From This Side Of The Road

Hay Field At Sunset

Here's the view from "our" side of US Route 30 as seen through our roadside wild daylilly patch.  One of our neighbors has been making hay and just finished raking the second batch last night.  There's nothing like the smell of fresh cut hay!

Land Camp Clean-up ...

Wild Rose Farm After The Felting Fun ...

Uhhhhh ... I promised pictures, but got caught up in the tour hosting and felting fun, so no pics until the clean-up!  However, Counselor Mike was taking photos, so maybe I'll be able to wrangle some pictures out of him AFTER he survives the Independence Conservancy Land Camp. I was able to tag along yesterday on the Land Camp tour of a regional landfill - sounds "fascinating", eh?  I love one of the tag lines for the camp: When you throw it away, where is away?
Yesterday, we visited away ... very interesting. 

The Campers Are Coming!

We are hosting the campers from the Independence Conservancy Land Camp for a short visit this evening. Wild Rose Farm happens to be in the Raccoon Creek Watershed ... just on the edge.  Our spring developments for livestock water are natural springs that form the beginning of small streams eventually becoming part of Raccoon Creek.  Pictures & more information coming after the field trip!

Lambs At Dusk

Two Ewe Lambs  & Horned Ram Lamb

Here are a couple of shots of lambs at dusk. It was hot today - temps in the 90's - so there isn't a lot of frisking around until the sun is going down. The 1st picture shows one of our horned Rambouillet ram lambs. The green numbers on their sides have faded, & of course he is standing so that you can't see the number anyway ...

Ram Lambs Starting To Face Off!

The thirty-five dot ram is looking to pick a fight with the other lambs ... that chunky fella facing him can probably hold his ground, lol.  There's a lot of chasing & head butting going on among the lambs as they play & race around when it cools down in the evening.

Washington County Wool Pool

Running The Hydraulic Wool Press - More Wool Please!

It wasn't a bad day at the wool pool ... temps in the high 80's, but with the fans going inside the buildings it was tolerable.  One of the 2 wool presses was acting up all day with electrical problems, so the young workers fell behind. Not sure what time they got to leave!

The "Light Vegetable Matter" Pile - There's More Where That Came From!

The 2 predominant classes of wool in this area are "Medium" wool & "Light VM". The LVM is generally medium wool that has excessive chaff, hay, etc in the fiber, usually from feeding indoors in with hay racks & allowing hay to fall down on the necks & backs of the sheep.

Washington County Wool Pool - Last Load Of The Day!

The last load of the day came in around 5:15PM and consisted of 6 different clips ... meaning that the shearer had fleeces from 6 different flocks in the trailer.
It's back to Washington on Tuesday to start the small flocks of less than 125 sheep. Today our largest flock had 519 fleeces of medium wool - only 1 basket was LVM which is quite an achievement to be so clean.

Headed For The Wool Pool!

Wild Rose Farm - Loaded For The Washington County Wool Pool!

We're loaded up and ready to leave for the Washington County Wool Pool. We drive to the Washington County Fairgrounds and volunteer for 2 days. Hours are Monday 1PM to 6PM for farms bringing 125 or more fleeces and Tuesday 8AM to 3PM for those bringing less than 125 fleeces. Usually we see the big guys and some sheep shearers bringing in fleeces on Monday. On Tuesday, cars with as few as 5 or 6 fleeces pull in ... some are backyard flocks and some are young shepherds just starting out!
The big bags with the blue ties are skirtings, tags, belly wool, and "heavy vegetable matter" wool - we generate a lot of this when I skirt for spinning fleeces, show fleeces, and wool going to the mill for yarn and combed top.  If you ship junk to a mill, you get junk back!
Not all of the fleeces are suitable for sale individually, so they go to the wool pool ... more pics from the adventure later ...
Hoping for overcast, but no rain, since I'm the one who is outside with the clipboard checking in the farmers!

Post Festival Post ...

Knit Buffalo Yarn Truck At Harmony Fiber Fest

Thanks to everyone who ignored the weather forecast and came out to buy at the Harmony Garden Fair & Fiber Fest!  It got HOT in the afternoon, but we didn't have any of the T-storms that were on the Saturday forecast.  Here's a great idea ... a Local Yarn Shop on wheels!  Knit Buffalo pulled in Saturday morning, unfurled their canopy, & set up in the parking lot just outside of Stewart Hall where the rest of us were set up.

Just Inside The Knit Buffalo Truck Front Steps - Yarn & Accessories

We had a chance to talk to a lot of nice fiber folks ... the quilters & spinners seemed to be out, so our combed top and wool quilt batts were a big hit. Thanks again to the shoppers who came to the festival.
At home, we got out around dusk to bring the ewes & lambs in from pasture for the evening. As usual, the lambs were frisking around & playing. The lambs like to get up to the highest spot they can, which turned out to be the wagon & the brush hog tonight ...

Wild Rose Farm Lambs Ready For A Ride!

Harmony Garden Fair & Fiber Fest Preview

Wild Rose Farm Naturally Dyed Rambouillet & Superwash Merino Yarns

First some pictures of Wild Rose Farm and then some shots of the other vendors at Friday afternoon set-up.
Come see us at the Harmony Fiber Fest in Stewart Hall ... we have A/C and we'll keep you dry if it's raining, lol!  :~0

Wild Rose Farm Locks, Llama Troll Hair (!), & Felted Hearts

Three Oaks Fiber - Handspun Wool & Angora Yarn + Hand-knitted Items!

Unplanned Peacock Studio - Hand Dyed Yarns From Virginia!

Unplanned Peacock Studio - Wall of Color!

Rugs Of Character Banner

Rugs Of Character - Neat Trunk Show Display! 

Setting Up For Harmony Fiber Festival!

I'll post pictures later today, but Wild Rose Farm is heading off after lunch to set up for a 1 day fiber festival on Saturday. The 2016 Harmony Garden Fair & Fiber Festival will be held tomorrow June 11th in Historic Harmony, PA - rain or shine!  The fiber artists & vendors will be indoors in Stewart Hall at the Harmony Museum right in town.
Hours are from 9AM to 3PM - come see us for our fine wool naturally dyed yarn, wool quilt batts, spinning fleeces, & our Rambouillet combed top. 
http://harmonymuseum.org/Event-Details.html
Plant lovers will really enjoy the Garden Fair at the barn just outside of town ...

Routine Activities ...

Wild Rose Farm - Snow White Looking On ...

It was sooooo boring today that even Snow White was looking for something to do. She left the sheep behind to graze and came up and stood around the barn. I had been in the barn skirting fleeces until I was forced to shut the barn doors in the 88 degree temps.  It keeps the sun off of me and also keeps it from heating the inside even more ... that's where the 3 ewes with their triplets are hanging out. Snow White had a few treats, then I went down the driveway to give Glenda her share.  Turning back to the barn, it looks like Snow White is waiting for more.  Empty pockets, oh well!