Iceland Wool Week Coloured Sheep Show

​This afternoon we were treated to a livestock show of Icelandic coloured sheep. There was a lot of pride and joy in show with much discussion and conversation evident. 

The first ring full of sheep was remarkable. All the colours of the rainbow in the sheep world. 

Apparently this show judges all the regular characteristics, and then also takes into account, the wool color, quality and rarity of that particular colour expression. 

The two winners are in this photo the two young fellows fourth and fifth from the right.

One had a strawberry, blonde, fleece sheep, and the other had a white and gray fleece sheep.  This is them walking their sheep back to pens.

These three judges considered and graded every sheep. 

And there were quite a few sheep. 

Finally there for 14 sheep in a smaller area with a low fence suitable for reaching over to fondle their wool. And I was told that they are shearling’s, that is this year‘s lambs. Was also told that they are a special sub variant of Shetland sheep, whose wool is exceptionally soft. Feldfur? Not sure if the spelling. I can attest to that softness, having pet quite a number of them. Half of them were numbered and available for voting. I voted number seven a gorgeous steely, gray tiny little ram. He came in second or third I couldn’t quite tell. That’s him on the far right of this photo  

For tiny animals, they are amazingly strong. Part of the fun of watching the show was watching their handlers walk with them between their legs as the handler hung onto their horns.

These three girls were having a hell of a time getting their sheep to move out of the winners circle.

A really fun few hours. It looked like the audience and the participants were all having a good time. Possibly the sheep would’ve been happier out grazing.

Icelandic Wool Week Begins!

​We visited a couple tourist sites that were very interesting (Hella caves and the lava centre) but the highlight of the day was the coloured wool show. There were so many beautiful little Icelandic sheep. 

Icelandic Breakfast Additions - cod liver oil

​yes! These are my people - breakfast includes cod liver oil. 

Down the hatch! 

Iceland!

​I arrived yesterday, and was so pleased to be able to be reunited with my woolly girlfriends. My flight was somewhat delayed as was the lineup that I chose for customs and immigration. And my first interactions with the Icelandic culture have certainly been very interesting.

 I absolutely loved the blue Lagoon. It was the perfect way to deal with jet lag and delayed flights. The meal at the lava restaurant was superb - as was the service. It is so rare to have impeccable service.

All of us left our phones in the lockers rather than wander through the delightful pools with the distraction of a phone. The downside to that is we have no photos of our amazing experience. When you look at the photos of Iceland, you think that they’ve done something to saturate the colours and alter the light. The quality of the light here is remarkable. There’s something so crystalline and hard about it that makes colours more distinctly themselves and shapes very certain and clear. I am just sitting in bed and enjoying a cup of tea and watching the sun begin to light the sky over the low mountain behind our hotel. 

The low wisps of grey that you see are not cloud, they are steam from active geothermal vents. 

On My Way To Iceland!

The journey begins! I left the house before 10 this morning and will arrive just after 9 am tomorrow in Iceland - over the pole it’s not so far away. It’s easy to forget how close Canada is to our near Arctic neighbours. 

As I wait for the Iceland Air gate to open here at YVR I’m treating myself to a pot of tea in the jetaide bar of the Fairmont. Very relaxing. 

Autumn Harvest

​The last from the DUGS garden. Now asleep for winter, with $3 of garlic planted in anticipation of next year.

Autumn Gardens - Clean up

​I find it difficult to face, but it really is getting near the end. The downtown urban Garden, where Chris and I are members we need to get the garden beds cleaned up by the end of the month as part of our social contract. It’s very hard to admit even to myself that Wynter really is just around the corner here. Especially after this past winter with extended periods of -40. There are still moments of joy in the garden.