Autumn is upon us! The leaves are slowly changing…
The girls had grown the nicest fleeces this summer — it was time to shear!
After a night in the barn to keep the dew from settling on their wool over night, we drove them up to the shearing area around 8am. It was going to be a gorgeous day, weather-wise! Nice and dry and sunny!
What’s on for today, huh?!
Look at these beautiful fleeces! Blacks, browns, all shades of white! Long and luxurious!
As much work as we have to do today, theres’ always time to cuddle a friend, Chesta!
Or share your hat with her! Snappy look, Chesta!
We’ll start out with a few white fleeces…
First blow with the shearers…Roxanne’s back unzipped…
Lots of silky white locks…
It’s IN THE BAG!
Roxanne’s daughter, Lisa, is next…nothing like fluffy white Icelandic lamb fleece! Soft and oh-so-dyeable!
Everyone’s wondering who’s next!
Nope, Shirely – your number’s not up yet – more white fleeces first…
Time for Millie…she might be the matron of the flock, but she still makes some really nice, long fleece!
Then Millie’s white lamb, Missy, followed by Missy’s moorit twin, Guadalupe.
Gotta love moorits!
Here’s Guadalupe, doing her lioness imitation…
Yes, Fatima – after a blade change on the shears, it’s your turn…
Like her mom, Millie, a wonderful, long staple length…
All finished, Fatima’s checking out the fleeces so far…
After Fatima’s black lamb, Chesta, is finished, it’s time for a lunch break…Not a bad morning’s work!
The girls who are finished are turned out in the pasture…
Here’s Shirley’s ewe, Lily, with her lioness impression…really shows how long her fleece is! She’s got orange on her lips from receiving her vitamins earlier…
Taking a break for some hoof trimming…
Bruna’s Birta having her feet trimmed, too…
And so ends the day! With hours to spare for our normal Saturday chores that still remain!
In the lower pasture, the yearlings are reintroduced to the rest of the ewes after a summer apart…there are a few scuffles as everyone reestablishes who’s boss! Lambs and ewes take a bit to recognize each other again without their fleeces!
Happy naked sheep! And don’t worry – their fleeces will grow back quickly before it gets too cold!
Morning Star Meadows Farm 
Those fleeces look lovely! And the sheep are adorable.
Thanks so much! We try hard to keep them free of vegetative matter throughout the summer. I destroy any thistle I see in a pasture! : ) We do a lot of skirting as we shear, so the fleeces are ready to go and spin from the lock in the grease! Love your website, too – didn’t know about woolen spinning! Guess that’s what I’ve been doing lately!