Saturday, November 20, 2010

polar bear club

You know those people that go swimming in the cold icy waters?  No, I'm not out swimming this time of year, but I do feel like I'm drowning, and its on the cusp of winter, so there it is. I'm a polar bear club member.  I haven't posted since October 3rd?!  Not that I haven't had stuff to write about, its just that priorities get the best of you and I feel like I can not keep up.  And of course Murphy and his laws tell me that everything will come at the same time, so no point in fighting it.  So the months of October and November bring deworming, shearing, breeding set up, breeding, breeding take down, re-introductions, snow poles, driveway prep, on and on.  Oh yeah and all the fleeces to be procesed... etc. 

We all have a ton of things to do. For instance there are plenty of daily routines that families have that I never have to deal with.  For somereason, individually we all feel like we have the craziest life of all.  I sat down at one point to write on the blog, but I just talked myself out of posting it.  Then the longer I wait, the more hype, and the more I want the perfect post.  When in all reality those that check in here from time to time just want to know how the sheep are doing and perhaps a picture or two.  Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I present to you exhibit A, compulsion of a perfectionist. 

Sorry I've been gone for 7 weeks people.  I'll try harder.

So yeah, the fall sunsets this year were amazing, weather just seemed to be a little warmer for a little later into the season.  The fact that its November 20th and we have yet to have snow on the ground is amazing.  Since the sheep were shorn in October all the fleeces have been sold except one lamb's fleece that remains.  WKF also has a truckload of yarn on the way back to the farm sometime in December, along with several lamb pelts that are for sale.   How amazing is that though? Our first full year and we sold out of lambs (breeding and meat), yarn and just about all 14 fleeces.  A great first year if I do say so myself.

So were in now.  Ewes and Rams alike are hunkerd down in the barn for the long winter.  No snow just yet, but hay is required at this point.  So every morning, making the donuts, feeding the hay.  You wouldn't beleive it, but Mary Jo yells out from the barn every morning at 6am.  I think the roosters gave up trying to compete with her honking every day.  Those sheep love their feeding time. 

Gunnar.  Gunnar is still a three year old horse and acts like it.  There are days I hug him, smile like I'm 12, and literally think I have the most amazing life as we ride across orchards overlooking the bay.  Then five minutes later he starts kicking and snorting and I think I am about to die.  But were good. (sigh)


At one point this fall we had a huge wind storm that blew through with upwards of 60 mile per hour gusts.  Can I remind you that the place is called WINDY KNOB!  So, theres hold onto your hat windy, and then theres hold onto the wall as you pass through the living room cause the mortar on the basement foundation is crumbling and you just saw todo fly past the kitchen window- windy.  Yeah.  We were the latter one.  And here is Milos and his ears in the following days "breeze" to prove it.