How We Spent our Summer Vacation

Since the early 1980's the third weekend in June has been the date of the Black Sheep Gathering, held at the Lane county Fairgrounds in Eugene Oregon - mecca for colored sheep and goat breeders, knitters, spinners, crocheters - just about anything to do with fibers. John has gone the past two years by himself, but I wanted to go along this year - It is always fun to see the other "sheep people" ...

AND to go thru the vendor show where you can find just about any color of wool or other fibers that you've ever wanted! I want you to know that I was very good and kept my pocket book under lock & key this year - I still have fiber from two years ago that I haven't processed!




So, does this look familiar - does this look like a man who is shopping. Yup, this is GIZMO - some people buy trinkets on their summer vacation - we buy sheep - John has his breeding program all figured out - we're changing from moorits to "pastels" - somehow, it makes me think we should dye all these little guys pretty colors with Koolaid - wouldn't that stop traffic on the corner?



BUT, before we went home we drove out to the coast and visited our friend Kathy H. and her partner Mike - they are refurbishing a 100 year old house in Gardner, Oregon - it is not much to look at now, but it's going to be great when they get it done - and check out the view from the front porch...







Way to go Kathy & Mike - we can hardly wait to see it next summer. :-)





When we left Eugene on Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. it was nearly 90 degrees out. This is 7 hours later - does he look like he wants out of that crate? Let me tell you, that was one darn long trip, and we had air conditioning in the cab - none for the sheepies in the back of the truck though.





Introducing GIZMO - a new buddy for Cimarron and a new breeding program for Marietta Shetlands - Only time will tell, but I think he is particularly handsome, don't you?