Stealth entertainment

Oreo is very difficult to photograph, for as soon as I stop to point my camera at her, she walks towards me for attention. (Petting only, please; she is not a cuddle-cat!)

One sunny morning this week she was lolling about in the gravel when I walked by to do chores. Because I kept walking, she kept lolling. So I went in the barn, turned my camera on and activated the zoom, then slipped just my camera around the edge of the barn door to capture my kitty. What a character she is when she thinks no one is watching! (Click to biggify for even more entertainment!)


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We had a BLAST!

Yesterday was the 31st anniversary of the 1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption - and my high school graduation! I have wanted to visit the area ever since we moved to Oregon in 1989, but never have. The other night on the news it was mentioned that all the visitors' centers, including the newly revamped Johnston Ridge Observatory closest to the mountain, would be free on the anniversary, so I decided it was the perfect time for Brian and I to hit the road for a field trip.

The weather could not have been more perfect, and we could not have had a more wonderful time. Brian was a pretty good travel companion - yes, there were quite a few "Are we there yet?" questions, but overall we had a pleasant drive up to Johnston Ridge. There we ate our sack lunch, took in two Forest Ranger talks and a movie on the eruption, experienced all the exhibits, and Brian bought himself a longed-for "explorer hat" as a souvenir. Then we headed back down, stopping at a few viewpoints along the way for more pictures before getting to the Weyerhauser Forest Learning Center. We toured that center and watched their video of the eruption, viewed elk from their lookout point (LOVE my camera's zoom!), Brian played with some kids at the playground while I knit a few rows on Sakaki, then we hiked their forest trail. That last activity worked up a sweat and an appetite, which we satisfied at a quaint little restaurant overlooking the North Fork of the Toutle River which survived the 1980 mudflow and advertised homemade cobbler (yum!).

Brian asked if we could make this an annual event; I think that's a dandy idea. Go, if ever you have the chance! Photos from our our trip can be found here.

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Moon over my rammy

Corny, I know. But it's my sheep blog and I'll pun if I want to! :-)

Speaking of rammies, today a buyer selected Blackberry and Birdie to join her spinner's flock. I'm tickled over the home they will have, with a stay-at-home mom of two sweet tots who milks cows, goats and sheep, spins and knits - she even brought us some homemade mozzarella and feta cheese - yum! Bramble may go live with her, too; I have to decide whether to try breeding her one more time to see if she takes, or let her go now to a pet home.

That leaves just Bart and Bronwen still available; my Bonny lass is staying here for now (unless someone makes me an offer I can't refuse). Bart is looking extremely good as a breeding-quality ram at this point, but he has a quiet, sweet nature and would love to be someone's fiber pet with very little encouragement (and removal of certain appendages). Bart is Ag/Aa BB/Bb Pp, with excellent structure, consistent, crimpy fleece and typey little tail. Boulderneigh Bronwen is At/Aa Bb/Bb MM/Mm ?p; she is an excellent first-time mother, has outstanding conformation and presence, with a dense, more intermediate to double-coated fleece. They can be picked up here, delivered to Black Sheep Gathering (BSG) at the end of June, and could even catch a ride back to Minnesota with Garrett from BSG. With so little left to sell, I have finally decided not to enter any sheep at BSG; I'll just go down to pick up and deliver sheep, see friends, and maybe help others show.

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And it's not even weaning time yet!

At least the baa-ing I hear through closed windows is of a mellower timber than strident lamb calls.

This is about Inky. While the rest of the ewes and lambs dash out to pasture and graze most of the day,
Inky hobbles out slowly and stiffly, and spends most of the day lying down.

Lately I've noticed Barrister, Katie's 9 1/2-week-old ram lamb, harassing my old girl, chasing her around and trying to mount her. She expends too much energy trying to evade him, and the effort leaves her even more stiff. So last week I decided that Barrister could hang out in the wooded lot with Bramble during the day (at night Inky has her own protected corner in the fold).
The wooded lot is "lamb-proof" but the center pasture is not. The younger three lambs couldn't figure out why Barrister wasn't out on the driveway for lamb races as usual!
(I really should add a wire barrier to that gate!)

Rick wondered why I didn't put Inky out with her daughter Bramble instead of separating Barrister when I really wasn't trying to wean him. He thought it would cut down on the noise. Yeah; right. I tried the new arrangement this morning, and Inky and Bramble are making just as much noise today as Bramble, Barrister and Katie did last time. This is why I don't think it makes any difference in noise level whether one weans their lambs days or weeks before taking them to a show, or weans them BY taking them to a show. When there is a change, sheep make noise. Period. BAAAAAAAAA!

That's it for today from . . .