Silver Maple is for sale - Jen

This is Silver Maple, our yuglet sokket katmoget ram out of Cihat and Fantasia. We love him, but can't use him this year for a variety of reasons not related to his quality. Mainly we just don't have enough breeding pens! His fleece is spectacular. I know that word gets used a lot, but if you are looking for a ram to improve your fleeces, I strongly recommend him. Its intermediate, soft, crimpy and consistent from neck to britch. Where the britch gets black, it gets a little courser.

He has a great temperment, is halter broke, but isn't overly friendly. He is spotted and katmoget, so you have many possibilities and options if you use him in your breeding program.

The first fleece photo is of his side, the spot where we take samples for micron testing. The second fleece photo is just at the rump. Trying to show how consistent his fleece is.

We can send more photos, fleece samples and more detailed info on our assessment of him, please send us an email for more info. Also, we are waiting for his micron results, will publish as soon as available.

We are bringing him to Rhinebeck to show, but after the animals are released on Sunday he will be ready for pickup! He is ready to go now also, so if you want him before Rhinebeck, we can make arrangements for delivery/pickup.

Whispering Pines Silver Maple

Single Ram

Grey Yuglet Katmoget Sokket

Sire: Sheltering Pines Cihat S17465

Dam: V Creek Fantasia S24580

Price: $600 - includes registration and vet fees if applicable.

DOB: 4/15/08

NYS Fair - Jen

Photos from our week at New York State Fair. Met many nice people, revisited with old friends and spent a lot of time learning about sheep and the highly competitive world of the livestock exhibitor. Took a leap of faith with no idea what to expect (didn't even have a place to sleep when we got there!) Everything worked out and we are glad we went!

Silver Maple made a friend!


















Fiber artist from Mexico, Jose Buenaventura Gonzalez, trying to spin with my double treadle wheel. He raises a native breed of sheep, dyes with cochineal and indigo, spins and weaves traditional blankets using rather primitive equipment from what he described to me. He was here touring Northeastern cities with an exhibit of his work.


















Will had fun telling funny sheep stories to a rapt audience.



















Rich and Will screwing around, trying to break my chair. Andrew was at a soccer tournament, he missed the entire weekend.


















Silver Maple ready for the show ring. Rich has decided to sell him, will blog with more photos later this week.


















The stalls are equipped with v. cool mezzanine for storage or hiding, as the case may be.




















Two of the nicest neighbors a girl could ask for.






















Me and the "show flock" just before heading out to the ring.

Our getaway spot - Jen

We are blessed with a state park that is 20 minutes away from our house, right on Lake Ontario. It is fitted with nice campsites, trails, a modest playground and an AWESOME lighthouse. You know, its one of those places that you live right next to and only go to when out of towners come to visit and you find yourself saying, "Hang on, why don't we come here more often?". Sort of like Niagara Falls but not really cause I hate Niagara Falls. Another blog topic for another day. So that's where we were last weekend, and here are the photos:


Here is the lighthouse, keeper's residence and carriage house.


You are allowed to tour the residence and go up into the lighthouse. These are the circular stairs that take you up to the top. There is also a 3 bedroom living area on the 2nd floor you can rent for $200 a night.












The light. (There is a really nice tour guide that tells you all sorts of interesting facts and data. Which went in my one ear and whistled right out the other. You will have to come out and see it for yourself if you want to know who was the manufacturer of the light, when it was installed, when it stopped being used, etc. I'm also pretty sure there is a more technical name for it other than "the light")



















Andrew, Rich and Will. I am thinking of renaming the boys "Thing one and Thing two" from the Cat in the Hat. Look at the hair! Needless to say I didn't take the picture as I needed both hands to clutch onto the wall of the lighthouse to prevent any accidental falls into the rocky shoal below.


















A nice shot of our camp, see the green tent? That's us.


















This is the start of the hiking trails.


















What is he planning on doing with that tree branch?

The trail leads you to this enchanted oak grove. I was enjoying the peace and quiet and then Will whipped an acorn at my head, so Rich had to put him in a sleeper hold.













Andrew is a unique individual.



















Skipping rocks onto the lake, which was unusually calm that morning.









The bridge was out, but made a cool teeter totter.
































We are going to state fair Wednesday till Sunday. I'm sure will have much to blog on when we get home! Everyone have a nice labor day weekend!

Medina HS Reunion 1983 the sequel - Jen

Well, I did it, went to my 25th reunion, my first one. Had a blast and enjoyed catching up with those that showed up. I tried to get a photo of everyone, but I was becoming a pest, so if I missed someone, sorry - come to the 30th and we'll try again. I can't believe I didn't get a photo of David B. though. Perhaps if he would have stayed in one place for 3 seconds, I would have had the opportunity. Thanks to the organizers, lots of work, it was v. much appreciated.

Medina HS Reunion Class 1983! - Jen

Technically, this is a farm blog. BUT, I had so much fun last night at my reunion mixer, must post photos!!! Didn't get nearly all the photos I wanted of everyone, but I still have tonight, so hopefully will not get too tipsy and end up with all blurs and ceilings!

I have to admit I was a nervous wreck before I got there, but once I walked in the door I felt right at home with the people that I spent 13 years of my life with. Really, your high school class is like family. We shared so much together, good and bad, and we care about each other. Anyways, sappy time is over, on to the photos!!!

Not bad for a bunch of 43 year olds!!!

My best friend from high school, still exactly the same! I haven't seen Lisa for 15 years, but I look forward to my beautiful Christmas card every year. LOVE HER!
Gary and Keith, bellying up to the bar. So great they both made the trip back home.
Isn't Gary a dreamboat! He totally blossomed after high school. And look at me. Prime example of why I always say, "Chin down, ladies!" Ugh, I'm hideous.

Doug Harnish is still hilarious. Great guy, even if he hates the Chargers.

Harold and Beth, kindred spirits still today.

Our Violet is for sale - Rich

Pikehill Violet S25080
DOB 3/23/07
Black Katmoget ewe
Dam: S15816 Painted Knoll Picante Mia
Sire: S20838 Sheltering Pines Birch
AaAa/BBBb/SSS?/M?M?
Micron test date 6/08Ave 24.8, SD 5.9, CV 23.9, CF 82.8
Sell price: $300 (see our website for terms of sale)

Pike Hill Violet has been one of our favorite ewes since we brought her in last summer. She has a unique, and what I would call, very alert carriage, if that makes any sense. She has a “look at me” quality, with both her striking katmoget markings, and the way she carries herself in the pasture. She has an excellent conformation, straight legs, very nice fleece density, and gentle crimp. I wasn’t nuts about the way she was sheared this spring, but her fleece is soft and dense. She has pretty much anything a person would want in a shetland ewe. She may also carry spots and modified coloring. She had an extremely nice ram this year that we will be keeping, so we decided recently to make Violet available. Although, we hadn’t planned on selling her, given the direction we are heading, it probably makes more sense to sell her than to keep her another year or two. Although we’re not sure it’s the right move, we already have quite a few katmoget ewes, and her ram is extremely nice as well. She is a grey katmoget, but carries brown genetics as well.

4h Fair 2008 - Jen

Survived another Niagara county fair last week, still recuperating. We brought 8 shetland sheep this year, probably will never bring that many again, but really wanted to show the variety to our regulars.

Here is Chaya helping me photograph Jasmine. Jasmine will be going to a beautiful farm in Westchester County in October.




Here is Andrew, passed out from all the exertion from the weeks events.
















Andrew and Will again were the only youth showing shetlands, but we have a plan to remedy that next year.

Will was down and out with the flu, but he managed to get through the sheep show without incident. He missed 2 good days of fair, home sick in bed. Bummer as they look forward to fair week all summer.