Happy Halloween to all my friends!

Ohio Bred BFL Ewe Award Recipient

This is Paige Lohrey, who applied for and has been awarded the first of what I hope will be many bred BFL ewes in a program developed to increase the number of youth BFL breeders.
I wanted to have the young person close enough to me that I could visit, give advice and help as needed, and attend the show to lend support and cheer.
Paige and her mom came today to pick up Somerhill Serenade, a 6 year old ewe who is bred to Lanark for early March lambs. The past 2 years, Sere has given me twin ewe lambs, and I hope she is planning on doing that next spring for Paige. Part of the award process requires the lambs to be shown at a local fair, and they will be Paige's breeding sheep project in 4-H next year.
If you are interested in developing a similar program for youth in your part of the country, I'd be happy to send you the 2 page application and rules. Or if you are an Ohio youth and would like to apply for 2010, contact me.

Lanark and some of his ewes

Breeding Time

Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day - perfect for setting up breeding groups. Chuck set out electric netting on the SW corner of the farm while I moved the netting for the lamb group. Then we brought Lockerbie across the road. Might I add that 250# rams do not like to be haltered and led/shoved/dragged from their paddock, across the road, and into a barn for reasons unknown and unexplained to them? He managed to throw himself down just as we reached the muddy spot at the entrance to the barn. Splat! Once we got him up, he noticed the 6 lovely ewes waiting for him in the catch pen, and rushed in to introduce himself. "Why didn't you tell me this is what you wanted me for???" So Kirby is with Caliope, Clio, Adagio, Rowan, Royce, and Bess on the far side of the creek, guarded by Beth.

Lanark got the lion's share of the flock. He is with Pegasus, Serenade, Aislinn, Arlene, Hannelore, Ballad, Nell, Iden, Colette, Wallis, Vivace, Wynne, Wilkie, Jillian, and the 2 biggest ewe lambs, Bijoux and Quadrille. Bob is their guard. They are in the pasture east of the barn along the road, but will soon move farther east into the 5A hayfield at the far eastern edge of the farm.
I like to keep a few fences and several hundred yards between breeding groups - its saves bruises on ram's heads and wondering which ram actually bred which ewe!

You can see pictures of the rams and all the ewes mentioned HERE

The flock due date will be March 19th. Mark your calendars - this basically guarantees that Ohio will experience its coldest spell of the year, complete with sub-zero temperatures and blizzard conditions.

A vist to my friend, Anne

Anne and Gordon moved over a year ago, and I finally got up to their new home to visit and "snoop". What a beautiful view - beautiful home - beautiful land! My camera stopped working before I got any pictures of the house and view. :^(
This is Somerhill McDuff now that he is 7 months old. WOW - he has grown, and is looking really good. You can see a baby picture of him posted July 12th. Anne has done very well raising him, and he is more than ready to breed their small flock of BFLs and colored crosses.
Some of the flowers around the house. Most the property is wooded, and the house is set on a flat spot on the hilltop overlooking farmground and pastures to the east. The site is dotted with maple and shagbark hickory trees, so most the yard is shady.

Things we take for granted

I pass these things every day on my way from the parking lot to the front door of my workplace.
This is a beautiful old star magnolia with a hollow spot in a limb. I love its grey bark, picturesque branching habit, and shiney leaves.

A "burning bush" in that unearthly shade of red/fuschia. There are several of these scattered around the grounds.

The viburnum that is directly in front of me as I park. Its smells wonderful in the spring when it's blooming.

This is a japanese maple on the rear corner of the bank downtown. I made the deposit today, and was so struck by its beauty that I went around the block and through the drivethrough just to look at it again.

I

Practical jokes at the Rodenfels' ranch

Ooooooo - what is that creepy looking thing in the coffee mugs? Imagine those beady red eyes glowing at you from the dim recesses of the cabinet as you sleepily get your morning coffee......

I can't repeat what Chuck said when he opened the cabinet door to get a coffee mug this morning. Below is a better picture of the creepy thing.
For quite a few months, a small plastic spider has been making the rounds, popping up in drawers, my hairbrush, inside the birdfood container, etc. This morning, I upped the ante:

And Don't forget Vignette is for sale, too.

Gr Ch Somerhill Vignette is gorgeous! A 1.5 year old fawn; she has just raised a litter of 8. Vinnie is Valhalla and Vendetta's daughter. She will soon be in full coat, ready to harvest and then rebreed her. $125.00

FS - Gr Ch Somerhill Valhalla & Vendetta

This is Valhalla before I clipped him last night. He is 2 years, a proven sire, fawn, with excellent texture and density which he passes on to his offspring. $125.00

This is Somerhill Vendetta, a registered fawn with 2 legs. (picture is of her baby coat, she is similar in color to Valhalla now as an adult) She is also 2, has raised a litter (by Valhalla) and is rebred for early November to a different buck. She is $100.

Buy the pair for $200.

Autumn in Ohio

Along US Rt 22 in the Skull Fork valley east of Antrim.

Sunset

Gr Ch Somerhill Mandalay

My sweet pet, Mandy. She is so beautiful! (chocolate agouti Satin Angora)

Some ewe lambs

This is Ilse. She is a twin, out of Celestia (AI Laird) and Larkhall (AI Carryhouse R1). She has a twin sister, Ilaria.
This is Bijoux and Calais. Bea is growing so fast, I swear you could watch her get bigger!

Rabbitry update

Since I've been back on my feet, I've been slowly catching up with grooming and cleaning in the rabbitry. This week, I clipped Timbuktu, Cyrenaica, and Sierra Leone, and bred both does to Tim. So now early next month, I'll be expecting 2 litters of Satin Angoras.
Tonight, I clipped Vendetta, and bred her to Benz, who was already clipped down. So a litter of French Angoras is on the way (I hope I hope) .
Tomorrow night, I have to start clipping Valhalla. Once he is finished, I need to check over Vidal, and then I am DONE clipping for a while, I think. There are a few juniors that need a thorough grooming, but that does not take long - maybe 10 minutes per bunny.

While clipping, I've also been spinning up the wool as I go. So after all that work, I just have one skein of white FA to ply, and a bag of fawn from Vendetta, and then I'm out of angora already.
:^(

UARC Specialty in Marietta

The specialty was a great time! Lots of angoras - lots of exhibitors - lots of fun. These are the BOB winners: Judge Terry Fender, English and Giant exhibitor Yvonne Eberhart, French - Tina Vance, and Satin - Irene Martin. Yvonne also won BIS, with her English Angora doe.

French Angora juniors for sale

REW buck, $50. Born 7-8-09. Sire is GrCh Spangs Vidal(fawn), dam is GrCh Somerhill Voodoo (cream) Both parents have red/white/blue registry. Loads of champions in the pedigree.

I also have 3 black does and 2 black bucks for sale as woolers - $25 each. They were born 7-8-09. Very nice, dense wool.

For Tari and Paige

Here are 2 pictures of Somerhill Lanark(AI Carryhouse R1) taken today. He is 18 months old.

Below is Somerhill Serenade(AI Gwystedd Jamie), taken today;side, front, rear. She is a six year old.