October 28, 2017 -- Hug a Sheep Day!

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(The next image edited by moi, to obviate any confusion about when Hug a Sheep Day may occur in othe years.....)

In 2017, October 28 dawned damp in northern Kentucky. 

We weren't thinking about Hug a Sheep day when we headed south.  We did not have the clothes we would have brought to hang around outside in chilly weather, so we wore everything we had, all at once.

Moi, tastefully garbed in 3 shirts, a fleece jacket and a windbreaker.  It's a good look, no?  No.  But the good news is I was warm enough to comfortably hang out with sheeps!

Here I am with the Cheerios and Vanilla wafers we had acquired on the 27th.  Does it look like these handsome dudes know exactly what is in those boxes?  Yes, it does.  They were not born yesterday.

Woody and Murphy (Murphy is taller), waiting for the stupid monkey to quit standing around and start handing out edibles.

There are all kinds of different sheep here.  So many totally different, totally beautiful fleeces.  This is Murphy's.  Is this gorgeous or what?  (I am not prejudiced because this happens to look rather similar to what I grow myownself.....)

I did not take that many pics on October 28.

Just as I never show you the friendly dogs in my neighborhood (because I'm petting them and my hands are busy!), my hands were busy here, too.  Petting dogs and sheep.  Handing out Cheerios.

The little spotted ones are Jacob sheep.  They have horns (sometimes more than two), and spots.  You can buy one fleece, and get two or more colors.  I love wool.....

Flock-guardian dogs live with the sheep.  They make sure any other canids in the vicinity know to keep their distance.  Four dogs live here.  Two flock guardians, one border collie (who helps move sheep from here to there, or stops the sheep from moving, at the shepherd's command), and, of course, one corgi, because ... corgi.  No pics of Kate the BC or Tillie the corgi, because they were on the people side of the fence, and I was petting them..........

This is Hank.

June, the apprentice guard dog, making sure no Cheerio (or cracker or cookie) is left behind.

Beautiful Blossom.  What a pretty face............

Blossom again, with a very nice blue wool sweater.

Lots of sheeps, of different kinds, peacefully enjoying the green green grass of Kentucky. 

We ventured into the wool house, where our host makes all the things.  She makes yarn from the wool that keeps her sheep warm in winter.  She knits and weaves.  She takes lovely pictures, and makes calendars and greeting cards.  She makes wool wreaths and needle-felted sheep.

She's prepared to teach people how to spin.  That's a bunch of drop spindles at right.

Love this sentiment and the engaging way it's described.

I took a drop spindle with me on a trip one time.  I got together with a fiber friend, and taught her to spin on the spindle.  She was hooked; I gave her the spindle.  Later she told me she was definitely my "one" for spinning.  One of life's little obligations, checked off the list.  :-)


I forgot to say my Kentucky friend paints, too.

We didn't linger nearly long enough with the sheeps and the dogs and the friendly humans.  We were six hours from home, and we wanted to do most of that driving in late October's waning daylight.



I'm so glad I realized we were actually close enough to be able to do Hug A Sheep day, and that my indulgent better half thought we should totally go do that.  Thanks to everyone, two-legged and four, who welcomed us and let us have friend/fur/wool therapy.  :-)


Happy sigh.


Heading back north toward Ohio, and Michigan.

Pretty green Kentucky countryside.

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