In 3 weeks we've put almost 2300 miles on my van shearing
all over NH. The second week in April we were in the White
Mountains once, and then fairly local. Hillsboro, Newport,
Weare and then down to Strafford. The third week we were in
Epsom and Bow. The fourth week of April we were in Bow,
Newport, Chester, Weare, and the White Mountains on 4
different days. I am getting tired on all the road running.
But, I do love hubby's shearing customers!!
We brought home Corriedale, Alpaca and Mohair, as well
as a bunch of nice mixed breed wools.
Some will be available for purchase May 13 and 14th
at the NH Sheep & Wool Festival.
This is one of this year's newest ventures.
These pigs will be ours and my daughter and son-in-law's.
We will be picking up 3 more Tuesday to raise with
ours for other people. They are so funny.
The pallet pen was built by my daughter and her husband
for us. I had shoulder surgery for a rotator cuff tear and
still can not lift my arm up to the side nor reach out forward.
So, I will take all the help that I can get.
The broken pallets in front need to be moved to the
burn pile, by someone other than me. I took them
out of the original pig pen well before I hurt my shoulder
and never got back to it. The pallets in this year's pen
are all new to us. Thank you LaValley's in Newport!
Since there will be 5 pigs this year, we knew that they would
not all fit under the truck cap. So, I decided on using the cattle
panels that the sheep have used numerous times as a hoop house.
The pigs are quite content, and dry, under it.
Hopefully they will come out and enjoy the pasture
for a while tomorrow before we head out to shear
goats and pick up the other 3 pigs. Then, these pigs
can teach the newest pigs about the pasture and the house.
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The Corriedales.
And one Corriedale X Texel.
We've been shearing these sheep for years.
We have their wool not only in raw form from this
year, but in roving and yarn, and a couple of knit items.
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The Icelandics.
Their fiber will be at NH Sheep & Wool with us, as
well as the lamb's rovings and Lopi yarn that we had made.
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We squeezed in shearing our own sheep amongst everyone
else. The first is Carl the Cow, a Dorset/Romney wether.
I do not know if I am selling his fleece or not as this is
his first shearing.
Stormy awaits his turn. He is a 9 year old Romney
and father to Carl, Ted and Jeremy.
Jeremy is a 3 year old Dorset/Romney.
He is a black chocolate and hard to photograph.
Ted is a 2 year old Dorset/Romney wether.
His fleece, as well as Stormy's and Jeremy's
will be at the festival as well.
Noggen (white alpaca) and Nea (dark llama)
were not on this year's shearing schedule.
We lost Noggen Easter Saturday. :(
He was at least 19 years old.
She is at least 23 years old.
Enough from me. Hubby should be home soon and
we are to Weare again to shear. It would be nice if we
could do all of the towns in one day, but when animals
are wet we have to reschedule. In a perfect world...
TTFN
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