The new girls are here!

It was so exciting!  Shearing day was on Friday, as was Alpaca Delivery Day.  Sally brought her goats over to be sheared, and while we were shearing the llamas, she went home to get the girls.  She brought them back just as we were finishing up with the llamas (or trying to - they were not well behaved. Naughty llamas!).  

Sally brought them out of the trailer... and omg.  They're so tiny.  At least a foot shorter than Carlos.  Their little noses are adorable, as are the fluffy legs and top knots.  We let them into the north pasture and the main pen to let them sniff everything out and get to know the rest of the herd over the fence.  There was snuffling from Carlos and Starr, but that was about it.  They just looked at each other and let out the occasional hum.

Here they are at the farm on their first day.  They immediately found the bean piles, the dust rolling locations, and the water tank.

Rosemary on the left, Lilliana on the right. 

Something interesting to the east... let's all look. 

So, now that they're here, the herd is complete (or so Brian says... again).  Three llamas, two alpacas, two sheep, one cow (plus a calf, eventually), and a flock of chickens is about all we have the room for without the pastures being overgrazed.  As long as it decides to rain this year, we'll be in good shape.  :) 

Speaking of rain, it's planting season.  I spent the last week hauling tanker loads of fertilizer for Day Farms.  All the corn is in, so next up is beans.  Today the guys are getting the equipment ready for beans, and if the rain holds off, we'll be planting this week.  

After that's all done - pots!  The state fair is *only* 80 days away. ;)

Iowa Clay Festival!

This is happening next weekend.  Come out to Adel - Drink some wine, have a cupcake.  Buy some pots. :)

Sheep Shearing Day

Here at the pottery/farm, sheep shearing day is a fun day.  We only have two sheep in the herd of six critters (soon to be eight!, but more on that when the new girls come to the farm after planting season).  The two sheep, Bonnie & Brownie, are Shetland sheep.  They're small, and ornery, but mostly nice and friendly.  Brownie, who was wrongly named because he is very much a black sheep under his sun bleached fleece, is the orneriest.  He won't come up to me unless I have a treat, and even then it's just to get the treat and run... unless, I'm sitting on the ground.  I guess I'm less threatening that way.  ;)

Anyway, my friends Nels and his wife, Karla, came over on Saturday and sheared them.  The sheep have had this done once before, but only once, so I'm thinking they forgot what it was all about.  They didn't recognize each other afterwards and there was a lot of head ramming.  I split them up for the rest of the afternoon so they'd have a chance to chill out.

Today, two days later, they're just starting to trust me again.  After all, I'm the one that lured them into some belly scratching and then grabbed them and forced them into the stanchion for shearing.  I'm the enemy.. or, well, I was the enemy.  We're starting to be buddies again.

Brownie, this morning... testing to see if I'd try to grab him again.

Ornery looking, right?  Later in the morning, I sat down near him.  He came over, testing again to see if I'd grab him.  I'd pet him, then stop.  Then pet him, then stop... forcing him to get closer.  He remember this from before... I can scratch them with that big heavy fleece gone, and they totally love it.  There is much tail wagging.. which sheep do, just like a dog, when they're happy. 

Just a few minutes ago, I went out and sat down about 20 feet from Bonnie.  She came up, snuffled me, backed away, snuffled me again.  I put my hand out and let her snuffle it.. then I did the same thing as I did with Brownie.  She also remembered that post-shearing scratchies are good.  I took this photo, which cracks me up.  An up close and personal sheep nostril shot.  :) 

It only took them two days to trust me again after the torture of shearing.  I love animals. :) 

A few photos...

Yes! Photos!  I got a lead for a potential local wholesale customer, and for some silly reason I didn't have many photos of my current work.  Here are a few.  

Sage mugs. 

Chopstick bowl - eggshell. 

Again, chopstick bowl - eggshell. 

Tumblers - Jade green.  

I'm hoping they'd like to carry my work.  The gift shop is very local, but many many people go through it every day.  Cross your fingers for me! :)