my farm days

Shepherding – pure bliss.
Watching them move place to place, foraging and interacting with each other – makes the heart sing.

best friends
Donatello and Grace

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sheep, goats, fiber and love

In January 2020, we had to re-home our flock – unplanned events – they have a new human partner and are living the good life in Navajo Nation.

In the mean time – we share our shepherd journey with you…

Illustration by Surey Camacho

‘love the animals first, and the craft second’

…….in the process, they gift us with fiber for felting, weaving and sculpture and the pleasure of their smiles and the joy of their peace. Yes, they really do smile!

The animals — I was blessed with horses for many years.  They taught me much about life and how people learn.  They were my mentors and soul mates.

During a time of witnessing my horses transition to rainbow bridge, sheep and goats came into our life.  Twenty-two to be exact. Navajo Churro Sheep, Angora Goats and Nubian/Boer Goats. Some I purchased and some just found their way to us.

Nubian/Boer goats – Waffles, Romeo, Nancy, Lulu, Prince and Ruby
Lol, our very own ‘earth movers’, ‘bush hogs’ extraordinaire! They eat the most out of all of all of them — lol — and grow bigger and bigger and bigger. They are the ruffians of the bunch. Bossy and territorial.

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Angora Goats — Fluffy, Grace, Izzy, Promise, Snow, Doc and Wyatt.
Fluffy – A Navajo Angora Goat – I saw advertised online and fell instantly in love.
He was raised by horse people – he arrived in a huge horse trailer all by himself – it was funny to see this little guy step off that trailer.  My heart skipped a beat – he glowed pretty and had long flowing white mohair – like he just came back from the hair salon…:)

Fluffy was 7 when he arrives and the original style of Angora goat from Turkey – he lacks face, belly and leg fiber. He’s rambunctious and has quite the personality.

His previous humans bought him as a sickly kid from a local auction when he was a baby – their daughter was young then and said — “Daddy – we have to buy him”.  He ended up being the dad’s favorite goat.  When the daughter grew out of having time for him – Fluffy found his way to me.  No one else wanted him because he had horns and he gets a little frisky at times, so you have to be careful not to get in the way of those swinging horns.  He’s amazing – he is a comedian — he gifted us with long and wavy mohair once a year and a charming presence.

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Grace and her baby Izzy

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Snow and Promise

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Navajo Churro sheep
Donatello, Bragi, Odin, Tulip, Bella