Life on the Farm and at the Loom
This is the "official" photo of me with Meridian Vicki and the judge, Martin Dally. (Thanks, Shannon.)
This is a close-up of the award.
Shannon Phifer created needle-felted awards for the Champion Ram and Champion Ewe of the show. I am so pleased to bring this home. Did Shannon have some prior insight? We think that the sheep on the award looks very much like Vicki.
But there is more! The winning sheep was also awarded a halter with a personalized tag!
The CA State Fair is still open but the sheep show was just through yesterday. Between having sheep with horns, putting up a lot of signs and visuals, and demonstrating, our area is the busiest in the sheep barn. I think I talked to more people here than I talk to all the rest of the year.
Here are my sheep pens. I was shorted one sheep pen so I couldn't use all the large signs I had made. Small signs on the gates answer the most frequently asked questions: "Why are some of the sheep covered?" "Is he normal?" (on the adult ram pen), "Are these sheep or goats?", and "Where are the pigs?"
This is the other part of the display.
I truly appreciate help from friends. This year Joan came on Sunday and Monday and shared the task of Educating the Public.
On Sunday Shelby helped let people pet the sheep and helped me show. Jackie was there also, but I don't have photos. She took all the show rings photos.
Shelby went out looking for deep fried Snickers or something like that but came back with chocolate-covered bacon. As weird as it sounds it actually wasn't bad but just one bite made me incredibly thirsty.
Dan likes to avoid the show ring, but he was pressed into service this year, starting with the yearling ram show.
This is Shelby helping show the yearling ewes.
This is our flock entry--4 ewes and one ram.
I chose the young ram, Meridian Granite, for this entry because I think the judge liked him the best of my sheep. Granite placed third in his class, just behind the Tunis sheep. Those of us in this show have decided that 3rd is the new 1st. This year the "Primitive & American Breeds Show" entries were Tunis (meat breed) , Shetlands, Jacobs, Icelandics, and St. Croix (a hair sheep). That's a tough class to judge and I don't know if any of us will ever get to first or second as long as the Tunis breeder comes. Not only is the breed hard to compete against in a traditional show, but this breeder shows all over and has a very competitive flock.
Here is the champion Tunis ram. Hard to compete with that. The judge, however, said that he thought my fleeces were the nicest Jacob fleeces that he has seen. He commented several times about the fleeces, so I was pleased with that.
I know it's going to be hard to win with my sheep so I'm trying very hard to win with my display.
I ended up with some fancy ribbons after all...and some good prize money. That's Best Program and overall second in the Open Sheep Show Best Marketing Program, second in Sheep Herdsman, and Best Educational Presentation over all the livestock exhibits at the fair this week. I put a lot of work into this and spent 10 -12 hours at my sheep exhibit each day but it paid off in these awards.
Only 3 days after Black Sheep Gathering the crew is together again. This time it is at the Solano County Fair in Vallejo. Julie (Black Oak Jacobs) and I both have our sheep there right now and today was show day.
Julie and I showed both of my yearling rams. Savor is on the left and Tioga is on the right. They look a lot alike in this view, but they have very different fleece types, both within the Jacob breed standard, but quite different. I should take photos of fleece tomorrow.
After a quick sheep handling lesson, Chris helped me show in all the other classes and Shelby helped with Julie's sheep. Thanks to both of them for helping out. Thanks also to Jackie for taking photos.
One of Julie's sheep had a surprise baby this morning and Shelby took over baby-sitting.
Back home this evening. What are those dogs looking at?
This kitten has been hiding out under my shop for a few days. I started feeding it to entice it out. I don't want or need a cat, but I couldn't let it starve under there. He has been very hungry and I caught him tonight while he was eating. I don't know if he is truly wild because he has sure settled down quickly--not what I'd expect out of wild kitten. But if he isn't out of a feral cat then I don't know where he came from. I'm going to have to keep him in the crate for now because I won't be home to deal with the dogs. I could barely get Rusty to eat because he is so obsessed with the kitten.He has done nothing but stare all night. At least Rusty is entertained.
Anyone want a kitten?
What a fun weekend! Three friends and I traveled to Eugene, Oregon for Black Sheep Gathering. This is such a cool event. Sheep show, vendors, classes, and fun events all under one roof.
Everything is packed, sheep are in the truck, and we are ready to leave.
I took only lambs for the show, but was pleased to win first place in a large ram lamb class. My ram lamb, Meridian Granite, went on to win Reserve Grand Champion ram. I'll be showing him at the Solano County Fair on Wednesday.
There is a huge variety of sheep at BSG. This Wensleydale was quite an attention-getter.
Black Sheep Gathering isn't just for sheep. Shelby helped another friend, Julie, show her goats and I even got in the show-ring for one class.
Each of us took advantage of the classes that were offered. Chris took a sock knitting class and ended up with an almost-finished baby sock.
We also all brought plenty of projects to fill time.
One of the highlights of the weekend was the Spinners' Lead. This entry involves wearing (or displaying) something that you have hand felted or handspun and showing off the animal (or a representative) from which the fiber came. Jackie worked non-stop for several weeks to spin enough yarn for this knitted ruana. Then she helped halter break the lambs and, finally, knit and felted a grain bow. I wore the blanket that keeps my side of the bed warm in the winter and a knit cap. At the last minute I decided to accessorize the ensemble and weave wrist warmers (for me and the sheep) and an i-pod pouch. I also made the lamb's halter out of my wool, using my rope machine. Jackie won the non-owner division and was awarded a bag full of prizes.
Last, but not least, I took a sharpening class on Saturday. I got lucky and the instructor used some of my dull equipment for his demos.
What a great weekend spending a relaxed time with friends. I will have BSG on the calendar for next year.
I sure like the blogs that have lots of photos. I hope you do, because I don't have time to write much. First up--Everyone is invited to my Grand Re-Opening this Saturday, September 12, from 10-3. I hope people will bring wheels and knitting and spend a few hours relaxing under the trees.
I have a lot of fair photos to sort through. Here are a few. Dylan Duncan (Genesis Farms) helped me with the sheep show. I'm grateful to him. My husband was sick and couldn't come to the fair--he didn't want to show anyway, but would have been the photographer. Instead, Dylan's mom, Diana, helped out with the camera.
This is Dylan and me showing Rubicon and Moonshine in the yearling ram class. Rubicon was second to the St. Croix ram which ultimately won Grand Champion of the Primitive & American Breeds Divison. Four breeds were represented--St. Croix, Jacob, Tunis, and Shetland.
Dylan's dad, Darryl, stepped in to help show in the Flock class.
There are no blue ribbons in here. The Tunis sheep are included in this division and they got all the first and seconds in the classes they entered. I got most of the 3rds after the Tunis and the second places in the group classes.
But the real contest for me was in the display area. The Fair offers a substantial prize for the Marketing Display. Here's part of my exhibit.
A friend, Joan, helped out tremendously by spinning all day on Sunday and Monday. We had huge crowds most of the day and I sure got tired of talking. I demonstrated weaving while Joan spun.
Here are the final awards. I'm third AGAIN in the overall Marketing award. However I did get the Herdsman award for 9 head or under. I also got Best Display Directed at the General Public (or something like that) and Most Creative. Those are the maroon ribbons.
A friend came by with her knitted felted purse. That is her flock and the sheepdog coming in on the left is my dog's mom.
More fair photos will follow, but not now.
