Working through the bugs....

I know, I'm back....I am, but I'm still trying to fool around with this silly blog and the "in's and out's" of it.  I've often said that I was born a few years too late....I wasn't meant to play with all of this technology! I did finally break down and get what is referred to as a "smart phone"....I say that very tongue-in-cheek, believe me. My old flip phone still occasionally beckons to me when I open the drawer where it's stored and I always sigh as I close the drawer....feeling like a traitor. Pure and simple...I bowed down to peer pressure! Every day, I threaten the new fangled phone with an early demise and every day, I swear I hear "Flip" snicker from the drawer in the other room. I still could happen, Flip.....it still could happen.

FINALLY

I think I may have hit an all time record for NOT posting!  It's been a while, huh? Well, lots of things have happened at Kindred Spirit Farm. Our flock has two new additions....one from Garrett Ramsay in Minnesota and one from Cheryl Gammon in Maine. Garrett delivered his handsome white ram, Robb, to us at the end of October and Cheryl brought us Lovely Leah in December....who was promptly bred to Robb. Robb, Acer and Cedar were busy boys this Fall and we have 13 ewes expecting this Spring. Exciting!


We lost our old llama, Tim, this year, so Sam has been solo for a while....I think he misses his buddy. Olive, our mini-donkey, has a new friend! We adopted another mini donkey named Gracie who has fit right in and they are totally bonded. They are such characters....it's been fun watching the two of them.


We brought in two Nigerian Dwarf goats this year, Gouda and Brie,  with hopes of maybe breeding to an Angora buck....we'll see how that goes. I do have a soft spot for goats. :-)


My daughter has been working on our web-site....thankfully. I just don't have the patience to sit down and fight with the computer! Hopefully I will do much better this year and stay on track to let you know the goings on at Kindred Spirit Farm! Onward and upward!

Cozy winter day....

Winter has been poking along at a snails pace.....not moving fast enough for me! The cold has been brutal, but, I must say, the snow hasn't really been all that bad. You know, now that I have said that....we're sure to get slammed with the storm coming on Wednesday. I should be more careful!


I kind of like these days...snuggled inside, watching a silly movie or reading a book.....hot chocolate in hand. Today has been a lazy day....other than cleaning out the donkey stall area. You have to take advantage of any warm day that comes along in the winter. Next, it will be the barn and time to get lambing jugs ready. I still have time.....don't expect things to get started until sometime in mid-late March. I'm excited, though! Until then....I wonder what's on Sci-fi network. LOL

Buttoning up

Yesterday was a very busy day! Funny how after a dusting of snow, things get done....
Ken and I worked for most of the day doing a check and securing the electric fence in the ram area.  I wanted to make sure that while Ken is at hunting camp, the ram is exactly where I want him! It seems that every year when Ken goes to "Boys Camp", something happens....our ram Booger re-arranged the barn one year, complete with new ventilation, another year I had JUST welcomed our new llama and he was a bit of an escape artist. I ended up building Stalag 17 to keep him in until Ken got home.....Sam and I bonded that first week! Needless to say, I wanted to be ready this year....we'll see.

We also spent time cleaning part of the barn that we re-did into a better donkey stall for the winter. Olive and Gracie now have new digs that will be snuggly and warm during even the coldest of nights. Now to finish the re-design for the rest of the barn! You learn as you go just what works and what is a pain in the neck! Of course part of it is the aging process.....things that used to work just fine now are painful. Who said "getting old isn't for sissies"? They weren't kidding!

Good night Gracie.....

Time Change...

I have to say....I am NOT a fan of Daylight Saving Time. It's so dark when I go out to do chores at night now and I find myself just about falling asleep by 6:30! By the time I start adjusting a bit, we'll be setting the clocks ahead! LOL  How are you adjusting? Hitting the hibernation mode, yet?

For Michelle .....

Luke needed a boost to see out the window and Anya was way too comfortable to move!  Not the best of pictures but I promise to post when I have something better Michelle....

BRRRRR....16 degrees!

 My hands ache already just thinking about the cold....and I haven't even gone outside yet! This time change thing throws me off a bit every year. I think it throws off everyone around here! The sheep start checking their watches and wonder what the heck is going on...."why are they out here now...aren't they a little early?"

 The dogs are playing outside in the frosty air like they're kids, but then again they are Great Pyrenees.....this is THEIR kind of weather. On the other hand, Anya, the Wolfhound, is more than ready to play for just a minute and then run back into the house....she and the Border Collie, Luke, like to take care of business and run for the warmth of the house!  I will be doing the same right after chores are done!!!

We have been working to put together a logo for the Farm for a while now and thanks to our friend Sarah (who is such an artsy crafty person and photographer extraordinaire) we now have a logo design that we are using at local craft fairs for our wares. I'm loving the design. We use the larger one for our soy candles and some of the other larger items and the smaller tag is used on our soap wraps and smaller items.  See...we've been busy!

Remember me?

Ok...so about a year ago I promised to get my butt in gear and start posting again. Didn't happen, did it? Well.....I'm starting my New Years resolution early....or am I really, really late? Not sure. So...here's an update or what's been happening on the Farm. We are still raising Shetland sheep and had some corkers this Spring our of Pike Hill Acer, a moorit ram with UK breeding. His fleece is just exquisite! Now we wait and see how the lambs turn out....so far so good! We had lots of nice moorits, as well as some black, a few gulmogets and one katmoget....all were nice, some better than others, but we only kept 3 ewes and one ram to grow out.  I contained myself!
Yesterday we brought home two white Border Leicester cross ewes....I know, I know. I'm a sucker, but they are beautiful! I think they will add some nice fleece to the stash we already have here....Shetland, Alpaca, and mohair from our three Angora Goats. Yup.....the farm has grown since my last posting! We have enjoyed adding the two Alpacas to the menagerie of what is already part of our crazy lives. Oh....did I mention that Olive and Gracie live here? Who are they? Why they are the cutest mini-donks that you have ever seen! I guess I better get posting some pictures, too......tomorrow is another day.

Did it again....

Where does the time go? It's been a month since I last posted? Geesh! Things are happening over here!

We have 4 new faces at Kindred Spirit Farm....Angora goats! Jasper and his mom Victory are black and Captain and Chenille are white....okay, so it was Tenille, but I just can't do it! So....we gave it our own twist....she thinks Chenille is okay so that works! About 20 plus years ago, my ex and I had Angora goats and being a Capricorn, well, I miss having a few goats around. Since Ken and I are concentrating on fiber, Angora goats just make sense....that and the fact that my hands are getting arthritic and the thought of milking again makes me cringe. They are about the same size as our Shetlands and how I love these gentle little beings! Will be posting more pictures as things happen...okay?