I know where I will be. I just transferred the breeding notes from my clipboard to my 2012 calendar (while learning to use the calendar in my Mac) and look what I discovered. I knew that a lot of sheep were bred all at once, but it's more striking when I see it in this format.

That's 23 ewes due in a 5 day span. I usually aim for March 1 lambs, but I got antsy and thought I'd start breeding a week earlier. After all, my friends will all be lambing and I'll want to have a few of my own before the rush starts in March.  I thought wrong. There are about 30 more in addition to those first 23. I guess I'll be warmed up by the time they lamb.

I've been finishing up registration applications for this year's lambs. It's interesting to look at baby photos of sheep.

This is 11038, now known as Rosie. Notice how her pink nose develops pigment as she gets older.

Rosie was developing very nice horns and I had my eye on her from the start as one I wanted to keep. She got in the ram pen when she was a few months old and, in trying to get back with the ewes, she broke off both horns. They are still stubby, but stout.

Here is another. This is ram lamb 11094, the last ram of 2011, and sired by Sweetgrass Clint.

He is named Clapton and will be the sire of several lambs in 2012.

Clapton doesn't look quite so nice after shearing...

...but his fleece is sure pretty.