture is only about 1.5 acres and is beginning to look a little like the top of my husband Jim's head - spotty.  Oops - that crack will cost me my pin money for the week!

           I've been wanting to fence in the front pasture and connect them so I can move the sheep between the two but money keeps getting in the way (or should I say the absence of).  Anyway, yesterday as I was staring at the piece of land immediately behind the ewe pasture it hit me that with my temporary fencing I could fence off a small area and let the sheep clear out some of that grass so I wouldn't have to mow it.  Let's see, I have sheep and goats and I'm mowing grass?  What's wrong with this picture?

          So that's what I did.  I had to lure the sheep out of the gate with a bucket of grain.  Yesterday they spent a little time "on the other side."  This morning I lured them over again and all of a sudden they were eating vines hanging off the cedar trees.  Eating vines!  These are sheep who turn their noses up at anything that looks different than a pure blade of fescue.  They almost looked like goats.  Go figure.  

          Unfortunately, they are still conditioned to come back to the barn for hay and some grain.  I want to break them of that.  It may take a while.  The really good news is that for the first time in a year - Bongo and Golda got to eat a meal without having to fend off sheep.  They were so busy eating vines they didn't notice when I feed the dogs.  I doubt they'll make that mistake again.

         KATE AND HER ADMIRER

          Kate has settled in nicely.  The weather has not cooperated enough to allow for getting her saddled up - although Jim did get himself a nice saddle and everything else he needs.  Still have not figured how we're going to get him onto her. Slingshot maybe?  Lower him on from a tree? 

          One of Kate's stablemates has taken quite a shine to her - I'm speaking of course of Dude - resident stud.  I'm not sure Dude realizes that Kate is, well, uuh, you know, not able to have children.  In fact, I'm not sure Kate realizes that either.   There has been a lot of hanky panky going on in the pasture and Kate is not innocent in all of this.  Of course I do worry that should Dude decide to take some action he might hurt himself.....  Here are a few pictures of Dude making his move:

NOTICE THE SUBTLE TECHNIQUE!

 THIS IS DUDE'S LOVE LORN PUPPY LOOK

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I THINK HE'S SMILING AT HER

IT'S HARD TO ACTUALLY SEE BUT KATE WAS FOLLOWING DUDE AROUND - LICKING HIS NECK AND BACK.   NOTICE THE MINOR DIFFERENCE IN SIZE?  THERE ARE TIMES WHEN SIZE DOES MATTER.

           Well, that's it from the farm right now.  Please send me comments - I love to hear from everyone who follows our adventures.