Jan 29
What goes around….
Cedar Haven Cleopatra has come to live with us….
The decision that we would bring this little ewe into our flock (of too-many sheep) seems to have been made a long time ago:
In 2008, Jan Dodge contacted me, hoping that I would be interested in a horned ewe…she knew that this was a particular weakness of mine. Â At that point, Jan was dispersing her flock and hadn’t found a home for the sheep she described as her dearest ewe, Egypt. Jan sent me a photo, and some fleece samples.
Egypt in 2008
It was a hard decision but on January 22, 2008 (remember that date), I wrote to Jan explaining that we just couldn’t see our way clear to take on another sheep; we had bred way too many ewes to lamb that spring. But Egypt had such a beautiful look in her eyes…she seemed to be begging me to take her. I couldn’t get her out of my mind, and wanted to find the right home for her if we couldn’t bring her here.
So my thoughts went to my dear friend Lynne, who had just lost Twinkle, one of her favorite ewes (another horned lady with amazing presence). I suggested to Lynne that her farm might be the “right home” for Egypt…sent her the photo that Jan had sent me….and she couldn’t resist those eyes either! Eygpt went to live with Lynne at Cedar Haven Farm.
Fast forward to 2010….
Late last fall, in our perpetual state of flock reduction, I offered Lynne Twinkle’s daughter Crystal…who is very like her mother, thinking of it as a way of Lynne’s having Twinkle back again. Since Crystal carries spots, Lynne and I agreed to breed her here to the HST ram Shady Oaks Spats.
Crystal
We have a Crystal daughter (Fantasie) who is another Crystal…and who will lamb this spring, also bred to Spats. I could do this…
Fantasie
The day that we brought Crystal to Lynne was January 22, 2010….two years after we decided that we couldn’t take Egypt. But Lynne had a plan….she offered us Cleopatra, Egypt’s daughter, whom she described as Egypt’s clone!
Brook and I met Egypt and her elegant little ewe-lamb that same day, and although we didn’t “need” another sheep, we followed the path that we had faltered on two years ago…and Cleopatra came home with us. She will likely be shaela like her mother, and has the most beautiful silky soft fleece. She is lovely indeed.
The circle is complete…and after only a few hours, Cleopatra seemed to have been a member of our flock all along.
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What a wonderful tale of interwoven flocks and friends!
Okay, I can’t help but think of a romance novel set in a small town. That sounds like some of the family trees where I grew up. LOL
She is GORGEOUS, I so, so, so want a shaela.
How nice! Sounds like win, win, win, all around.
And when they make the mini-series of this romance novel, I will be avidly watching.
Cleopatra should have been named “Destiny”! It sounds like she was born to be yours : ).
Oh my Lois I did not know about the January 22nd connection.
Egypt is very happy that her daughter is with you as am I. This is a very happy sheep exchange for me and so much for flock reduction.
Oh, my…destiny, indeed! And, just so you are even more aware of circles…
On January 20, 2010, I decided it was time to finally set to spinning my dear Egypt’s soft fleece that I had been coveting since her last shearing at our farm. Friends know me as a spinner, and a very reluctant knitter, but on that day I decided to actually use the yarn to knit a sweater to keep Egypt in my memory.
I have deep gratitude for shepherdesses who keep my ewes on your loving farms.
Thanks so much,
Jan Dodge (formerly, Blue Hays Shetlands, Whidbey Island, WA)
Cleo is right where she’s supposed to be! And a beauty she is, as well.
I am a firm believer that things work out the way they are supposed to. She is such a fine looking ewe with some of the best horns on a ewe I’ve seen so far.
And we all know she’s right where she belongs.
It’s good to have enabler friends who help support habits. heeheehee