Black And White

I just snapped this picture before shearing and didn't notice the two noses until I saw it on the computer.  I love Tara's black on white nose next to Pinto's white on black.  Like puzzle pieces :-).  Enjoy!

How YOU Doin'?

Jared.  Jared, Jared, Jared...  

I was there for his 'tutering so I know he's not able to breed anymore, but since he slept through it, maybe he doesn't know?  Jared has sweet talked every ewe...over and over...all fall...and he's still at it!  It's a good thing I didn't how much I'd love this silly old guy back then or I'd have been sorely tempted to have a couple Jared babies this spring :-o.

Gold Christmas

No white Christmas this year, but the golden sunlight was a pretty good trade.  A couple new puzzles for you :-).

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Stills

Petunia

Liddy

Mrs. Pepperpot

"I heard there would be cookies."

Hershey

Tessa and Tara

Woolliam

Bullwinkle

PPPP and Renny

Baaxter

"Where are the cookies, lady!"

We actually had a Christmas cracker party...and I tricked Maisie into eating one.  I made sure I was out of there before midnight so I didn't have to listen to what she probably had to say ;-).

Merry Christmas!

Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch

By the time we got to the Jacobs on shearing day it was getting late, everyone was tired and they got shorted on pictures.  I love the sunbleached chocolate color of their full fleeces, but also love how black and white they look underneath.  We've had some lovely evening light this spring.

The T's.  Ts just looks wrong.  I'm in a grammar vortex :-o.

Sun to the camera face.

Sun to my back.

Billy Belly and Annabelly.  Both came through winter in good order.  I was relieved.  I was afraid they'd be thin.  They are both 13 I think.  Or, wait, Billy Belly is just 12.  Annabelly was the first Emily lamb.  Billy Belly and Baby Belly were her second lambs...

Time flies!

Checking In With The Ts

Tavia, everyone's little favorite.  Even though you shouldn't have favorites ;-).  What a sassy, inquisitive little lamb.  She'll come up and sniff a cookie...but no takers yet.

Interestingly, the two multi horn girls (Tavia and Tabitha) tend to hang out together...

...and these two two horns (Thelma and Tara) pair up as well.

Poor Tessa isn't really as left out as she looks here.  The whole group is a tight knit family.

They do mingle with the older Jacobs some, but the older Jacobs are, well, old...and boring.  Much of the day the girls are off on adventures of their own.  Today is the first cold rainy night since they moved into the side field.  After moving Heidi the Grouch back to the main flock, they feel much safer coming into the barn.  I'm getting ready to go check on them, just to make sure.

The Tilly Appreciation Post

Tilly has had as much fun with the new sheep as Kate.  Corgis are actually a herding breed.  I think they are more cattle dogs, but I don't really know that for sure.  Most Corgis I know are best at herding food bowls ;-).  Luckily Kate is very kind to Tilly.  All her "help" would probably have pushed another dog over the edge.  

The noble shepherd keeping an eye on those dastardly sheeps.

Time to come in.

Kate makes a big loop to pick them up.  Tilly cuts the loop in half and swoops in from the side ;-).

Barking her fool head off...  We all prefer Kate's management style ;-).

Looks like they are getting sassy.

And now one is missing.  Where are you, Tara?

"I'm right here!"

On watch.

I'm not sure if Tilly knows they are starting to get too far away or she's just listening to Kate (note her ears). Truthfully, I think she knows they are starting to get too far away.  She does have some concept of what is going on besides just chasing Kate around.  If she would just stop that infernal barking :-o.

A Kate Appreciation Post

Even though I am very comfortable with farm the Ts came from, it's always a good idea to quarantine any new animals for a bit just to make sure, if nothing else, the stress of moving didn't cause any problems that would need addressing.

Normally I would just put new sheep in the side field, but for the winter I have the 'not quite as old as Jester and Ford' sheep in there.  The best option I could come up with was one of the horse stalls.  I didn't want to keep them locked up for week though with no grass and no room to play. so I decided I'd see if Kate and I could take them on excursions to the front yard.

Keep in mind that I am a complete rookie using a trained stock dog so I may be talking about things I don't know enough about to be talking about.  Still, from what I have picked up, Jacobs are not easy to herd, lambs can be tough and sheep that have never seen a working dog before need special handling.  We have the trifecta!

Our first trip out I cheated and carried a feed scoop in case we got into trouble.  The girls obviously had no idea that a dog could tell them what to do and were a little confused, but Kate was very kind and quietly approached them and everyone stayed calm, cool and collected and we made it out to the yard and safely back in.

Now, three times a day we go out for some grass and gamboling.  The first couple of days I stood out in the yard with them so when they started to get themselves in trouble, Kate could "bring the sheep back to me".  Today I sat on the porch, out of the wind, and let Kate run things on her own :-).

I don't really care where they go in the yard as long as they don't go to the house.  I'd also prefer they stayed out eating, rather than goofing around in the driveway.  Kate would prefer they stayed in the barn or a field because "Any idiot knows sheep should not be loose in the yard!"  

Once we get out of the stall, down the shed row, through the gate and somewhere in the yard, I ask Kate to stop.  As long as the girls are staying out of trouble, she should stay put.  Once they head off somewhere they shouldn't, I ask her to go bring them back (her favorite part :-).  You saw that on the video yesterday.

Here they are starting to work their way back up to the driveway.  She's watching them like a...Border Collie.

Tavia, Tessa, Tabitha, Thelma, Tara

Now she's brought them back to the grass.  Tessa, Tavia, Thelma, Tabitha.  I'm not sure where Tara is in this picture. I know she's close by, because they all stick together like glue, but if someone's going to be an explorer, it's Tara.

And here she is!  Kate is trying really hard to ignore her, hoping she'll do the right thing and back off.

You can tell Kate is really not happy about this situation, but is being patient and kind.

"SHEEP DON'T TALK TO DOGS!!!"

And Tara backed off ;-).  This whole scene was just a couple seconds long and I would never expect Kate to tolerate being disrespected.  I'm guessing she knew Tara was just being curious and not aggressive.  I've seen her handle a threatening sheep...much differently ;-).

I've had some questions about Kate, who trained her, why she's retired...  Kate came from Fetch Gate Farm in New York and a friend of a friend hooked us up after we lost Iris a few years ago.  Here is the post introducing her back in, yikes, 2014.  

As I mentioned above, I am not an experienced stock dog person.  I definitely needed/still need an experienced dog to bring me along rather than the other way around.  The plan for years was after Iris passed, I'd get a dog ready to slow down a bit and then we'd take lessons from one of the top trainers in the nation...who just happened to live right down the road.

Sadly, this never happened.  Vergil passed away a few months after we got Kate.  I'm sure we all knew that was going to happen, but Heather trusted me to take Kate anyway.  I will be forever grateful for that as Kate has far exceeded my greatest hopes and expectations as a friend and a working farm dog.

Working with Kate and these new sheep over the last few days has been a blast.  To have a job that needs doing and being able to put together a safe and sane way to do it (while sitting on the porch no less :-) well, it's an honor. If that makes sense.  I so appreciate the things people (and dogs, horses, sheep, cats, birds...) have done for me, shared with me, taught me.   

Today was fun.  Thank you.

The Ts

Painted Rock Farm uses alphabet names. The first year everyone's name started with an 'A', the second year a 'B'... Last year everyone started with 'T'.

Tavia

Tessa

Thelma

Tabitha

Tara

Tabitha, Thelma, Tara

Tabitha and Tessa

Tara

Note the green moss/mold/whatever growing on the cross ties.  That's how much rain we've had this winter.  It's everywhere...along with the mud.  I'm trying really hard not to be sore about this after the drought this past summer and fall...

Tiny Tavia

And you'll have to work a puzzle to see the last picture.  Not to worry, it's an easy one :-).  I love the colors.

Enjoy!