Early Spring

Montana Aerie Ranch

Sean and new freinds at MT Aerie

February has flown past and march came in like a lamb. With lots of lambs as well for many sheepy freinds! We recently enjoyed taking the Highwood sheep 4-H kids for a lambtour of Montana Aerie Ranch in Great Falls. MT Aerie raises purebred show animals in Columbia, Border Liecester, Ramboulliette and Natural Color versions on the latter  two. With 400 lambs in the ground they were 70% done with lambing. We enjoyed the various lambs and delighted to see all the breeds mixed together for good a education in breed characteristics. Shepherd Brian Hart showed us how the wool compacter works and answered many questions about care and handling. Then we went to the lower property to see "the Big boys"! The mature rams in some of these breeds weighed nearly 500 lbs and stood taller than me at the topknot! I worried over the smaller breed rams being bullied by the bigger rams....."No maam." explained Shepherd Brian,"... the small rams get the bigger ones in a corner and place their heads squarley in the larger animals gut...repeatedly! They are all well matched."

Montana Aerie

Dinah gets a haircut

Soon after our lambtour we hauled our ewes down the road to our neighbor's place to meet the shearer. A good freind came to shear their small flock of Columbias and Targhees. Shearing in their centuryold barn brought scenes which could have taken place  many years ago and renewed our bonds with this ancient art form.

Watch my sale page and etsy page for new raw fleeces or CSA's as soon as I get them skirted!

shearing in highwood

I recently enjoyed making cheese with the 2nd grade class of Highwood school and look forward to upcoming Fiber workshops during their Art Week in April. We are planning a nuno scarf for the older kids and felt soap balls for the younger.

A new customer recently is another etsy vendor Lisa Hey. Lisa's felt scuptures are unique and exotic. Check her out on etsy at ursasuzanne.

Lisa Hey's felt creations can be found on etsy-
I cannot wait to see what Dinah's fleece becomes!!

MT Aerie guard dog

Happy Lamb Sightings!

New Year's Baby

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

some winter lambs at church

Clare the new "lambie in the fold"

Our fall was spent preparing for the advent of our newest grandaughter, Clare Felicity Wilson. Clare came on January 2 after much anticipation. She is healthy and lovely. Molly and Peter are relieved and grateful. We look forward to watching yet another "lamb in the fold" grow and thrive.







We have enjoyed a relatively mild winter here in central Montana. However, deep snow has kept the ewes barn-bound much of the time. We enjoy the extra barn space a smaller sheep population affords this time of year. No mucky stalls keep the bedding costs down and fleeces as clean as possible.

Our shearer should be coming in March for nice fleeces. Everyone's fleeces look very good this year; no breaks or stresses and minimal VM. Be sure to watch here or on my Etsy page for raw fleeces.

MILL NEWS

Lydia Christiansen

We enjoyed touring a newer mill in WA state last summer: Abundant Earth Fiber owned by Lydia Christiansen. Abundant Earth Mill is on Whidbey Island--an enchanted place. Lydia gave us a wonderful tour on short notice. What a delight!! Her mill employs a few people in a sustainable operation featuring full washing carding blending and spinning services.

Abundant Earth Fiber

After running into old freinds Barb Seeler and her hubby  in her receiving-room, the door opened on a wonderland of wool, whirring machines, yarns and dyestuffs. The smell of wet wool  immediatly caught my senses  and made me smile. We especially enjoyed watching the roving spooling off the pin drafter into huge rounds. Her spinning frame is amazing. And seeing a room full of drying skeins and lavender made my day. Check out her excellent webiste and consider Abundant Earth Mill for your carding-spinning needs.

Closer to home, Going to the Sun Fiber Mill in Kalsipell MT recently purchased a dear old freind. "Olga the carder", my previous commercial carding partner, sits wrapped in plastic waiting for spring  and final installation in Diana Blair's operation. I have dealt with Going to the Sun mill and known of her  since well before I moved to MT. I hope to visit my old freind this summer and see Diana's operation.

Abundant Earth Fiber

Free Silkie Chickens!

Silkies are pretty fluffy-- but so far I have had little luck in actually spinning their feathers! However I do love having them around!
They are an entertaining and personable addition to our yard!
Originally this anceint breed of chickens was kept for Chinese Emperers--pretty fancy!
I have a few extras at present and would like to see them go to a good home.
Please call or email soon for free Silkie cockerels in blue, black or white.

Sable Tribute

This summer we lost a dear friend in Sable, our 10 year-old Natural Colored dairy ewe. Sable was the last of our ewes born at our first farm, MountainWood Farm, in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state. She moved with us as a youngster to our QuietWaters farm in Monroe WA before accompanying us to MT.

Sable sustained a back injury after moving to Montana a few years ago and retired from lambing and milking. Though she enjoyed the past few years and gave us her gentle companionship, the injury never fully healed and recently the pain became too great. Reluctantly, we made the hard decision to put her down.

We have MANY cherished memories of Sable. She was the gentlest and sweetest sheep we ever owned and quite beautiful. Her first lambs were unassisted quads. She effortlessly "popped them all out" and set about mothering each and every one of them. This assiduous mothering became her hallmark.

Sable often ended up "babysitter" due to her tolerant, sweet nature.

It is common for ewes who have "multiples" to have trouble nursing more than 2 lambs consistently. Even if there is plenty of milk, the strong lambs do not let the weaker lambs get "hooked on", and usually ewes do not take note of who is eating when. To evenly nurse 3-4 lambs  a ewe has to keep track of each lamb and their intake, and consciously stop the strong ones from getting too much. Then they must rouse the weaker ones to the "milkbar" regularly. This is a lot to ask of a ewe!

On a memorable occasion, Sable's black ramlamb, one of triplets, was exceedingly weak after a very difficult lambing. The other 2  were strong and eating well. With no luck, I had been working for 10 hours to get that weak one up and nursing. Exhausted, I finally went to bed, expecting a dead lamb in the morning. Sable must have been more exhausted than I after lambing, but, she did not give up on that lamb. She nudged it and bleated softly to it, licked and massaged it with her tongue..... all night apparently. The next morning,  to my surprise, I was greeted with a healthy nursing black lamb--and Sable's look of complete contentment.

Her last lambing occurred here in Montana and was again memorable for me. It was the sweetest lambing I have ever enjoyed. Usually we lamb the ewes in a small, indoor enclosure--a "jug"-- to keep the ewes and lambs together and bonding; and be able to assist as necessary. But, this was a gloriously, sunny May day. Sable begged to go outside into our newly-fenced, grassy cottonwood stand. I knew bonding would not be a problem for this experienced ewe. She chose a green, shady hollow in the cottonwoods to bring us her 3 last lambs. All beauties of course. She clearly loved lambing outside in the spring breeze and filtered sunlight. Me too.
Thank you Sable for your generous gifts for these past 10 years.

Woolly Customers

Spring tumbled by fast! Our retired dairy ewes are fat on Montana's "speed-grow" grass. All the wild life here--forage, animals, weeds etc-- grows "hell-bent for leather" fast  in June. In 3 days our pastures went from modest to scary!

We are still glad we did not breed the ewes for spring lambs.....but about April I needed a lamby-fix. We enjoyed a visit to Warner Sheep Ranch in Ft. Shaw. Diane and John raise about 300 Targhee crosses for wool and meat. The lambs were-- as always--adorable. The sweet, warm smells of a full lambing barn may not dance on everyone's senses like they do mine....but it was heaven to me!

bums at Warners

Square Butte gives Warner's ranch a picturesque backdrop

speckle-faced cutey

In April, our Deacon informed me she was preaching the Good Shepherd's Sunday sermon and she needed an ovine primer. The Deacon is a spinner and weaver--though admittedly not recently. She knows about fiber--but not the "producer". After telling me she had learned that "sheep are stupid", I told her she better come meet my stupid sheep and make her own judgement. Our Deacon had a lovely "sheep meet and greet" with my girls, who confided to her that they are not stupid.



In March I  enjoyed selling fiber at the Fresh Food Forum in Great Falls. I sold 2 Wool CSAs. What IS a CSA?? It stands for Customer Supported Agriculture. SO....2 people paid for 2 "sheep's worth" of wool from our 2015 wool clip. This comes out to about 3 lbs washed and carded. I agree to skirt and wash the wool and send it to the local mill, Sugarloaf Mill in Hall MT. Some folks want a blend of colors, either Natural or white. My 2 girls Dinah and Lucy obliged by each donating half of their fleeces. The CSA customers get updates and pics of the sheep they got wool from, plus invites to skirt and wash the fiber with me. Soon, 2 new fiber enthusiasts will have their first taste of local Freisian wool roving for marvelous creations! Two Wool CSAs are still available for this year. Call or email for more info. See the Sales page for prices.

Mission Mountains

Mission Mt. Sheep Dairy

Bring on the dairy queens at Mission Mt. Sheep Dairy

Last Saturday wore dramatic storm showers accessorized by sun drenches.  Rob and I made a one-day dash; 5 hours each way; to Ronan MT in spectacular Flathead Valley. Sandra Nolan purchased bred Fresian ewes from Black Sheep Creamery in WA state last fall. She just received her Grade A Dairy license for her new business, Mission Mt. Sheep Dairy. The  dairy ewes all looked familiar.....we know many of their relatives! Sandra's dairy is first class and comfortably small. Their place is warmly handcrafted and beautiful! Good luck to Sandra and Gary!

Year of the Sheep

Happy New Sheep Year!


Today is also St. Brigid's day and Imbolc. Brigid was a shepherd and lover of God and His creatures. She was known for extravagant generosity, hospitality and creativity.

Imbolc celebrates the coming of spring announced by the birth of lambs common this time of year in the northern hemisphere and the lengthening days . Another Return of the Light festival is  the Feast of the Presentation celebrated  February 2 where Christ is hailed as the Light of the Gentiles.

In central Montana we have seen twice as much snow as normal the past few months. But we enjoyed a "winter-break" recently with 2 weeks of melting and thawing temperatures.

However, our break came to a screeching halt yesterday with 6 inches of snow and plunging temps. Just in time for spring lambs! We pray for our many friends in the midst of lambing right now, and are still glad we opted for no lambs this spring.

Without the prospect of lambs, we have been able to enlarge our indoor ewe space twofold! On this very snowy year, I smile every time I walk in and see the girls dry and content with plenty of snow-free space to relax.

I may miss the ancient drama of lambing; and certainly will miss lambs frolicking in the pastures.( I will undoubtdly need a "lamb fix" or 2 at friends' farms.)


But, where there is sheep there is wool and our "shearing ritual" is just around the corner.
My 5 girls have put ALL their energy into making great fleeces this year, and it shows when I finger their locks!

Watch for fresh  2015 fleeces available soon. Be sure to check out the last of our beautiful natural colored Dairy wool rovings from last  year too.

Dairy Wool hats from Black Sheep Creamery knit-kits. See their website!

2015 Roc Day (St Distaff's) Spin-in at Hastings Book Store
Great Falls Spinning Guild

Winter moon-set

Holiday Hot Springs/Cold Snap

Christmas Sing-Along

Catchup Season! New Dairy Wool Rovings!!

new dairy cats  in  training

See the sales page for our latest natural colored Friesian roving!
The past 5 months have been our crazy season! I added a part-time job and things got crazier!! That is my excuse for the HUGE lapse in posts!
We did LOTS of sheepy things this summer including, milking and cheesing; showing fleeces at the state fair, and helping our neighbor boy with his market lamb project.
Our neighbor, Shaun won honors for the top carcass lamb at the Choteau county fair, and was THE ONLY lamb to meet ASI Lamb Certification standards at the abbatoir.

July gelato with sheep milk and grandpa

August Tipi adventure with granddaughter

Tucker the Ram

Our fleeces did well at the Great Falls Fair- blues and reds. And all sold.

Autumn horses

Thankfully between everything I did get a little more time riding our geldings this fall....
We had a spectacular fall with above average temps and plenty of sun. The tree colors glowed for weeks!

Sister Jane, Poor Clares of Montana,
 receives a donated wheel

new wool comforter

Rob and Lucy

Black Sheep Creamery ewe lambs

Black Sheep Creamery Raw fleece at DSANA tour

the blue bootie crowd tours the creamery

The great weather kept us busy outdoors taking on "one more little project before the snow flies..." We managed to rebuild-improve 2 fence lines; and I got a great new wool comforter put together with our ram's fleece carded into batts by Sugarloaf. We are REALLY enjoying our new wool comforter now that the snow IS flying!

Inside Black Sheep Creamery

A major highlight to cap a busy season came for me last week. We travelled to Western Washington to see freinds and family...and attend the 20th annual DSANA Symposium. The Dairy Sheep Assoc. of North America has been the small but guiding organization for sheep dairying on our continent since I started milking sheep. Many of the farms we helped start as "sheep producer and cheerleader", are now active leaders in this organization and they hosted the annual symposium in Chehalis at Black Sheep Creamery this fall. I sold the first dairy sheep to DSANA secretary Terry, who organized this large event. And good friends Meg and Brad at Black Sheep spent many hours tasting and talking sheep cheese in our kitchen.
SO.....this was  a culmination of all the years and fairs and emails and displays and classes I have  promoted for the past 20 years. It was exciting for me to meet and hear the latest research from Spooner Sheep Station in Wisconsin, and see movies of European sheep dairies of over 10,000 animals! Star author and cheesemaker, Gianclis Cauldwell  taught classes and lectures. The all-local banquet was superb, and we enjoyed catching up with Meg and Brad, tasting new cheeses over jelly jars of  wine.
At the Black Sheep Creamery farm tour  our entertwined story was told by Brad as he showed off their farm to folks from 4 countries and all over the US. As some of the first Dairy shepherds to inventively market their wool, Meg has launched a Friesian Yarn and Wool business along side the artisan cheeses. Her yarns are lovely and have catapulted Dairy Wool into national spotlights.
SO-- I was very proud to have been a small part of their team!

Black Sheep Creamery ram pasture

DSANA was a great cap for our current  milking season. With my new school job, and family-home repsonsibilities, we have made the decision to step away from lambing for a while. We will still have dairy sheep and their wool.....but after Dinah dries up this fall, we won't likely be milking for a while.
However, we met new Montana sheep dairy folks and learned of exciting things happening in Montana sheep dairying! Soon, I hope to have a source for sheep milk to continue feeding my sheep milk habit! For now, our freezers are full to overflowing with sheep milk and Dinah still gives enough for my tea. So I can go on being the sheep dairy cheerleader I've been for years to come!
*ps-- see the sales page for more from Dinah!