For My Blogger Friends!!!!

Blogging for me has connected me with so many people & though we have never "met" I count on my new blogger friends, meaning I love hearing from everyone & seeing what everyone is up to. Sometimes its those little things that I count on as I do this blogging, so I don't feel like I am just talking to a computer screen. So I would like to share this "I love your blog" award with those people I have on my blog.

This award came to me from Tracey & I would love to pass it on to all of you! So.............

Pam, Nancy, Kara, Michelle, Garrett, Tammy, Juliann, Melanie, & Deb

this one is for you!!!!

And Pat from TN.....thank you for always reading & commenting!!!

(ps. I didn't know what to do when Tracey sent me an award, & then realized I had to copy it, save as etc.

I am getting so smart with this blogging stuff:)

Thank You Mom & Dad!!

I am very lucky to have my Mom & Dad especially when they decide to go to Amish Country! Of course they made the mistake of telling me that they were going down there on a beautiful fall day & stupid me should have called in sick but I have that work ethic thing going on! (I won't tell you how many sick days I have cuz you might not come back to visit me:) So, this morning i stopped by their house on the way to work to drop off my trash (I am too cheap too pay for trash pick up in the country so I take it to their house in the suburbs) & since I was there I dropped off my Amish Country list & money ( I tried just giving them the list but it didn't work, I had to cough up the cash:). I told them they could take my mini-van but Dad insisted on his car even though I asked him to get me horse feed!!

So let's see Mom & Dad got me 2 bags of 80# horse feed for $33.00, honey clover 1.5# for $3.35, my yummy fall cookies & loaf of bread at Hershberger's for $6.00, and 9.3# of flour for $6.60!

And I appreciate them soooooooo much for getting me everything!!!!!!!

But they did use MY FREE coupon for 2 sundaes at Mud Valley Creamery!!

Shoulda played hookie today darn it!

This is Mom & Dad in Vermont last Fall. The trip to Vermont was a late anniversary gift as they had celebrated year number 47 in June!!!!
I believe this covered bridge was on Battenkill Drive just down the road from Arlington where we were staying. We had such a great time on that trip even though Dad & I had some differences in driving directions:)

Smile! Its a 2 'fer!!

So, I just had to share this because it was just too funny to me! (See when you live by yourself your sense of humor becomes unique only to you & your animals).

Tonight when I cracked open my first big brown egg to make an omlet sandwich, I got my first 2'fer & a big smiley face! Now I was feeling bad cuz these could have been twins & I debated on asking the dogs if they wanted them but no way!! I have waited to long to get these flippin' eggs!!

So. of course I wanted to share the eggs I have gotten this week, especially those green eggs! Most of the brown eggs I have gotten have been very small but today I got 2 larger brown eggs. I think the either the Golden Lace Wyandottes or Dominques (could be both also) are the smaller eggs, & maybe the Delewares are the larger brown eggs? I know the Araucanas are the green eggs.
Of course, when I asked the girls, they told me not to be picky cuz I should be happy that I am finally gettin' eggs! No argument there:)

(Silver Pencil Wyandotte in front, Araucana in back)

A Thought on the First Day of Autumn

I cannot endure to waste anything as precious autumn sunshine by staying in the house.

So, I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

I took this photo last year when I was in Vermont & just fell in love with the beauty & peacefulness it. For me, it represents a dream that I long to fore fill & a place I dream to live in.

Ram Jammin' Good News

Sheep life at Harvest Thyme has been a little stressful the last 2 weeks. First Jammer had the whole horn incident & second I have not sold any lambs. I know I have not really pushed it other than posting it here & the lambs are just hitting the 3 mos old mark due to the late breeding season here. So now perhaps a more serious evaluation can take place & maybe a sale will come about.

I posted my Jammer dilemma on the Shetland group site & Carol Bator (thank you) & Juliann at Little Country Acres gave me a lot of insight/facts on the horn/scur issues. I sent Juliann pics of the 3 rams that Jedidiah produced this summer (the 4th ram lamb is all black & has NO scurs at all, I was able to figure that one out by myself:)

This afternoon when I checked my email, good news arrived from Juliann!

ALL THE RAM LAMBS ARE SCURRED!!!!

JEDIDIAH IS A FULL-POLLED RAM!!!

ALL 7 EWE LAMBS WILL BE CARRYING THE POLLED GENE!!!

This is my Little Country Acres Jedidiah!!! I love him! He is such a nice ram, loves a good chest rub, walks right along side of me, & he is worth every dollar I gave Juliann! And he produced some very flashy lambs!

Did I mention Juliann said HE IS A FULLY POLLED RAM??!!

I am NOT a wool expert at all but I thought I should show his fleece, I think it has a nice crimp in it esp. for being a ram.......your opinion? Sorry for all the grass clippings, he got in the way when I was throwing fresh grass for everyone to eat:) I need to order those sheep covers!

Okay, now this is Jed.'s son who is just the flashiest ram lamb I have ever seen (okay so I am being partial)! I am in love with his face! He is 3 mos old this month & has about 1/2 inch scurs. Does he not have the most beautiful facial markings?
Let me introduce Josiah!!!!

Side view..............


and the rear view below.
He is really coming together nicely & know that I know he is scurred, I feel that much more confident in him!!

And of course this is my Jammer.....I love this photo of him getting caught in the act. His horn bud still bleeds a bit but otherwise all is better knowing he is scurred & what I will have to do to maintain the scurs.

This is Jed.'s black ram lamb. He has NO scurs & he is VERY NICE!! He is still for sale at $50!!!
HINT, HINT!

This is the black smirslet ram lamb below. He has longer scurs . I am not quite taken by his overall presentation & will most likely just wether him. If you are interested in him, I can get better pictures. I think he would make a nice fiber pet.

So, there you have it..... Jedidiah's ram lambs! I feel better having gotten Juliann's support & feedback & if I don't sell any, I just have to move on, knowing that I am in the right direction of building a flock of Shetland sheep with polled lines. Of course, I will be having to feed them this winter, but hey, what else does an inspiring, single, female, hobby farmer/shepherdess have to do with herself besides think of more things to do with all of her "spare" time & money?