Post Time

Poppy got a new summer "do" and a pedicure yesterday.  This sheep-size mountain of wool is just the fleece Tim, the shearer guy, removed.  Will the real Poppy please stand up?  She nearly floated away!  It has gotten hot so fast and I was feeling such pity for poor Poppy with that heavy wool coat.  In years past, Tim has always come toward sundown and I put the girls to bed so he could shear Pop without interference.  Yesterday he came in early afternoon and I was concerned, needlessly as it turned out.  Referring to himself as "Uncle Timmy," he walked into the pen and sweet-talked Poppy into a halter and tied to a fence post in no time flat while he got his equipment ready.  The goats clustered around her, protecting one of their herd, but then all came to stand beside me to watch Uncle Timmy go to work.  I was so lucky to find Tim; he's a Grade-A shearer, fast and sure, and leaves no nicks on the sheep and no "second cuts" on the fleece.  Since it's been two years since Poppy got a haircut, I won't be using this matted wool to spin, but second cuts can ruin a fleece for spinning.

The Belmont race will run today and the aficionados in the family will gather here so we can watch together and root for California Chrome, hoping he can win the Triple Crown.  I do love NASCAR, but horse racing is the best!  We're doing potluck snacks so no one has to work hard.  I haven't told the Kids, but I just got a new ice cream maker.  Fresh milk and fresh eggs in homemade vanilla ice cream sounds awfully good to me on a hot day.  I even remembered to get ice when I was at the feed store.

Can't wait to hear, "Riders up!"  It's going to be a good day.