Sheep and Summer Hay!

AROUND THE STUDIO... Just finished this new sheep image this morning. It was one of those paintings (small too yet!) that should have taken 2 days and it turned into a weeks project - ugh! Nothing seemed to go right on this painting, but I'm fairly pleased with the finished product! I think this will probably be a new Christmas Card for the '08 season. I'm ready to get onto a new piece today. 

COW TALES AND FARM NEWS... things are good. First hay crop is basically wrapped up for all farmers in the area now, and it's 'road ditch harvesting' time. I think they should probably make it a national holiday, here in MN anyway. Yesterday, as I was driving to town for swimming lessons, I counted 6 different balers making road ditch hay, in only a 4 mile stretch!! With all farm commodity prices going through the roof, including the price of hay and feed, I would venture to say, that no road ditch in rural America will go uncut and baled this summer!! The cows love this season too - nothing better than freshly baled alfalfa. We are also back on the trail of landscaping, and put a flagstone walkway in this past Saturday - lots more to do...! 

FAMILY MATTERS... the kids are hopping this summer - never a lack for something to do. In addition to helping out at our farm, Katelyn and Taylor have picked up hours working at the neighbors sheep farm. They are milking 41 Icelandic sheep just down the road, from which sheep cheese will be made in the near future! Interesting!! Pictured here is Deb , feeding corn and sheep farm owner (along with husband Scott), Bailey (another neighbor girl on the left), and our Katelyn (purple t-shirt on the right) doing the 6pm evening milking! Good job girls. And what would summer be without swimming lessons!! Although I still suffer from childhood memories of 'near-drowning incidents', I am a parent believer that all kids need to learn to swim - so off to the pool we go. Here, Zachary is learning the back crawl! Back to the easel... thanks for reading!