I'm Back !!~

FINALLY, we are mostly at the farm and I now have internet access here. It has been a rough couple of months without it in the house and having to run around getting school work done and such.
The barn is in it's final stages and I have most of the animals here. We are working now on getting the fence hot so I can bring the rest home this weekend.
The weather has been cooperating wonderfully, Thank you God !
Jordon finished his AIT and is now home. But in May he will be going to California for advanced training. Rumor has it he may go to Afghanistan after that. We will see.
Happy Holidays !

New News

Hi All,
Getting ready for Lamafest at MSU in Lansing this weekend. That is always a fun time and somewhere to be if you have a love for llamas and vendors !!
Indiana State Fair went well, introduced my new boys and they did pretty well.
It has been sad times around here lately. We had a premie llama that lived six days before we lost him. Ted, the Angora goat had to be put down and another goat died all within two days. I shall miss my Teddy terribly but he is now in a better place.
The building is going up well at the farm and we still hope to be over there before winter.
Nothing to do this weekend................come on up to Lamafest !!!

Take care all.......................

She has arrived!!

Finally, I have been waiting oh so patiently, haha, for the birth of my baby mini-donkey and she arrived today.

Not as I had planned it with my waiting expectantly by Mama's side to assist, oh no, it was on the day that Jordon shipped out and I am two hours away, go figure.

But all went well and as I had a call from a neighbor saying a llama had escaped, I called my friend Rita, who by the way works midnights (so she only had about two hours sleep) and she was on baby watch for me) to go and see if she could catch my llama.

As she entered the driveway Lady had just had her baby. Lady is the proud mama of a jennet. I have named her Reetzcee after my friend Rita who watched over her until I got home.

Enjoy the pics.

Where we have been..........

I have been lax in getting new pics posted for Ryan's Way and the activities we have been doing. We are really making a dent in the house as to moving to the farm. We have also decided on a building and pasture location for All of my critters, hehe. That was a task !

As for the pictures posted above: Jordon at his open house the day before commencements, the scene with paintings and fiber is when I demonstrated rug making at the River Art Gallery in Chelsea in June and the picture of the little girl and donkey is when I went into my mom's retirement complex for a petting zoo.

As you can see Persee and Emma are the best of friends !

Take care all, I am off to the Lenawee County Fair tonight.

Bunnies, Bunnies, Bunnies

Angora bunnies have become a passion for me. The colors ! and the care and the harvesting of fiber is SO much simpler than my bigger animals. Plus they are so cute and inquisitive and cuddly !!

I have just added chocolate, black and lynx to my colors. Welcome, Nestle(chocolate doe not pictured), Coco Puff (chocolate buck), Sable (black doe) and Snufflefflegous (lynx buck), they are welcome additions to my angora crew.

July Update

Well folks time is just slipping away from me and here it is the middle of summer. I was so hoping to get much more done than I already have. We have been moving things to the farm, mostly pictures and nick knacks, which itself could probably take all summer.

Second cutting hay should be down hopefully this week. One more cutting and then I am putting pasture fencing up. My goal is to definitely be in the farm by Christmas. My biggest obstacle:getting a building up to house a menagerie of animals. At this point in time I am looking into portable shelters and such to make it this first year.

Some companies have some very cool poly huts that have improved immensely since calf huts first came out. I have found a few that will be great for the goats and sheep and donkeys. Now I am working on the llama shelter ideas.

I will be dyeing more Mohair this next week. I am all sold out of what I had. Hopefully I will have some very funky colors as those seem to sell the best. I have a few Shetland sheep pelts left and one Angora buckling and his mom for sale (pictured above).

The weather is mild today and I am loving that !!!!

Finally An Update

Top pic-(STAMF Rock On's Ace in the Hole), MIddle-(STAMF Rock On's Early Bird Special), Bottom pic (BAL Silver Socks)

WE have been so busy here I have neglected my blog. Jordon graduated and was supposed to "ship" June 16. So we went through the process of taking him to Jackson and meeting him in lansing and having the family "good-bye" dinner and going to MEPS the next morning with him.................to have to turn around and take him home as they had the wrong ship date. He will now be shipping August 13.

I have been trying to catch up on my shearing and have almost all of the goats done. Only three sheep to go and all of the llamas.

I have attended two fiber festivals in June. One in Franklin, Indiana and the other in Marshall, Michigan. Both were great fun.

I have added to my Angora Bunny collection. I now have four does and two bucks. Colors range from broken torte, to blue, to copper agouti, to silver. Hopefully our first litter will be coming in July.

I have also added to my llama herd. Thank you to Vicki Moses in Georgia for giving me the opportunity to own such fine animals. Look for these boys in the showring this summer and fall.

Must run now ...........Look for me on the 27th at the River Art Gallery in Chelsea. I will be demonstrating my rug making.

Take care all..........................

Jonesville River Festival

Just a note to all:

Last minute decision, I will be a vendor at the Jonesville River Festival next weekend, May 16 &17. I will also have animals on display.

If you are in the neighborhood come join us. I will be set up on Maumee St.

Take care

RWAY April's Fool aka Joker

What a beauty he is !! I am sure Joker will rock the show ring this next year starting at Lamafest at MSU this fall. You can sure see his daddy in him (LUA Bravado's Bring It On).

We now have 15 lambs. Very nice lambs I might add. The fair will be a busy one this year that is for sure.

Have started Davenport University and find the first class very challenging. Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology, hhhmmmm. More than a mouth full that is for sure.

Pics of the lambs to come.

New Beginnings

(This is a pic of the rugs that I make with fiber from my critters)

The last couple of weeks have been a blur for me and so much had happened !!

I have 13 lambs, the majority of whicxh are ewes, yyaaaa. The last set to be born are very nice and I will be keeping both of them. they are red with white markings on their heads.

With state funding being what it is and my job depending on state funding, it has become a little scary for me. So I have enrolled in Davenport University for medical coding. I can get my Associates in Applied Science in two years. So that will be my back-up.

I need to start shearing my Angora goats and bunnies. The weather has hit the 70's, it is green !!!

Time to Catch Up

Hi All,

It has been a busy and stressfull last couple of weeks that I would rather never want to repeat. Between the Senior trip to Myrtle Beach, my Tree Sale at work and my mother-in-law passing away................Need I say more.

I did finally get my new sheep home and the two new rams that I am going to keep are truly impressive. I added four new ewes, two who are due next week so it is an exciting time to be adding new bloodlines and new colors.

I am up to 11 lambs so far and have three more ewes to go. All have twinned, even my first time moms, except for one.

All of the puppies have been sold, yaaaaaa!!! Happy times! We did keep the littlest female who is the spitting image of her father since this is our last litter. Lexee has given us 18 puppies, she has done her time and now she needs to enjoy life.

We will be moving to Adrian in the next year to the farm. Don has given me a six acre field for all of my critters so that is three times what I have now, happy times !!

Jordon's graduation party is coming soon and I need to get busy planning. the youngest graduating............I will be having empty nest syndrome...........hhhmmmmm..............more sheep?

Green is here...................

New Ram

I think that spring has arrived in spite of the fact that we had snow on the ground yesterday. We are preparing to go on the senior trip, Jordon and I. We will be heading to Myrtle Beach and I am hoping for half way decent weather.

Upon returning I will be getting more Shetland Sheep. One of the new ram's, Daniel is pictured above. I cannot wait to cross him on some of my ewes !

Saturday I was a vendor at the Black Swamp Markets Day in Bowling Green, Ohio. It was a nice time and we did pretty well for it being our first year.

Lambing for me should be starting next week and I am looking forward to all of the cute, bouncy little bodies in my pastures.

Take care all

Happenings on the Farm

(Kalvin at one of our PR events)

We are through our first wave of shearing and I have processed some very cool roving. We will be at the Black Swamp Market Day in Bowling Green this Saturday the 28th.

I have brought home my jennies and they are way cool. Lady is due in August so it will be very cool having a baby mini-donkey this summer.

We are down to five puppies, four boys and one girl. They are growing like weeds and maturing into very nice dogs.

Lambing should start after first week in April. I have six bred Shetland ewes and look forward to this years crop after seeing what my ram Robbie can throw crossed with my girls.

Next week is the senior trip and we will be in Myrtle beach for five days. I hope the weather is good for us.

Spring is here !!!

Critters

Bella, Clarice and Ted

Lexee and puppies

Herbie, Ditto and Jack

Here are some pics of the many critters here, What a nice sunny day and I was having fun snapping shots.

PS: the scooter will be shipped next week !!

Ryan's Way Update

Gizzmo is King of the Hill

Hello All,

Been trying to get some shearing done and vaccinations. Off to a good start, now if the flooding would just stop I could move everyone into their summer pastures. I have never seen water this high in the 13 years I have been here.

The puppies are getting very big and romping around. they have just had their second shots and worming and have pretty much gotten over their ringworm. Their hair is growing back in and they are starting to look normal. Now they just have to go to new homes, :-)

I have the senior trip coming up and hopefully we will have good weather in Myrtle Beach. Then it is on to graduation and Jordon's party. And in between of all of that will be lambing and kidding. I am looking forward to the crop I will see this year.

Robbie, my main ram threw some very nice babies last year and even though they were born dark all of them are turning silver underneath. I was going to retire him as he can be a handful, but with his UK bloodlines and his silver fleece,hhhmmmm, I guess I can put up with him another couple of years.

Then I have Ben, my second Shetland ram who has a primitive fleece and I will be breeding with him come next fall. That will be an exciting cross.

Don got me a "Billy Goat Gruff" pen that fits in the back of my truck for transporting a few goats, sheep, dogs ect.. It is very cool and will get put to good use that is for sure.

I want to see green....................................

Take care all

Spring is Coming !!

(the two new girls I am getting......Persee and Painted Lady)

I know spring is coming and I want the grass to be green again. I want little warm breezes blowing softly through the newly blossomed leaves, hahaha Who am I kidding................It is not here yet.

I did hand shear an ewe yesterday as she was beginning to roo and looked more like a poodle with her center wool missing. I have another to try and do tonight and it is vaccination season, so it could be a long weekend.

The mini-donkeys had their first tying lesson yesterday. Herbie, Jack and Ditto were not impressed by their "captivity" but a flake of hay made them a little happier. Ditto is the wild and crazy one and it seems that he has spring fever by the way he is acting. I think that he will make a wonderful cart donkey as he is so energetic and fancy stepping.

Melody Sue (llama) is due end of this month beginning of next. I am starting to check her udder just in case. She was not impressed with the invasion of privacy last night.

Knight's and Bing (male llamas) are starting to scream at each other over the fence lines. Gotta love that testosterone. I am down to eight llamas and would like to move two more to get to where I want.

My youngest son graduates this year and is in the Army Reserves. He will be gone again all this summer and he is talking about getting an apartment when he gets back. So I am taking a hard look at the number of animals I have and the time and energy that I have to take care of them without Jordon. At last count I have: 8 llamas, 3 mini-donkeys (with 2 more coming), 5 bunnies, 11 Angora goats (2 are leaving), 2 Nupine goats, 3 Romney sheep, 11 Shetland sheep, 3 dogs, 8 puppies (whom are all leaving someday), 1 bird, 4 inside cats and 9 barn cats. Chores do take a bit of time 2x a day. Oh ya, forgot Don's 2 heifers that are at the house until he finds a spot for them back at the farm.

I have been accepted into LongRidge Writers Group. So I am hoping to sharpen my writing skills and bring to life all of my tales from "down on the farm" haha with all of my special creatures.

Take care all............................

Attack of the Puppies !!

The puppies are now seven weeks old and growing like weeds. they would just not settle down last night and we had playtime for 3 1/2 hours !! I was ready to hit the couch after that

I have a couple coming this weekend for a girl so we will see.

Bella (my second dairy goat) came home the other day and I think that her and Clarice will be best of friends. Clarice is still going through "mommy" withdrawals and mugs me as soon as I enter the trailer where they are for right now. I will get pics soon of those two.

I introduced Teddy to them as the three of them will be housed together. Even though he is three times bigger than them he hid behind me, wussy boy.

The picture above is the puppies during playtime and chasing Wuver.

My Newest Toy !!

I must be going through a mid life crisis or maybe spending so much money filling my truck is getting the best of me.

I am getting a 150 cc Scooter, pictured above !! I will be taking my motorcycle safety class in April so then I will be legal.

We still have eight puppies to go to new homes !! I have two people coming this weekend so hopefully they will leave with new friends. I do have someone in Conneticut who wants one but we are stuck when it comes to shipping. The airlines have no direct flights-they want to fly the puppy to Texas before going to the east coast, nonono. The ground shipping company is over 3 hours from me and I thought well that isnt too bad but then they want to meet a 2am. I don't think so. I guess we will see.

My Angora goat does are going to a new home this weekend.

I will have my second dairy goat as of tonight. Clarice will be going outside with her sister, I am sure she will not be liking that. But I got a new seatshirt for her to go under her bling bling coat. I will have to get a picture.

Spring is coming ................... just repeat after me..................haha

Winter Blah

This picture is of Clarice in her diaper at work this past week!!!! She was such a good girl.

I have not blogged in awhile as I have been sick again. This time the flu and bronchitis laid me flat on my back for almost a week.

Clarice is now jumping up on furniture and can jump a three foot gate from a standstill. Time to be going outside soon I fear. I did take her out in her little coat the other day when it was nice and she was such a wussy girl, tip toeing around.

With the weather warming up somewhat I feel the need to begin shearing...........

Ryan's Way Update

(Jordon and Clarice taking a nap)

Hello All:

The puppies have been started on food as they are four weeks old. Which is a very good thing as Lexee has mastitis on her one back teat. It is pretty bad and is going to blow, we are trying to keep her from getting gangrene at this point in time. So the puppies may have to be taken off of her.

Clarice is in diapers now and tools around the house as if she owns the place. She is trying to jump up on furniture now and if I am sitting in the floor she runs and jumps in my lap and then wants to be cuddled and lays her head on my shoulder. She is not spoiled, haha.

Our first puppy has been sold and is going to Muskgeon, Michigan. His name is now Bruno.

Take care all..............

Clarice

Hi All,

I am having way too much fun with this new baby goat and of course she is spoiled rotten!! She lives in the house at this point in time until she gets bigger and the weather breaks. She runs through the house like she owns it and romps with the dogs. Her biggest thing now is that everything she comes in contact with goes in her mouth, hehe, just like a "kid", haha. She lays on the couch with me and LOVES to cuddle. My Boxer, Lexee who had puppies three weeks ago has adopted her and lets her nurse. They take naps together and Lexee washes her face after I give a bottle to her.

Of course I am near divorce court as Don never figured a goat would be living in the house. It has taken nearly a week before he would talk to me and even now it is only when I force it. I guess he will get over it sometime, haha.

Enjoy the pics !!

Clarice

We have a new addition to the family as of last Friday. She is a baby goat, Nubian. Her mom had four babies !!! Mom belongs to a good friend of mine. Clarice was the runt and injured her back leg so I took her in and am bottle feeding her.

She was 5 pounds when I brought her home and now she is almost 7 pounds. I took her to the vet and her leg is in a splint. Clarice is a house goat for now and has the run of the house when I am home. She loves to romp around and will follow you anywhere. Her favorite time is at night when I lay on the couch and watch tv, she will want up and curls up next to me and goes to sleep.

When she gets bigger and stronger and the weather breaks she will become Ted's companion.

Puppies !!

Our Boxer puppies are get fat and sassy !! I am sorry to say we lost a little girl that was born 18 hours after the last puppy delivered.

The brindles are boys and the fawn pictured are the girls. We also have four more fawn boys.

I cannot believe that they are almost three weeks old already.

We are going through a heat wave right now. It is actually 30 degrees out !!

Woohoo

More Snow

We are getting more snow and the temps are supposed to bottom out in the next day or so. I guess winter really is here.

I was out watering the other day and Ted was following me around the yard as usual. He has to taste every bucket I draw from the pump. Maybe his way of seeing if it will fit the patability of his fellow goats, I don't know. But I was carrying a bucket to the far pasture and I heard a very strong cry.

There was Ted, as I turned to see what was up, stuck in a snow drift and looking at me like it was all my fault. It probably did not help matters that Gizzmo was standing right in front of him jumping around and barking.

So I had to go back and pull Ted free. In which case he stalked off and would not come to me that night. What a brat!!

The Big Snow

Hi All,

We are currently having a great snowstorm. Not that it is great as I am trudgin through the deep snow throwing hay and watering all of the animals, but great in the amount of snow. We have 8-10 inches right now and it is still coming down.

Ted seems to enjoy it as he follows me around and hops, skips and jumps through the drifts. Gizzmo is the true snow dog and revels in scooting his snow through to see what new scents can be found.

Jordon is at an Army training at Fort Custer for the weekend and it is an outside training,bbbrrrrrrrr.

Lexee's 10th puppy went to heaven last night. She was fighting for her life until the very end, but sometimes these things are just for the better due to the chance of unseen complications. She was not alone as I had her wrapped in a shawl and was holding her until it happened. May she be in peace now. On the other hand, the other nine are fat and sassy and at night they all sing together their little howling song. It is very musical, haha.

Must start washing more fleece and getting ready for my first fiber event in March. So I think I will spend the day doing that. I also purchased a Navajo spindle and look forward to trying that.

May you have peace and hope in the new year.

The New Year ! 2009

Hi All,

Well here it is 2009 and what a start we have had here !

Lexee had her puppies on January5 and delivered 9, but then we had a surprise delivery almost 24 hours later with a 10th puppy !! So we have ten little Boxers that all seem to be doing well.

The Holidays went well and were way too short but then again they always are.

Already looking forward to spring and the new crop of lambs and goats we will be having.