Not all who wander are lost.....though sometimes they are...

I have a GPS. I know that I depend on it way to much and it is more than capable of making me drive more miles than necessary or even get lost. Feeling pretty confident, in spite of that, with my printed out Mapquest maps and my GPS I set out from Brook and Lois', heading to Enterprise.


The GPS and the printed directions appear to agree (at least at the beginning) and I head into the Wallowa Mountains. Not a whole lot of people on the road, more motorcyclists than cars. LOTS of Black Angus cattle standing alongside of and even in the road. This makes me extremely grateful that I am not driving at night.


It is a very beautiful drive, winding thru the trees and at one point I arrive at a turn. My GPS says turn Left on this road (which didn't seem right as it took me off the main road) and said to drive 3.8 miles then turn right on Coooover Dall Rd otherwise known as Coverdale). The GPS has a funny way of pronouncing some names and I laughed at the "Coooover Dall" pronunciation as I continued down the road . As I approached the "turn" I looked to the right only to see a basically straight up gravel road (actually more like a trail) road with a warning sign about getting on it. OK, I know I'm not going that way. I turn around and the GPS kicks in again "Recalculating......turn left on FS108" well, that isn't going to work either as their is not even a path into the woods at that location.

I decide that my best option is to get back on the main road and it is also at this point that I realize my Mapquest map even though it doesn't match my GPS at that location, it is also wrong. It is right about now that I think, geez, I wish I had remembered to put maps in my truck. I never used to go anywhere with out a 1/2 dozen maps in my vehicle. Live and learn.....I'm hoping I make it to Brianas before dark.....


I continue following the main road and the GPS starts making sense again. I start to enjoy the scenery once more. Saw a doe and her twin fawns, good sized and still had their spots. Another doe was eating alongside the road and didn't get the least bit concerned that I stopped to snap her picture. Amazing since there was a drooling Belgian Tervuren with her head hanging out the window looking at her like she was a walking meatloaf.

I arrive at Brianas just before dark. Her mother, Sharon, joined her in greeting me at their drive and after some jockeying around I got the trailer in a good spot for the night. We gave Duncan, Ilse and Flora some water and hay, and then I got to meet some of their Icelandic horses. Two of them had foals at their sides and talk about cute! I spotted a spotted donkey in one of their upper pastures and had to go meet him, as well as more of their horses. I then got to meet some of Brianas flock. This one little black iset ewe came running up to get a scritch, her name was Claire, I met Ellen, my gulmoget ewe lamb, also very friendly and then I also scritched a pretty little horned Moorit ewe named Aurora. Briana was surprised as Aurora didn't typically come up to strangers....



From there we went in their beautiful home, with lots of elegant cats romping and playing around the rooms. There were Siamese and Somalis as well as regular 'ol Domestic Short Hairs. It was a lot of fun to watch them racing around and wrestling. I met Brianas Dad, Rick, who had some exceptional photography displayed around the house. We chatted for awhile before I heading off to bed.



The room that I stayed in had a little canary in it. Understandably the bedroom door had to be kept shut as their was more than one cat that would like to spend a little "quality time" with that canary! I awoke to the sun streaming in the window and was feeling anxious to head home.



We sat and drank some tasty french pressed coffee and discussed many topics and as much as I hated to leave the great conversation I dragged Briana out to look at the sheep again. I wanted to get on the road before it got too hot for the sheep in the trailer.



Briana introduced me to all the available sheep and some of her favorites. It was a difficult decision, once again, but in the end it was the three that came up to me first that ended up going home with me.

Aurora

Ellen


Claire

Before I got on 82 for the head home I stopped to fill up with gas and pick up some junk food for Kylie and I. As expected, the attendant filling the truck said "you have sheep in that trailer?" now I used to be nice and just say yes, but that gets boring after awhile......so I responded "What! there's sheep in my trailer!! Someone must have stuck them in there when I wasn't looking!" He actually looked startled, so I continued "All I should have back there are some rare, miniature woolly cattle a guy sold me in Baker City". OK, now he caught on and allowed me a chuckle.

Loaded up with teriyaki beef jerky, cheese puffs, Sweet and Spicy Hawaiian chips, coke and water we hit the road. Made pretty good time, only stopping one other time in Yakima for gas and a potty stop for Kylie.

Pulled in my drive around 4:30Pm and backed the trailer down to the barn. I have to say there were some happy sheep getting out of that trailer. Normally I have to encourage whatever it is I am hauling to come out.....not this load of Shetlands, they scrambled out as fast as I got the door open. Whew! Home at last.....until the next sheep road trip in two weeks......

Confessions of a Sheep-a-holic

Let me introduce you to the lovely girl that started it all.....yes Michelle is very nice, but I'm speaking of Bella, the beautiful. :) This is the girl that made me question my undying devotion to the Jacob breed of sheep. Don't get me wrong, I still love the Jacobs, but I seem to have found room to love the Shetlands as well. And SO much variety of colors....it makes you want one of each, which is hard to do when you only have 5 acres of land!

After settling Bella in with the new and old Jacobs, I made the mistake of e-mailing Michelle to let her know how well Bella had settled in and how much I was enjoying her. I receive an e-mail from Michelle and I quote "And just in case I can tempt you, attached is a photo of my one remaining ewe lamb. Bevin may stay dark but could turn fawn (a silvery taupe) like her mom, who is my friendliest ewe with the champion fleece that I bought from Lois". Ok, now she knows I lust after friendly sheep....and what a beautiful color!! What's one more Shetland? Besides, Bella needs company of her "own kind". And so, I commit to Shetland #2.
Ok, two Shetlands, added to my Jacob flock that's not TOO bad is it? Exactly six days later I receive another e-mail.....and I quote "Is there any chance you would consider adding a ewe to your August sheep-buying trip? I just heard of a flock dispersal, and I happen to know that the flock contains some polled genetics that I might be very interested in. However, I can't add any new ewes to my flock, I would have to make room by selling some. I have Bella's dam, WSR Rechel, who is also a grey with crimpier wool and very friendly; she is my "supermom" and always twins. Let me know if you might be interested in her." How can I possibly let such a wonderful, helpful person down.....and she does have crimpier wool AND is very friendly.....not to mention a "supermom".....this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!! Introducing Shetland # 3 (standing next to her daughter Bella)
Three Shetland sheep, and they know each other.....I am a GOOD person.....they will be SO happy.... did I mention the first real Shetland that I fell in love with was a Gulmoget? Three days after I commit to Rechel, Bellas mother, I get another e-mail from Michelle (do you all see how evil she really is?) it is entitled "Your Gulmoget!" and she sends me a link for a to die for gulmoget lamb face AND she tells me how nice Briana is as well as her sheep AND she lives in OR. A phone call, a few e-mails and sweet little Ellen is spoken for....... cute, huh?



Briana tells me how special and sweet this little girl is and even sends me a pic of Ellen in her lap....
Now I'm thinking to myself....you're definitely getting yourself a nice sized little flock of Shetlands......but no ram......not to worry.....I receive another e-mail from Michelle telling me, and I quote...." I really think you should buy Duncan from Lois. That way you would have your katmoget AND your proven ram in one great package. Here's her blog post with a photo (look for Duncan): http://stonehavenfarm.com/blog/?p=180 He's even brown-based, which would be nice given what you already have, and that black gulmoget ewe lamb you're going to get. :-)"

Yes, I do keep every e-mail I receive from Michelle.....in case I have to defend myself in court on an insanity charge......

A lovely phone call with Lois, followed by some great e-mails (in which I also find out she has a Border Collie named Finn just like me! What a coincidence! It's a sign.....right?) and I have now commited to an awesome ram, Duncan. Who happens to be a katmoget....another "must have".
Now I'm sure this will be all the Shetlands I will get......at least for now.....I'm still getting e-mails of available ewes.....who knows there may be a color that would compliment the rest of my Shetlands.....until next time....here's some pics of the handsome ram, Duncan....