More autumn colors with my Badass Hooves

Laurie and Lettie perching on a boulder on the winter slope. The goats love climbing and being on a rocky surface helps with their hoof health during our rainy season. #angoragoats

Pretty pictures of some of the animals surrounded by fall colors. Everyone has returned home for a few months, which usually coincides with the worst of rainy season and lambing/kids. So glad to have them near me again.

Great Pyrenees silliness this morning.

I lost La La this AM. That beautiful, sweet ewe lamb born last spring. She’s no longer suffering. I’ll miss her docile nature & tail wags. I had such hopes for her. She’ll keep Honeysuckle company on the other side of the 🌈 . I’ll remember her for the sweet spirit, beauty & recent Fiber Fest ribbon.

Despite my best efforts, I don’t think La La is going to make it. I’m by her side as much as I can be, giving her liquids and medicines. She’s gotten worse as the day progressed. Still trying to help her and hope for miracles. Her head is tucked to the side where you can’t see it well.

Terrible news from this AM. La La, one of my favorite lambs, is ill w/ what I think is listeria. Found her at the remote site this AM confused, circling & calling for me. She was fine yesterday & everyone else is OK. Got her home & started tetracycline, but when it is neurological, it’s often fatal.

Finally!! The winter coop is done ✔️. It’s a hodgepodge of materials that I already had. Now just to get the hens in so I can free up the sheep’s winter shed and bring them home. Got the final chickens moved after sunset.

What epic colors in the sky this morning!

Lots of autumn colors and fog yesterday at our elevation. Rosa Barks was exploring the mists as well. #autumn

Over at the Tibetan Center grazing site, plenty of fog here. The woolies are looking very pretty w/ their dry fleeces. We will have several more days of dry weather. They will switch sides tomorrow. Hopefully I can get all the winter chores done at home & bring them back before the rain returns.

Mo llama is thrilled the weather cleared out and will be dry for a week! #llamas

Yesterday morning I rechecked the lines after yesterday’s blustery weather. Everything was okay and all were in good condition. More hay was put in the rain shelters and they received their breakfast pellets eagerly.

Rosa Barks watching the autumn rain yesterday

Picture perfect full morning in the Pacific Northwest. #pnwweather #autumnleaves

Naughty Laurie trying to steal Mo llama’s food today. Like I don’t feed her!!! #angoragoats

Autumn leaves today. I love how our big leaf maple tree shares them with us during this time of year.

Got the home rain shelter after Lettie the angora goat doeling had knocked it. It took me several hours to repair but they looked pretty cozy by day’s end. There are some occasions I wish I had a proper lift/cherry picker to make tasks like this easier! Early tomorrow the rain returns.

I’m here vending at the Eugene Wilco in Eugene on 11th. Got my milled batts, raw fleeces and yarns for fiber artists. Come on by! Here until 8p.

Sasha was so happy about supper that she decided to flop on the ground like a fish. Today’s menu included a crock pot mix of brown rice, chicken, pumpkin and broth.

We’re about 80% finished w/the ceiling in the master bedroom. We are using reclaimed cedar from a friend’s home renovation. Instead of stain, the cedar is being treated with a restorative oil & I enjoy the scent. W/ such warm varied tones, the room changes character throughout the day. #diyprojects

I’ll be one of the vendors at our Wilco in Eugene for this Tuesday’s Ladies Night. Looking for handspun yarns, milled roving for handspinning or raw fleeces? Come by between 4p -8p and support a local fiber farmer! #knitters #felters #handspinning

I picked up Doug Fir branches for the goats at home in between the rain bands. They were very enthusiastic.

Little Cow (Icelandic sheep ewe lamb), Hazel (Bluefaced Leicester x Gotland ewe) and Isabelle (Gotland ewe) come over asking for pets and scritches. #sheepfriends

Getting ready for the rain system this weekend meant stuffing the rain shelters at the remote site with hay. Though I think the weather isn’t going to be quite as bad as originally predicted, I feel better knowing that they don’t have to go out and graze if they don’t want to. #sheepfriends

I loved seeing Lamby (Gotland) and Sasha (Great Pyrenees) together this morning. Lamby was my very first sheep at just a couple months old when he came and Sasha my very first Livestock Guardian & not a year old when she arrived. They’ve maintained their bond since those early days. #fureverfriends

Great Pyrs were being playful and watchful at the remote site this morning. Sasha and Amos are hilarious and so important for what I do with the flock. They are faithful guardians. #greatpyrenees

Playing a bit of catch up now that Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival is over. At the remote site, I’m getting ready for the first atmospheric river of the rainy season which will arrive this weekend. We will get 2-3 inches in a short time so I’m stocking up on hay for their rain shelters.

So here’s the news from Oregon Flock and Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival!!! ALL the fleeces I submitted for jury won ribbons. EVERY SINGLE ONE. And I won some categories, swept another. My lowest ranking was 4th in colored angora bucklings. Everyone else was top 3!! I wrote them out below.

All but two of my fleeces have sold so far at Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival, which is fantastic!! All that work and hours I have put into making sure they show well has really paid off. I’m super grateful. #oregonflockandfiberfestival

I ribboned in the skein contest at Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival. I took 4th & 5th for both of Honeysuckle’s skeins. Not bad for a 1st time entrant. Neither of Helios’ skeins placed. They are loosely plied, which I prefer; the judges wanted it tighter. I’ll try again next year. They loved his wool.

My timpanist pal Martha (in purple) shared this picture of us (I’m to her right). It was 10 years ago today we were having a concert of the Four Seasons on a private estate when I was running The Chamber Orchestra of Phila. Much has changed in my life, but Martha remains one of my best friends.

I made it to the Expo Center with about a half hour to spare to drop off my skeins which were due by 10a for the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival. Now I’m waiting for the fleece dropoff to open. I have a total of 13 fleeces that I’m bringing; eight of those for competitions.

Finally got my woven swatches done for the skein competition at Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival. It took me so long to get ready! I’m driving up tomorrow to drop off my fleeces and skeins. #weaving #homespun

Working on my woven skein samples for the fiber festival this weekend. It takes me so long to do the warp (the vertical yarn which is Honeysuckle’s) and I usually screw it up, which I did several times last night and this morning. Maybe one of these days it will be more automatic.

The remote site animals were happy with the clear skies overnight and for the next few days. I threw in a bale of hay to give the landscape time to dry a bit and catch up to lessen the likelihood of picking up parasites. They were pretty excited about the hay. #PNWFibershed

We had a little afternoon sun after the rain and everyone’s curls look so pretty after being rinsed by the weather. #gotlandsheep

Mo llama yesterday morning. We’re in for quite a bit of rain today so I’m busy with indoor tasks and getting ready for the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival next weekend.

I’ve talked about this ewe lamb before but here’s a good picture of her next to a yearlings. That’s Jammy on the left who is a fairly tall yearling. TT Girl is the ewe lamb on the left who is only seven months old. She is so tall and big for her age and a real beauty. #gotlandsheep

Proud Mo llama at dawn #Llamas

Spent time in the Coburg Hills assisting with shearing since my broken wrist prohibited me from being more active with shearing/hooves. Very grateful for my friend Flora, who did the heavy lifting while I did more of the Vet tech type work. #shearing

Pics from my blood draw class earlier. This will make a big difference in how I can conduct my own exams. I can spend $7.50 on test at a lab (plus shipping) as opposed to spending $200-$300 for a vet. Really grateful to have monthly classes in my area thanks to our local ag extension program.

Peaches was looking so cute yesterday. I love when she comes over and stands on her hind feet to ask for a banana treat. #angorabunny

I was in a panic this morning at the remote site when I realized that the electrical fence went down. At this location, I am able to plug into power. However, when I double checked the outlet I wasn’t able to get it turned on again.

What a difference the rains are making in air quality here. More rain in the forecast for this afternoon and evening, along with strong winds.

I revised my #handspinning roving inventory through Jotform. Submit your order through the form. Once I confirm, I’ll be in touch re: shipping (US only) & your total. I accept Venmo (preferred) or PayPal friends & family. Tnx for your support of my furever friends. form.jotform.com/252516149475...

Isha, one of my angora goat does, decided to be sweet today. She lost her mom at an early age (last few pics are of Isha and her mom Izzy when she was born). While Isha will come over to me, she’s not always so affectionate.

We’re just about halfway finished with renovating the ceiling in the master bedroom with recycled cedar from a friend’s renovation project.

Sunrise this morning. It’s back to morning temperatures in the 40s F, which feels appropriate for early fall. Lots of fog in the Valley below rising to kiss the dawn.

The rain front moving in at dawn. Not much rain expected today but enough to keep the grasses emerging from the dry season nurished.