Life outside the Sheep

I love the sheep but I do have a life out side of them....
I think, well maybe, some times. Well yesterday I did for part of the day at least. 

That is after feeding and watering and checking every ones birthing progress and turning them out in the field for exercise and snapping a few photos of course.

Enough with the camera already!
When are we getting fed?

So, yesterday after all that, and after it turned out to be such a beautiful day here on the coast. 

We decided to do some recycling. Recycling pop cans into shrapnel that is! 

We went shooting. That great American family outing where you take deadly pop cans that maybe harmful to the environment and shoot the he**  out of them. 

Don't worry peoples we are green we picked up all our shrapnel and empty shells to disguard of them properly. GREEN but DEADLY!!

We went up on top of one of the mountains above where we live.
Isn't a beautiful day?
I wished it looked like this every day.

This is my baby boy.
He is a great shot but better with a shot gun then a riffle.

SHshshsh! He's camoed they can't see him.
Wait ah,...Jake. I think you forgot the bottom  half?

You show them how it's done Dad!
You take that you raskley can!

You noticed there is no pictures of me shooting? That's because the guys did not want any physical proof that I can out shot them. Guys are like that you know. Yes, that's the reason, it has to be, not that I had the camera in my pocket or anything like that. No way, they just didn't want showed up. Yes, that's it..... lala-lala. 

Staple Living the Way of the Shepherd

Sheep Herders, Shepherds, or Flock Managers what ever the name they went by, all had the same traits and skills they honed in on and became good at, to be able to do the jobs at hand and in some cases survive.

One such skill is being able to live off staples.

For those of you who do not know what I mean by staples, staples are (according to the New Webster’s Expanded Dictionary, which I got free when I was in college, many, many, many years ago. I am sure the meaning hasn't change).

“Staple: n. An emporium; a principle commodity; raw materials.”

Too much? I’m sorry, staples are what ever you have around to live off of; food is what we are talking about here.

A shepherd buys supplies forever how long they are going to be in the fields tending the flocks. Since they just can’t leave and go to the store when they are out of peanut butter, they have to do with what they have till the job is done or someone brings them more food.  

Inside of my dream shepherd's wagon
that I did not find under the Christmas tree

Now mind I don’t live out of a Shepherd’s Wagon roaming rolling green hillsides with the flock, I wish. But, things have been a little tight after the holidays and I decided I was not going to the store a dozen times in the next two weeks. This decision was two weeks ago, so we are clear on the time line and all. Every time you go to the store you spend money you don’t need to and buy things you did not go there in the first place to buy.

NO! We will live off our staples; we can do it after all shepherds all over the world had been doing this for thousands of years. This is the point knowing that I had not done any serious grocery shopping for awhile, where my husband and sons melted to the floor with visions of standing at the Food Bank for free food or worse digging in the dumpster behind Pizza Hut for scraps. But I had faith after all I am a Shepherdess.

…Week 1, doing OK, some creative dinners but all in all not bad.

…Week 2, getting down to slim pickings, hot dog buns divided and dipped in an egg and vanilla mixture became French toast dippers for breakfast. I thought this was a great idea.  Kids are starting to have junk food withdraws but one mention of going to the Food bank cured those (not that I would really go unless we truly needed to and never for junk food).

Home made Black Bread
Yummy!!
Will post the recipe for this at later date.

So, you ask did I ever go to the store this last two weeks? I have to admit it, yes. But, it was only once and I took back pop cans, bought only what I needed, butter, lettuce (for Yuri, Tanner’s tortoise), and a beef sausage that I had a free coupon for. Came out of the store with a dollar and some change more then I went in with.

Could I make it on staples while traveling those rolling green hills with my flock? Well the lettuce would have been wild greens found on the way and eaten along side Tortoise soup, sorry Yuri. Sheep milk doesn't have the right fats to make butter so I would have done with out but over all, YES. Best of all my sons have an even greater respect on those who have less then we do and appreciate even more the things we do have even if it is just hot dog buns.  

Let's get Lambing!

My Internet server and I are having a Love-Hate relationship. They Love to foul up every time I try to post anything and I am hating them more and more! Sorry for posting my frustrations.....bad, shepherd, bad shepherd.

Lets Try This Again...

Hi everyone :) ,
Sorry that I seemed to have dropped off the face of the Earth. Between computer troubles, moving our house hold, holidays, sheep, children, and all life's activities I got lost, but I am back and so excited!


Why you ask? Because it is getting close to lambing season, I know in other parts of the country that has already began. In our county we try to have lambs born so they weigh between 100 and 160 pounds at our August fair. To do so they need to be born by the beginning of January to the end of March.  The lambs at the Sheep Camp should be born around February 15th and I can't wait! As in all species birthing patterns it comes down to - they will be born when they are ready…some really, some late and maybe some on time.

I have already moved the ewes to the barn. Pulled the rams (McRamsy & McStuddly) off and penned them up. A whole other post for another day there. Males, that's all I have to say for now.

McStuddly our Spring Ram

McRamsy our Fall Ram

Jasmine on the left and Lily on the right

We have moved the boy's (Jacob & Tanner's) two ewes over to the barn to be put in with the Dorset ewes. Lily is a black Suffolk ewe and Jasmine is a Hampshire/Suffolk cross ewe. These two have names because they are the boy’s 4-H & FFA breeding projects. The boys have had the ewes for several years in fact this will be Lily and Jasmine’s last year with us since they are getting up there in age. It is time to bring in new breeding stock. Awe.... I know this sounds sad but it is part of farming. They will be sold at the action after their lambs are big enough to pull off them, as culled ewes, (meaning they don't breed any more).

I will try and keep everyone up to date on the lambing. Maybe I can figure out the whole video part of this and post clips of actual births. This is the time I call in Jacob to assist because Mom’s not to technically savvy. Good thing sheep are not robotic or I’d be out of a job.