If Stew Were Dun ... :-)

I KNOW that he is black and that it is only the sun playing with his coat ... but what a beautiful dun Dexter boy he'd be ... :-)

I think that I'll test to see if he carries dun before I remove his testicles ... ;-)

 Will likely check his A2 status as well.

 Who knows.

I like this boy ... :-)

Charlotte's Web's Katanna

Katanna arrived today and she is a doll!  My neighbours Jason and Pete, delivered Xavier (now known as Son of Sam) to my friend Charlotte, and brought home Katanna in exchange.  She is all that I had hoped for.

She was totally taken with Stew, who is her full brother.  As an aside, I think that Stew will get to stay 'in tact' for a while as I want to see if he grows as well as the other Samson offspring that I have seen.

 She was a bit nervous at first, what with all these new creatures to meet.

 She is pretty though ... and I expect that she'll grow into an amazing cow.

 Here she is with her dam and her full brother.  How cute is THAT!

Thank you Charlotte!
Life is good!

Marjori ... Sold ... :-)

 I think that Marjori is sold, but I am posting these pictures anyway.  She is a Short Legged Dexter, so she will stay as short as she is (about 37 - 38 inches).  She is bred to calve in early June.

I'll know by Sunday night if she is sold, and if she is not ... someone needs to nab this PET!


Marjori is SOLD ... to the folks who are getting Joy and Promise! She'll have a WONDERFUL new home!  I am hoping that we can deliver her next weekend ... and I'm going along so that I can see her new home and meet my new friends Marilyn and Adrian ... :-)


Thank you folks!

Road Trip ... Yet Again ... :-)

A friend of mine is going through a bit of a life change and needed to get rid of a few sheep ... for now.  I looked at what I had sold her and decided that there were two that I'd LOVE to buy back.  Actually I'd have taken back everything that I sold her ... except for the cash ... and the space ... :-)

This friend is in the Ottawa area and that is where the wool shop that buys all of my fleeces that aren't sold to hand spinners is ... so ... I decided to make a Road Trip out of it ... just over 700 km!

I LOADED my truck with 55 fleeces ... and I DO mean loaded!  Fortunately, I was travelling alone, so I could even fill half of the front seat ... :-)

 I had never been to Carol's shop in Ottawa, Wabi Sabi, so it was fun to see that ... and to chat a bit with her.  She is doing some designer knitting for Pete and I, which is VERY cool!

 Above is PART of the pile of fleeces!  I didn't get the surplus from last year to Carol, so these are the surplus fleeces from TWO years ... 55 of them!  Since I will only have 27 sheep to shear this year, I doubt that I'll have many for her this year. 

 Her shop is lovely.  The first Shetland yarn that she had spun is on the top shelf, in all of its natural colours.

 What a colourful and cheerful place to be!  If you are in the area, PLEASE stop buy ... and tell them that 'Bill sent you' ... ;-)

Then it was on the Meagan's to pick up my ewes.  Meagan wasn't there, but her Mom, Sylvie was, and we had a great chat.  Sylvie and her husband Steve, made the wonderful stain glass lamps and window that I bartered for sheep.  I LOVE Sylvie's positive outlook and will always treasure the glass pieces as a reminder of this wonderful family.

I got my new / old girls loaded and was home before chore time.  Here they are ... WillowGarden Macaroon, the white ewe, out of Great Plains Sara (F1 Lightning) and Bramble Nick ( a Trevor son) ... and WillowGarden Vanessa Redgrave, a non-fading spotted moorit, out of a wonderful Dailley ewe that we called Carmel, and North Wind Holiday (F1 Holly).

What an awesome day!  Absolute proof that ... Life is good!

Coming and Going

Coming to Willow Garden Farm ... 

Charlotte's Web's Katanna - out of Dreamland Samson and Earlona Petula (the same pairing that produced Stew a few days ago).

Going from Willow Garden Farm ... 

Willow Garden's Son of Sam (formerly known as Xavier) - out of Dreamland Samson and Aldebaran Hollis.

The 'exchange' will happen as soon as the logistics can be worked out with my 'trucker', Jason, across the road.

Life is good!

Stew - Day Five

 Life is good!!  What more is there to say!

Petula's daughter from last year, Katanna, will be coming soon.  It will be interesting to see their reactions to each other ... :-)

From 'The Universe' ... :-)

It wasn't ever supposed to hurt, Bill. You weren't ever supposed to cry. And I never dreamed you'd sometimes feel so helpless.

Yet, as things have turned out, lots of folks have trouble getting out of bed on cold, dark mornings.

Anyhow, Bill, should there also be the occasional pain, tear, or touch of sadness beyond that, please realize these were anticipated, bargained for, and even sought after. As each would illuminate your resiliency, prove your strength, and help you blast through every flimsy notion that would otherwise keep you from seeing that even now I hold you in the palm of my hand and that all things are possible.

Such a deal,
    The Universe

Katanna

Here is the heifer that I am hoping to get in trade for Xavier.  She will be named Katanna.

Her sire is Dreamland Samson and Earlona Petula is her dam.  She is a full sister to Stew, but 11 months older.

Cool, eh!

Life is good!

Xavier - At Almost Five Months

I have someone interested in Xavier.  I wasn't going to sell him ... but then I got a call from a good friend.  She has a Samson daughter (and I'd like one) ... and I have a Samson son (and she'd like one).  Both calves are out of exceptional cows and I'd welcome the genetics from both into my little herd.  Hmm ... I actually own the dams of both calves.  How cool is that!

The new little girl, if things work out, will be Katanna after my daughter and granddaughter.

 I also have plans to name another 'keeper' heifer Kerloane, after my daughter in law and granddaughter.

 Then there could be a Tames or a Jimothy, after my son in law and grandson.

And who WOULDN'T name a Dexter Willopher, after my son and grandson.

I hope that the fun that I am having with this SHOWS!  

Life is good!

Dexter Heifers For Sale! SOLD!

I have two yearling Dexter heifers that I'd like to sell ASAP, since my hay supply is dwindling quickly.  They are both purebred and will be registered and transfered to their new owner.  I'd like them to stay together and have put together a 'package deal' with that in mind.

Both are out of dun cows and a red bull, so calves of all three Dexter colours are possible, depending on the bull used for breeding.  They are also dog tame and very friendly ... :-)

Here they are ... 

Promise ... 

 Promise ...

 Joy ... 

 Joy ...

 Joy.

Since these heifers are not quite old enough to breed yet, I am including 4 straws of semen from an AI bull, Duskhill Enchanter.  This package is SOLD, and going to a wonderful new home!  Thank you Adrian and Marilyn!

Day Three

Stew ... One Day Old ... and Reminding ME of the Magic of Life ... :-)

Stew's First Trip Outside

 He stuck pretty close to his mom.  

Marjori was certainly curious as to what he was all about! 

Eventually Petula brought him back to the barn and found him the warmest corner.

Meet 'Stew'

Meet Willow Garden Stew, just over an hour old.

 I was hoping for a girl, but he'll help me to keep my cow numbers down ... :-)