Monday Mishmash

The rain has finally stopped but it's still cloudy and gloomy.  This morning we had our yearly Scrapie Program flock inspection.  At this point we have reached "Scrapie Free" designation but are still subject to yearly inspection.  It involves checking a year's worth of my records as to who has joined the flock (either by being born here or by being purchased and brought in), which individuals have left the flock by whatever method - death (list date and cause), sale to another flock (date and name, address and phone of buyer)  or culled ( these are used for home consumption or processed and sold to a 'raw feeder' who fosters Newfies and Bernese Mtn. Dogs - no one has to suffer the auction barn ) -and noting any replaced ear tag numbers.  Happily, no discrepancies were found and the tech was out of here in record time.

While I went to town to mail out a web order and grab some groceries, Andy tackled the job of repairing a metal gate that the sheep had finally beaten to death. It's a perfect height for them to stick their heads through, lean hard and rock back and forth to scratch their necks.  Years of that kind of flexing had weakened one of the long members and it finally cracked.  Andy took it up to the shop and replaced the broken section with 2 hardwood boards - one locust and one oak.  They should last longer than the rest of the gate.

You're fixed - back you go.

I worked for some time in the shop sorting washed curls for a big Santa bearding order then took Holly for a well-deserved walk.  It's been so wet that we haven't gone farther than house to barn to other barn to house to shop to house, etc, etc.  Our road is fairly quiet and most of the people who travel it are familiar with us walking and we wave at each other in passing.  I love the 'country wave' drivers give.  The hand resting on top of the steering wheel kind of flips up as they make eye contact - just sort of  "Hey, I see ya there, bye" as they go past.  So far it's been a whole hand, not a single finger.  Heh.

Anyway, I'm trying to get into the habit of putting the camera in my pocket when I go out - easier now that I'm wearing a coat most of the time with sufficient pocketage.  Today was Wooly Bear Day and we saw several.  They are unusual this year, being mostly solid color without the black banding.  I wonder what that indicates for winter weather.

Cold winter?  Warm winter?  Get off the road or you'll see NO winter.

This woolly on my shop is clearly conflicted.

I was a Dorper in a former life.

The sheep were really enjoying being on pasture without being rained on.  This is their last rotation into this pasture before breeding season later this month.

Happy sheep

They've gotten used to seeing us walk by and don't startle and move off which is nice.

"Hey, Mom, what's them peoples going by?"

Emma, a colored Cotswold

Gilly, another colored Cotswold

Not a very exciting day, but any day you can feel like Progress Was Made is a good one.