Yesterday I went to the rodeo and didn't get home until later so I didn't get the blog done.  But the good news is that I did okay and won all my money back at the rodeo last night and even walked away with an extra Dollar.  
    That isn't all I did yesterday though.  Mom and I took Ms. Karen to Tempted Estates to meet Tempted herself.  I hung out with Tempted's Daughter but we kind of are different.  The one thing that kind of got to me was that she was picking on my because I wouldn't go into her bed room.  You see, her Video game was in her bedroom and she couldn't understand why I wouldn't go back to her Bedroom with her.  First off my Dad would have killed me and no video game is worth my life.  The other thing is that in our house your bedroom is your private space.  No one comes to my room to hang out.  That is where I go to be alone and go to bed.  When my friends come over to hang out at my house we only have a game cube that is on the tv in the living room.  Other then that we are always outside but never would I have anyone in my bedroom just to hang out.  I also would never even go into my Dad's and Mom's room without there being some reason for it that can't be helped.  (The toolbox for the house is in Mom's closet but I only go in when I have asked Mom or Dad if I can)  So here is my question to you ... Are me and my family weird or something???  LOL
    Todya I worked on the fencing from where we divided the pasture because even though we had the fence up it wasn't really held up with enough clips or wire.  While I was out there I thought long and hard about Mom's Cotswold sheep.  (Yes they are her's because I didn't have the money to get them and she paid for them so they are hers But she says they are the families)  Anyway, I think I think I really like the thought of naming the Cotswold sheep Candy bars.  So we are naming them Skittles, Reeses and Dove.  I will get pictures posted tomorrow but Dove is the one with the bag and we are watching her really close.  Maybe we will end up with an extra bargain .... LOL

    Today was pretty cool.  First we had our 4-H picnic.  At the picnic two special things happened.  After we ate they held elections for next years county officers.  I was elected to my second term as 4-H County Treasurer.  I wanted President but I guess it just wasn't meant to be.  I am happy with Treasurer though.  I am hoping this year will be even better then last  year.  
    The other thing that happened is that I got to give away our first ever QT Scholarship.  As most of  you know the scholarship went to a great friend that has had a really rough time this year.  Not that you can call loosing his father and having to give up his herd and move his Mom to town rough but add in his past fight with cancer and you can say rough.  The good thing is that Billy has kept his head clear and his heart in the right place.  He isn't just my friend but my friend in Christ.  He knows that will all his looses and struggles God is there with him and Christ is making him stronger all the way.  I can only imagine what he is destined to be because when God takes something away he is just opening your hand for something better down the road.  I know Billy's time is coming.... And all of you are helping him get there.

    Today was a long day but mostly because last night was a long night.  Without Pansy, Petunia didn't want to be alone.  The only thing that Mom came up with last night to confort her was she let Petunia sleep on the couch with her.  It was funny cause Mom slept on the edge and Petunia had her bum wrapped in like 6 towels and she was laying between the back of the couch and her.  The only thing Mom said about it was that her breath really stinks when she belchs up her cud.  I thought it was funny.  
    But in true Straw Farm Fasion I have decided to not linger on about the bad that happened yesterday.  So today we were talking about the Cotswold ewes.  And we realised that they don't have names.  I was thinking we could name them Freight, Train and Santa Fe.  Okay so Mom wasn't really happy with those names.  So I put it to all of you.  We need three Ewe names.  The names all need to have something in common.  I am thinking of sping since I got them in spring.  Spring makes me want ice cream.  So we could name them ice cream flavors.  Or maybe we should call them the seasons themselves.... So what do you think??? 
 (I still think Freight, Train, and Santa Fe are the best names so far.... LOL)

I will start tonight's Blog by saying this is Mom and Not RJ.  Sometimes I wish I didn't ever have to blog but being the Mommy means sometimes doing things we don't want to do.  For example Telling everyone bad news.  You guessed it.  We have lost our precious Pansy.  To be honest I thought she was doing great since the other night.  Up until just an hour or so ago she was up ... Eating and being cute.  Then as I walked through the kitchen to go out the back door to get RJ out of the roping pen I noticed she was laying funny.  Well, we did everything just as we had the other night but this time, Nothing seemed to work.  She wasn't dehydrated because she had not been allowed out in the heat since her last episode.  To be honest we have no clue as to why she had to go but it breaks my heart.  RJ is upset and so is Auntie Karen and myself.  I have no idea what else to tell you other then to ask that you please say a pray as God welcomes home one of his littlest flock members tonight.  Death is always hard for us here on the farm to accept so please pray for our hearts to be healed as well... We will miss you little girl.... RIP Pansy, Momma loved you!

We had so much going on today that it was actually easier to just make a Video Cast for you ... So here it is .... Enjoy

Man it seems more and more like when I blog I am backing up but yesterday after I posted I got a visit from an Auntie. Ms. Karen was on vacation and she brought me home a few surprizes from her trip. I can't believe she would waste her time thinking of me on her vacation but she did and I am really glad about it too. Check out what she got me. First there is my prize Alpaca Hat pin.

Then she also got me a sheep ball. Okay so it isn't what you think. It is a ball that you toss up and it will tell you your sheeps mood... Check it out ...

She even got me a DVD cause she knows I like the old TV shows ...

And that isn't all. I have to say that I loved all my gifts ... But this last one was my favorite.... I Got a GOAT BELL!!!

Now, so that I don't have to go backwards anymore I will tell you that at the Rodeo today I placed 3rd in the Goat tying, 4th in the break away, 2nd in the tie down calf roping and 3rd in the ribbon roping. While I was at the rodeo Mom was at home spinning my pink roving from Tempted ...

Mom says she loves spinning but now she is going to have to start using the yarn or it is going to back up on her.... lol

I almost forgot... there is one more thing that came back from QT vacation.  It has inspired me to find someone to write me a crochet pattern for a stuffed alpaca.... Check this out... I even have a plan... Any takers?

    Okay, so yesterday I really did have fun and there were alot of cool things that happened here on the farm.  I know the Pansy thing over shadowed the good and that is why I am backing up to tell you all about it.  Everyone knows that Tempted came to the "YoungShepard Zoo" Yesterday.  You also know that we played with all the animals and she checked out all the fleece on them as well. 
    What you don't know is that her and Mom sat spinning for awhile and chatting.  Somehow She ended up showing Mom how to make a center pull ball without a ball winder.  (which still hasn't come in the mail yet)  So Mom worked both before and after the Pansy episode and got everything off her bobbin plied.  That means not only did she do her teal color yarn that she made out of Tempted Roving.... Please be kind because this is only her third yarn she has ever made in her life and it hasn't been soaked to set the twist. 

But she also got down to my spinning and plied my yarn that now looks like this. 

Then she started spinning my Pink Tempted  roving that Tempted herself helped me make.  It is pink with blue sparkles in it.  Check this out.  And then she brought Me some more bumps yesterday when she came so that I could spin it up.  But to be honest I am having Mom spin it up for me.   She is just better at it then I am and I want it to be a keeper.  I think I am going to use it in the horse blanket Mom is helping me weave on her loom.  Check this out. 

    Anyway, as you can see we had alot of fibery fun it was just over shadowed by Pansy.  I know I shouldn't be that way but when anything happens to my animals that takes first priority with me.  I am sorry I didn't put all this in the post last night but I hope you understand. 
    Later Ms. Karen will be coming home from vacation.  She went to a small town and ended up finding a new yarn shop and a fiber fair.  I think my love of fiber is rubbing off on her.  She didn't even know what roving was before she got involved in the fiber farm.  Now she can't get enough alpaca, spinning, or Knitting.... LOL (psst ... Just so you know she texted Mom and said she got me a surprise... )
    
UPDATE:  For the record Mom called our wonderful Vet first thing this morning and he said we did everything right and even told us how long to keep it up.  Then he admitted that he has never even seen a shetland lamb in real life before ... LOL ... Yup that is my Vet honest as the day is long.  You got to love him.  As for Pansy she is acting like nothing happened at all....

    So Today I thought it was going to be a normal day.  We got a visit from Ms. Temped herself and she came to see all the animals.  She bought her daughter which was pretty cool.  They played tith everyone but I think their favorites were Pansy and Petuna the two little shetland lambs.  After they left Dad and I rode then things went crazy ... 
    When we checked Pansy before the ride she was in her playpen and fine.  When we got back and went to doing chores she had laydown and start curling their head straight back, couldn’t stand, and didn’t respond to Mom's voice. Mom snatched her up and took her straight to the house.  We thought maybe she got to warm so we got her inside under the A/C. We gave her a shot of saline solution under her skin thinking she got dehydrated and when we gave the shot she started coming around. After that she slowly came back to her old self. She took her bottle (with electrolytes in it just to be safe). She is now up and around acting just fine and has even urinated. Mom made us give her an antibiotic just incase she had some infection going on that would make her do that and some prodiotics incase her stomach was the issue.  Then We gave her a shot of thiamine to see if B1 was to blame for the behavior.  Right now she is acting just fine but Mom is now scared to take her eyes off of her. For a long time after it happened Mom made me keep her moving. I don’t know why but She was afaid to let her laydown for fear she may not do very well.   
    As the hours pass the lamb seems to be back to her self again

I have no Idea what is going on with my Blog.  I tried to Blog last night and it was all messed up and now it is acting up but I can make it work.  I will try to get a longer post in about everything that has been going on later today ... Sorry about this I have a

So we have been hard at work here on the farm.  We are still working to get the new fence in.  We have all the T-Posts up and half the fence run and we even have the gates to put in.  All we have left to do is put up the other half of the woven wire.  
    After that we do have a plan.  First the Men are going to have a go at the pasture.  Until the girls give birth it will be a man spot.  After that the Phinny and Chief will be pulled off and put in the goat shed.  Then it will be the Ewe's turn at the pasture and the Weithers will stay with the ewes.  We will only be penning the flocks during the winter months to keep them safe and when they are birthing.  That will keep everything from being over grazed and the worms under control too.  
    Mom and I took time out of our day to shear the hurt Ewe.  Her name is Peonie and she is the Mother to Pistol.  We didn't get her neck very well but she did let us get her body and that will let her keep cool this summer.  She was very matted and the fleece was terrible.  It had vm so bad that the shears wouldn't even go through it in spots.  I do think that she feels better though.  
    As for today ... I worked on school work most of the day.  I am trying to get done so that I can have a bit of a break for summer.  Then Mom will get my 9th grade books and I will be back at it.  I wonder how long a break I will get.  Mom said it will depend on when I get my work done for this year and if I get at least an 80 in everything. 
    Oh and Mom wanted to see if anyone had any ideas for names for the three new Cotswold ewes.  I say we should wait for the papers to get here but she thinks they need names now so that she can have something to call them.  Post any ideas you have in comments and then we can vote ....