Not a baaaaaad time after all!

(Turns out it is impossible to write a title for a post about visiting a sheep production facility without making a terrible pun.)

Following an enjoyable Biology of Disease lab this morning, we freshmen all trooped over to the teaching hospital to await our instructions for the day's field trips. Coveralls and boots were packed, carpools were arranged, driving directions were handed out then corrected, and finally we were off for an exciting afternoon of learning about raising sheep for fiber.

(Ironically, the farm turned out to be located in Severance, which is a very lightly populated but somewhat sprawling town just a few miles north of Windsor. If I'd known we were going there, I would have driven my own car instead of riding with someone else, and I could have just gone home to Windsor afterward. Instead, I got to ride back to Fort Collins [about 30 minutes] and then drive myself back home [about 40 minutes] in rush-hour traffic. But I digress.)

The sheep farm was totally cool and the sheep were so cute. The ewes had just lambed in January and February so the babies were still pretty little. The farm was owned by a very nice older couple who have been raising livestock for 30 or 40 years. Their current business is raising really fancy, mostly purebred sheep (mostly British breeds) for wool fiber. Accordingly, all the ewes (and some of the rams) were wearing little nylon capes to keep their wool as clean as possible.

All in all, it was a neat trip. And I didn't look too ridiculous in my coveralls (which actually fit well) and rubber boots (which are too big but didn't cause me to trip, thank goodness).

I've been thinking that goats are pretty darn cool, and now I think sheep are pretty awesome too. Maybe I'll join the Small Ruminants club next semester??