Ray Charles ... Crossing Off Angola

Well ... it didn't take long for MY turn to come, did it?

My name is Dailley Ray Charles. I am a magificent, emsket ram ... with wide sweeping horns ... GREAT conformation (INCLUDING my Tail, little Miss Elsie Marley!). I have a decent fleece that is quite even and evenly crimped. I think that I am a pretty good looking guy ... and I've had no complaints from the ladies ... if you know what I mean ... ;-)

So ... why am I on here, if I am so good? Bill says it is because he has used me for two seasons and that he has all of my genetics that he needs. He actually TOLD me that! Can YOU imagine!!! He must think that just because I am a GUY ... that I am not in touch with my inner self. Well ... I want you to know, Bill ... That HURT!
The REAL reason I am for sale ... at least the way I see things ... is even worse. It all started when those lady Vets came and started 'doing it' with the ewes using STRAWS and a SCOPE! That has Bill all excited about 'rams in a tube' ... FROZEN ... and then shipped across the world! If I were in a glass STRAW ... THEN he'd keep me!

Don't get me wrong. I like Bill. He is a good shepherd ... and he has assured me that he'll find me a good home with people who'll appreciate me as a breeding RAM. But, boy ... as I see it ... Bill has some VERY confused notions right now. I mean ... rams in a frozen STRAW! *phew*

AND Kismet gets to stay! He's OLD. What's up with THAT one!?!

Anyway … I want to tell you about the country that was crossed off the list of the 55 countries in Africa ... with the donation from Bill's sister, Betty Cecchetto. You will all remember Bill's pledge to save one baby for each country in Africa, through the Mother-to-child HIV Prevention program.

Angola ... life expectancy at birth for the population there ... 38.62 years. 240,000 people living with HIV/AIDS (2003). 21,000 HIV/AIDS deaths (2003)

53 countries ... which means 53 more babies ... to go.

And, hey ... if you want a REAL ram, as opposed to one of those frozen straws ... talk to Bill about buying me!

Elsie Marley ... Crossing Off Algeria

I can’t believe that he is making ME go first!

My name is WillowGarden Elsie Marley, and I was one of the FIRST lambs born at Willow Garden ... like THAT seems to matter! I am a true fawn ewe, with fine features and a VERY nice fleece. That tuft on the top of my head was a white krunet at birth ... and I have had several spotted lambs.

My conformation is good, although Bill thinks that my tail is ‘acceptable, but a little heavy'. I wanna tell those of you who have not seen Bill lately that HE should be so lucky as to have ONLY the problem that I do with my tail in terms of HIS conformation! The man has become MORE that a LITTLE heavy!

I am the dam of WillowGarden Duke Ellington, who sired many of the mioget and emsket ewes in Bill’s flock. Duke was 'best lamb's fleece on hoof' at the 2005 AGM Shetland show.

Even as we speak, I am bred via AI (and if you think THAT is fun for a ewe, read back through Bill’s blog!).

Bill says that I am available for sale after I have weaned my lambs. I feel very much like yesterday's news, being put out to recycling. But … Bill has promised me that I will not go to just ANY farm. If you want me, you’ll have to apply for the privilege of buying me. That makes me feel a BIT better … but not much. I am doing my BEST not to mention Bill’s IMMENSE size … as that might seem to be sour grapes … but … hmmmm

Anyway … I want to tell you about the country that was crossed off the list of 55 with the donations from the wonderful Educational Assistants who work with Bill.

Algeria ... 9,100 people living with AIDS/HIV in 2003.

Just 54 more countries to go.

Anyone wanna buy ME ... :-)

Live By Your Heart

I have a lot of sheep ... and LOTS more coming. This picture was early summer, but there are STILL a lot of sheep here ... :-).

There will be some tough decisions for me to make as the year progresses. If my breeding program is working, and I think it is ... then I will want to keep a lot of the lambs. And since 75 ewes is the MAX that this farm and this aging shepherd can handle ... there will be MANY sheep for sale that I'd happily keep here FOREVER ... but ... can't do it!

I have decided to let each sheep that is for sale tell about a country in Africa as the dollars come in to save another baby through the Mother-to-Child HIV Prevention program. The 55 countries in Africa created the goal for the number of babies that I hope to offer a chance at life to. I hope that 55 sheep can tell you their stories ... and share information about a country in Africa.

Remember my pledge that for every sheep that I sell (excluding the meat guys) ... I will donate $25 to my Be a Child's Hero program? That amounts to one baby in Africa being born with a chance at LIFE for every 3 sheep that I sell!

Here is the news that I've had you all waiting for ... :-). For every sheep that I sell, I will donate $25 to the charity that has captured my passion ... BUT ... so will my friend Carol Arthur!!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!

Do you all see how this could grow?

Are there others who could match this generous offer of support? ... or a smaller amount per sheep?

Are there people who could donate a portion of the sales from their OWN sheep?

My plea to you all is this ... live by your heart. Be compasionate to the needs of the MANY who have so much less than we do.

I am aware that many of you have charities of your own that you support ... with YOUR HEART! Please ... don't stop doing that in order to support my project ... but ... tolerate my passion to do my bit to ensure that as many babies in Africa as possible are born to LIVE, and not to slowly die ... ;-)

AND ... if you send me comments through this blog about YOUR charity of choice, and you include a link ... I might just post the links in that section of my blog.

Lets make this BLOG live by OUR hearts ... :-)

It is only through living by our hearts that ALL of the world can know the happiness that we live with!

Life is so very, very good ... *sigh*

55 Countries in Africa

I have discovered that the number of countries in Africa has changed frequently ... but the most recent, and largest number I have seen listed ... is 55. For each donation of $75 CA made to the Mother-to-Child HIV Prevention program, by me, or in my name one baby in Africa will have a chance at life. And for each baby saved ... I will post a link to information about one country in Africa, until links to all 55 have been published. I will do this in alphabetical order. You will hear me giggle with the joy of accomplishment all across the world ... once I post the information on Zimbabwe!

:-)

My goal for 2007 ... is to raise enough money through donations and sheep sales ... to pay for 55 babies in Africa, to have a chance at life through the Mother-to-Child HIV Prevention program. I will NOT stop until I have. And once I get to Zimbabwe ... if their is still time ... I'll start all over. It is the least that I can do for this pandemic that is devastating the women and children of Africa.

I have some exciting and generous support to mention on the weekend. Support from my friends is growing ... :-) But I'm going to keep you in suspense over that ... ;-)

Still MORE New to Me Stuff!

There are four of these grain feeders. I am playing around with different ways to turn these into dividers as well. I'm not happy with the hog panels, so I'll talk to a friend to see it I can just weld another bar across the top.
There are five of these hay/grain feeders. They will be VERY handy when I have sheep all over the place during breeding group season ... ;-)
This is a creep panel. I doubt that I'll set it up this way, but it shows how it works.

There are four of those multi-section feeders that fasten over a 2 by 4 ... and there are three or four single section ones for salt and mineral.

This has been like a second Christmas ... hehehe

New, to Me, Sheep Handling Equipment

Here is the main set up for sheep handing that I got from Carol Arthur. The headgate has doors at the front ... and doors at the back ... for ease of access to all four corners of the sheep.
Behind the headgate, is a slide gate to keep sheep in ... or out of ... the headgate. That is Jessie, the Wonder Dog trying out the system ... :-)
Behind the slide gate is a chute with a drop down panel on one side for climbing in ... or drenching sheep caught in there. All of these sections adjust in width.

At the other end of the chute, there is a guillotine gate.
We attached one of the gates next, just to show people. There are two of these gates.
There are 7 panels like this one that can be configured in a variety of ways, and combined with existing fencing to get sheep into the chute. Leaning against the panel is a cradle to 'tip' ewes into.

Am I not the MOST spoiled shepherd in the world!

THANK YOU CAROL!