Living the dream!

I never thought blogging would ever become something that I would do, just like smoking cigarettes, in middle school every child will tell you they will NEVER do that but come high school most children will give it a try. I hope blogging turns out to be just as addictive:) A brief introduction about myself, I am currently 28 years old, and I sheared my first sheep when I was 16 at the Maryland Shearing School. From there I went on to shear for friends and relatives, slowly building up a loyal clientele to the point where about 5 years ago I decided to pursue shearing full time and I have never looked back.  I have a 6 year old daughter named Lydia whom you will meet often within this forum. As I stated before I am a full time sheep shearer who works mostly in Maryland and Virginia but also travels...well...pretty much everywhere else to shear when things get slow back home. Last summer I was able to visit Ireland to shear in competition, I did not get an opportunity to shear on the farms there since it rained the entire time but the country, it's people and its competition were enough to sustain me. I spent the winter of 2012 in New Zealand shearing for 6 weeks in the sheds on lambs and then competing in the Golden Shears World Sheep Shearing Championships. I was a United States representative in the blade shearing even though I do not consider myself a blade shearer, I do it more as a hobby. That was an unbelievable experience. More information on that trip can be found on my website (www.chamelinshearing.com) where I did a valiant attempt and charting my shearing progress in the Canterbury region. Lets just sum it up by saying my high tally was 236 and yes it hurt:) This summer I spent a great deal of time shearing in Iowa and surrounding states with my sensible half (I wouldn't call him my better half as we both have our vices, but I do let him do all the thinking when we are together...he is just better at that kinda stuff). Shearing in the Midwest is also a bit of an eye opener. I was able to keep working on the skills I learned in New Zealand and was able to broaden my knowledge of raising sheep in America. I am always fascinated by the different ways people do things and adding those ideas to my forever expanding library of thoughts. My current situation finds me residing in Palmyra Virginia where I am farm sitting for a dear friend till after Christmas. Most of my posts between now and them will be more on the farming and the day to day life and observances. As an itinerant worker, I can get arrogant sometimes in offering up advice and forgetting about the actual bonds these animals forge in out hearts and the mindless day to day work that goes into the product I get to gladly harvest when it's ready. Anyway enough about me:) Today has proven to be a wonderful day so far, rising with the sun (for some reason I'm trying to keep my body on summer time so I am rising at 5:00 every morning because it will make it easier to get up at 6:00 in the spring...I hope...if this backfires I'll let you know!) I took care of all my animal charges which involved feeding 6 dogs, watering everybody and then catching a calf to wean her from her mother. Needless to say there has been a lot of bawling coming from the barn all day! When that was finished I was able to make an actual farm breakfast of organic eggs, sheep sausage and blue potato hash-browns with onions and peppers. It was glorious! I usually don't get to eat a real meal most mornings because the best shearing starts early. So a day off puts a delicious meal in my belly and I feel all domestic and motherly:) the rest of the morning has found me making phone calls and emails as driving and shearing most days does not allow much time for the day to day book work that is necessary in running your own business, but somehow It all seems to come together. Now I am getting ready to go back outside to check and feed everyone again. With mild weather and healthy animals, farming can be such a pleasure on days like these:)