Coe Creek Farm and Product News
About half of the lambs have arrived, so the barn is filled with many small voices chiming in as their mothers vocally protest any delay in feeding time. We are on our lambing schedule now, ensuring that there aren't many hours without someone checking in the barn for new babies. As usual, Runo takes the evening shift and I get up early in the morning. Each of us gets a few hours of uninterrupted sleep that way. Along with our cattle and poultry chores, and keeping the fire going in the basement stove, we have enough work to keep us out of serious mischief. We have a new addition here on the farm, though--besides the baby lambs. We hope this will be helpful in the future though it does not baa, moo, whinny, cluck, quack, bark, or meow. We want to make the Norwegian Fjord horses a working part of the farm, and the first step toward that goal, we knew, was to find a suitable draft harness. We considered many options, and there are several--a used harness, a new nylon or biothane type, or a new leather harness. We finally decided to make an investment in a lifetime harness of the kind Runo used on his horses in Sweden. To that end, we ordered a custom made leather harness, a "V�rmland sele" from the Svenljunga Sadelmakeri in Sweden. We sent the various measurements necessary for a made to order harness to the shop in Sweden, and then we waited. Each harness is made individually there to meet the specifications of the horse it is intended to fit. This past week, the new harness arrived. It is always most important, of course, that any piece of equipment one needs turns out to be functional and easy to use. But, what a treat when that practical item is also a thing of beauty. That is the case with this harness. It is a pleasure to look at it, the sturdy black leather paired with shiny stainless steel hardware and copper rivets. We have not introduced Alvik to the harness yet. Lambing duties take precedence this time of year, but soon he will have a chance to look at his new harness, smell it, and feel it against his face. Then, one day, we will carefully lay it on his back and fasten the band under his belly. And if all goes well, after a little experience with the sensation of the harness on his body, we will drive him out of the barn. The Fjord horse's "brown dun" coloring is pretty much the hue of Jersey cream. With his mane trimmed and his coat brushed, Alvik will be resplendent in his new harness. And, one more old craft will be again part of life on this farm. In the meantime, though, it is interesting to look at the new lambs as they come. We traded rams with Sherman Sheep Co. this year, and one of the bucks that we acquired from them is a big, curly, gray/black fellow named Diesel. He evidently had the good fortune to breed many ewes, because we have a lot of black lambs this year. And, so far, every one of the black lambs has been vigorous, sturdy, and healthy. So, our flock this summer will have a different look. Instead of four or five dark colored sheep mixed in with the white ewes and lambs, as in previous years, there will be a real peppering of the white flock with Diesel's lambs. It should make a pretty sight on the green pastures.
FARM PRODUCTS FOR SALE BY MAIL SOCKS! SOCKS! SOCKS! HANDMADE FELTED MITTENS FROM THE FLEECE OF OUR FLOCK $35 POSTAGE PAID HANDMADE FELTED BABY SHOES FROM THE FLEECE OF OUR FLOCK $20 POSTAGE PAID HAND DIPPED BEESWAX CANDLES $5 PER PAIR POSTAGE PAID SOCKS FROM THE FLOCK ARE NOW HERE! WE HAVE THESE SOCKS MADE FROM OUR OWN WOOL IN A CANADIAN MILL. WE SELL SOME OF THEM IN A NATURAL SHEEP'S WHITE, AND SOME WE DYE IN BEAUTIFUL COLORS. SIZES SMALL AND MEDIUM-LARGE FIT MOST MEN AND WOMEN. $15 FOR WHITE, $18 FOR COLORS, POSTAGE PAID. CALL US AT (231) 829-3328 OR CONTACT US THROUGH THIS WEB SITE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON ANY OF THESE PRODUCTS. TRANSLATIONS OF DOCUMENTS OR LETTERS FROM SWEDISH TO ENGLISH ALSO AVAILABLE. CALL OR E-MAIL FOR DETAILS.
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