our flock
In the fall of 2015 we invested in 8 lovely Icelandic sheep. 2 rams, Booboo & Yogi and 6 ewes, Ella, Plotulopi, Colie, Amber, Coco & Pokie. Brad's love of Iceland inspired him to bring these little beauties to the wide open fields of TX. Not your typical farm animal here in the South, but there are cows, chickens and horses in Iceland and Texas, so sheep can live here too. It's not like we are bringing penguins to the ranch. They are adjusting very well and so are we. We have separated them into two groups for mating. Booboo is the happy ram of Coco, Pokie and Plotulopi. While Yogi, the ram, gets Amber, Colie and Ella. Time will only tell if we will be blessed to welcome lambs in the spring.
shearing time
Lets see...whose next?
Well, talk about adventure! If any one wants an exhilarating experience full of doubt and trepidation just try shearing 8 sheep for the first time. After this gung-ho idea of DIY, we have decided to look into hiring someone more experienced for the spring shearing. It will be worth the cost of my nerves. I think I'll save all the DIY ideas for decorating the house.
asr's other half
Sheep aren't all that goes on around here. We have our two dogs, Bentley (the pokie little puppy) and Brindle (my little fluff ball). My 7 baby chicks and the mamma banty with her brood. Freddy our sweet love'n horse and some silly guinea hens. We have done a lot of work around here sense moving in Sept of 2015. We have also learned a lot from our animals. Like sheep can squeeze right on through cattle fencing, I love chickens (more than I thought I would), dogs plus mud plus manure equal disgusting!, and guinea hens are really dumb. Every day we wake up is a day we look forward to. The next project is the fuel to keeping these fires burning. There is just something about living on a farm that brings life back into you.
What's in a name
Anyone who has ever had to name anything from a pet to a child knows a lot goes into choosing just the right one. A ranch is no different. It can be stressful, nerve racking and could possible lead to a heated discussion. But thankfully there is always a break through and everyone can come to a peaceful agreement. No doubt our love for Iceland has influenced the decision making. Aurora for the Northern Lights, if seen in person are just as spectacular as the pictures you can search for on the web. Skala is Icelandic for hut or cabin, sorta based off our last name Boothe, which means hut or dwelling. Our lovely little piece of land is nestled right on top of one of the highest hills in our area. When you put them all together, hopefully comes across as the light cabin on a hill. I hope that wasn't to much of a stretch for your imagination, it seemed right for us and I think that's all that really matters.