The new year is upon us and I suppose it's obligatory to reflect a bit. I guess I can't very well argue with the popular media that we should be grateful to say good-bye to 2009, but I can't help to take a more local view of right here at Drumcliffe Farm, raise a glass to our good fortune, and feel a bit of optimism. And maybe that positive local view is the very perspective that will make things better for all of us. We increased the size of our flock, opened some new pasture, achieved recognition for our Jacobs at the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival, sold some fleece, improved our wool processing technique, and have a waiting list for lamb meat when we butcher in February. I wouldn't necessarily say that our business is turning a profit, but I can say that our business model seems to be a success.

The holiday season is coming to a close with only a few more bowl games to go and things are returning to a natural rhythm here on the farm, at least as much as any farm can attain a "rhythm". There always seems to be a surprise waiting around the corner. The other morning I awoke to a sheep bleating that didn't seem to be the normal "Get your butt out here and feed us" bleat. I investigated to find Ingrid caught in the brambles of a blackberry patch. She wasn't caught too badly and only needed a little encouragement from me to try a bit harder. She easily freed herself with only a few locks of fleece left behind.

Sheep are great at proving that I know nothing about sheep. It's common that when you introduce new sheep into the flock, they tend to keep to themselves until they get comfortable in identifying the matriarch and the general pecking order. When I introduced our four newest ewes into the flock the other day I noticed that one of our girls (Bide A Wee April) was hanging pretty close by. It wasn't until I was entering the pedigrees of our new sheep into the database that I noticed that April and one of our new sheep (Bide A Wee June) were full sisters - from the same set of triplets. We had bought them from two different farms and they had been separated for about one and one-half years, but it seems that they may have recognized each other. You'd think their names may have given me a hint. But I guess I prefer the sheep to tell me themselves, rather than figure it out from studying a data base.. Happy New Year to All!!