2nd Round of the Year

Most, if not all, of our ewes lamb in the late winter/early spring time.  We try to have a handful of them lamb in the fall, in order for some of our lambs to go to earlier fairs and possibly some jackpots.  Well, last year we just didn't get it done, because about the time you are supposed to implant we were kind of busy!

So this year, we did.  We implanted 5 ewes and 4 of them got pregnant.  That's an 80% success rate wich is really high.  Your lucky if you get a 50-55% success rate.  

We attended a beautiful wedding on the Central Coast this weekend and got home this evening.  As we pulled in the driveway, I just said to Chris that we needed to start watching for lambs.  We went straight out to feed and sure enough, I was spot on.  :)  He won't admit it though.

First babies out of our new buck we bought at the end of last season.

Can't wait to see what they look like at a couple months old!

Checkin' things off!

So I haven't done a check off post in a while off of my list.

13.  Go to Saddlebag
I did this this past summer.  Met my sister & her family and my parents up there for the night.

40.  Send flowers to a friend
I did this on July 2nd for my BFF's birthday.  Speaking of...I got to see her this past Sunday for the first time in several months.  We live about 300 miles apart, so we don't see each other very often, but when we do, it's always a good time!!  

48.  Sell my car
We ended up trading it in for our new vehicle

51.  Go camping
This was also a part of my summer overnight trip with my family.  I don't know if it really counts because I just showed up.  Everything else was taken care of...or maybe that's the way to do it?

54.  Buy a new (to us) vehicle
Did that, here.

66.  Reach 100 Blog posts
Did this last week as well

90  Put up bookshelves in the office.
The office is still a work in progress, but my dad stopped in a few months ago on his way home from my sister's place in AZ and spent the night.  The next morning he helped me put all the bookshelves together that I had bought like 10 months ago.  :)  Thanks again, dad!

Not too shabby.  I don't always realize that I'm doing things that I'm able to knock off my list.  Like I forgot that putting the bookshelves together was on the list.  It's always a nice surprise to be able to cross off more things than I thought.  I'm the kind of person that loves to make lists, and I will add things to the list that I have already done, just so I can cross it off.  Weird? Yeah, maybe, but it makes me feel more productive on that day!

New Car!

A couple weeks ago, we finally made the plunge and bought a new (to us) car.  I have been driving around a 2008 Hyundai Eantra since I bought it new in August of 2008.  It worked great to finish out my college years and our first year or so of marriage.  However, with a car that small it makes it virtually impossible to go to Costco and get dog food in the same trip.  Since we live 20 miles from any good store, it's not a trip that we can just make easily without burning a good amount of fuel.  So the less trips I have to make the better.  

I needed a vehicle that would allow me to hit Costco and other stores in the same trip and not have to go back several days in a row just to get everything we needed.  

So, anyways, we have been looking for an SUV for about 6 months or so now, and finally found one that we like and that was in our price range.  We had to do a little haggling, but we finally got them to where we wanted it and drove home with it the next day.

A 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe.  It is a year older that my car but had 12,000 less miles.  It has some great storage area in the back and has plenty of leg room, even with a car seat in the back.

I love it, and it has been so nice to drive it lately!  Just another thing crossed of my 101 in 1001 list!

Grapes, Harvest and lamb in the freezer

Ok, so it's been almost a month since my last post. So what.  However, it's got to be good luck or something that I decided to come back today because, I hit 7,000 page views today AND this is my 100th post.  It was meant to be :)

Anyways, we have been crazy busy here lately.  Harvest has started, and is almost completed now.  We (and by 'we', I really mean Chris) got all 50 acres picked.  No, HE didn't pick all 50, he'd only be on like the 2nd row by now after 2 weeks. There were large crews of workers that came in and knocked out 50 acres in less than a week.  

Sheep practice is in full swing, for 6 weeks now.  I think.  We are up to twice a week practices and they seem to be responding a little better to that.  They all have the potential to do well.  When they don't work towards their full potential it's a whole other story.  It can be so frustrating when you work with them week after week and they still don't give a rat's @$$ about anything you're teaching them.  I almost told a student last week to just go put her sheep back in its pen because she was wasting our time.  What, you mean laying across your sheep (literally) isn't appropriate behavior in the show ring??  I just don't understand.

I have better pictures on my camera, but I am sitting on the couch and my camera is on the other couch, and the cord is in the office.  I would have to put out too much effort to just download some pictures onto my computer, so iphone pics it is.

Only have one bunch left in the fridge.  Might need to go scrounging in the field for bunches that were missed. Love them!

This was 2 weeks ago, tomorrow, that they started.  They now look like raisins, and they have all been rolled up and will be boxed next week.

We had 2 lambs butchered 2 weeks ago.  After I didn't close the freezer all the way, and spoiled a bunch of meat, it will be nice to have lamb again.

Sheep practice.  Most try, some not so much.  What ya gonna do?

And of course, Caylob still hangs out with me 3-4 days a week. Last week he helped me do some of the laundry.

We are heading up north this weekend.  My cousin is getting married tomorrow, and I am so excited to be there for him!!  And of course, my sister, brother in-law and nephews will be there too!!  

I'll be back on monday with a new post.  Promise.