March 14, 2005
Today I continued to shear sheep. I sheared my largest and most uncooperative ones today. Lucy is my oldest sheep but is a hellion on the shearing stand. Reuben is huge and although not a fighter is tough to catch and put on the stand. Jethro is our California Red pictured above. He’s the strongest, and it took all of my strength to get him on the shearing stand only to have him knock himself and the stand over slightly more than halfway through shearing. You can see in the photo where his shearing job quality changes. I finished with hand shears and him tied to a gate. My back hurts and I’m wore out!
March 16th, 2005
It was stormy, rainy and windy today so sheep shearing was out! I sheared my fuzzy lop rabbit Skeeter instead. This photo is when I was halfway done- she looks kinda funny. I also brushed the cashmere off the goats. Finally I skirted, weighed and photographed the sheep’s fleeces I did manage to shear.
I’m waiting for the weather to clear so I can shear more.
I also dug some of the pasture ditches- trying to keep the water flowing and off our fields. It’s another never ending task here.
March 23rd, 2005I spent the day shearing sheep. I got four more fleeces sheared, sets of hooves trimmed, worming medication given and immunizations given. I’m exhausted again.The farrier didn’t arive to trim the donkeys hooves. I had them all ready for her too. I starting getting a garden bed ready to plant peas as soon as I get a chance. Everything with the animals needs to get done first because in 3 weeks 7 ewes will start lambing and 3 does will start kidding. Cally looks like she’s already to pop!

March 31, 2005
I finished shearing the sheep today- almost 30 of them! I finished with a bang with the rams. They are the most aggravating creatures. They move while you try to shear them and then they ram each other when they’re done- trying to re-establish dominance since they’re smaller without their fleeces. They do make nice wool though and nice lambs too.
I mailed off 6 fleeces that I sold this afternoon. I sure hope everyone is happy with that they’re getting. I think they’re very nice wool.
Tomorrow I’m going to take care of goats- hooves, shots, worming, CAE blood tests and shearing (only 2 need sheared- the angora and the pygora).
April 6th
Today I fed the animals as usual, but now I can start rotating the sheep and cows in the fields as the grass is starting to grow enough. I got things ready for rabbit kits to be born this weekend- got the nest box ready.
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