Shearing Day
/Sunday was Shearing Day and we sheared 71 sheep (61 ewes and 10 rams and wethers). I said "we". Not really "we", but John, my fabulous shearer. The sheep looked great, the fleece looked great and he finished shearing in two and a half hours! Shearing was finished by 11:30.Here are sheep ready to be shorn.Clover.Mary.
John started with the rams......and moved on to ewes.
Farm Club members were the other wonderful helpers who made it all work. Alison spent the morning at the skirting table explaining skirting and helping buyers skirt their fleeces. Shelby and Gynna were our sheep wranglers, making sure that there was always another sheep for John to shear. Mary and Carol bagged fleeces while Anna swept and Jackie worked the exit gate. Linda weighed and recorded fleeces. Other members helped too but I didn't get photos.What would shearing day be without chili......and Dona's brownies (and Lisa's Jacob sheep cookies, Jackie's corn biscuits, Mary's wonderful tangy chicken and fancy rice krispie treats and more).After shearing the sheep look so much thinner. This photo looks as though it was stretched vertically, but it wasn't. Lila. Cascade.
Gynna looks happy with her Farm Club fleece. And look at this gorgeous one!
After shearing we (Farm Club again and other friends) did demos of all kinds of spinning and fiber prep, but that's another story, especially because it's too late to write more.