2020 National Llama Appreciation Day!

Today is National Llama Appreciation Day, so last night I went in search of Snow White to get some pictures to post ...

Nope, She's Not Resting in the Shade With Us ...

She wasn't in the Loafing Shed resting with some of the ewes and lambs, so I set off to hike around this paddock. We have a secure tightly fenced section around the Loafing Shed where we bring everyone in after the day of grazing.  The spring water development is in this section too.

Snow White At Sunset

Of course, she was all the way up at the highest point of the paddock near the gate along the road. From the piles of "llama beans" nearby, you can tell that she likes this spot. 

"I can see the whole place from here!"

Snow White Can Oversee Her Flock From Gate to Gate

As I was taking pictures, Snow White wandered down to graze closer to her flock. We have been very fortunate to have her as our guardian llama. Officially, she's Radar's Snow White #280010 and she came to us during lambing season in April 2014 from the Suttons at RA DAR LLAMAS. She had never seen sheep before, but she was immediately fascinated by the lambs.  

Snow White Sees First Lamb - April 2014 - Wow! 

 So back to last night, Snow White returns to grazing and watching her flock of ewes and lambs. We really appreciate our llama! 

Wild Rose Farm - Snow White at Work! 

 Here's another way that you can appreciate your llama during these trying times ...

Fiber Festivals ... ?

Missing the Fiber Festivals!

I guess we're all missing our fiber festivals this year! I just talked to some folks today who were asking about when festivals may be starting up again.  Who knows at this point? 

Locally, we also had our wool pool canceled, so that means that the conventional sheep farmers will have wool sitting in their barns for another year. This will make for an interesting wool pool next year - it will be a guess as to what will come in in terms of volume and quality ...

Working on Lambs and Garden ...

Looking Towards the Garden ...

We've gotten the ewes with older lambs out and into the field where we have the garden.  They've just passed through this field and have moved on to the pasture by the Loafing Shed. Even with the electric net fence around the fledgling garden, I'm still nervous! Somehow it seems that one of those goofy lambs will manage to get into the garden!  There are a dozen tomato plants, the sunflowers & summer squash are just starting to sprout, and we've planted popcorn this year … never tried that before, so we'll see how it goes.

Wild Rose Farm Rambouillet #555 & Twins 

We had a nice delivery of twins out on pasture and we left them out long enough for the ewe to clean them off outside. Here's another ewe with her set of twins in the barn.

Wild Rose Farm Rambouillet #553 & Twins

Oh, and did we mention the barn project? The hemlock board siding got a coat of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits for preservation … what a chore, but it's done!

Resealing the Barn!

Lambs Out to Pasture!

Wild Rose Farm Lambs Race Out to Pasture!

Our first group of ewes and lambs have been moved out to pasture. We start in this smaller paddock near the barn so that the lambs get used to the routine of following the ewes. They also learn to wade through the high grass and get used to the electric net fence.

Mom Is Grazing & Doesn't Care About Us!

OK ... Now What Do We Do?

After a mad dash into the paddock, most of the lambs are milling around in a group, not sure of what to do next.  So it seems that if in doubt, let's butt heads ...

Lambs Square Off ...

Another Lamb Joins In!

Back Up & Charge!

No Harm, It's a Side Swipe!