SPRING AT THE SHEEP FARM (KNITTING WITHOUT DOG HAIR IS NOT AN OPTION)

A couple of days ago I received a letter from Mandy (owner of Schacht Fleece Farm) and Claudia, my adopted sheep. The letter came with a wonderful bar of sheep soap (this time spearmint) and a "Shepherd's Guide" that Mandy wrote. Here are a few excepts from the letter for your entertainment:

Dear Claudia,

This spring has been a busy and exciting time on our farm with all the new lambs being born. Claudia is a wonderfully attentive mother who keeps her lamb right next to her most of the day. Her ram lamb is absolutely beautiful and very sweet natured. ...

Each evening Claudia allows her lamb to participate in the lamb races. Right before dusk each evening the lambs gather at the highest point in the pasture and prepare for the lamb races. It is not a formal event, they all just begin to gather and before you know it they are off down the hill. They race to the bottom of the hill, kicking up their heels along the way, spin around and head back to the top. It is absolutely hilarious to see a pack of twenty lambs racing through the tall grass. Her lamb is younger than many of the other lambs and generally arrives toward the end of the pack, but they don't really seem to care who wins!! The lamb races each evening are a special treat for us this time of year as it bears witness to healthy and happy lambs. ...

Claudia was shorn in late March so that she will stay cool in the summer heat and so that she can begin to grow her beautiful fall fleece. Shearing can be stressful for some sheep, but Claudia tolerated it very well. On shearing day we also trimmed her hooves. ...

We look forward to writing more about Claudia in our next letter this summer.

Sincerely,
Mandy & Claudia

Isn't that cute?

PS: I just got off the phone with my little brother in Germany. When he asked me about my weekend plans, I told him that I was very excited because we will have a famous knitter in town this weekend and that I will pick her up at the airport in a little while. Then he said "Oh, you have Mom coming in this weekend - I didn't know that". See how knitting worked its way through our childhood! Not that Mom is as famous as Barbara Walker, but she is our very own knitting heroine.