I'm afraid my best of intentions at keeping up on the farm blog has failed... and well, google frankly has a difficult program here for getting photos just the way I want them placed, so this spring I am just going to do a summary of the last few months! We had a big blast of winter in February and the first week of March...which was when our pig Charlotte decided to give birth. She wouldn't feed her babies and only 2 survived. We've learned a lot and it's been an exciting spring! With lambs being born at all hours of the day and night through the month of March and April, who would have time to blog? So, enjoy the photographs even if they're a bit out of order, and here's hoping for a better entry next time! :)
Finnegan, our first Finn ram lamb born. He is so friendly and is the clown of the barn. Loves people and likes to play games like, stealing things out of my pockets! :)
Finnegan, our first Finn ram lamb born. He is so friendly and is the clown of the barn. Loves people and likes to play games like, stealing things out of my pockets! :)
This is one of my Icelandic ram lambs, Cirdan.
Cirdan and his twin sister Cosette
The LDS Sister missionaries in our area helping me shear mama ewe, Ysabel. Her spring wool this year was pretty disappointing, but her prime wool is usually at the end of summer anyway.
Flora and Fez - Finn lambs, napping in my flower garden. They had a weak triplet brother named Frodo who didn't make it :( Yes, he is named after a Fez...and yes, it is a Doctor Who reference. :)
This is Forsythia, a single Finn ewe lamb with Flora and Fez. Don't ask me why we kept the "F" name thing going, but we still manage to remember all of them!
My oldest sons in March, seen out the window bringing in wood for the wood stoves.
This is Cagney, white Icelandic ewe lamb....and her gnome friend.
My son loves his lambs soooo much! Here he is holding Finn lamb Forsythia, with her mom Felecia being sheared.
Lambs running through the green pastures :)
Her ram lamb Caspian who was a twin... he's so pretty with the black curls, just not the best photo.
The Finn triplets! Our only triplets this year, but with most of my Finnsheep only 1 yrs old, hopefully we'll have more to come!
Kids of our good friends visiting and coloring eggs, & possibly a budding romance? :-D
My son again, holding out moorit twin Cicillee. LOVE this color and her cute little horns. :)
Big brother and Felecia in the background
Baaaaaaaaaa!!
I love this sight! Moms and babies out grazing.
The bed of my shepherd son. His pillow and choice of reading. <3
We had some gourds in the garden that we fashioned into little holiday sheep. :)
Sitting in the pasture with a new lamb, talking with the missionaries about the Good Shepherd. <3
And my own missionary who is away from home in the Tempe Arizona mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, feeling like she's a part of home with her gifted chicken crocheted pot holders. haha
All the kids crowding around in 5 degree weather to see the piglets born.
Shearing my ram, Thorin.
You know it's spring when your sons start building "hobo huts" on the property.
Kitty overseeing the barnyard
Figwit, Fanny and Finnegan trying to come in the kitchen door for treats.
Our farmhouse, nestled in this little valley... I love living in the Shenandoah Valley! Beautiful even before Spring begins.
Crowding for hay
My daughter hanging out with Frigga the Finnsheep.
My son with our first set of newborn twins! The first time I've ever delivered an animal! The female, Fantine, had her head stuck because her feet weren't presented correctly, so I had to pull her out, and then reached into the uterus and pulled out Farley, a little ram. It was a crazy but awesome experience!
My silly kids on St Patricks Day, with our sheep gourd and shamrock tree.
My youngest turned 9 this spring. It's so hard watching him grow up, I want him to stay my baby forever! I guess it's a good thing I have lamb babies to love on.
A set of twin icelandics, ram and ewe. Mom rejected the male twin so we ended up losing him. Sadly because our potbelly pig Hamlet was roaming around and disturbed her pasture birth, so he can't be free roaming anymore, we've had to put him in a pen... especially after he injured another ewe lambs leg. Poor pig trying to "herd" the new lambs, but unsuccessfully!
Farley and Fantine. We had to splint her leg after the pig broke it trying to break into the jug, but its healed nicely! :)
My baby with Lulu, the female potbelly piglet
In the midst of lambs and piglets, my oldest son enlisted in the US Marines! I am SO proud of him! He leaves in May for boot camp at Paris Island.
Finnegan
My honey and son, helping with spring shots.
Shenandoah Valley late winter view... gorgeous!
Forsythia the Finn lamb
Dad & son with newborn Finnegan
There are few things in this world as precious as a newborn lamb!
Icelandic sheep Aunakkah with her twin rams.
We love the 2nd amendment in our house, and not only do we own firearms, but every stick on the property that is shaped like a firearm is carefully collected by my sons, haha.
Farley was chilled when he was born, so here we are warming him with a hairdryer. He perked up and is doing great a month later. :)
Last snowfall (we hope!) of the season.
& more pre-spring views. :)
In my pj's feeding the newborn piglets with an eyedropper. They are 2 month old fatties now!
Wild Bill, bath in the sink
They are only this cute and little for a short time. ;) They moved outside at a month old, when they started screaming and squealing for food every time they heard my voice. ;)
My son and Wild Bill
When spring finally comes, the green is blinding here! :)
Forsythia and Felicia
Lambs aren't our only babies this spring. Our son and his fiancée are making us 1st time grandparents this coming September! <3 <3 <3 We are soooo excited!!!
Twins!
Few things beat the curls on an Icelandic lamb!
Learning to graze
Finnegan chillin
Figwit "Please sir, may I have some more?"
And another of Finnegan... precious moments for me with my son. We really bond in our time together with our lambs!
This was lamb watch...anxiously watching sheep butts for weeks on end waiting for signs of labor!
Ferns delivered twins Farley and Fantine
New Icelandic twins Calypso and Carmen
Farley and Flora
Carmen and Frodo at the barn.
Finnegan got FAAAAAT!
Our yearly easter tradition, the lamb cake, with fat sheep inspiration!
More twins! Ysabels babies, Cosette and Cirdan.
Flora has a heart birthmark!
My son made our sheep cake for Easter and did an awesome job! We didn't cut off the head like tradition calls for because we ate it too quickly!
Faerie and Fingol, twin Finn lambs
Farley and Fantine, they are camera hounds.
Finns hanging out :)
Mama Fanny nursing her twins, Flora and Fez
Newborn Icelandic ewe baby, Cagney
Icelandic ewe and ram lambs, Cicillee the brown moorit and Caspian the black.
My son holding our badgerface moorit Icelandic ewe named Carmen... named after the opera, and yes my daughter sings the song every time she sees her.
Hamlet
Lulu getting a bath
Carmen as a newborn
Dagny and Hamlet hanging out together.
Thorin all sheared and handsome looking!
Cuddling Wild Bill, while he's all small and non smelly. ;)
sooo cute
Piglets...not quite so cute anymore... ;)
Daddys boots to the barn. Melts a mammas heart!
Hello there!
Lambs wandering to the creek. :)
Another baby photo of Carmen
Carmen and my son with Cagney lounging in the background
Eating the flowers!
We are currently taking deposits on some of our lambs, you can find more info here. http://winchester.craigslist.org/grd/4990295492.html
For yarn, wool, sheepmilk soap, paintings or other local handcrafted products, please visit Smith Building mercantile on facebook! Ordering online is available!
For more information on our farm, please visit :http://samsbillthepony.wix.com/getting-liberty#
or email us at samsbillthepony@yahoo.com
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