That time of year ...

I know what you're thinking,  but no I'm not referring to that time of year.  (You know - the holidays and all.)  I'm referring to the time of year for the annual pilgrimage to NAILE.  Tuesday dawned frosty and foggy here at home by the river,  but once the sun was up it was crisp and clear.  It was a perfect day to hit the road early in order to arrive in Louisville in time to see the wool show being judged at the North American International Livestock Exposition.

There was a time in my life (though it's getting harder and harder to remember) when I bred purebred sheep and showed them at various shows around the country.  I do remember that it took a tremendous amount of energy and not a little amount of money!  I'm not interested in investing either of those things these days.  I love keeping my sheep here on the farm,  out grazing in the fields where they naturally belong.   The North American is a prestigious show,  really considered the biggest of the big,  so it's a great opportunity to see lots of different breeds in a short amount of time.   (Of course,  there's always the risk that looking will lead to bringing home a new addition ... which I did not.)  I'm really happy with my own sheep these days.  It's taken me years to get the combination of fleece type and temperament I have now and I'm more than willing to put my efforts into maintaining that.  But still,  I always enjoy looking at sheep and I'm certainly not above scoping out some new livestock equipment.  Anyway, here's a quick view of some of the sights of the day. 

(I spied this beautiful Cotswold fleece as soon as we walked in)

(So much gorgeous wool)

(The main event)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Th

(Lunch time for some)

(Naptime for others)

(and some were just chillin')

The Big Show

Tuesday was the day thecrazysheeplady and I drove in the rain to Louisville for our annual pilgrimage to the North American International Livestock Exposition.  NAILE is the BIG SHOW and pretty much culminates the show season for folks who do that sort of thing.  Many years ago,  when I thought raising purebred Romney sheep was my life-calling,  I was into it.  Now,  I love just going to watch and can't even imagine how I summoned up all the energy it took !  I often bump into people I met back then and the first thing they ask is if I am still raising sheep.  As I get older,  I try to imagine what that day will be like,  when I no longer have my sheep.  So far,  I can't even imagine it.  Anyway,  I'm taking the Scarlett O'Hara approach,  "I'll think about that tomorrow".

It's fun to walk around and see all the different breeds of sheep,  just waiting for their moment in the show ring.  Actually,  the show ring is the last thing on a sheep's mind.  As long as the food shows up when it's supposed to,  they mostly resign themselves to lounging in their straw filled pens,  probably dreaming of green pastures and their own familiar barn back home.   So many of them were standing with their heads resting on the top rail of their pens, as if to say, "Is it over yet?"  Tomorrow is the end of the show and you could tell that some of them were ready to get in the trailer and head home.

 

 
Sara has a great little video of this goofy little Tunis ram looking for a fight.  What on earth was he thinking?  Testosterone was definitely in charge.  The big guy treated the little one like he was a gnat buzzing around,  when he could have stepped over the side of the pen and finished him off !

We also wandered around the commercial area,  checking out sheep equipment and looking for sheepy stuff.  We found a really good vendor with some of the best sheep merchandise ever.  It looks like her website is a work in progress,  but you might check back later or catch her at a show near you.

( Love the bed-head look ! )