Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Lambkin

Hi, I am ewe lamb.  Ewe lamb, not you lamb.  But I might answer to 'Hey you lamb', if you have alfalfa, not hay.  Just call me Alfalfa sheep.  Hay ewe, would be confusing.

What was I saying?  I like milk.  How 'bout you?


I have brown ears and legs.  My sister is all white.  I have all the freckles in the family.  I get them from my momma. 


More lambs are on their way.  Me and my sister are gonna have company in the nursery pen.  Yipee! 




PS we already figured out that the lady who is writing this is bat shat crazy.


Tuesday, February 28, 2012

First Lambs

Our co-op partner Monique's Katahdin uneventfully delivered the first lambs this evening in a howling wind storm on the Enumclaw plateau.  Healthy twin ewe lambs to an excellent mother. 



The temps are dropping & snow is forecast along with the wind so we put the little coats on the lambs to keep them warm through the night since the shelter is partially open on one side. 

One down, 21 more ewes to go.

Yeah!  


Saturday, February 25, 2012

Not Dead...just waiting for lambs

We are prepared for lambing to start.  John built the jugs, clean fresh straw spread, lambing kit & supplies ready and now we wait and watch.  Recheck the calendar, wait, watch, scratch our heads...watch, check them, feed them, watch.  Wait...and wait. 

Did I mention we are waiting? 

It figures tomorrow is supposed to snow and I actually have plans for the first time in a week, knowing our luck they will start dropping. 

I am so excited I can hardly stand it.

Now back to watching, waiting and waiting and waiting.....




Saturday, February 18, 2012

*Sigh*

I know I promised to write an update about our trip to Idaho soon.  I have failed at that task. 

It seems whenever I promise to do something I drag my feet and do everything BUT what I am supposed to do. 

When my kids did this I called it ADHD or Oppositional Defiance. 

With me it is called 'Distracted'.  I hesitate to say 'Lazy' because that is a negative handle I refuse to identify with. 

Truth is, I am addicted to "Words with Friends" and my Kindle. 

It is a slippery slope and I blame Jaenne' completely.  She convinced me to get a Kindle, then had the temerity to show me how to play this horrible game when I was staying at her place in Idaho.  Since we have been home I have not touched my camera once.  I sit down to process pictures and suddenly become overwhelmed with words popping into my head & adding up points (double word, triple word, triple letter...ACK!).  It is like a troupe of busy body old biddies whispering in my ear, and I am powerless to make them stop.  

I remember when I went through my Farmville phase, which lasted about 4 weeks.  I have not played it since.  The hours I wasted on that damn game never to get back.  The same thing is happening again, dagnabbit. 

I could blame the damn rain along with Jaenne'.  The rain, wind, and typical ugly northwest weather.  Sure, it is an easy scapegoat. 

Truth is I am weak.  Even as write this I find myself counting up the value of each word.  Pathetic really.  "Words With Friends" leads to a dark scary place. 

It is on my phone, my kindle, my computer...one day soon I expect it will be on our toilet paper. 

Perhaps that is a bit far, but really...you never know. 

Just because you read my drivel and were expecting an update about Bea, here is a picture.   Bea stayed behind at Dianne's where she will continue in training.  As Dianne says "Bea's window of learning is open wide".  Meaning she will be staying as long as her learning is progressing - and I am okay with that. 


I still miss my Beatle Bea (B=4, E=1, A=1) Bea = 6..now if I can find a Triple Word tile to put it on then it will be worth 18 and if I can smash it up against another word and make even more words the potential is more than I can comprehend.

HELP ME!  (H=3, E=1, L=2, P=4)

See? 

Hi, my name is Carolynn and I am a 'Words with Friends' Addict. 

Addict is worth 11 points and if I can put it on a triple word tile then that is 33 pts.  YES! 

Monday, February 13, 2012

Home from Idaho

We just got home from our trip to Idaho.  I am too exhausted to write much. 

We spent the weekend loving on Bea and ran Brynn at the El Presidente trial.  I am very pleased with how the trial went.  Brynn showed me lots of beautiful stuff, some not so great, but we did manage to complete both of our PN runs & I am thrilled with that alone. 

I have approx 10k worth of pictures I need to process which will only be processed after I am able to finish processing the client shoots from earlier in the month. 

This weekend we many wonderful new people and saw old friends and one especially dear friend I have not seen in 15 years.  So many stories to share and blessings to cherish. 


Now, I am off to snuggle with Bonnie, Beth and Ranger much to Brynn's chagrin. 

More later! 





Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Beth's Perspective

"This is my job.  I move these stupid sheep around.  Sometimes Camera Face blows whistles, occasionally shouts,  falls down a lot, and I have even seen her cry.




I don't like to make her sad which is why I try to be good.


Sheep are idiots and it pisses me off. 



They get together in their little groups and talk about the dogs.  They don't have anything better to do.  The bitches. 




This is what I think of you stupid sheep.  Take that! 



I work for Mr. Camera Face too.  I like to work for him.  He doesn't cry as much as Camera Face. 


Mr Camera Face is letting me teach him about working sheep and all this herding stuff.  At some point he will learn that it is pointless to move the sheep up and down a stupid fence line. 

I try to tell him what is he is saying is not what I WANT do to.  He doesn't listen. 



So I do what he asks, sorta.  



Even though I think it is pointless.  We go up, inside stupid flank, then come back, inside stupid freaking flank again - then back up.  Blech, I hate it.  



I try to look as miserable as I can.  Maybe he will get the message that this is dumb.  


He doesn't listen very well.  


A fun game I like to play is pretending to not know things I DO!  Like a simple little outrun to fetch back some sheep that decided to make a break for it.  The pressure of being good for 5 minutes was just too much.  I had to let off some steam. 


I am gonna get even with the wooly bitches now.  


This is what happens to smart mouth ewes who talk behind my back.  


Boooya!  Take THAT!! 


This time I heard Mr. Camera face say bad words.  Camera Face says the sheep are not supposed to go faster than a walk.  
I call BS on that objective.  Just sayin' it's crap.



I don't understand what the problem is.  Dogs need to floss their teeth too.  It is good for dental hygiene.  




I am sorry Mr. Camera Face.  I won't do it again (until tomorrow),  I promise."


Friday, February 3, 2012

TMT 2012 #5








1. Julie would like to know one frugal tip this week.

I guess this is a throwback to my depression era grandmother, but I save plastic bags.  We have spent entirely too much on zip lock bags and other plastic storage devices.  Instead of throwing our plastic bags away I save them.  All of them.  Zip lock bags can be washed (10% bleach/water mixture), bread bags (excellent for left over pizza and home made cookies), grocery bags (for the garbage can) the list goes on and on.  My kids & husband are used to me shrieking "DONT THROW THAT AWAY!"   I am also guilty of washing and reusing every plastic container known to man.  Cream cheese containers, margarine tubs, cool whip tubs, etc.  Why throw them away when they are perfect for left overs. 


2. What are you reading this week?

I am not a huge TV fan.  I tend to read 2-3 books a week.  Now that I have a kindle and can take it everywhere I expect that number will increase.  I just finished
 Claiming Ground, by Laura Bell.   and started "Winter Bloom" by Tara Heavey. While finding the links to these novels I ordered another book for my Kindle Secrets of the Wolves - book two in the Wolf Chronicles.

3. Barbara wants to know: do you hit the snooze button on the alarm clock, and if so how many times?

I work from home thus I do not have to get up with an alarm.  If I do have to set the alarm I generally do not hit the snooze.  I shoot up like a rocket thinking I am late - because I usually am - I have been known to completely sleep through the alarm, forget the snooze button, I don't even hear the alarm going off.   

4. If you had to travel in a sedan (or if you already drive a sedan type car) and you had five or six dogs, how would you handle it?

Wedge as many crates as I possibly could in the back seat.  Then let the rest ride loose, or juggle who comes with me and when.


5. How much do you filter what you put on your own blog?

I have an issue with my own personal boundaries, if you have been reading my blog for any length of time you will know I am an open book.  HOWEVER there are certain things I will avoid writing about.  Anything serious related to my marriage, my children, and family.    I try not to deliberately malign someone.  If anyone is going to be made fun of, it will be me.  Basically I try not to cross the boundaries of privacy for anyone else, other than me (with restrictions). 


Thursday, February 2, 2012

The KF-5 Litter

Three years ago today a special litter of border collies from working lines was born under a porch on a cattle ranch in Klamath Falls, OR.  The rancher later kept two of the pups for himself and negotiated with a local vet hospital to have the mother of the puppies spayed, with the agreement that he would give the remaining pups in the litter to rescue.  

It is not unusual to have ranchers allow their dogs to breed, pick out a couple of them to raise and train, then 'cull' the rest of the litter.  Thankfully that unhappy ending was averted in this case.  

At eight weeks of age the five remaining puppies were transported to their new foster home in Moses Lake.  

One of those puppies was Brynn.  Link to Brynn's original Adoption Listing 



A short time later I adopted the little monkey from an amazing foster home, she got sick, survived and well, you know the rest of the story.  

 


Brynn is a happy dog, like the rest of her litter she is thriving.  They are some of the lucky ones. 



Too many dogs are unwanted, cold, hungry and neglected.  Many do not know what it is like to play, or chase a ball.  For some all their energy goes into survival.



They do not know the kindness of a gentle touch.  The warmth of a hand on their head.  To look in a human's eyes and hear the words "good dog."



The feeling of a full stomach, and warm bed is unknown.  It might be a cold kennel, a wire cage, or a dirt bed beneath a tree.  



I thank doG in that I share my life with these amazing dogs.  All of my dogs (until Bea) were rescues, and I do not regret a moment.  Mikey, Elmo & Katie, who crossed the bridge, to Ranger, Beth, Bonnie & Brynn each one has brought happiness. They may not work like champions, but they certainly have won every award my heart could bestow.  

 

They bring me more joy and peace than I ever thought possible.  Maybe one could do the same for you and in turn you can share your home & heart. Check out your local rescue and see if you can't give a home to an unwanted animal today.  




Silly Mice & Peeved Jim

Wednesday afternoon at the farm I took all the sheep out of the night pasture with Brynn while John pulled the truck in to drop a round bale & do a little clean up.
 
When we were down in the lower field we were doing exercises that do not require the ewes to run in their pregnant state.  
 
Lots of slow and steady. 


Walking, not running, emphasis on pace and flow.  



When Brynn got a bit squirrely I backed her off and let her think for a few minutes.  
 
I tried to shoot some pictures on my iPhone to relax, focus my thoughts and let Brynn settle down a little.  
 
 
The sheep were mulling about. 
 
 
 
 
I love the Romney ewes faces.  They are so sweet. 

 
Then I saw several of the ewes looking down with the noses to the ground following something in the grass.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little creature dart through the grass at the edge of the water, then another and another. 
 
 
 

 
FIELD MICE!  They were everywhere.  Hopping around each time the sheep would move popping up like corn kernels in hot oil.  I started giggling.  Brynn thought we were playing a game, started circling the sheep like a lunatic.  Sheep were circling me, I was trying to get Brynn back out and lie down and there were field mice hopping all over the place under the sheep, over my feet.  
 
 

We must stopped right on top of a nest and they made a break for it.  


 
Note to self:  Sheep seem to enjoy field mice.  Enough to completely ignore the dog.  Dog goes batty when you giggle.  Wait, didnt I learn that at Fire Ridge?  Giggling speeds Brynn up into a frenzy.  'Doh.  

Later after feeding the sheep and letting them lose into the 'hay hut', Jim got a bit peevish with the sheep.  I am going to have to figure out something different for the round bale.  Me thinks Jim is guarding it and not letting some of the sheep eat.  The stinker.  




As he was standing there being a brat I told him to knock it off, then he hurled a big loogie at Sherman followed by a peeved llama chortle.  I took a step toward him and he hit me with 'that look'.  

 

He has not spit at me yet, and today was not going to be the first time.  

The mother in me bowed up like a Halloween cat.  I wagged my finger in his face and said in my stern, brook no nonsense voice "Dont you even THINK about it Buster".  

He blinked, paused, gave me a goofy, ashamed look.  Wiggled his ears, batted his eye lashes.  


And said he was sorry.  


Or was judging the trajectory for a glob of spit.  One will never know...

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

52 Weeks of Beth - 3/52 & 4/52

I am a little behind in posting Beth's 52 weeks shots.  Here is week 3 and 4.  


3/52 Snow Sucks

 Beth says:  "I have had my fill of this white crap." 

Camera:  Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF 135mm f/2L
Aperture: f/5.0
Shutter/Exposure: 1/800
ISO: 640



4/52 Beth's Epic Tongue

Happy dog, ridiculous tongue flopping to and fro.  

Beth's tongue defies description.  A mere glimpse of it's full potential. 

Silly dog.  I love her to pieces. 

Camera: EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS
Aperture: f/6.3
Shutter/Exposure: 1/1250
ISO: 320






Bonnie Wants to Know....

"Does this monkey hat make my face look fat?" 


"Camera face is evil. Just sayin'."