Sheep Say "Hi!"

The North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) brings exhibitors from all across the country to show all types of livestock: cattle, goats, llamas and alpacas, horses, and more.

Years ago, I participated in the junior show, which was especially fun because sometimes, the Shropshire show was on my birthday. Jeff had not yet been to NAILE, so this year, we decided to compete in the Shetland show.

We arrived at the sheep barn yesterday afternoon and were amazed at the more than 2,000 sheep in the barn. Roisin and Fleur found lots of sheep to chat with—lots of bigger sheep.

That didn’t intimidate them, as they instantly said hi to the ram next door. The ram, in his hood and jacket to keep clean, said hello back, and a rich conversation about hay ensued.

We left for supper, then returned to take care of the sheep. Even though we had been up before 5 in the morning, we decided to find Aries before returning to the hotel. Aries is a ram lamb we raised and sold to a new Shetland breeder in Ohio. We found the ram and talked with the exhibitor, learning he was still awaiting his chance in the junior show ring.

So we stayed to watch the junior Shetland show, which started at 9:30 last night.

We were so glad we did.

Aries won his class and then was named Grand Champion Shetland Ram!

All around, it was a great day to meet new friends and say hello to old ones.

Thanks for Reading!

And I hope you feel refreshed and rejuvenated for the week ahead with this moment preserved in picture and prose. Consider:

• Who is a new friend you’ve made recently, and who is a dear friend you’ve known forever?

Share your answer and this newsletter with your friend.

If Sylvan Sundays was forwarded to you, welcome! To learn more about our farmers, check out “A New Year’s Introduction,” and to learn more about our name, visit “Being Sylvan.” Also, make sure to check out “This Week on the Farm” and “Farm Shop” below!

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This Week on the Farm

Roisin and Fleur will get their beauty treatments over the next couple of days to prepare for the show. We’ll provide an update on that next week!

Last Monday, we soaked in beautiful snow flurries, moving cows and checking on sheep and goats: