March is here!!!

Here it is................our official photo for 2013.    They all look so sweet in the picture when they are not making a fuss about something.     They really do get along quite well.    They went for a walk a few days ago.   They remember all their commands when walking, but they were not happy when they did not  go out again the next day.   I will be so happy when we can get out every day. 

In the sheep shed:    I am happy to just have my nine poll carrying sheep.    I am hoping for the three mature ewes to lamb this spring.    We will be late, after May first.    I want to be able to go out to check for lambs in the night in my bed clothes.   No cold shepherdess or cold lambs.   I am not breeding for any particular time, so warm weather lambs are just fine here.  One thing I do know is that I will be looking for a new ram for next year.    I need one so that I can breed my lambs from last year.   Right now the next thing on the calendar is shearing and lamb fleeces.     Hooray!

In the house, Jake has had one of his thumbs fixed.    The thumb joint was bone on bone just like the shoulder and knees.   He is doing well having skipped the cast and just jumped to the splint after three weeks in a soft cast post surgery.   On March 25 he may begin being weaned off of the splint.    He does not have pain in the thumb now.    Next year he plans to have the other one fixed.    Then I think he will be done with the arthritis thing.

We have had much snow in February, but I am ready for spring.   I have done a lot of spinning during the winter and knitting also.    I have only knit shawls since they use up a great amount of wool.    I did make a cowl that I liked, also.    I don't spin or knit well, but I enjoy doing the shawls because they are simple to knit.    I have joined a small group that knits at a library on Thursday afternoons in a small town nearby.    It had been lots of fun and the source of many laughs and many new books to read and, best of all, new friends.

This is the first shawl.   It has kept me warm through some cold days this winter.    Since this one, there have been four others.    They are all different colors and have different edges.   The first two were three ply, and the rest are two ply.    Two ply is heavy enough, but I like my heavy one.  Beaver doesn't look particularly happy to be modeling the shawl, but he is still in the same position as I write this.   Guess it can't be too bad.

Everyone here at the farm will be very glad when spring gets here.