There will be sheep - and A1PACAS!

This weekend, the local living history museum where Bee had her birthday party will host its annual event of sheep shearing, wool washing, yarn spinning and felt making.

New this year: A display of fiber breeds! Sheep, 11amas, a1pacas.

I am so excited.

A few weeks ago, I interviewed a woman in her 30s who runs a sheep farm. She and her husband were working in high tech jobs in urban centers, but decided to get a little land and a couple sheep as a hobby. Now they live int he middle of nowhere with 400 or so sheep and they run a small farm and sell local vegetables, homemade bread and grass-fed meat to local people and restaurants.

I was all ready to sign myself up, but then I remembered that I really can't deal with all that poop. What do you do with all that animal waste? I don't think I'm really cut out for farm living. Sometimes, when the water from our tap smells a little too sulfurous, I gag the whole time I'm brushing my teeth.

I'm not the first person you'd choose to help you haul wheelbarrows full of a1paca crap to the ... where? Bonfire? Compost heap? Neighbor's yard under the cover of night? (What? That crap? It must've come from your witch-eyed horse.)

Whatever.

This weekend, I get to have fun with fiber breeds.

I will take pictures.

Comments

[Mrs Figby]

Compost. And it doesn't smell that bad, actually. And children are good for scooping duties.

As for what to do with it, people actually pay us to allow them to come and take the compost away for their gardens! Go figure.

Have fun at the shearing! We just did our shearing the other day.

[Kerry]

Seriously, sheep poop is the easiest poop. If their pen is big enough, you may not even have to give it a second thought.

[lila]

JEALOUS! You KNOW how much I love 11amas!

[Bettie Bookish]

Mrs. Figby, I saw your shearing photos, and I can't decide whether the a1pacas were cuter before or after.

Lila, don't be fooled by the rocks that I got.

[lila]

Not to sound like Cruella de Vil, but I'm wondering if they would shear a sheepDOG for us while they're at it. Thor & I think it's high time for a puppy cut.