sheep

Driving home, sometimes the fog closed in so tight that we could hardly recognize where we were.

The weather this winter has been so unusually mild that we’ve often been sunk under a blanket of fog. It seems to rise at night and sometimes can linger all day. It’s gauzy mist closes the world in around us making common vistas seem mystical and unfamiliar.

The tall spruce trees gleam in the early morning light.

As evening temperatures dip, the fog creeps out of the air onto any available surface. The clinging frost obliterates even more detail melding all the world into an oblique whiteness.

The fenceline, covered in icy crystals, glints in places.

Then when the sun burns its way through, the glinted edges become a dazzling spectacle.

Frost edged trees shining in the morning light.

Newborn Tigre with her mom, Ping, and her twin brother, Leo.

Among the lovely lambs I had born this past spring there was a unique black ewe lamb born with white stripes! Now as far as I know, there’s no breed of striped sheep, so I was pretty excited.

Newborn Tigre, my striped ewe lamb.

We named her Tigre and made her a permanent part of our flock. I’ll be putting her mother, Ping, on the same ram this year, so you can bet I’ll be watching to see what comes out this spring. Tigre’s twin brother was all black, but if Ping gives me a striped ram next year, I may have a new breed in the making.

Tigre growing into a beautiful ewe.

Tigre’s stripes don’t cover her whole body, but she’s a pretty cool looking ewe none the less. They aren’t symetrical either. Her wool might turn grey like Ping’s, which is common, but I’m hoping she stays the way she is.