It is hard to believe that the last Sheep Shop blog post was published in November. A lot has happened since then and I would like to fill you in on some of the highlights and happenings around our homestead so far this year. Back in January, we started some pretty intense home renovations including mold remediation and asbestos removal following a water leak in our guest bathroom. One of the highlight of this stressful time was to spend a few days in a quintessential Vermont house near our homestead during the asbestos abatement and I snapped a few pictures to share with you.
We completely gutted our guest bathroom and laundry room and we are hoping to complete the renovations and share the process with you this summer. We also replaced our flooring in the kitchen and living room and DIYed some open shelving in our kitchen. Here is a sneak peek…
Marcial had a work accident at the beginning of March and he is now working full-time for the Sheep Shop. He has been busy making cutting boards and developing and testing new products for the shop.
Marcialito finished 3rd grade and is now busy spending time with his guinea pig, tending to his enchanted gnome garden, and getting his chick and duckling hatching operation ready for new arrivals this month. He has found so many passions and it is a joy to see him flourish and be excited about his life.
Our beloved Maremma sheepdog Moose passed unexpectedly on June 4th. A neighbor found Moose lying dead in a field after Marcial and Marcialito took him on a hike to our river. He was 10 years old and he seemed well, strong, and healthy. There is such a big hole in our hearts and our homestead... He was really the protector, the brain, and the soul of our operation. He was not only a family member but also an integral part of our homestead. We were relying on Moose for so many tasks and we feel a bit lost without him.
With the immense sadness of our dog passing, we also experienced the enormous joy of welcoming two lambs, Opal and Lapis Lazuli. Both boys have the most beautiful blue eyes, hence the blue color stone names. Both first time mamas are doing well and we love to watch the lambs frolicking in the field. We wish Moose could have been there for their births but we feel his spirit all around us.
As usual, we are racing to plant all of our vegetable starts and trying to keep up with our daily gardening chores. Here are a few pictures of our homestead this spring season.
I also received an AMAZING gift from my sister for my 42nd birthday!!!! I have been dreaming of this for many, many, many years and I can’t believe I will be able to grow and cultivate my passion for gardening in a GREENHOUSE!!!!!!!!! It is a dream come true and as much as I feel blessed to receive such a generous and amazing gift, I feel even more grateful to have a sister that I have the honor to call my best friend.
Our little farm store is keeping us busy and we are juggling taking care of our animals, tending to our gardens, fulfilling orders, developing and testing new products, and figuring out the logistics of producing and selling sheep milk ice cream and cheese. We are excited to launch our wool dryer balls in a week or two!!! Stay tuned…
I hope you are healthy and well and I would love for you to share what has been happening with you lately:)
With love and gratitude,
Marie-Hélène