Yep, that's what they say. And each sheep has a different voice whilst saying that same word. I can tell from afar, which of my sheep is BAAAAAA-ing.
When first looking for sheep, I had my heart set on black face sheep and went on a mad hunt for them in our area, farm country.
At first, I was shown Jacob sheep, How weird, I thought, what's with all those horns?!!
some of them had 3 sets of horns! OUCH.
NO NO NO.
We can't take THAT home!
( Photo courtesy of Pinterest)
And we didn't..
Instead, we brought home a
Lincoln-Finn
2 Suffolk
and 2 Shropshire
They were all baby lambs when we bought them.
Ten years later, I am down to only 3 sheep.
Sheep are rather dimwitted, so there is not the problem of "escape artists", as in the goat world.
Sheep are gentle, sweet and always hungry.
My sheep and the Allium.
My sheep and the Allium.
You would never let them stroll the cottage gardens, the Allium would be eaten in 2 seconds. But they produce fat and fluffy, piles and piles of wool,
and look very serene grazing in the meadow.
And they never eat the daffodils!
Another drawing for the garden book, only 2 more to draw.
Today I am working on the Donkeys.
What are you working on today?
What are you working on today?
It's funny, when we first set out "sheep shopping" Jacobs were on our maybe list :-) But the Suffolk Sammy won out and he was the escape artist at our farm!!! Our Goats were always homebodies!!! We miss our sheep sigh!We loved them dearly :-)
ReplyDeleteNow if I were younger I think I would be after these black faced Swiss sheep that are CUTE beyond real!!! Have you seen these???? They are soooooo CUTE!!!
How DELIGHTFUL are your Lady Sheep and their likeness drawings!!
(and again I can't wait to see the finished works)!!
Sending warmth and love, LinnieLou
Linnie, I would not be so averse to Jacob sheep at this point, but at the time, my mind was set! No, haven't heard of Black face Swiss, but I will look it up. If I had it to do over again, I would raise Babydolls...they are amazing, look like toys and don't grow into giants...like mine did.
DeleteThose Jacob sheep are really fierce looking----wouldn't want to run into one in a dark alley. Yours on the other hand do look serene chomping away in the field. Interesting that they don't eat the daffodils----neither do deer----there must be something in them that either tastes bad or is poisonous. I've noticed that the deer deftly avoid all poisonous plants and am thinking about an "all poison" garden in the coming years since the deer herds are getting bigger and bigger here in town every year with the city doing nothing about any type of control.
ReplyDeleteI have read that sheep are really dimwitted and that's why they are so in need of a competent shepherd to take care of them. The wool that they produce though might be well worth the work of keeping a close eye on them.
Vic, they do require some guidance due to those teeny brains. But their sense of hearing makes up for it. I cannot quietly slip out the door, and walk on tiptoes, without a sheep raising it's head and come bounding across the meadow and racing up to the barn in the hopes of receiving a carrot or a treat from me.
DeleteI'm on my 6th full day of "tidying up" my house using Marie Kondo's book Spark Joy as my guide. I'm finding things stored away I'd forgotten about and am creating "Joy" all over my house! My neighbor has a dozen sheep or so--so lovely to see across the lane when they come to that part of their property. I can hear them sometimes in the distance baaing. I eager to see your finished book! I start my watercolor class this Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteCathy, good idea to turn a cleaning job into a treasure hunt! I am often surprised at what I find when I do my yearly studio "Clean up".
DeleteRaking leaves! Neverending. Would much rather be doing what you are, but alas, not rest for the wicked. Love your drawings and sheep. Always wanted some, but never had them.
ReplyDeleteDonna, I enjoy the sheep until it's time to shear, what a job! I honestly wish i had purchase a small breed, my sheep are just huge.
DeleteSuch sweet ladies to not bother the daffodils, Jeri. Lovely to see sweet Sophia in your drawing. My husband is in the middle of taking down a wall between our dining room and kitchen, so I've been playing nervous Nellie and all around gopher. ♥
ReplyDeleteMartha, oooh, sounds like a major renovation! We did that many years ago and turned the area into a keeping room, it is so much nicer and roomier.
DeleteMy online blogging friend Kathy, from Spot on Cedar Pond blog, has Jacob sheep, which she gathers wool from, which she spins, dyes and creates with.
ReplyDeleteYour latest book is going to be another sweet one about your wonderful critters.
I've been working on another beaded cameo piece. This one is square and will be framed.
Thanks for always inspiring me ~ FlowerLady
Lorraine, the Jacobs are actually kinda cute once you get over all the horns! But I am glad I got my black face sheep, they are pretty sweet.
DeleteSuffolks are such lovely sheep, they remind me of children's baa-lamb toys. I have to say I also have a real fondness for Jacobs but Moorits are lovely too. Lovely pictures Jerri, it is so nice to drop in with you and see how the land and animals are getting on. xxx
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, I looked up the Moorits, gorgeous color. I've never seen them hereabouts. I LOVE your Hare, he is just magnificent!
Deleteteeehehhee
ReplyDeleteteeheeeeee
I am chuckling here because YES, sheep are dimwitted for sure! I am laughing however at the BIBLICAL analogy of humans being SHEEP who desperately need a shepherd. OH YEAH, the human race CAN BE indeed, dimwitted. teeeheheheheheeeee
But your beauties are gentle for sure. DANG, I had NO idea you could get a sheep with four horns! GOOD GRACIOUS, can't have that!
Your ideas are developing into yet another barnyard escapade of pure genius dearest Jeri. LOVE IT!
Anita, I'm afraid you are correct about the sheepy tendencies of humans, Too baaaaaad!
DeleteHonestly, a few of the Jacobs I looked at had 6 horns on their noggins.... I found it rather frightening, although I've never seen a sheep attack a human, they just like to butt each other.
When I started the garden book, I didn't know I would be putting all of my animals into the artwork.. but that's how things have turned out, quite happily, I think.
your drawings are so charming Jeri!
ReplyDeletedrawings of your family friends.
Tammy, I guess I could call them family portraits, couldn't I?!
DeleteHi Jeri, I just discovered your site last night and stayed up way to late looking around.lol While I enjoyed your drawings very much, I especially enjoyed your gardens. I'm making some new gardens myself this spring and as we seem to have much the same tastes you have given me lots of inspiration. Your gardens are beautiful:)
ReplyDeleteHi Mickey! I have a lot of garden videos on you tube you may like as well, if you are a country gardener like me. The drawings are for a garden book I am putting together, with garden projects, easy to grow garden plans and lessons for, what i call ",Amateur, dedicated gardeners", like me. The drawings are simply introductions to each chapter, but there will also be photographs as well. Thanks so much for visiting!
ReplyDeleteDear Jeri - I know sheep are a bit dimwitted but who can resist their sweet faces. You have captured them so well too. Can't wait to see them in colors. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteDebbie, Poor dears, but sometimes ignorance is bliss and they haven't a clue that even the chickens are smarter than they are.
ReplyDeleteJeri, I live on an old hillside farm (an antique center chimney cape) in the Lakes Region of NH...So yes I'm a country gardener. I also used to raise Saanen dairy goats and at one time I kept a small flock of sheep. The only livestock I keep now is a small flock of Icelandic chickens.
ReplyDeleteI have been gardening since I was about 23 years old, I'm 65 now, so I guess I'm no longer an amateur. And judging by the looks of your beautiful gardens I wouldn't call you one either :) When do you expect your garden book to come out?
Your property and house sound marvelous. Ours is an old gal too and I'm not far behind you age-wise. I've been gardening for about 25 years, but I never seem to quite master it, therefore, I am doing the book for those who want a pretty cottage garden, without all the fuss and bother, by planting native plants and easy to grow flowers, but it is also about the art and about my version of landscaping with stone, wattle and imagination. The garden book won't be finished for at least another year. I still have to paint the 23 illustrations, though I'm nearly finished with drawing them all. That also gives me all season to experiment with some new ideas and take photos of the gardens. I was just outside today re-designing my Potager for the 6th year in a row!
DeleteOh dear Jeri. How I smiled when I read this, because I know several gardeners who have graduated from the Master Gardener program and they feel exactly as you do. They are never quite satisfied. There's always a better location for this garden or that one, always a better design, always new and better plants to try. This little sweetie doesn't seem happy here so let me just try putting her over there. And so it goes year after year. lol We can't help it, we just have to have our hands in the beautiful rich soil and smelling its delicious sweetness. And truly, no matter how long we've been gardening we still will have our failures. For me it's Bell peppers. Now I can grow so many hot peppers that I can't even give them away, but never do I get a single Bell pepper. I'd like to think that maybe it's because I'm too far north, but alas I couldn't grow them when I lived in the southern part of the state either. I had to face it, I'm a failure at growing Bell peppers. I'm also wondering how on earth you manage to have any gardens at all with so many birdies tramping thru them? Apparently my gang is not as well behaved as yours because they will decimate whole rows of veggies in a single afternoon. So that and the heavy predator load we have around here means my little group of bandits have to be incarcerated most of the time. Ah well, I need to end this before it turns into a novel. LOL Have a good day in the garden. They're forecasting a bit of freezing rain for us tomorrow.
DeleteMickey
Mickey, Foxgloves are one of my favorite flowers, but I kill them every year no matter how I vary the growing conditions. I may just give up this year! I look for substitutes, with similar attributes; Last year I put in Obedience plants and they did great, and had the tall spiky look and tubular flowers as the foxglove. Same with Lavender, I planted catmint to replace the dead Lavender plants that hate our humidity.
DeleteAbout my birds in the garden, they are terribly naughty,but I have clever barriers that I've devised to keep them from digging craters around my plants and destroying the gardens. It is only the chickens that I need to worry about, The waterfowl and peacocks are not much of a problem.
Foxgloves are my favorite flower too! You do know that they are biennials right? I also have lots of the smaller yellow wild variety. I find them to be reliably perennial. The clump just gets bigger every year. Also, I don't know where you put them, but they really don't like to have very wet feet, especially in winter.
DeleteMickey, Believe me, I have planted the Foxgloves in several different soils, and locations and after they bloom and die down to the soil, I leave them alone....but they never return.I've not heard of the small yellow variety, maybe that's the ticket! We have clay soil, which I amend, eliminating sitting water. I I love plants that spread and spread, those considered invasive are some of my favorites, as I just transplant them to another garden.
DeleteDear Jeri,
ReplyDeleteNow those are some BIG horns! I can't even imagine what they would look like if there were six...
I love your dear sheep... And your illustrations always make me smile.. Personalty plus, that is for sure. You have 23 thus far? Wow! I am looking forward to seeing them in color, although I must say I do love the pencil.
That balloon that drifted over the house... It appears ever few months... Quite the sight..
Have a great day
fondly,
Penny
Penny, I've done 12 of the drawings since January, but I already had finished 11 of them before I started making the fiber animals last year. The Jacobs I saw did have 3 sets of horns... it was pretty shocking because I wanted sweet faced little lambs, and was totally ignorant of this breed.
DeleteMiss having sheep. I used to raise horned Dorsets and I too thought about raising Jacobs. I loved spinning their fleece.
ReplyDeleteDorsets are nice, I bet the yarn was wonderful. I'm a lousy spinner, i just use my wool for felting.
DeleteDear Jeri, I'm typing this on Monday evening, to make sure that I don't forget to let you know how much I enjoyed this post. Your drawing is superb. And I thank you for sharing lots of info with me (and the rest of your loyal visitors) about the beautiful animals that are inspiring your upcoming garden book.
ReplyDeleteJacob sheep are truly beautiful. So far, in my city life interspersed with NYC zoo visits and some wonderful visits to the UK countryside, I've had such limited access to these splendid examples of nature.
Hoping that the coming years will allow me to expand my face to face contacts with such wonders. Meanwhile, I thank you for helping me to connect.
xo
Frances, Your retirement will enable you to visit all sorts of wonderful places whose countrysides are filled with four-legged lovelies! Maybe sometime you will come to East Tennessee and visit us in Hopalong Hollow. Not as exciting as a visit to the UK, but a little bit closer.
DeleteThank you, Jeri. Yes, there are many travel possibilities on the horizon. Thank you for your encouragement! xo
DeleteYour sheep are darling and I am sure your garden book will be too. I am writing a garden book too and looking for a publisher for it. My new project this month is I am a volunteer at an assisted living place.
ReplyDeleteGreat, that you are doing a garden book, there are NEVER too many Gardening Books. My husband and I have been self-publishing for 10 years with my storybooks. It isn't for everyone, but you may want to look into it.
DeleteI'm really wonder how different your sheeps are. Each of them has own character and name. There is Wonderful realization of wonderful idea.
ReplyDeleteChloe, Yes, all my sheep are a different breed, the prettiest face belongs to Beatrix, the Shropshire. They do have their own personalities, for sure!
DeleteJERI LANDERS!!!!!! I see your reply here and I am cracking up! THE JACOB SHEEP HAVE SIX HORNS? Lord above.....
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, we humans are REALLY in need of help, no? However, the beauty of being human is the capacity to yield to the higher power, the muse within, and create. And that you do so well, and for those of us who are still trying to find our voices, it is a joy to simply PLAY. Don't cha think we all need to PLAY MORE?
I love how your drawings are BECOMING something you did not expect. That's how poetry AND photography go as well. It's as if there is a spirit that simple asks us to be ready, equipped, then ready again to yield. I love it. And yes my friend, I am blogging again, but only once a month or so; my duties as a French teacher are VAST and I barely have time to eek out a poem or a good photo, but I feel that now, I know what my visual art will be: photography. So, we'll see! Thank you for visiting Castles!
Anita, I am loving your new photographs, they are as professional and beautiful as anything I have seen out there.
DeleteYeah, it really is interesting when plans go slightly astray and the end result becomes better than the original thought; so it is going with this garden book...it just keeps growing and growing,like a garden!
Hello! Your drawings are amazing-you always inspire me....
ReplyDeleteDebra, thank you, we artists can inspire each other.
DeleteIt is so refreshing to come to this place of serenity(I know it isn't like that as had several animals to care) with all of the political stuff going on. We have a "dirty" race for our state's attorney that is being played out on facebook. I just hug my 12 year pup and grab my husband's hand and look at my birdies trying to find enough to eat in this snow. All is right in my world when I see and do all of those things. Thanks for allowing us to come into your domain and enjoy some quiet time while we read your posts.
ReplyDeleteJudi, thank you so much, I am encouraged by your words. The political atmosphere at this point is so stress-full and almost beyond belief. So much uncertainty in a world that seems beyond our control. I'm a strong believer in finding one's own little niche of happiness and peace, whether it be through gardening, art, our animals, our family; whatever it takes. Art is a refuge from the madness, so I am very happy to spread any little bit of joy I can in sharing it with any one who's interested.
ReplyDelete