It is difficult to believe that it is already the second week of May. So much seems to be happening, yet so much does not seem to be getting finished. Spring is still dragging its heels. It is cooler than normal (a frost warning for this weekend!) but at least we are starting to get some much needed rain. The pastures are slow to grow, perhaps at least the ewes with lambs may get to start grazing this week. There still is not enough forage to let the remaining dry ewes join the main flock.
Getting the pastures ready for grazing has been a major task this year. The winter has been tough on the fences and water lines. The snow load was heavy enough on the fences that a couple of posts were broken. The wires and their tensioners were ripped lose or broken. Strangely the snow and strong winds did not bring down any large trees along the fence lines, but did deposit a couple into the edges of the hay fields. The sub-freezing weather arrived so quickly that much of the waterlines to the pastures froze before we could drain them. Nearly half of the connectors which allow us to plug in the water buckets were blown out of the pipes. Luckily the majority of that ice damage involved re-connecting the segments, a tedious job, but not unpleasant on a warmer sunny day.
The Bed & Breakfast is open. For this the sheep are glad. At least they are getting to visit with someone else besides the two of us. They can suck up to all sorts of folks who let them get away with it and who enjoy it almost as much as we do. This is the time when the friendly lambs really shine and some of the shier lambs surprise us by suddenly learning that getting a scratch under the chin can be a good thing.
Next on the schedule horizon is the 15th annual Shepherds’ Market, which takes place this next weekend (May 16th and 17th). The web site covers the event in general. Right now let’s look at some of what Whitefish Bay Farm will be offering for sale. Since most of our raw fleeces have already been sold, our offerings at the Market will be concentrated on yarns and roving.

A rainbow of hand-carded wool batts
Gretchen has spent her “free time” this winter and spring huddled up with her drum carder creating all sorts of colorful blends of fiber. The bulk of each roving batt that she has prepared is based upon wool from our flock of Corriedale sheep. Some of that wool is in its natural shade (white, grays, black or brown). Other batts have a Corriedale base which has been dyed in a rainbow of colors. In addition most of the batts have other fibers (natural colored and/or dyed) blended into them. In the mix is mohair (from angora goats), angora (from angora rabbits) or wool from a number of different breeds of sheep. It is always a treat to open the trunk in which most of the batts have been stored. The sensation has been that of releasing a rainbow. Most of the batts weigh around three ounces, enough to permit a generous amount of spinning, depending upon ones style and preference.

White Corriedale blended with hand-dyed Merino
There will be lots to see and to buy at the Shepherds’ Market. Hopefully you can stop by and enjoy the festivities.








The belly wool comes off first and is separated into a “belly” bag. Once the sheep was shorn she got to return to the main pen where a hearty breakfast awaited her. Gretchen and MJ scooped up the fleece and placed it on a skirting table where the dirty edges and contaminated wool around the head and butt were removed. When the fleece is finished it gets placed in a separate bag with a tag that identifies the “producer”. The nicer wool from around the neck area, which is not covered by the sheep’s coat and which is contaminated with some vegetative matter, gets placed in separate bags by shade. Eventually we will send it of to
During the next couple of days the rest of our crew departed for their homes; again everyone managed to avoid any bad weather. Without their help we would have never survived!
We have also begun the lengthy task of washing all of the used sheep coats. The rams and all the ewe lambs have already been fitted into smaller (and clean) coats. Those two groups have now been moved back into the barn addition which will keep them out of the way and mischief during lambing. At chore time during the week we are also re-coating the open ewes. The pregnant ewes will not be coated again until they have delivered their lambs. At least by mid week after shearing the weather has moderated. It is warm enough to melt lots of snow and to open up the barn for better ventilation. Now if it would just stay that way throughout lambing….
The photo shows, from left to right, the first dyeing of pits and peels, undyed white, and the second dyeing of pits and peels. Below the skeins are small balls of avocado dyeing from a year previous, in which we used unfrozen pits and peels. At this point we feel we had better results with our first attempts, perhaps due to the pits and peels not being frozen. For the moment we will have to wait until summer for another try; perhaps another guacamole extravaganza awaits us!
He obviously was not able to migrate south with the rest of his buddies. Despite the extreme cold he has been first at the feeder each morning and last to leave each evening. “Poor Sam Peabody” seems to be a bit relieved with these last few days of warmer temperatures. We continue to wish him well and hope that he makes it into spring.


This picture is of me with the old guy when I was just a few weeks old. (Notice how he tries to hog the center of the picture!) Back then my fleece was a lovely light, variegated gray color. Now that I am older, I have become a much lighter gray. A couple of years ago the nice lady kept my fleece for spinning, rather than sell it. I think she is still spinning and knitting with it. The old guy may even be weaving with some of the yarn from my fleece. Over the last six years I have given birth to seven lambs. The shepherds tell me I do a very good job in labor and delivery. I know that I am an excellent mother. All of my daughters have remained with the flock, they are Pookie, Toodles and VaVaVoom. In just about two months I will be lambing again. However, I am not telling whether I am going to have a single or twins! I tend to be very friendly when B&B guests come around to visit and I have taught my daughters to behave that way too. We figure we need to help the shepherds out any way we can with public relations. I will admit that they take pretty good care of us.