#AftonStrong for the Malala Fund

Some days it's the day for a blog post with more sheepy pictures...and some days it's the day for a blog post about something else.

Yesterday the world lost a strong, beautiful, courageous young woman named Afton Wallace. Her story can be found on Facebook, as well as in the Huffington Post:

aftonwallacemymissionisremission

Life Lessons I Learned from #AftonStrong

Once I learned that Afton's treatments were no longer working, I decided I wanted to do a t-shirt fundraiser through Booster by Custom Ink. Having done fundraisers for Lumos through Booster in the past, I knew they would do a tremendous job in helping me set this up. Initially I thought about having the funds go to a cancer research charity, but a dear friend of mine reminded me of how important education was to Afton - how her goal was to live long enough to graduate from high school, and she did it with honors, despite a harrowing year of pain and illness and countless chemotherapy and radiation treatments (Afton passed away two days after her commencement). Her suggestion was the Malala Fund, and after the loss of Afton yesterday, I realized that this was the perfect way to honor the memory of this lovely girl:

The Malala Fund

Both of these ladies are and were fighters - both of them cared tremendously for the value of education and hard work - I think supporting the Malala Fund's efforts to make sure every girl in the world can receive an education in Afton's memory is the perfect fit.

If you are able, I hope you will consider ordering a Blaine Fleece and Fiber t-shirt - all funds raised will go to the Malala Fund.  Ordering shirts is easy through Booster:

BFFs are #AftonStrong for Malala

Blaine Fleece and Fiber is the name I have given my fledgling fiber farm, and I've referred to it as "a fiber farm with a heart." I want that to mean something - I want to try to help the world be a better place, even if it is just one t-shirt at a time. I know that my sheep would approve, and I appreciate you reading this so very much!

**NOTE** - Unfortunately, the fundraiser was not a success - after meeting the printing minimum of 23 shirts (15 of those were purchased myself), we had only raised a little over $9.00 for the Malala Fund. I'll give this another try in the future - thanks for your understanding!

Happiness is a safe flock!

I'm sure many of you will remember this Peanuts sentiment...I have always been a big fan of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the whole gang, and tonight, during a huge thunder and lightning storm, it occurred to me - Happiness is a warm puppy AND a safe flock!

This was the first time that our sheep experienced a big storm out here, and although they didn't panic, I could tell they weren't quite sure what to do. When I went outside to check on them, Mikey and Black Velvet were huddled under a tree, which I didn't think was the best place for them in a storm, so I headed to their gate, and fortunately, they gladly followed me. Panda Bear was already there, in the breezeway, and I expected her to run when she saw me come in - she is the least likely to hang about if she thinks I might be doing something crazy, like trying to get her to go into her barn. But she stayed put, which I thought was quite intelligent of her - rather than panic and run, she stayed close to the door, while her brother and sister quickly hopped through the door and huddled inside. I joined them in their barn and sang to them...yes, I admit it...I sang to my sheep. They seem to be partial to "Blow the Man Down," which I simply hum to them, over and over again. My humming had to get quite loud as the rain on the metal roof got to be deafening - but there were six little sheepy ears, cocked back toward me, listening as I hummed.

The rain got louder...the thunder roared...Mikey walked over to Panda Bear and rested his head on her back, through the doorway. I hummed...Black Velvet stayed close and kept sniffing my hands (probably hoping for bread to magically appear, but I took it as a sign that I was a comfort to her). Suddenly the top half of their Dutch door was blown shut with a slam - at this point, I just knew Panda Bear was going to run for the hills. But I kept humming and calmly walked outside to secure that door shut. And this is where it got pretty cool - rather than running away from  me, Panda Bear stayed to watch what I was doing, and as soon as I could move to the side of the door, she hopped in with her brother and sister. I was able to secure them all inside for the night, and I did it without trying to catch them or stressing them out...they trusted me to protect them, and I didn't blow it.

The flock, earlier today, enjoying the sunshine

So tonight...with warm, safe sheep...I feel a bit more like a shepherd. I feel like I have an inkling as to what I'm doing, and am beginning to understand what each of them needs. They are all very different from one another in temperament and personality - even the two ewes, who are more similar to one another than they are to Mikey, are quite different from each other. And tonight I was able to connect to all three of them and figure out what they needed. Happiness is a safe flock, indeed!

It's May...it's May...the Lusty Month of May!

Some friends on Ravelry were talking about musicals, and I mentioned Camelot...oh, how I adore that movie!!! I love all of the songs, but one of my favorites, particularly this time of year, is "The Lusty Month of May" - Vanessa Redgrave is so awesome to watch and listen to!!

Well, I have to say that it's not exactly lusty out here...I mean, we have two ewes, but Mikey's a wether...and the ewes are his sisters...yeah...TMI, I know! I'm just in a very silly mood because it was such a beautiful day here, and thanks to the hard work of my husband, the sheep have a 3rd pasture to enjoy!

The best husband, fixing yet another gate for my sheep

The barn you're seeing in the above picture is the old chicken barn, farther up the hill, northeast of the sheep's barn. As you can see, the pasture on the left (west) side of the fence has been well grazed, but there is LOTS of good grazing to be had on the right - but David had to fix the gate so that they could come in and out without hurting themselves on nails, old wood, and wire. Once it was safe to enter, there was no stopping Mikey, Black Velvet, and Panda Bear:

Not only is there awesome grass to enjoy, but the east side of the chicken barn has an open door, so they can go inside, sniff around, and get out of the sun if they need to:

They loved watching everything that David and Iain were doing today - of course, I think they were making sure that all was done to their satisfaction!!

So as we enter this beautiful month and season of the year, I ask for this blessing on my beloved flock:

We light the fires of Beltane,
sending smoke up to the sky.
The flames purify and protect,
marking the turn of the Wheel of the Year.
Keep our animals safe and strong.
Keep our land safe and strong.
Keep those who would protect them safe and strong.
May the light and heat of this fire bestow life upon the herd!

I already feel so blessed - so thankful for this life - I just want to continue providing a safe, loving home, not only for the Trio, but also for our indoor kids - human and furry!

Black Beary doesn't think it fair that she can't go run after the sheep!

Thank you for reading!! My next blog post will talk about my new etsy shop, Vikings, and a couple of awesome blogs/podcasts!