Carmen Miranda ... Crossing Off Botswana

Well ... this IS a suprise for me! I thought my life here at Willow Garden was pretty secure ... but ... I guess I was wrong. I am Matt's (the kid across the road who makes it possible for Bill to do all of this) favourite ewe. You'd think THAT would count for something! OBVIOUSLY NOT!

No big deal ... I am SOOOOOOOOOO exceptional that I will be latched up right away! I am a black katmoget, and I have a pretty darned nice, even fleece. My katmoget is from both Enfield Greyling lines, and from Bitterroot lines. I also have a bit of Flett blood in my veins ... and some Skerryvore/Cherrington lines as well. I am also square and a solidly conformed ewe.

I told you that I'd have buyers lined up for me! Look at what they'd be getting!

Like the other ewes listed, I won't be available until AFTER I wean my lambs.

I was NOT selected for Bill's beloved AI project! Apparently he had enough 'like' me in that group. Yah RIGHT! Instead ... I got put in with a very attractive and YOUNG black katmoget ram lamb. I thought that I'd be in for a good time ... but ... what do the young know about romance. No flowers. No dinner. Not even an exchange of niceties. And it was all over before I even knew that it had started!

I wanna tell any of you reading this who might want to BUY me ... buy Ray as well. From what I hear ... that looker knows how to treat a lady ... and boy, would we have nice babies ... ;-)

OK ... OK ... Bill says that I have ranted long enough. Like HE should talk about MY rants!

Let me tell you about the country that I am crossing off the map of Africa. This country is being crossed off the map because of gifts that Bill recieved from friends and family over Christmas. Remember ... Bill's goal is to save 55 babies this year through the Mother-to-Child HIV/AIDS Prevention Program.

For every sheep that Bill sells for breeding this year ... he will donate $25 to this program ... and Carol Arthur will do the same. If five more people would each pledge $5 for each sheep that he sells ... we'd have a donation of $75 for each sheep ... and $75 is all that it takes to save a baby. Think of the possibilities! It will make being sold and having to move away from my beloved Matt ... seen more OK.

Anyway ... Botswana. Life expectancy at birth ... 33.74 years. People living with HIV/AIDS ... 350,000. Deaths due to HIV/AIDS in 2003 ... 33,000. 37.3% of the population living with HIV/AIDS.

51 countries ... and 51 babies ... yet to go ... and it is only the middle of January ... :-)