What came first? The chicken or the… SHEEP! Before there is Yarn, before there is fried Twinkies, before there is Sausage, One MUST pay their respects to la Raison du Voyage: les Beaux Animaux!
WHO could resist the happy Lambs, the rasta pasta headed Rams, the ET lookin’ species I have NO Name for, and the BARNS full of other delightful four-legged critters that spanned the ACRES of the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival?
Even in the company of the two most knowledgable & talented Shepardess’ on the Planet: the incredible Sylvia & Claudia (did I mention beautiful?! – ladies – I’m writing your mother a Thank You note for Mother’s Day), we were spun round round round by the sheer numbers of pens, all in rows, each more exciting than the last. Many Shepards had large displays explaining the History and Purpose of the Breed they were raising – I could’ve spent DAYS studying the facts – each was presented with pictures and letters and drawings – like a super-sized science fair project – some very sophisticated – some just simple and raw – like the straw on the ground. These I liked the best.
We spent a good amount of time in the Barns talkin’ to the animals…
here’s a handsome Ram eating Lunch –
he said his name was Frank & that he was a close personal
friend of John Travolta but preferred working with Nick Cage…
I thank all of the Shepards for styling the Heads of the Sheep in various
and wonderfully individual ways for my pleasure…
Many of the animals had tufts and locks left in place
that made them look especially CUTE!
This Sheep is also wearing a coat to protect it’s valuable fleece.
These could be the Paris & Nicole High Maintenence Lambies
with coats on early in their career…
After years of wearing the Coat, one travels with their personal stylist who gamely trims the forelocks of their feet in a masterful sheep pedicure in preparation for the Ring Event.
ChicKnits notes that the female stylist seems to be doing all of the work while the male ??? contingent chews tobacco and supervises on the left…
…all photos & graphics
You win the Oscar for Best Lamb Picture.
It sounds like you guys all had a great time at the weekend, I’m jealous! Love the sheepy photos and hearing all the stories. I’m sure I can find an excuse to come over next year, after all I have a whole 11 months to plan it!
Where did you all stay, hotel wise? My sis and I (and whoever else we can stir up) will be going next year and are polling for hotel/motels. We would like some sheep knowledge too, as well as to check out Llama-land!
Notice too that the female stylist is not only doing all the work on the sheep “do” but is also tending the small child at the same time. ugh. Thank you for the wonderful sheepy photos! :)
Yeah, “supervises”–I know what that’s like. Note the stylist juggling both an incredibly sharp tool and A KID!
I love those two smiling lambies at the top of this post! They must have done that just for you.
I had a blast meeting you and the other fabulous folks! Those sheepie pix are great, and I almost peed myself from laughing when I walked into the ladies at BWI and saw that giant metal lady in person.
The pictures are priceless, but the captions win!
I gotta put MS&W on my traveling plans for next year…
I LOVE that– the woman shears the sheep AND holds the child while the men look on, “supervising,” I’m sure. Thank you for sharing your photos with us!
wow, that IS a handsome ram!
i wanted to go out to Maryland this weekend, but it’s a 6hr drive to the fest and didn’t fit in with other plans for the weekend (like my 28th birthday on Sunday!) – so no sheep for me. Instead I went out to Jumbo, OH – which is anything but jumbo – to meet my boyfriend’s parents on their former sheep farm! Since none of the boys wants to take over the farm, they sold the sheep off a few years back and now they mostly grow soybeans.
I’m trying to get a knitalong together for Sueet from the current Knitty – any ideas?
Thank you for sharing! I won’t miss it next year, that is for sure. Your pics are adorable, and I am pleased that you made sure to get the one of the super-woman, while man stands by. I must admit, that is not *usually* my experience. Lucky woman, I. (Or me? this one has me stumped. And I am a Grammer God{dess})!
Check out this address to see an incredible sheep.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2890739a4560,00.html
AMANDA!!! You got me! I am CRYING – the tears are running down my face!!! Thank you!
Brilliant!
“WHO could resist the happy Lambs, the rasta pasta headed Rams…”
That’s poetry, that bit there!