Well, its Sunday April 18th and its my son David's 35th birthday...........YIPES how did my baby boy get to be 35 yrs. old???????  Oh my gosh, my daughter is 39 yrs. old......oh lord that makes me feel really old.  Well I guess I am semi-old and I don't enjoy it much!  I still want to work from the time I get up at 5:30 a.m. until I fall into bed but this "old gray mare, ain't what she used to be" so I have to go slower and it really irritates me that I can't get as much done as I want to. 
Today has been a very productive day, so I can't complain.  I opened up the third pasture for my ram Luther and his buddies, Stuart, Spartacus, and Ripley........they were like "Open the gate,open the gate,open the gate" " oh WOW where do I eat first"?  After the chores were done, I went to Darcy's and had waffles with Darcy,Rowan and Declan.  We took Kara their Golden Retriever and went out to work.  Darcy moved the big group of ewes across the road into a very nice green pasture, so they are happy.  We then opened the gate between two pastures to let the chickens in, and 3 sheep in with the chickens.  I put Maura,Avocado and my dear,sweet Stella that has been sick into the pasture next to the barn.  Everything seems to be going well, the chickens ignore the sheep and for the most part the sheep ignore the chickens.  Oops, Avocado decided to butt one of the biddies.....just a little butt!  Its cheap entertainment on the farm, but its fun to watch the animals.  Darcy then set up some orange portable around the stonewall because the sheep have worn a path over the stonewall, rocks have slid and someone could get hurt so they will have to go around the stonewall.  I set up some white taller portable fencing in Blake's (my old ram) pasture to keep them away from a section of the fence that needs to be repaired.  Darcy got the John Deere riding mower out of the barn with the trailer and took a load of stuff to the burnpile.  She also cleaned out Arnold and Okra's stall so they will have a nice clean stall tonight.  It was really nice to have Darcy out working  with me again.  The children are getting older now and it makes working together easier. Everything is good at the farm. 
Yesterday my friends Cheryl Flett and Alison Schantz came over for a playdate.  We carded some wool on my Ashford carder and Cheryl brought her mini-carder, we are going to swap for a few months to each try a different carder.  We also planned the workshops and Fiber camp that will be happening here at the farm.  We have such fun getting together, talking,laughing,spinning, and getting a little fiber fix!  It is so nice to be around other people that truly love the world of fiber.
Well, I have to go get busy cleaning for awhile then I'm going to play with the new mini-carder for a short time. 
Good-bye from Maybelle Mama

Hello again from Maybelle Mama.
It's now Wed. April 14th and things certainly are looking much better to me.  I went down into the barn Monday morning to let out all the sheep and noticed a black ewe laying down and she didn't get up when all the others went out!  Uh,oh that's not good!  I went over and got her up and turned her around to go out of the barn and she walked into the wall.......I looked at her eyes and they were all milky and I knew she was blind.  I had to practically carry her to a stall and ran to the house and called the Vet.  I described her symptoms to the Vet and he said it could possibly be Listeriosis!!!!!!!  Holy macaroni, I was beyond devastated.  There is not a good outcome if this was the case.  He had me give her 5 c.c. penicillin,  5 c.c. dexamethazone and 4 c.c. of Vitamin B complex.  The meds were given at 8:30 a.m. and Stephen arrived at about 2:30 p.m.  As we went down the stairs, Stella was at least holding her head up.  Stephen checked her all over and said it was a good sign that she had slightly improved and they she could walk in both directions(right and left).  I then felt like a light bulb went off in my old, pathetic gray matter.  "Oh yes, Stella was doing some very serious head butting on Friday"  Could that be a possibility?  Stephen felt on her head and there was an egg there,so that could be it.  He had me switch to Thiamine 2 c.c. four times a day, penicillin twice a day and one more dose of he dexamethazone on Wed.  YIPPEEEE!
Today she came outside with me, walking all around looking for some of her sheep friends, talking up a storm and doing SO MUCH BETTER!  I feel so relieved and certainly could do a happy fiber dance  "Woolly, I could".  When my sheep are hurt or sick, I'm a total mess and then so relieved when they are better.  Life certainly is never dull on a farm. 
I have been making up a schedule for fiber workshops here at the farm.  I will add them to our Website when the details are finalized.  I can't wait to do Cheryl Flett's Wet Felting class on May 2,2010  its from 12:30 to 4 p.m. and will be such fun!  She is a super teacher and a very funny person.  I guess I had better shut down the computer and go get some work done.  So-long from Maybelle MaMa.

Hello from Maybelle MaMa. 
I just had to write a little bit tonight because it has been a very busy, successful day today here on the farm.  Its so nice to have every one of the sheep finally be outdoors.  They all are running,hopping and really act like everyone feels good.  That means that I feel good too, like wearing Hanes underwear.  It makes you feel good all under!!!! 
I worked here at the house, painting and wall papering my back room that will become my fiber office.  I also started lots of seeds and that will be a nice project, getting ready to set them out as soon as the weather allows.  Darcy and Todd brought my beautiful old ram Luther home from a farm in Windham.  He was used for stud service at a very nice farm.  He went to the farm mid-January and came home today.  He would have been home sooner but the large amount of snow kept him from coming home till now. 
I also called a man in West Townshend about our rooster S.T. We have had him for just over a year and he is a beautiful black and white Spitzhauben that looks like he has on Phyllis Diller's feathered hat.  Well he developed a very bad attitude and I was worried he would spur Declan or Rowan that are 3 yrs. old and 5 yrs. old.  I offered him to someone I know that raises chickens and like rare breeds.  So, Darcy and Todd loaded S.T. into a dog crate and off to West Townshend he went.  They put him in with two other roosters and S.T. thought he would puff up and show them his stuff, but they gave him a little attitude adjustment and everything is fine.  He will be put in with a flock of Rhode Island Red hens after he adjusts to his new home. 
 So now life is good, peaceful and happy at Maybelle Farm.  Got to go get busy and then go visit with my sister.  We watch "Dancing with the Stars" and my favorite show "Castle". 
Goodnight from Maybelle MaMa.

Hello from Maybelle MaMa. 
It's Saturday April 3rd and feels like mid-July.  I have had such a nice morning switching sheep around.  First I put out Okra and Arnold ( Arnold is my blind wether) and Okra is his mother that wears a bell on her pretty collar.  They were soooooo happy to be out in the beautiful weather and they were out until 10 a.m.  Once it starts to get hot, even though they have a little shed.......I have to put them inside.  Arnold will start to circle and I know he is too warm.  He is my beautiful badger face and would have been the perfect ram if he hadn't been born blind.  I love him dearly and he has my best fleece. 

Well, on to some more sheep moving.  I let my three wethers Stuart,Ripley and Spartacus out into the back pasture behind the barn.  I took a bucket with a little grain, walked up to the road that goes out past the barn, opened the gate and said "Come on men, follow me!"  "YIPEEEEE, she has grain, lets go guys" and they chased me down the road to the pasture by the garage.  They were more than willing to follow me and are very happy to be out in a very big pasture, two big sheds,hay,water and shade.  They will be staying there until April 29th when they will come into the barn for shearing on April 30th.  This pasture they are in has a very high power electric fence top and bottom and I'm hopeful that will keep them safe from coyotes. 

My biggest problem in all the years I've had sheep is domestic dogs, people come "Up to the country" and let their dogs run!!! They have killed my daughter and grandaughter's pet chickens and gone after Moms with new lambs. 

I came home after sheep switching and made donuts......why when I have a million things to do???  Oh, my grandchildren love them and my niece is working next door, so I took her a bag of donuts and coffee.   I when back to the barn and let my "Old Blake" who is 11 yrs. old out with his buddy Marcus.  The big group of 20 ewes is in the front pasture and all is well on Maybelle Farm.  I'm headed shopping to get some grain to try to stretch the hay until pastures are really ready.  I'm going to get potting soil and start some seeds for my little Catherine that I take care of all summer. 

Its such a beautiful day I feel like I could go outside,run around,kick up my heels and act like the cattle do in the spring when they first get to go out of the barn after a long winter.....perhaps that's not such a good idea!  I might hurt myself and end up in a Yoga pose that I don't want to be in!  Well, I'm off to enjoy the day. 
Good-bye from Maybelle MaMa