MN State Fair and on to Jefferson!

We brought a couple Shetland Mule lambs to the Minnesota State Fair last week. They were wonderful little sheepie ambassadors -- friendly and soft fleeced.

Their only drawback IMO was their loud voices. I kept apologizing for their loudness and the people kept saying that was what drew them in off the street. I thought it was funny how many people "baa" right back at them. ;-) We brought Elsa's twins, they are smaller and more Shetland-like than the other mule lambs, but friendly enough for a stay at the fair.

On our second day at the fair, a local news station did a segment on shearing sheep with Minnesota shearer, Doug Rathke. After shearing a Suffolk for the news cameras, he quickly did my two Mule lambs. I am now the proud owner of 3 pounds of skirted, silky soft Shetland Mule lamb fiber! ;-) I plan to bring it to Jefferson next week.

The girls look so cute without their fleece. They have plenty of time to grow it back before winter comes. I'm tempted to shear more sheep this fall.

I have to say a great big thank you to Nancy Hoerner for letting me stay at her place while I was at the State Fair. She was so nice to pick me up and drop me off and feed me supper. I always learn so much from her! The artist's dolls and books she has made are fascinating. I was so happy to get a copy of her first needle felting book and borrow the first in the Griffin and Sabine series by Nick Bantok. (Speaking of books, I just finished reading my aunt's latest murder mystery this morning, "The Kingdom Where Nobody Dies". I thought it was her best one yet!)

So now that the Fair is over for us, I've got to gear up for the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival at Jefferson Sept. 5, 6, & 7. I thought things were going along smoothly until I read on a email list that my entries hadn't gotten to WSWF. It came as a shock since I mailed them out well ahead of the August 15th deadline. After contacting the Festival organizers though, I was assured that my entries did in fact arrive.

I was planning to bring Mabeline (above, is she an easy keeper or just fat?) and her daughters, Lena(below) and Delia, a yearling. I'm still waiting for confirmation that my entries are acceptable. But I'm going to get started with halter training.

Below is Mabline's other 2008 lamb, Socks, Lena's twin brother. I just love Socks! It would be nice to bring him along too. We rented a bobcat and cleaned out the pole barn on Saturday. It's almost September, so definitely time to get it done. The sheep will not be in the pole this winter, at least not until after shearing next spring and before lambing.

We're getting some much needed rain today. :-)