Winter has been very pleasant, other than just a few cold snaps that matched up with cold viruses.  We are busy planning our projected summer 2001 move to Bergen.  We hope that will put an end to our seasonal commute.  We need more walls and more floors in the house, we need more fences, more feeders, more gates, more time and more money!  But we are all very excited by the prospect.

Fibre Works Alpacas:  Work continues with the Canadian Camelid Fibre Co-op.  Products and mills were reviewed and chosen, order forms went out to members, now we just have to turn all of that fibre potential into marketable product!  Pushing paper is not nearly as much fun as working with the alpacas but the results should be worth it.   Moonshine and Diamante are for sale:  Alpacas for Sale .

Fibre Works Shetlands:  We decided to buy RDR William from Roberta and James Murray as part of their flock dispersal.   He is related to a number of our ewes but also has some fine qualities that we can still put to use.  We did a disinfectant foot bath at Bergen before taking him to Crossfield where he went into quarantine with Aster and Brendan for company.  He was pretty rough on them at the start and definitely did not like being confined.   William staged a break out at the end of December, fortunately after his quarantine was up.  He was looking for girls so  we put him in as back up ram to Fiona and Wild Rose.  William settled right down with his small harem and the problems ended.   Buying a new ram in the middle of breeding season can sure be a challenge.   Avens went in as back up to the ewe lams and Sebastian was backup for the mature ewes.  We still have some 2000 ram lambs for sale:  Shetlands for Sale

Fibre, Yarn and the Fibre Works Gallery:  We have a wonderful new white cria yarn and a fawn cria marled yarn back from Thetis Island.  A bit of vegetation still in the fibre but beautiful hand. Our fall Shetland fleeces are wonderful, clean and almost no sun bleaching.  We will try to put the fleeces  on the Gallery shelves as a cold weather project (haven't found time during the pleasant weather!).  We also started on a wonderful scarf project using handspun white alpaca and silk hand painted warp.  Amazing colours, beautiful hand and drape!  Pictures in the camera soon to be at the Gallery.

Bergen Norwegian Buhunds:   Treva may be developing an eye anomaly.  We are still hoping that the specialist eye check in May will be clear but do have some concern.  For that reason, we have decided to go ahead with an opportunity to get a new female from Norway.  Her name is Nissa, and she blends some great bloodlines from Norway and Finland with clear eyes and excellent hips (so far). She should be coming sometime in January or February, 2001.