Sunday Dose of Cute: Poring Over Old Photos

Martha (who is now retired) and Her 2006 Twins (previously seen here and here)

Can't wait until lambing season starts in April? These might help:
Lambing Season 2006 Photos & Reports
Lambing Season 2006 Part 2
Lambing Season 2006 Part 3
Lambing Season 2007 Photos & Reports
Lambing Season 2007 Part 2
Lambing Season 2008 Part 1
Lambing Season 2008 Part 2
Lambing Season 2008 Part 3
Lambing Season 2009
Lambing Season 2009 Part 2

© Copyright 2009 FarmgirlFare.com, the twins are twice as nice foodie farm blog where yep, this red wall is part of the old sheep barn. And yep, we've had a whole new Amish- and Joe-built sheep barn in its place for several months now. And yep, I still haven't posted any photos of the fabulous new structure. And nope, I have no idea what my problem is, except that I wanted to do a day-to-day series of photos so those of you who are interested could see the whole building process, and other stuff keeps getting prioritized ahead of that semi massive project—and I'm perpetually behind with pretty much everything. Thank goodness the actual construction didn't take anywhere near this long!

Farm Photo 9/7/07: A Wooly Look Back At Lambing Season

Silly Wendy & Her Baby Girl On April 12th, 2006

It's hard for me to believe that I've taken something like 15,000 photos since I started this blog back in June 2005, especially considering I'd only taken a few hundred during the previous 37 years. And I certainly never imagined I'd be constantly strapped to my camera. But it seems like the few times I decide to leave it in The Shack I come upon a fabulous photo opportunity, like the dragonfly that landed on the truck antenna six times the other day while I stood watching and framing photos I couldn't take with my fingers. The bright blue sky made a perfect background.

I keep several files of photos I plan to post, but for some reason or another many of them never actually make it up here. Mostly it's a timing thing. I always seem to be running behind, and it feels odd posting a photo of something that's out of date, like summer flowers in January or Silly Wendy with this tiny lamb who is now a grown up lady sheep.

I came across this photo the other day and immediately set it as the desktop background on my computer. When Joe saw it, he said, "Ohhh, that's so cute--even with the little pile of sheep pellets!" I figured any photo that can make a tough farmguy say the word 'cute' and passes muster even if it has manure in it deserves to be shared, no matter when it was taken.

Silly Wendy, who received the second half of her name during the infamous Farmgirl Fare Name That Sheep Contest, is Doll Face's daughter. While we're starting to see a real conformity within the flock (translation: I can't tell some of this year's lambs apart), she and Doll Face each have a very unique, but very different, look. Eleven-year-old Doll Face is small with delicate features. Five-year-old Silly Wendy has a much larger frame, a snow white snout, and the biggest pink nose I've ever seen on a sheep.

Last spring Silly Wendy gave birth to a cute and sturdy ram lamb, but he and all the other lambs never seemed this small compared to their mothers because for the first time we sheared the sheep before lambing season.

It was by far one of the best things we've ever done, both for the flock and for us, and if all goes with the winter weather and the sheep shearer's schedule, we'll shear the sheep before lambing season every year from now on. That means we won't be seeing these big wooly mothers again, which is another good reason to share such an outdated slice of life from the farm.

It's hard to believe that sheep breeding season starts next month!

Want to see more?
Scenes From Lambing Season 2006
Scenes From Lambing Season 2007
Scenes From Sheep Shearing 2007

© 2007 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares stories & photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres.

Farm Photo: 5/19/07

Patiently Waiting For Snow

A year of Farm Photos ago, with lots of daily lamb reports in there, too. Catching up again with these, though I'm still behind answering your comment questions and replying to e-mail. Thanks for your patience!
5/19/06: Woods, Water, Want To Sit & Stare A While
5/18/06: This Has Been Hiding In Here A While
5/17/06: Lilac Iris
5/13/06: Morning Mist Rising Off The Creek
5/12/06: Butterfly Conference
5/11/06: Who's Sog-gy Now?
5/10/06: Low Maintenance Livestock
5/9/06: Glorious
5/8/06: One Of My Favorite Photos
5/7/06: Stuck With Babysitting Duty
5/6/06: Spotted In The Front Yard
5/5/06: The Return Of Our Wet Weather Creek (and some reflecting)

© 2007 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares photos & stories of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres.

Farm Photo 1/5/07: A Glimpse Back At Lambing Season 2006

Serena's Baby Girl On April 28th, 2006

Don't worry--she grew into those ears (but she still has that defiant stare). It's hard to believe that in two short months another lambing season will already be here. Before you know it, there'll be bouncing baby lambs everywhere.

A year of Daily Photos ago:
1/3/06: For Horsing Around
1/4/06: Barn Light
1/5/06: Woodland Wonder

And in my kitchen garden today:
There's a broccoli on my broccoli!

Welcome new visitors!
Click here for a brief introduction to this site.

Daily Farm Photo 6/27/06: Two by Two

Snugglebunny's Twin Girls Heading Out For Breakfast

A year of Daily Photos ago: Sweet Teddy Boy
Click here and here to see how much he's grown.

C Is For. . .

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Celebrate!
Farmgirl Fare is one year old today!
(And so is Beattie, the surprising star of my very first blog post, An Unexpected Beginning.)

Champagne & Chocolate!
Which is how I'm celebrating my blog's birthday. (Apparently you're allowed to buy your blog a birthday present. Lindy bought hers a plant. I bought mine a bar of fancy organic chocolate--which should make David very happy.)

Cats!
Weekend Cat Blogging is also one year old!
My WCB post will be up tomorrow, and so will my pal Clare's very special WCB celebration over at Eat Stuff in Australia.

And Lambs! (What?)
I figured I should do a little something special in honor of my blog's birthday, so I'm finally getting around to announcing what the deal is regarding the names for this year's ewe lambs (the boys don't get names). As many of you know, two years ago we realized that it would be a lot easier to remember which lambs were born when if we gave them all names that began with the same letter. So the 2004 ewe lambs all have 'A' names (Annie, Alison, Alisha, Amy, etc.), and the 2005 lambs have 'B' names (Beattie, Bella, Brett, Babsie, Becks, etc.).

That means this year everybody needs a 'C' name--like Chocolate Chip Biscotti above who, appropriately, was born the day after I posted my recipe for Toasted Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti. Click here to see her the day she was born, and click here for the biscotti post. And then there's little Caraway, of course.

Are you starting to see a pattern here? Yep, I've also decided to choose all food & herb related names. We're not having another Name That Sheep Contest, but I am taking suggestions for appropriate 'C' names. (Cracker, Coconut, and Captain Crunch are examples of inappropriate 'C' names.) I am in charge of all final decisions as well as matching fitting names to each of the lambs. If your name is chosen, you will of course be given full credit. (But you will not be given a little lamb to call your own.)

And finally, C is for. . .


Can't Quite Reach that Itch
('Cause some of you can't get enough of Cary)

© FarmgirlFare.com

Daily Farm Photo: 5/17/06

Lilac Iris

Wondering about the lilacs that were coming and whatever happened to the blooming lilac photo I said I would post? Sadly, as often happens here, those promising little buds were killed by a late frost. But there's always hope for next year. And of course now we have irises.

Lamb Report: Alison and her big baby girl had their first day out yesterday, and it went very well. I guess Alison learned her lesson last year when she kept tucking baby Beattie (who was a late born surprise) into safe spots and then heading off with the rest of the wandering flock. The two of us did a lot of frantic jogging together last year. Yesterday she stayed glued to her lamb and close to home--unlike the sheep who went on a wild mountain trek in the woods. Current Lamb Count: 22.

Little Caraway had a big day yesterday, too. I'm hoping to post a photo and a Cary Report later.

Daily Farm Photo: 5/15/06

Sheep Crossing

Lamb Report: The wet weather creek is still running (hooray!), but late yesterday afternoon some of the sheep decided it was low enough to safely cross over to one of their favorite grazing spots, and so they took the plunge. (Well, I suppose 'the splash' would be more appropriate--there was no swimming involved.) Unfortunately many of those brave woolies were mothers whose kids did not think it was at all safe to cross the creek, so things got quite noisy for a while until Bear and I made everyone splash back through to the other side. My Mother's Day gift from the sheep? They all went into the barn for the night without a fight! And it only took me four tries to get the correct lamb count. Current Lamb Count: 22. Number of baby lambs curled up asleep at my feet as I type this: 1.

P.S. I'm just thrilled that so many of you enjoyed my little Mother's Day Lamb 'Tail.' Thanks, as always, for taking the time to write and let me know.

A Tiny Tail For Mother's Day

Where's my mommy?

Once upon a time there was a beautiful lady sheep named Annette who gave birth to an itty bitty set of twins—one boy and one girl. Annette was not new to motherhood, but she was new to the idea of twins.

When she found herself in a Bonding Suite with two newborn lambs instead of just one, she became a little frantic. And in the ensuing confusion, she stepped on the little girl's tiny leg with her big strong hoof and hurt it very badly.

Annette eventually calmed down, and she allowed the twins to nurse. But the little girl could not stand up on her own, and she needed someone to hold her steady at the milk bar. To make sure she received enough milk, she was also given supplemental bottles.

The twins curled up together when they slept, and the little girl quickly became strong enough to stand up and balance on her three good legs. Things were looking up.

Daily Farm Photo: 5/14/06

Happy Mother's Day

Current Lamb Count: 22.

Daily Farm Photo: 4/29/06

Snugglebunny's Twin Girls Eat Together & Sleep Together

Lamb Report: Rained out. It's been raining all night and is showing no sign of letting up anytime soon. Since I'm not in the mood to spend the day slogging through the wet grass reuniting babies and mothers, I rustled up some hay and declared A Day In The Barn (sans Non-Stop Classic Rock). Current Lamb Count: 19. Number of sheep who hate me today (even though I turned off the radio): Every Single One Of Them. Number of soaking wet donkeys who could have slept in their hut: 1.

Baa Bonus: For those of you who can't get enough lamb pics, click here to see how Bruisie's baby girl spent the second half of her first day of freedom yesterday.