Sheep-3, Hay Barn-0

The ram's nose is covered in hay chaff, and he is a happy boy.

So the sheep got into the hay barn again yesterday, numbering their mischievous-expeditions at three now. I am always amazed at how quickly they can demolish a bay of hay. Not eat it, per say, just stomp and tramp and tromp it until it's barely recognizable. They know now when they hear me coming that if they're in the hay barn they'd better hightail it out of there. It's funny to see them hop over one another to escape the haybarn as I roar at them and flail my arms.

Of course after chasing them out of the barn they're content to nibble on the hay I gave them in their feeder.

One of the bonuses to living in the country is that even if your neighbors do see you they tend not to judge, or if they do, who cares? They're country neighbors. I've been known to run outside in my union suit to grab firewood, to chase down predators in nothing but my small clothes, and to even on occasion take winter water to my ducks in my bare feet. I don't mind if they judge me. I could use a little judgment in my life.

The badgerface ram is still small next to Ingrid, but he's catching up!

I was looking at photographs of when the sheep first arrived, this morning. The size difference between the ram and ewe lambs and Ingrid was really comical. Now, while Ingrid is still beastly next to them, they at least look like they're the same breed! I can't wait for lambing season this spring. Almost equally as exciting, I can't wait for shearing season!

Gertrude's super-soft fleece puts the others' to shame!

Ingrid's fleece speaks of many years lambing, and she totally deserves to have a course fleece at eight years old. The ram's fleece is typical as well, not terribly soft, but not so course as to be discarded. Gertrude however has grown the softest fleece I've handled in a long while. It could just be that I'm out of practice, but even if that's the case I still cannot wait to run my hands through her freshly shorn fleece. It has spring, and a bit of crimp, while remaining soft and silky. In my opinion it's the perfect fleece for mid-layer garments. Not quite next-to-skin soft for the average non-wool-loving person, but definitely soft enough for garments for me! I love the scritch-scratch of wool on my skin, whether it leaves me a bit itchy or not. I love the smell of wool in the grease, clean or not, and I love love love to spin it that way! My hope is that my mother will be in town for shearing this spring. We may attempt it ourselves since I intend to keep the fleeces myself. Ingrid's may be mixed with something a bit less abrasive, but Gertrude's I intend to spin in-the-grease, on it's own, and for myself... mwahahaha

I couldn't help but post one final photo of Harrison curled up on a blanket last night. I have only seen three mice since he became official mouser, and they have all been in his mouth! He is a seriously fantastic mouser as we have had less than half the winter mouse problems this year than we have in previous years.