HOME INVASION

Relax! My daughter is actually in cahoots with the invaders and smuggles them into the house in her coat. She claims they are sweet and cute and precious and when they are asleep they are all of the above.

It is just when they wake up that all hell breaks loose.

Even our beloved farm cat Billy pays the price for trying to sleep in.

But I have to draw the line when they start to dismantle my woodpile. I mean "Really? Must you." We will have some of these transgressors for sale to anyone who needs more excitement in their lives. Stay tuned for more photos and information in the future.

SUNNY DAY = CLEAN BARN

Every four to six weeks I clean my sheep barns down to the ground. My sheep don't need the extra heat of composting bedding. I don't need the added burden of trying to remove a winter's accumulation of compressed bedding from the barns right at lambing time, and I find the air quality is much better with more frequent cleanings. So armed with a full size polyester bedsheet(the more garish in pattern the better), my favorite pitchfork and rake I spend about two hours finding the floor. Just prior to liming and rebedding.
All set for bedtime.
Can we come in now?

WHITE CHRISTMAS 2011

This is JD. One of our few purchases this year. A polled smirslet ram lamb from Winter Sky lines. He bred Mandalay and Crisp this fall. This is Vanity Fair. A Grasshopper daughter out of Wintertime Chiffon. She placed second in a large ewe lamb class at Jefferson and second Best Fleece On Hoof just behind Mandalay. She is bred to Khan.
This is Crisp. Out of V Creek Princess Buttercup and sired by Wintertime Black Forrest. She stayed home as she doesn't like to lead. She is bred to JD.
Another acquisition--Kate(named in honor of Kate Sharp)is a Tennyson granddaughter and Forrest great-granddaughter. She may be bred to JD.
Kashi is a triplet full sister to Khan and has a beautiful black fleece. We are hoping she is bred to Khan.
Wintertime Ruby--dam of Fudge, Red Velvet, Barqs and Garnet to name a few--is bred to Grasshopper this time around. She may be for sale this upcoming year.
Stephen Rouse was nice enough to allow me to trade my colored Cormo yearling ram for Mustand Sally--a Saliocional/Blues daughter. Sally didn't like to come in from Stephen's pastures, but she seems to like our set-up and has settled in well. She is bred to Khan for spring lambs.
Twix is a Barqs' daughter from this year and our only gulmoget on the farm. She was in with Khan unti his departure in November.
Marrakech with her daughter Mandalay in the background. Best Dam and Daughter at Jefferson, 2nd Mature ewe and RGCH and Best Fleece On Hoof. Mandalay is bred to JD and Marrakech was bred back to Khan.
Whistlestop 0427(aka Izzy) is Ruby's dam. She also produced Blues and Jazz and Itasca and a lovely grey katmoget ram lamb we now own named Sting. She is hopefully bred to Grand Luxe for April lambs. She may be for sale this summer.
Last but not least is Grasshopper. First yearling rams at Jefferson and bred to three ewes this time around.
And then there are Meghan's goats. She is now milking the mature does and I am definitely spoiled.
Our few remaining ducks(predation was high this summer and fall)produce eggs and keep the garden somewhat slug-free.

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GLORIOUS NEW YEAR! A HUGE THANKS TO ALL OUR PATRONS AT THE MARKET AND SHEEP/GOAT CUSTOMERS THIS YEAR. YOU HELPED US CONTINUE ON THE FARM AND WE APPRECIATE IT EVER SO MUCH.

SIMPLY THE WORST

Wintertime Anime is a twin ewe lamb sired by Wintertime Waterbug and out of Wintertime Alanis. Both her parents had lovely micron tests as lambs, but she does have a paternal granddam whose fleece shifted so much from first to second shearing she was culled. It would appear this trait appeared once again in this particular lamb. Since she is very square and solid and has a nice personality we are exposing her to our best fleeced ram lamb to see what will happen.

Just to show that photos don't mean much...this looks like a dynamite fleece for a lamb...high luster, great lock structure, beautiful crimp and density. However, if you had your hands on this animal you would find she is very average. That is why we always make it a point to send fleece samples to prospective buyers and base our prices on the actual value of the animal to us. We will be posting our actual pairings once breeding season is over. If there is a particular cross or color or bloodline you are interested in please let us know, so we can put you on our waiting list. We always strive to match the right animal to each and every breeder we sell to.

ALMOST THE WORST LAMB OF 2011

No smoke or mirrors or reams of adjectives to describe this ewe lamb we are retaining and test breeding this fall. Her name is Winter Sky Kashi. She is a triplet daughter of Wintertime Black Forrest and out of Winter Sky Khaya. We will be testing her fleece in February as we do every year with our flock. Stay tuned.

WINTERTIME ANTHRACITE--SOLD

E-mail upwintersky@yahoo.com for fleece samples, etc.

2011 Breeding Rams

Winter Sky Khan--Wintertime Black Forrest X Winter Sky Khaya yearling moorit krunet polled ram. Fleece below.

Wintertime Grasshopper--Sheltrgpines Bug X V Creek Princess Buttercup twin spotted fawn katmoget polled ram--1st Yearling Ram Jefferson 2011.

Grasshopper's fleece--sheared the end of May. Wintertime Boer Goat--Wintertime Barqs X Wintertime Ladybug--Caped flecket single ram lamb.

B.G.'s fleece.