Shetland Sheep: Rich in History, Rich in Textiles

Shetland Sheep: Rich in History, Rich in Textiles! Our farm mission is to enjoy and promote the wonderful diversity of the Shetland breed by fully utilizing to the best of our ability all they have to offer historically. We believe the best preservation and management of this breed includes it's full spectrum of history. We encourage old and new shepherds alike to join in the fun by engaging in fiber arts, especially spinning and knitting, as this breed is so intimately linked with those aspects of the arts.

Monday, July 23, 2012

The Farm: Welcome EAA!

It's that time again!  Every day this week, as I tend the garden, socialize the lambs on pasture, refill water tanks or check fence, I'll be raising my eyes to the skies to see who might be flying by!  The Warbirds are easy...their distinct sound can be heard quite some time before they fly over...usually so low that I can see the nearly naked girls painted on the sides of the planes.  Other times, a fiesty little thing will approach faster than a hornet on a mission...buzzing across the sky while going way up, way down, way up, way down...practicing those amazing stunts.  As the engine responds to the G's, we hear all kinds of buzzing, sputters, and sometimes silence as the engine cuts and the plane stalls out, only to restart as the altitude gets perilously low.        Sometimes we see planes twisting over and over, as if they wish to spin yarns in the sky...with each flip followed by an eeeerrrrrr, eeeeerrrrr, eeeeerrrrrrrwwwwwwww before the plane slips into the blue and disappears.

This is crooked neck season here on Wheely Wooly Farm.  I just can't help but look up over and over as all these cool planes take to the skies over our pastures.  I used to worry about the noise stress to our livestock, but they seem to take it in stride, having gotten used to it.  The chickens, though, are a whole 'nother story!  They get pretty stressed out at all the "hawks" overhead and repeatedly dive for cover under hostas, corn stalks, tall grasses, raspberry canes, pine trees, or buildings.  For them, it's 'duck and cover' week.  Nothing rattles a hen more than huge shadows sliding across the lawn!!!!!!  We usually see a reduction in eggs laid during EAA week...

Despite that, we are thrilled to see the EAAer's come in!  You are such a fun group to have visit us! It is truly a pleasure to welcome all of you and all the amazing aircraft to our community.

If you attend, what might you see?  Smoke jumper airplanes, Coast Guard helicopters, jets, jets, jets, old war planes, hurricane radar planes, bi-planes, stunt planes, wing walkers, ultralights, home-built planes (some flown here, some not :), commercial craft, gliders, military jets, a celebrity or two... and of course, parts, parts, props, and parts! Remember the Concorde?  It was once here, but now forever grounded.  It was truly a beautiful piece of invention!!  You'll see a vast array of invention, meet lots of very interesting people, and maybe get to hear an astronaut or two...

I'll let you know if I need a hot pack for my neck by the end of the week...

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