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[lurine AT com-pair.net]

We are looking at a couple of St. Croix ewes to start and have been
offered a white Dorper ram.

Consider this arm twisting! :)

Lynda

---- Original Message ----
From: paxamicus AT earthlink.net

>Alrighty then. I retired from commercial horse showing at the same my
>husband retired from the government. We opted, for a variety of
>reasons, not to stay in Virginia even though I still miss some things
>very much. I have thirty acres now, with an adjoining 15 I lease from
>the farmer across the street for hay. 
>
>Instead of doing horses, I am doing hair sheep and sheep dogs, and as
>far as horses all I have are two ponies for my kid to bomb around on.
>This kid is eleven and no rider, so they and the kid are just buds,
>and comfort for me.  One of the ponies turns out to be an excellent
>guard animal, and he also pulls. I've made money on him carting
>people around at weddings and stuff. 
>
>My youngest is now eleven and homeschooled. My oldest made it into
>UVA after a Waldorf/Friends combo of schools. I am proud of her. 
>
>The sheep are paying their own way as well as the dogs'. They are
>Katahdins and I've spent the last five years or so on the learning
>curve for a new species. I'm up to about 30 nice ewes twinning and
>tripling and I had eerie good luck with one I'd love to brag on if
>anybody twists my arm. I gave up not making money on the lambs when
>Roy retired and now truck everything to New Holland that isn't bought
>off the farm. 
>
>I have four dogs currently in work and some students. I don't breed
>but I have sold/trade/bought to have suitable working partnerships. 
>
>We've been rehabbing this old hole we live in slowly, one major
>project a year, with little stuff on the side. We may finish before
>we die. Fencing, septic, roof, electric and insulation, next summer
>it's painting. The goal is the house, the wooden barn, and the shed.
>Laugh with me. One ongoing project is constantly retro-greening the
>house. We removed almost all of the south west walls, put in some
>serious windows, and a lot of stone on the floor. Slate. I like it.
>And it doesn't get too hot up here for that, either, in the summer. 
>
>We finally made it up to two years ahead on wood this fall, I have
>these fantastic soapstone stoves with converters that came with the
>house. Which is good, because the place is a freaking sieve even with
>insulation. I figure this is good because we will probably NOT die or
>carbon monoxide poisoning or radon. 
>
>I barter with my next door neighbour for organic eggs, beef, and milk
>in lamb and sheep cheese. I'm working on perfecting my faux Manchego.
>
>
>I don't garden, I am still the black thumb of death, but the Ithaca
>Farmer's Market is stupendous and I am supporting local organics so
>I'm ok with that.  I put stuff up all summer long. A million jars or
>tomatoes, I think. What we are the lucky recipients are of a
>gardener's home. We have apple trees, pear trees, blueberries,
>blackberries, rose hips, fiddle head ferns, watercress, and more. We
>pick the berries off the branches as soon as the dew has dried and
>freeze them. SO lucky. 
>
>I was still replying to the list regularly when we were looking to
>move. For what it's worth, I could not love Ithaca more (unless maybe
>we could have just a teeny bit more sunshine). It is wonderful here,
>and the local culture and economy supports the concept of
>sustainability in all its myriad guises. 
>
>I hereby swear off politics, except environmental stuff. I think we
>all come from the same place there so it shouldn't cause arguments.