Heller Heaven for Sheep?

It is sheep-shearing day at the Heller farm down the road. I love seeing this annual very agrarian rite of spring. Here is a before and after shot.

“I don’t know if I am going to like this..."

The shearing of  the sheep is done assembly-line style. Mattsen gets the next sheep ready to shear

while the shearer  gives the current sheep a haircut. All of my photos of the shearer are pretty much a blur.  It only takes him a couple minutes to shear an entire sheep, he works so fast. Yet, gently - with very few nicks.  Fewer than I would get if I were shaving my legs.

Don puts the shorn fleece into the “Hicky-Do,” kind of a simple baler which compresses the fleece into a bag so they don’t take up so much space.

Fuzzy sheep waiting their turn.

Velvety sheep feeling much thinner, lighter and a bit chillier.

The black sheep, brown and multi-colored sheep are done last  so their wool can be kept separate.

Some of the lambs wait outside the barn gate bleating for their moms.

Darling lambs!  Born in February, so big and sturdy already.

Lambs in the spotlight.