Yo, Girls!

So…how do you say the word E-W-E?

“You”  Right?

Well, the old-time, local shepherds say “YO”…and the fact that I say “you” betrays me every time.  They can instantly tell that I haven’t always raised sheep and that I "ain't from around here”. (I know, one of them told me)  But, when I try to remember to say “YO” I end up with something like "you-yo" or at best "y-yo".  Since that sounds really stupid, I just let them know I’m not a long-time, native shepherd.

taking care of triplets

Blondie, on the other hand, has been a shepherdess since she was just a sprout.  But, she pronounces it “you”, too.  (I guess I corrupted her in her youth)  When she met her first lamb, she was hooked. she won!  I think at that point she thought she’d always have sheep.

caring for a newborn

some of the show babies

She took over the feeding duties, she raised bottle lambs, and she learned to shear.  Then, she discovered the show ring.  She competed, she learned, she practiced…

I have approximately 10,000 pictures like this (lol)

She won! (a number of times)

But, things change…

When Blondie met T-bone, she was nearing the end of her lamb-show career.  They got a couple of sheep after they got married and had their own place, but it wasn’t quite the same.  After careful consideration, they decided to sell the ewes and lambs and get out of shepherding all together.    They’re too busy with other stuff.  Check this out.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Country-Rhodes-Produce-and-Amandas-FamousGranola-Bars/100105200066781

Since we were in the market for a few replacements, I decided to buy the ewes and get a little new blood around here.  (the lambs are from our ram, so I really didn’t want them) Blondie brought the whole crew over here, and then the Boss helped her drop the lambs at the stockyard.  (where they brought a pretty penny, I might add)

So…here are the new girls.

The breeders all get names…and I was thinking of something that would go together.  I wanted to name them Thelma and Louise.  That would be amusing.  Then, I decided that naming them for “outlaw women” might not be a good idea.  They might become “outlaw sheep” and Mbrook doesn’t need any more animals giving the place character and atmosphere!  Neither do I, for that matter.

NO! It's not my goat...and don't even suggest that it is!

(there are already a few outlaw goats that show up in odd and random places)

After thinking about sheep names for far too long…I came up with Madge and Yolanda.  Like how I did that?  …a ewe (don’t forget to pronounce it YO) named YO-landa.  Clever, huh? 

Meet Madge and Yolanda

Now that I’m done cracking myself up…it’s time to note that the new girls are beginning to fit in with the rest of the flock.

can't pick 'em out

fittin' in

...and I have a couple more reasons to look forward to next year’s lamb chop crop.

Thanks, Blondie!