I think they know something’s amiss. They’re looking at me like “Ah-hem…did you forget something?” I’m trying not to make eye contact. If you don’t make eye contact you can’t give anything away, right? I feel guilty. I mean, they only get one chance each year to “play” and I put the kibosh on that with the decision to skip lambing this year. The boys don’t know yet but 2 of them are going to get lucky. We’re going to send 2 of them off soon. The farms they’re going to are “Hatchtown approved” — one does the same testing we do with the same results. The other has purchased stock only from us and is on an island. Everyone will spend the alotted period of time in quarantine upon return…and then pay the price for having been with ewes. The other rams will know! Their noses know! We don’t normally lease rams for alot of reasons –mostly involving health issues, but we’re confident that these farms will work out OK.
|
|||||
 |
For lack of a local place to buy cheap fabric, I went to Walmart. The kittens had to go back to the shelter for their shots and Walmart is close by. Really don’t like to shop there, however, we need some curtains for the new booth set up and I’m kicking myself for leaving it so late. I got lucky! I checked out the curtain department and they had curtain panels CHEAP and almost exactly the right size. I’ll just have to hem them…picked up a roll of iron on stuff and a bunch of spring loaded curtain rods — DONE! I’m so excited to be rid of the old booth!  Here's Nina milking one of her goats...they're just the sweetest girls an their milk is YUM! Our local craft guild had their annual open house today. I had to clean up and organize the yarn & rovings in the studio which is always a good thing and I had to bake -ugh! I’m not a baker…hate making cookies. But I made some pumpkin spice cookies that turned out pretty well. The recipe made way too many and now we’re going to have to eat them! I also made the shortbread that everyone raves about…me included. Its the best! Our friend and meat customer, Emelie Tolley stopped by and we chatted about shortbread, the various types, additions to & methods of construction. She’s writing a new book and shortbread will have a place in it. (Check out her books at amazon.com) Fresh local cider, fruit and kiwi berries (from our veggie CSA) rounded out the table. A fair number of people came by and some repeat customers, too. My very good friend Nina, fellow Coopworth shepherdess and cheesemaker extraordinaire came by, too, and kept me company. She brought some fantastic chevre that she makes from her LaMancha goat milk. Can’t get enough of it! This goat’s milk is the highest in butterfat and the chevre is soooo creamy — and the flavor! YUM! Now I can start packing for Rhinebeck. That’s what it says on the outside of the box that just went to the mill for roving. This colorway is… big breath…this is SO outside my comfort zone and anyone who knows me will be very surprized…the earthy green base with raspberry and orange/salmon accents. I wish I could say that I’m confident. I did a test on my small drum carder as I always do and it’s good. I’ll feel better when I’ve spun a sample from the roving the mill makes.  Emily shearing a white lamb Emily sheared Bubba and another few lambs. She’s starting to get a cute little baby belly but as always she moved fluidly through the shearing. Ah — to be young! That light fawn alpaca I found at Common Ground is going to be blended with some white lamb fleece…yum! And Bubba’s fleece weighed 15 pounds! It’s long and a lovely charcoal color. His dam, Annie, was charcoal blue and never lightened up so maybe he’s going to do the same thing. |
  |
|||
|
Hatchtown Farm — Pam & Jim Child — pamjim@hatchtown.com
Powered by WordPress & Atahualpa |
|||||