Good morning.  Our lovely Greta has brought forth a new baby.  This should be the height of our kidding season, but things appear to be a little off kilter this year. Gracie surprised us very early (like in September) with a little girl, but Gracie had no milk and her little one didn't make it.  Then in October, Annie brought us Warbucks.  Now, in a normal time frame, Greta gives us Taylor.

We have Carmella still to go.  Last year, Greta and Carm gave birth within hours of each other, and way late, too, like in May!  So now, because "breeding season" is supposedly October through January (apparently no one got the memo) Annie could be pregnant again, and I'm pretty sure Gracie is, too.  The little girls, Bluebelle, Ruby and Hera, are too young for that stuff. (we hope)  We really need to separate the boys from the girls, and control when breeding occurs, but, with so many projects on our plate around here, we really have no room to do that - and so, nature takes its course.

We have a few more fiber rabbits now, too.  Windchaser's Glitter - a black giant came home with wench after PaSRBA.  She had a date with Schroeder this past weekend, so we'll hope for some babies there.  Bella Luna, a white giant doe, will also be getting together with Schroeder in the next month or so, as will miss Daisy.  One more giant, born here, Clems Jubilee will need to grow up a little before she thinks about babies.  She's only a baby herself, but she sure is cute!

Until it is time for her to be a momma herself, she will go to shows whenever there is an exhibition class.

Also joining us from PaSRBA is Windchaser's Shauna (daughter of buttons) and HH Orion, Satin angoras of the agouti variety.  Razzle Dazzle and Sophia are looking good, and will be traveling to Georgia to the show next weekend to see if they can finish up their Grand Champion certificates.  Sisters.  Always the competition.  Each has two legs, and needs one more,... we'll see who comes out the winner.  With five shows, maybe they will each finish!  Wouldn't that be great!

I know I promised a report after PaSRBA, and here it is:  we did nothing.  No one was more surprised than Mikimoto

Yeah, she's a bit of a diva.  We're seeing if she'll hold her coat until April for the North Carolina convention, but it's not very likely.  She will be getting together with D'Artagnan this spring, to make babies.  Also on the drawing board, breeding wise - Bronwen plus Tortellini (this happened over the weekend) and Sheena plus Orion (also this past weekend).  We'll wait 30 days and see if litters emerge, and then up next will be Daisy x Schroeder, (Giant)  Davina x Buttons, (Satin) and then either Deandra or Colleen x Angus (French)  We will hopefully have lots of babies this spring and summer, ready for fall shows and fiber festivals.  Wench has a lot of work to do to get ready for SAFF.  I still haven't decided if we'll take/send goats.

In the meantime, we are growing our fleece and waiting for spring.  It's been dripping and snowing and all kinds of weather here recently, but that's ok. We have a nice warm barn and lots of hay and grain.

Our fleece from the fall is off at Blue Mountain being made into fingering weight yarn, so be looking for that the Powhatan Festival of Fiber.  One variety will be white, the other black.  Once Carmella is sheared in March, we can send off the oatmeal.  This year the blend is 20% wool, 35% kidmohair 35% angora and 10% silk.  FABULOUS drape.    I think that Nigel's fleece this year will be added to last years, adding a little mohair (like maybe 20%) and made into a worsted weight yarn for making of hats, etc.

Well, I seem to be rambling, so I'll say so long for now.  I've been asked to write an article for the local fiber newsletter, so I best be thinking about that.  Thanks for reading Frankly speaking!