Checking In and Giving Thanks!

Hi all,
Thought I'd check in and let everyone know what I've been up to-- keeping me away from updating my blog. My summer was spent with a couple of projects. Adding patio block walkways from the existing patio, then getting in a partial privacy fence, and some landscaping. I had assistance with a friend and it ended up much nicer with his help (he also put in a underground drainage pipe) which was a problem in the past. I ended up pulling out my initial attempt and redoing it! Good thing my back was feeling good at that time!

Then I acquired a new position as appointed Treasurer for the Town of Troy as the elected Treasurer resigned effective July 31. That works fine as I had time to get things organized a few months before getting thrown in to tax collection like last year. I will retain my Plan Commission Secretary position and I am now office and election help as I cannot be Deputy Clerk which was my previous job title. I will complete the current elected term until April and if I want to keep the job I will have to run to be elected to the office. I am continuing also a couple of days per month at Harmony Pet Care.

Spent the summer doing some things Rachel likes such as swimming, taking her to horse riding lessons/camp,and helping her get the rabbits ready for fair/shows. I took part as a vendor in the East Troy Marketplace on Saturdays selling lamb, wool products, and some produce.

September was busy with fair, followed by Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival, and then the North American Clun Forest Association meeting in Ontario, Canada. I took care of getting the import paperwork in order to export one of my rams and a fellow Clun breeder's ram as well. Had a good trip and it was great seeing old friends, meeting new ones, and of course--Cluns and beautiful farms/country. I was the first to recommend a place to lodge based on the idea it would be nice to support a local long-term business vs. a chain motel and soon most of the NACFA members had booked rooms there. It made for some laughs as we had slivers of soap, exfoliating skimpy towels, non-symmetrical non-fitting bathroom doors, interesting wall art, train traffic within ft. of the rooms (and lots of it), Egor the housekeeper, and you get the point it was an unforgetable place BUT was clean. I don't think we can beat this place next year in Iowa!

The highlight for October was preparing for artificial insemination of my ewes and ewes from Bramble Hill and the visiting LAI vet. It went very smoothly and it was a new experience for some of my help (they had some good stories to share locally!)
After that I was very busy preparing for the November election with lots of absentee voters and then post-election duties, budget preparation for the Town, and getting ready to send out those lovely tax bills right before the X-mas holiday.

Most of the lambs are now gone but a handful reserved for ethnic holidays. Sheep stayed local in Wisconsin, to traveling to Michigan, to Ontario, to Colorado. I want to thank my breed stock buyers, meat lamb customers, and farmer's market buyers for giving me a good year. It seems fitting even though I missed sending the Thanksgiving message on the proper day! Hey at least it is the right month. Oh, and the sheep have enjoyed the post-Halloween & Thanksgiving pumpkins. And let's hope those market lamb prices stay high for another year!
Michele