new calling

now that it's in the 80s(!), we can't put off shearing any longer. yesterday i sheared georgie, and it was the first time i've done it by myself. it went well! and i loved doing it! and today, i sheared gabbie, our black sheep. only one to go, greta (the lambs won't be sheared till next year)... and she knows we're coming for her.

i've been wanting to learn to shear, since, you know, i'm all about the dying arts.. and we only have such a few sheepies. plus it's nice to not be so dependent on having a shearer come to us. the few that are left are so busy this time of year. last year, after he drove an hour (in june no less, the first opening he had) to get here, we couldn't catch the little buggers. it was a total sheep debacle.. they are really crafty. i'm not sure why people think sheep are stupid.. at least ours have outsmarted us many times.

i've tried electric shears, but they are so heavy and noisy. a shepherdess friend suggested hand shears, and also said that sometimes she even uses fiskars - which seemed right up my alley since i use a small pair to clip the rabbits... and this was a good excuse for a beautiful pair.. and especially with a 40% off coupon at michael's, a much better deal than electric shears... and they work great, at least for our little shetlands.




the only other issue is my sheep are so messy. i'm afraid i'll be picking hay out of this fleece until next year .. but still, like grace, i think i may have found my métier (besides watching downton): i want to become a shearer!