Fashionistas

I am a novice sheep owner and producer. Since October, I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of these lovely new lambs, who finally began making their entrances last week. Our co-op is comprised of 23 sheep, but only 5 of them belong to me. With only 5 ewes and the current market for sheep, every lamb is particularly precious to me this season.

I'm sure every novice has a bit of anxiety about caring for ewes and lambs. I've spent many hours reading, picking the brains of my wonderful generous friends who are small-scale producers and working together with my co-op partner to prepare for these little ones. I've helped friends with lambing in previous years, pulled lambs, doctored ewes and the like - but it is different having sheep of my own. The investment is greater.

The main things I've been concerned about are stress and shelter. We have limited, partial shelter for our sheep. They have plenty of natural cover in the form of mature trees which is perfect for adult sheep, but not terribly helpful for lambs. My co-op partner's husband constructed fantastic jugs in the semi-enclosed barn, but still it is not as protected as a regular barn would be. In addition, there is no way to safely put up heat lamps in the jugs.

So of course when the late, wet snow began to fall in earnest and the winds began to whip across the plateau, my ewes decided it was the perfect week for lambing! With partial shelter, what's a novice worry-wart to do? Enter the fashionistas.


After talking to friends and reading my new Laura Lawson Ewes and Lambs book (terrific book by the way, can't recommend it highly enough - great gift from a friend) I confirmed that lambs are like any other baby animal and do not thermoregulate well for the first 48-72 hours of life. I would see photos of lambs lying in the kitchen or laundry room of friends' homes, or under a toasty heat lamp. But living off-site from my sheep, this option wasn't realistic.

Lora told me how she makes little lamb jackets out of children's sweat pants. Brilliant, I thought! So I ran to the thrift store and the only suitably sized pants they had were purple. Excellent.

Using the diagram from the Laura Lawson book, I made the little jackets. After looking at the commercially available Lamb and Kid Covers I snagged one of Zora's old dog coats that was a gift but did not fit correctly. It would be perfect for a smaller lamb. Tossed all of this into the lambing kit and the rest is history!

The first set of twin ewe lambs were born to #806 on a miserably windy freezing cold night, complete with snow. They were the testers of the imperial purple sweat pants legs. Neither mom nor lambs were troubled by the coats.

They were turned out into the new lamb pen today and are enjoying it greatly!



Yesterday, #816 Freckles delivered a small, healthy ewe lamb. Freckles is the ewe who survived the dog attack in November. She also delivered a stillborn incompletely developed fetus. After talking to friends and reading my Lawson Bible, I think this was because of a disruption of the attachment point, probably during the dog attacks.



I was expecting another sparkling white lamb from this white ewe, but wait - what is this little red thing with markings like a Barb or other wild looking sheep? A quick photo text to Lora gave me the answer -- she is red with badger or badgerface markings. I learn something new every day! You can guess I have taken to calling her Badger. So much for not naming sheep ;)

After being turned out for a bit, Badger was shivering and chilled. Back to the jug for those 2, but the purple jackets were too big for this smaller lamb. However, the dog coat fit perfect. I got a good chuckle over the collie/sheltie print.



Both girls are making excellent mothers and I'm grateful Lora at Rocking Dog Ranch sold them to me! Love those katahdins.

Canadian Journey v2.0

Last year in October I made a journey to Alberta for a little weekend conception mission. Also known as Canadian Journey on my blog. Success and 2 months later Rye and Co. were born!

This December, I made the journey again with a dear friend for a different purpose: Filming for Sheepdog Training Courses. When the need arose for a pinch-hitting camera woman, I felt very luck to be asked to go up to the frozen North for a week of adventure behind the lens.

Meeting in eastern WA, my friend picked me up in her big red truck and off we trekked to cold Alberta. I was glad to have been once before as the journey felt more familiar. Across the border and then across the Rockies, we found our destination warm and welcoming after a grueling day of travel in icy passes.

The first hints of sunrise at Alta Pete Farm

Each morning I would get up and walk dogs, then breakfast. The sunrise would evolve before my eyes in the quiet, wide open spaces.

The sunrise begins in earnest

Each day brought a new adventure. Sometimes blowing snow, other times clear and windy or a glorious crisp, calm sunny afternoon. One day we even filmed from under the protection of Jenny's bath towels -- snow suits for the cameras!

Me in 14 layers of clothes -- but WARM! Photo by Jenny Glen

Filming with Scott was a blast. His sense of humor and love for the dogs bring something truly special to his teaching.

Scott and Wynn between takes

In between filming I would snatch up my own camera or Lora's camera and snap a few photos here and there. I did manage to get a photo of what may be the only tree in New Dayton ;)

The one tree in New Dayton

Evenings brought beautiful moonscapes over the farm followed by good food and good companionship.

Moonrise over the farm

I really enjoyed this opportunity and am very excited to see the end product. It should be educational, entertaining and a whole heck of a lot of other goodness.

After a week of hard work and good company, we headed out before the sunrise to make the trek home. First, we fueled up with some traditional Canadian goodness. Honey crullers and hot chocolate. YUM.

YUM. Nuff said.

On the way home we crossed the passes in daylight and I was able to snap a few photos from the passenger seat. It was 21 F when we left Alberta. Through the Rockies it held around 20 F, as we passed by frozen Crowsnest Lake and another large lake I didn't see the name of.

Crowsnest Lake, Rocky Mountain pass near the Alberta/BC border

Lake in BC - possibly Moyie Lake?

We crossed the border at Eastbrook.

Eastbrook Border Crossing, US side

By the time we got to eastern WA it was a frigid 17 F and everything was coated in sparkling hoarfrost.

Hoarfrost between Spokane and Moses Lake, WA

I learned plenty about dogs, cameras, friends and myself. What a special trip. I feel blessed to have been invited. At the same time, like the end of any journey, the close of this one found not only myself but one of my copilots glad to be home again.

Remembering Paddy

My dear Paddy dog has been gone from us a year today. She was a miraculous beast, really. I know that often the memory of a legend is inflated beyond truth, and I shall do my best to avoid that pitfall today.

Photo by Look Back Photography

Paddy was born on the Muckleshoot Reservation. Her mother was a feral ACD who had her pups under someone's porch and then declared it a "no entry" zone. Animal control came and collected mom and pups. Mom was euthanized because she was a danger to herself and others... the pups came home with me, hitchhikers on a cat shelter transport.

Photos by M. Feyrecilde

Fostering the puppies was fun, we spread them out among 3 different foster homes. Paddy was the only brown pup. There were 2 that looked exactly like mom, 1 that looked like a yellow lab, 2 that were black with tan points and smooth coats and then there was Paddy.

Photo by Salamandir

Failing fostering Paddy was not easy but it was my best failure to date! She developed pneumonia and required tube feeding and treatments every 2 hours. I became attached to her and eventually broke my lease, moving to a house where dogs were allowed so Paddy could live with us. I ended up being glad. When she was 7 months old Paddy bit a man on the leg who tried to steal my backpack downtown.

Our constant companion, Paddy came along on camping trips, our honeymoon and family vacations along with Allie. She was an easy puppy but a difficult adolescent. She had energy to spare and was destructive. She ate an entire tray of Costco muffins, innumerable sticks of butter, dug craters in the yard where the previous tenant's dalmatian had buried toys and bones. She peeled a square of linoleum off the kitchen floor and pulled down curtains.

Photo by M. Feyrecilde

In spite of this turbulent adolescence, Paddy grew into a stately and stable adult dog. She was bottle raised and yet had some of the finest dog communication skills I have ever seen. Because of this, Paddy became my demo and stimulus dog for teaching obedience classes and seeing private lessons for clients with reactive dogs.

Photo by Look Back Photography

Paddy was my heart dog. She knew my feelings and emotions. She was thoughtful and determined. Paddy had an independent streak that meant we often compromised. I feel lucky to have been able to understand her and trust her well enough to realize that compromise was not a failure of our relationship: it was simply what we did. When it was important, Paddy would do things my way. When it didn't matter, she did things partly her own way.

Photo by KMM Portraits

She was a dignified dog and did not particularly like to cuddle but loved to be stroked and to lay with her head on my lap or at the foot of the bed. She would sometimes creep between me and my husband on the bed, flip on her back and roll around with the joy of being the only dog on the bed. She liked to be touched but not held.

Photo by Salamandir

Paddy was an agility dog and an obedience dog. Agility was not her first love but she enjoyed it and did it for me because I enjoyed it. Yet another example of our many compromises. Demonstrating exercises and socializing (and disciplining) puppies during obedience classes was where she made many of her friends and fans. There was something stately about her lying on a down stay with her front paws crossed while I taught a class of hooligans. She could be trusted to stay indefinitely unless something required her intervention, such as a dog growling at me.
An excellent judge of character, Paddy could be trusted to be friendly to friends and those who were non-threatening and aloof to those who deserved it. She would defend me without question and I never worried about being in class or even going for a walk alone if Paddy was with me.

Photo by Tien Tran Photography

Paddy was a stimulus dog. She could make herself virtually invisible to other dogs by using non-confrontational body language, or she could act interested and friendly. She would stay for long periods without me while I helped a client do graduated approaches or approach-retreat sequences. A confident dog, she never reacted if a fearful dog put on a threat display and she did not require my assistance to behave appropriately. Paddy saved many dogs and repaired many dog-handler relationships in her work as a stimulus dog.

Photo by Salamandir

I could write for days the wonderful memories I have of Paddy. Paddy's favorite places were the beach and open fields with tall grass. She loved to run and chase our stunt kites as we flew them above the sand, eventually plopping down panting heavily with a big grin on her face. She never enjoyed swimming but would always wade in up to her chest. In tall grassy fields she would leap like a deer or get the zoomies and race around as quickly as possible, cutting swaths with her body between the stalks. We would play hide and seek in the head-high grass, I would sneak away and then call her and she would track and find me, overjoyed when she was successful.

Photo by M. Feyrecilde

As she aged and neared the end, Paddy developed seizures and anxiety. She became progressively more senile and it was terrible to see her in that state, sometimes lucid and very "Paddy," sometimes confused and worried when she used to be such a strong and immutably confident dog. When the end came, it broke my heart and my heart still aches for her absence. But in a small way it was a relief to let her go from her suffering of seizures and confusion.

Photo by Look Back Photography

A dignified soul with a joyful streak, Paddy taught me how to be patient and calm, the value of confidence, the absoluteness of consistency and the depth of friendship possible between a woman and a dog. Ultimately she has also taught me how to say goodbye and know that I can survive with a piece of my heart gone. These lessons will stay with me a lifetime and that is part of the legacy of Paddy.

Photo by Look Back Photography

I will always love her and she will always be with me in memory.

Ink by Ed Lott at Slave to the Needle Tattoo

Happy 1st Birthday, Rye!

Photo by Look Back Photography
Editing that ruins Look Back's work by Monique

Today is Rye's (and Sagan's and Ben's and Reba's) first birthday.

Rye is a charming dog who is easy to live with. He is definitely becoming a teenager, testing my patience at times. Lora can tell you she has to remind me that "f*#&@r" is not a name or a command ;) He looks lovely on sheep and is now ready to work several times a week. He enjoys agility training for fun and I think he will be a great demo dog for obedience classes as he continues to mature.

I love my Rye. He is a neat blend of both his parents, athletic and affectionate, intense and calm, fun and serious. I am enjoying our journey together. Thanks Diane Pagel and Scott and Jenny Glen for helping me bring such a neat pup into the world.

So Happy Birthday, Rye. I am looking forward to many happy years for us together!