Shepherds' Ledge Life

Last Months in NH

2010-03-28T09:28:00.005-04:00

We're still here in NH, but we've found our new home in Colorado and are counting down the days till we journey West. It should be an interesting trip. :-}
In the meantime, we're enjoying our pond to the fullest. Hope everyone is enjoying warmer weather and all the sticks that were under the snow!!!

The Upstairs Club

2010-01-10T13:43:00.003-05:00

Happy Day, Mags!

2010-01-09T11:56:00.004-05:00

Blog Award Fun

2009-12-21T14:18:00.009-05:00

Our beautiful Queen Emma Rose and her royal clan gave us this.

Not sure what it is, are you?

No, but it's lovely.
Might work for fetching or chewing. It might even skim on the pond.
Thank you so much, Emma Rose.

I think we should give it to some of our deserving Blogger friends

so they can play with it too.

If they don't accept awards, we hope they will just accept this message as a big compliment and expression of appreciation of a blog we get great enjoyment from.

We present this award to:

Our good friends at CK Farm, where Kerri shares information and the fun of farming chickens and goats (and GSDs) CK Farm Happenings

Our pals, Daphne and Pruett at GSD Adventures, who are as different as night and day, and who share their lives in a way that never ceases to amuse us.

And Wolf, the moderator of GSD Files, where beautiful photos and stories of GSDs are shared.

Thank you for the award, Emma Rose, and we'll be thinking of you today as we know it is Queen Emma Rose Day around the world.

You've come a long way, Baby!

The Pash Turns TWO!

2009-12-18T08:56:00.005-05:00

We just celebrated Pashi's second birthday!

It seems like only yesterday that Patchwork's Passion came to us as a pup.

and what a fun pup she was!

But there's no denying she's a young lady now.
She takes her fake-duck patrol job seriously
and finally dares to challenge the King.

Happy Birthday, Miss Pash!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

2009-12-11T09:46:00.001-05:00

Happy happy happy. Snow is our favorite thing in the world.

Happy Fall!

2009-10-30T20:24:00.008-04:00

The dogs are enjoying the lovely Fall weather,

Suzie is in a great mood and shows Pup Pup how to somersault.

Everyone got a little worried when Suz went for a swim on her own.

We were all so happy when she rejoined the pack!

We're appreciating our last Fall here... sure is pretty!

Colorado Kara!

2009-10-09T13:00:00.010-04:00

Our Sister, Kara visited us in NH!

She was soooo much fun!

She really knows what dogs need.

Like kisses,

and hugs.

We even took turns sleeping in bed with her :-)

We miss her already,

but know we'll be seeing her much more

when we move to Colorado!!!

YIPPEEE!

Goats and Sheep Need New Home

2009-10-01T12:03:00.014-04:00

Unfortunately, we can't drive across the country with our sheep and goats :-(

So they are available.

We're looking for a good pet home

for the goats

and hopefully someone who will appreciate the sheep for their fine fiber and/or the lambs they can produce.

This has been a close little herd of four sheep and we'd like to place them together if possible.

Mini Pru is the mother of our other Shetland

(Mini-Mini Pru) and is the leader of the herd.

The other two are Navajo Churros, and are 1.5 years old (same age as Mini-Mini Pru).

They are from fine stock and would produce beautiful lambs.

If you are interested in more info please look at the following URL and contact me.

http://www.shepherdsledge.com/sheep.html

These goats and sheep are all up to date on shots and worming.
We will be careful not to leave any of our farmyard friends in homes where they will be eaten or sent off to slaughter.

Jump!

2009-09-26T13:45:00.006-04:00

Visitors at Shepherds' Ledge

2009-09-04T14:53:00.024-04:00

Guess who is here

vacationing at Shepherds' Ledge!

Yep! It's the relaxed D-Bear Daphne,

and her Go Go Go bro, Pruett!

Daphne is happy sniffing the grass, heck...

she's mostly just a happy girl, no matter what.

We were thrilled at how all the girls got along.

After just a little negotiation about pack order,

Daphne and Pruett very quickly,

became part of our pack!

Pru is a working boy, all the way.

Much to be done here, with balls to be carried,

plastic ducks to be gathered,

and water to be captured.

Luckily, there is a Czechy partner here,

not that Pru needs any help!

Nah...Pru had that water quite under control.

Of course that didn't mean he could relax because...

he also learned that girls can be a lot of fun.

What a ladies' man that Pru turned out to be!

His sis was very good about sharing him

because that's the kind of sweet, goofy, wonderful pup she is!

They might be as different as night and day,

but each so cool in their own way.

What fun we had! Thanks for visiting!

We're Moving!

2009-08-27T23:53:00.001-04:00

To COLORADO!!!!

Eeeeeee Haaaaaaa!

Bring on the cows!!!

Mountains? What's that?

Happy Birthday Daphne!

2009-08-18T14:09:00.008-04:00

How exciting to see you and your brothers Cooper and Argus,
and your Sis, Diamonte, on your birthday at GSD Adventures!

Here's your lovely Mom Anna in this collage, too!

(the pup pics in the collage are all Daphne, but who would know? :-)
Can you find Anna? :-)

Like your bro, you were a little bear cub the last time we saw you :-)

You could certainly hold your own,

and you won the hearts of the guys, little

and big.

(you might have to click on that one to even see you in the snowbank!)

The girls loved you too...

You were so much fun, and so sweet at the same time.

Happy Birthday D-Bear.

We can't wait to see you in a couple weeks!

Our Turn!

2009-08-12T22:36:00.005-04:00

Who says only those young GSDs are agile?

Anything they can do, we can do better.

Okay, so what exactly is it

that you want us to do? Something like

this? Piece of cake!

OH! Not just my head? My whole body through?

Look, Hero! I can

do it!!!! We're agility dogs now!!!

What do you mean you can't jump? You can tunnel, can't you?
THAT COUNTS!!!

Oh yeah, we're agility dogs now!

Agility Play

2009-08-12T16:51:00.008-04:00

On Sunday, we messed around with the jumps.

It was the first time for Pashi and Itta because
they're both over a year and 1/2 now so they can jump!

Pash thought maybe she was supposed to swing on her belly,

but boy was she proud when she made it through!

Suzie wanted to show off...she's done some agility before.

She even practiced by herself while Larry was giving instructions to the newbies.

Soon everyone followed.

They took turns and

just look at that pride on those faces!
(Hero can't jump, but he likes to watch)

Next, Suzie demonstrated the double jump

while the others watched with interest.

Itta's first jump....could she do it?

Hey, this jump is way too low!!

Typical Itty.

Suzie went off on her own and proudly demonstrated

the triple jump

for her friends.

Then she went back to the tire,

and everyone followed again.

This is called jumping a tire with a GSD under it.

Good doggies!

Next time we'll do our tunnel, so Hero can show off too.

Happy B-Day Pruett!

2009-08-10T10:37:00.013-04:00

You are such a handsome young man on your Birthday.

It's hard to believe almost 8 months have gone by

since we saw you last.

You were just a bear cub then.

A real bear cub, it seemed,

because you sure loved to tumble around,

and chase everyone.

Which is fine, of course,

because that's how we play too!

Plus will never get out of hand

with Hero watching.

He got a kick out of you last time....

he thought you had ChArAcTeR!

It's going to be so much fun

to play with you again in a few weeks!

We can't wait till you and your Sis

come to rumble.

SEE YOU SOON!

Little Miracles

2009-08-09T10:20:00.016-04:00

We explore a lot at the Ledge

and the dogs keep an eye out

for change

which happens all the time.

The flowers are transformed constantly

and creatures come and go.

There are always new lessons

about things like reflection,

resilience, adaptation

harmony, cooperation,

and the wonder of the unique and different.

Or it could just be a mushroom mutated from acid rain,

and a fern that got stuck under a growing mushroom.

But why miss the miracles?

The dogs don't....except

maybe this one, who makes us revisit

the Acid Rain Hypothesis.

;-) ;-) ;-)

The Stuffy Puppy

2009-08-09T09:24:00.005-04:00

The terriers around here put up with a lot from the young GSDS

so Jessie's favorite toy

is a GSD that she's ALLOWED to beat up!

Her Stuffy Puppy is always getting thrown around

and munched. But sometimes,

the GSDs even want her Stuffy Puppy!

They have their OWN toys

But when they see

how much fun Jess has with stuffy puppy

they get the idea

that a GSD puppy, belongs

of course, with GSDs.

It only makes sense,

RIGHT?

Yep. The Stuffy Puppy is fun alright,

but the GSDs kindof thought

Jess would want it back

which would be much more fun.

But Miss Jess has moved on.

For now.

Dragonfly Chase

2009-08-05T18:43:00.005-04:00

Not to be left out of this birthday attention,

Itta celebrates too.

Does her tongue remind you of anyone's?

They're like Venus Flycatchers.

The Wild Pup Pup is ONE!

2009-08-05T00:33:00.008-04:00

Today is Pup Pup's birthday.

Happy Birthday Pup Pup!

You've changed alot this last year!

Or maybe not so much...

(click on slideshow title, and then slideshow, if you want to watch it full size)

The King, The King, The King

2009-08-04T12:03:00.005-04:00

Emma Rose, thank you so much for saying Hero should be King :-) He has some serious physical problems that make him hurt sometimes, even at age 3. But he IS King here at the Ledge, and will be for as long as he lives.

This slideshow is about our King. If you click where it says POND PLAY, it will take you to the album where you can watch it as a fullsized slideshow if you like. Thanks again for saying nice things. It means alot coming from one who is so familiar with the ways of royalty.

Hero's Thought for the Day

2009-07-22T01:33:00.003-04:00

A Thought from Pup Pup

2009-07-21T20:13:00.001-04:00

The Lower Pond

2009-07-21T08:40:00.020-04:00

The dogs were thrilled to go to the lower pond!

We rarely play there

because it's down a big hill

and involves bushwacking through prickerbushes

(which the dogs think is a blast).

It's like a different world down there,

with dead trees all over the place

that make geese like these invisible to the dogs.
(Click on the photo to make it bigger if you can't see them either :-)

The dogs are mesmerized by all the colorful floating things.

Jumpy walks around in the water,

and as Pup Pup walks,

she samples the menu.

BLEK!

Pash mostly cares for her ball on the shore,

while Hoppy, as always, hunts frogs.

This time, toward the end of our visit to the lower pond,

he even got lucky!

Just a Thought

2009-07-17T09:29:00.007-04:00

What's Up?

2009-07-15T16:47:00.008-04:00

When the dogs went out this afternoon,

something caught Suzie's attention right away.

She started looking...

and quickly honed in

on this tree.

It only took a minute to convince Hero

that something was up there.

Something cool!

I figured it was a squirrel.

The rest of the gang

soon followed.

But nothing happened

so something had to be done.

Suzie stepped away for a minute

to get a different perspective on the problem.

Jumpy stood watch

as Suz studied the situation.

She got an idea

and put it into action!

Sure enough!

Someone came out of the tree

and flew away overhead.

No Wings on these Guests!

2009-07-13T11:44:00.014-04:00

The big dogs get bored

with the tadpoles and frogs, so

it thrills them when they find this guy!

You probably can't tell his size in photos,

but he is between 3.5 and 4 feet long!

He has fake teeth painted on his face...real big!

His head is real tiny,

compared to his fat body!

He is fast, though,

especially when he slides into the water.

This guy can really swim!

The dogs don't have a chance....

but he leaves a GREAT musky smell behind for them,

and babies to find under stones all around the lake!

What more could a dog ask?

The Pool is Open!

2009-07-13T11:22:00.014-04:00

The vernal pool is filled with guests enjoying the sun and water.

The dogs make the guests feel welcome

by chasing them around.

They seek out the new visitors who are shy,

like this guy who hides underwater at first.

Can you see him?

When the dogs come close, though...

he moves to the "frogs only" area of the pool.

Froggie may not want to play with the dogs,

but he knows they can't get him.

Here's another guest holding very still underwater

where Jumpy doesn't even notice.

While the terriers look for frog visitors,

the big dogs think another kind of guest is much more fun!

They can't wait

to show them to you in the next post!

Tribute to Isis

2009-07-10T08:58:00.008-04:00

Once again Wolf has been kind enough to post a few of our pictures on the GSDFiles blog in that aesthetically pleasing way he has. Seeing our beloved Isis on the web again two years after her death is still heartbreaking. Thank you, Wolf, for your tribute, and for helping us remember the good times she brought us. You inspired us and gave us strength to post a tribute of our own.

Isis was Hero's half sister, and she raised him from a pup in her rough way and he loved her more than anything. He still loves the toughest girls best :-/

Sometimes I think we tried to find Isis again, and again, and again, without the fear and aggression, as we collected our pack. We didn't, of course. We found Suzie and Pashi and Itta and Pup Pup.... a whole pack to make Hero happy and for us to love. A very wonderful pack of dogs, and no one is fear aggressive.

But there will NEVER be another Isis. :-(

Despite the wonderful days with wonderful dogs that we have now, I don't know if we'll ever stop missing the incredible sensitivity and energy that was our girl Isis.

Isis (2004-2007)

Jessie's Shoot

2009-07-01T19:37:00.004-04:00

Wolf suggested that the Pixies look like they're doing a Playboy shoot :-) Well, if that's the case, then Jessie is all set for Hustler ;-)

The Pixies on Love

2009-06-30T10:39:00.002-04:00

Hurray for the Dog Whiner!

2009-06-28T15:27:00.012-04:00

We had a special guest today....the Dog Whiner!

That Whiner sure has a way with dogs.

There's not a dog he can't handle.

What a man!!!

The Rest Up Close

2009-06-27T21:01:00.009-04:00

I am Jessie. Some call me the "warpig"

but I am truly a lover.

This is the best place I've lived. I hope I won't ever have to leave.

I am Hoppy. I am a great hunter, and a lover of the ladies.

I would die for my people.

I am Hero.

This is my pack.

I make sure all is well.

OUR POND IS BACK!

2009-06-27T09:14:00.010-04:00

We went out for our usual walk yesterday, and we were happy to have a sunny day after lots of rainy ones.

We headed towards the pond even though it's been empty, just to see if there's any more stinky things to roll in, or if we can play red ball even without water. You won't believe what we found there!

That's right! Our pond returned! We played red ball, and fake ducks, and got nice and wet :-)

Ahhh.....life is good.

Close Up

2009-06-25T00:03:00.012-04:00

I am Jumpy. I am as tough as any Shepherd.
I sleep under the covers.

I am Pashi.
I guard the house at night.

I smile alot.
I am Itta. Some call me "the Sniper."
This is my own ball.

I am the fastest dog here, so no one can take it.

I get to sleep in the big bed sometimes.
I snuggle real close.

I am Suzie. I jump real high and act silly.

I am also the alpha girl and love raw chickens.

I am Tango. I am a man-dog.
Hoppy kisses up to make sure I don't eat him.

I love people and all the girls here.

I am Pup Pup.
I am the youngest and biggest one here.
I try hard not to get in trouble,
but lately people get mad when I jump up.

Hero, Jessie, and Hoppy will get close up soon
See you then!

The Backup Pond

2009-06-19T10:31:00.016-04:00

So, when our swimming pond dried up, they gave us THIS!!!

Like this puny pool would keep us happy. Right.

So we sneak off into the woods,

to our special BACKUP pond.

Our people think it's creepy,

with the strange colors the sun makes

in the places it can get past the trees,

and the leaves that cover the ground, and the bottom of the pond.

But we think it is way cool here,

and you can't find a better place in the world for STICKS,

(one of the best things in life).

They are all over down here!

We love our hidden vernal pool

and the muck we bring back home with us.

Being hosed off later is well worth it

because even though this shaded vernal pool lasts longer than the one in the pasture,

it too, will dry and and disappear before too long.

So we enjoy it while we can!
Oh yeah!

Amazing GSD Blog!

2009-06-16T12:03:00.004-04:00

We just found the GSD FILES!!!!

Highly recommended....go see, and submit things so we can all see and read them.
Thanks for doing this, Wolf! :-)

Rainy Day Play

2009-06-15T23:27:00.027-04:00

It rained today so we played inside

and we had a lot of fun.

The Trouble with Vernal Pools

2009-06-14T15:54:00.025-04:00

This is our pond only a few weeks ago,

with our fake ducks floating in it.

It's our favorite place in the world to play.

It was central to our routine on most days...

the place we went first when we were outside,

and the place where we hung around the longest to swim and drink and mess around.

But we noticed a few weeks ago that our water was getting more shallow

and eventually we could only find a small place to splash.

Now it is totally empty!!!

WHO PULLED THE PLUG??? We do find nice stinky things in the drying mud, but there is no more swimming.

So now we know - our pond is not a pond at all,

but a vernal pool.
That means it's a pond that fills with melted snow or rainfall and makes you think you have a pond until sometime in the early summer when it dries up until the fall.

Since it can't support fish, it's a great place for tadpoles and frogs to breed without being eaten by fish.

Important part of the ecosystem, our butt! We miss our swimming pond!

GSD Loves - Water and Goats

2009-06-11T17:05:00.010-04:00

Pashi lives for water.....

And this one we couldn't resist showing you here after all the talk about goats and dogs.... this is our Gypsy's breeder's dog and goat. So cute. :-) No feastie talk on this one, please. The baby brings out our maternal/paternal pangs so anyone who wants to eat her will be eaten by us.

Gentle Beasts? Some of us...sometimes.... :-}

2009-06-11T10:13:00.014-04:00

A kind friend named Emma Rose recently said something about us at Shepherds' Ledge being gentle.

Well.....that's a hard one because we are, after all, beasts :-)

We're always making sure everyone knows who is at what level in our pack

and who fits in who else's mouth. You know, important stuff like that.But for a large gang of beasts, real big to real small

prey, and predators,and some that can be serious and get pretty intense at times, like GSDs and pitty mixes and GOATS, we'd have to say in the gentle department we're doing okay :-)

Shepherds' Ledge Lamb rules

2009-06-10T13:45:00.007-04:00

The rules here are a bit confusing, but we're getting the idea.

YES EAT LAMB:

comes in can
human opens it for you
smells better inside than outside
doesn't move or make noise so not so attractive until opened
Eat in bowl

NO EAT LAMB:

Comes in large squeak toy
Have to open by yourself (NOT ALLOWED! BIG TROUBLE!)
Smells great on outside too (Yum)
Moves and makes noise and, darn, oh so attractive!
Eats out of bowl

We're getting it quite well. And man, that stuff in the can is NOT HALF BAD!!!

Oh and one more thing:

We are told that even if they ARE in a bowl, these things will kill ya.

Time to feed the goaties and sheepies....

2009-06-08T09:15:00.002-04:00

For Feasters..... please note this is time to FEED the goaties and sheepies...not EAT them.

We are NOT RAW!!! Stanislaw!! ##$##%%##@!!!

2009-06-04T09:37:00.017-04:00

Someone recently drooled in response to my picture, and said
"Perhaps I shouldn't tell you that goat happens to be my favorite kind of feasting meat..."

Well, Jasmine and I (Bo Goat) have heard that SHEEP is much more yummy.

MUCH better!!!! Lambchops, lamb roast, Pro-Plan Shredded Blend with LAMB! The coyotes that visited apparently agreed since they ate up Fiona.

Didn't touch us goats.... (whew!) Then again, no one would dare touch Jasmine.... she throws German Shepherds in the air with those horns!

We were on our way to the slaughterhouse when we were rescued, so we figure we have a second lease on life.

We live in PEACE wit h these guys.

Then again, Hero seems to think we'd make a nice snack

so we stay in when he's out.

Hoppy says "make love, not war!"
(but he does love that Pro-Plan shredded blend with lamb :-}

You wanna eat over sometime, Stanislaw,

you are going to have to have a talk with Jasmine! :-)

Hay! Where's Our Horse?!!!???

2009-05-30T00:47:00.005-04:00

Twice a day, every day,we head out to the barn

and our mini-horse, Ritz, greets us with a whinny.

But today..... not a sound.....

WHERE IS OUR HORSE?

What do you mean he went to live with other horses so he'd be happier?

What was wrong with us? We were nice to him!

We loved that horse!

You mean we are stuck with just THESE GUYS?

You know they butt us with their horns!

Boy, this farm life can be rough :-(

Baby Huey is Turning into a GSD!

2009-05-29T23:26:00.005-04:00

As she approaches 10 months, our Baby Huey (aka A-hound, Pup Pup, and Gypsy)

outweighs our boy Hero by 8 lbs.

She shares some of his expressiveness too.

She is a little bummed out because someone pulled the plug on the pond that she loves to swim in.

She just can't figure out what happened to the water.

It was a rainy day anyway so we came inside and played and that made Gypsy happy :-)

Sweet on Suz

2009-05-24T08:14:00.009-04:00

Suzie is a riot.

You wouldn't know from watching her antics,

that she is a strong alpha here. But she is.

It's just that she's so funny.

Like here where she's helping Lar pick out treats online.

She likes the looks of them, and together they decide on their favorites.

I'm sorry, Miss Suz, you may be a tough lady that can keep all the other girls, and Tango, in line, but YOU MAKE ME LAUGH!!! :-)

What the #$%$, I got a huck!

2009-05-16T22:56:00.009-04:00

There is nothing like a Poppy. That's what Hero thinks, and Hoppy too. So we submitted a picture to the GSD Adventures' April Showers bring May Flowers Photo Contest. Hoppy was thrilled to win second prize. And then today, something came in the mail.... Watch the video to see what it was....

For all the Dog Moms!

2009-05-10T00:00:00.003-04:00

Thank Goodness for Moms! Without them where would we be?

Jessie with her pups

Itta's Mom, Sidney with Itta and her siblings

Our friend Pruett, from GSD Adventures, posted pictures of himself and his Mom, and it sounds like another friend, Cooper, might do the same soon. Since it's fun to see the Moms with their progeny, we decided to do the same as a Mother's Day tribute to the Mothers that gave us life.

Hero and his Mom, Hiawatha

Tango and his Mom, Hope

Pashi
and her Mom, Ivy Pashi Mom Ivy

Itta and her Mom, Sidney Itta Mom, Sidney

Gypsy and her Mom, Star

Hoppy and Jumpy and (maybe) their Mom, Sparky

And we have no idea who Jess's Mom is because Jess was rescued from a Kill Shelter in Georgia, with no background information. Oh well, Jess....you were a really good mother yourself, under difficult conditions, so your Mom must have been a good one to model that mothering for you. Happy Mother's Day to her wherever she is! And to you too!

And Suz, I'm sorry we have no photo of your Mom, Shelby :-( But you have taken such good care of every puppy that's come here. You will be a wonderful mother yourself, hopefully, within a few months.
So Happy Mothers Day to you too!

And Last, but not least, Happy Mother's Day to all of you Mothers out there, no matter what species you might be contributing to!

Hop and Pop

2009-05-09T23:02:00.008-04:00

Everyone is happy when Larry comes homebut Hoppy just might be the happiest because he goes from one of the pack to being a very special pal. I asked Larry today if Hoppy is his favorite. He asked me how he could not be :-)

May Flowers....No Kidding!

2009-05-09T08:34:00.014-04:00

Ahhh....... Spring! We love the snow and ice, but suddenly everything is so colorful! It feels so different and we're LOVING it!Oh Yeahhhhh..... It's so cool! Things are coming alive everywhere.We're all definitely looking forward to more of this!

Naked Sheepies

2009-04-15T09:26:00.009-04:00

Today the sheep got all fixed up for Spring. First the Vet came out and gave the girls a clean bill of health after their attack a month ago. Then he gave them vaccinations. And THEN the shearer, Jay, gave them all their first haircut and pedicure. Here's Mini Mini Pru's before picture:

The girls were so well behaved for all of this...I was amazed. Here are a few DURING pictures:
Mini Mini needed to have one of her horns trimmed because it was curving into her head as it grew: And the AFTER pictures: TA DA!!!! Mini Mini all naked, and a beautiful huge ball of soft fiber.One by one, the girls got all neat and clean.

Here's Colleen getting her "do."

Here's Cara having her trim, and pedicure.

It's funny how the unsheared sheep are flabberghasted when they see the newly shorn pal return. They have no idea who she is and run away from her, while the newly shorn gal tries desperately to get back into the middle of her flock. It's also amazing how someone who has worked with sheep for so long can manage to hold their bodies with his own, while efficiently and neatly removing their wool all in one big piece.
So now I just need to figure out what to do with these really cool gigantic balls of soft soft fiber!

Goodbye beautiful Fiona :-(

2009-04-15T08:58:00.007-04:00

So....after a terrible attack on our little flock of sheep during the last snowstorm, we are (sadly) down to four. Our dogs were in for the night and barking like crazy so I trudged out into the storm and found only two sheep in the barn, and all freaked out. Two more were out in the fenced in area- Mini Pru on her back with legs straight up and blood all over. I thought she was a goner for sure. Cara had blood all over her neck too, but was standing loyally by her leader, Mini-Pru. I dragged Mini-Pru up to the barn on a sled, with a kind neighbor. To my surprise she stood on wobbly legs when she saw her daughter, Mini Mini Pru.

Suzie and I looked and looked for Fiona, who was nowhere to be found. It was hard to see anything with the heavy snowfall, and the only tracks we found circled the barn and entered the fenced area around the barn and went back off the property over the stone wall. By morning the tracks were gone, and so was Fiona :-( Many weeks later when the snow melted, a huge area was uncovered that was filled with Fiona's beautiful dark wool. But no Fiona. People around here, and the Vet, say the most likely culprit was coyotes, who hunt in packs and are known to leave only a pile of wool behind.

Apparently they live all around here, and were probably hungry with the heavy snow and saw a pretty easy meal. The Vet said they are not as likely to return now that it is Spring and food for them is plentiful. But I'm not so sure I want to keep the sheep....our fenced area is right in the woods where I can't really see what might enter, and I don't want to see any more of them lost like that. I didn't think coyotes would bother us here with all of our dogs, but apparently they scope things out and knew the dogs go in at night.

The people who sold me my sheep sell many of them to be eaten, but I didn't have that in mind for these guys. Mini-Pru and Cara have recovered fully and are enjoying the Spring along with Colleen and Mini-Mini.

I'm not really much of a farmer, that's for sure.

Water's nice, but we love that Ice

2009-03-24T16:00:00.022-04:00

Gypsy is seven months old. This is the first time she has seen the pond turn from ice to water.

Hero shows her what you can do with it.

You can stick your head under and look for leaves and stones.
Or you can take a nice cool drink from it.

Itta and Gypsy love the ice, and are happy there is still plenty.

They hunt ice together. Gypsy knows that if she gets a good piece, Itta will want it.
Oh oh.... Itta drops hers because it is small.

What a thrill to have the biggest sheet of ice. What ever will these guys do when the ice is gone?

Tango and Pashi are not worried. They know about THE BALL.

Welcome to our Blog!

2009-03-24T13:49:00.003-04:00

We're excited to have a place where we can post about all that is going on here at Shepherds' Ledge Farm. The most exciting thing right now is that the SNOW IS MELTING!!! Our pond is coming alive again as a place to do something besides catch pieces of ice and run with them.

YIPPEE!