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Hi everyone;
I apologise for being a bit late with this page. Everything has been pretty busy round here with barely time to think, never mind write news... but after all, it's the news that keeps us busy! The header picture was taken early one morning in late winter.

FAMILY NEWS

Our daughter Dorothy (Dot) is away in England. She passed rigorous tests to join the Devon & Cornwall police force and is currently training up in Durham, later elsewhere, before being eventually posted to Tavistock (where her brother Rob was born) next November. Rob is working for local government in Stanley, and Alistair married his longterm sweetheart Johan (Jo) on 4th November. The Boss and I were there of course, in our glad rags. It was the happiest day any of us can remember, ending with a lively dance and a even livelier band, the Fighting Pigs, playing some excellent rock music... We will update the family page shortly with more photos, but here's one to be going on with...

LAMBS AND LEMMINGS

The coloured sheep had 15 lambs between them this year, 13 of which survived and are looking good. We hope to buy in some more coloured lambs this year if possible to speed up the multiplication process. Our total with all ages and genders is about 90 at present. Jackson (our long-legged black ram, named after Colin J the hurdler) has fathered some really nice progeny and we are happy to announce that the Lemming now has a black ewe lamb called Lemon Drop (pardon the pun).

(For those who don't know - the Lemming is a coloured ewe who managed to evade the gather the season before last, by leaping off one small cliff after another and finally taking to the sea on three legs. The Boss decided to leave her, not really having any option of course - hoping that neither kelp nor sealions would be her downfall - or should that be drownfall... We caught glimpses of a dark woolly figure now and then after that, on dry land, so we knew she had survived both kelp and sealions, but when approached the fugitive (now on four legs again) would take to the coast without hesitation, and we didn't think her luck would hold so well twice so were forced to keep well clear. Eventually I came across her well away from the sea, wool-blind from nearly two seasons' growth of fleece, and having with some difficulty heaved the wool mountain into the back of the Tank, brought her home in triumph. It was a bit early to shear her so I trimmed her topknot, and eventually Clive hand-sheared her. The fleece was worthless from stress breaks and full of salt and seaweed, not to mention being double-grown, but we didn't really mind. At least the Lemming was alive... and quite famous on one or two spinning lists!)

We were delighted with the results from the AI (artificial insemination) of 25 white stud ewes back in May. We now have 17 beautiful lambs, all three-quarter Merino or better. Nice long-bodied animals with clean faces and not too many wrinkles! A few have horns but most are naturally polled ie no horns. There are ten ram lambs and seven ewe lambs, so with four male lines (imported straws) and three female lines (our own sheep) we are set fair for a future breeding programme, to keep our sheep healthy and vigorous.

GATHERING & SHEARING

Speaking of vigour - the dogs were delighted to get cracking on some sheepwork at last. Winter is tedious for them with little to do. The picture shows Grandad Sam (left) in the back of the Tank (our 4WD Ibex) with grand-daughters Trim (right) and her sister Floss (centre) - all three eager to get going and find some sheep to chase. Sam was hand-reared from two days old and is a wonderful dog, still puppylike in his eagerness but going grey round the muzzle (aren't we all). He always anticipates what a sheep is planning to do, and beats them to the punchline... Trim is a steady worker while madcap little Floss needs to simmer down a bit but gets 100% for enthusiasm.

We were thrilled with our hoggetts (yearling sheep) this season - big, strong and very woolly. The shearers voted them 'awesome' which is praise indeed... It has to be admitted that the Boss and I called them anything but awesome when trying to get them to go through a gateway, swirling as hoggs do, and apparently glued together like one great sticky burr, but with the dogs' help we finally got them into the 'lead' (a kind of roadway, two fences parallel to each other) and away home.

This year we sheared just over 1100 young sheep, rather than doing all the dry (non-breeding) sheep in one go as we used to do. We had two quite fast shearers (the Kiwi 'GaGa' Bennett, and local Gonzalo or 'Gonz' Hobman, with local rousie (woolhandler) Sammy Hirtle. Sadly we hadn't managed to get any extra help this season so we have had to bite the bullet and make an on-the-spot decision - 'No more greasy fleece packs for sale'. Sorry to anyone who is disappointed at this news but we just couldn't cope with the necessary selection and double skirting involved. The shearers may return before Christmas to do the adult wethers and the young ewes. We hope so, anyway.

MAIL ORDER

We now have our fine white top on sale, and the coloured top arrives shortly from processing in England. Please see the relevant pages under the DHF Falklands section for full details, also the Order form. We plan on offering other forms of our wool eventually, subject to demand.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Clive's been busy installing wind turbines, and they can now be seen in many locations round the islands, making a vast difference to people's lives (not only saving fuel but providing 24 hour power). This means that he is away from home a great deal, but I keep more than busy with my spinning etc. and the mail order business of course.

SPINNING & DYEING

Falkland Folk (see page under Black Sheep Designs section) has recently taken off, since our little group started selling hats (knitted or crocheted by members, using my handspun yarns) in a shop in town. The dye-room here at home is finally complete and I am waiting for bulk supplies of dyes to arrive from New Zealand, do some serious top and yarn dyeing. Meanwhile Clive and I have been out collecting lichen for natural dyeing, being careful to harvest it responsibly, leaving all the younger plants to grow on. We are blessed with an abundant supply but are well aware of how long it takes to grow... I re-use the 'teabags' (see Dyeing section of Black Sheep Designs) over and over, as they are a potent source of colour. My electronic spinner has arrived but I haven't had time to really get the hang of it, meanwhile using my trusty Traveller wheel when I get a spare minute.

PENGUIN PROGRESS

Good news on the new rookery established by a handful of Gentoo penguins last year, on our remote northern coast - the original mini-colony has not only moved slightly and split into two, but swollen from some 10 nests to over 100! Presumably not just because of the good view, but good feeding area and a totally undisturbed site for virtually the whole year round. We intend visiting soon for a proper head or rather beak count and hope to find plenty of healthy chicks. Pictures in the next What's New Page! That's a promise. No news on Elvis (see the last What's New page) but no news they say is good news. Hopefully he is alive and well somewhere - and (probably not) dreaming of Dunnose Head and deep-frozen squid administered by a madwoman...

Anyway that's all the news fit to print. Please check out the revised pages under the DHF Falklands section, and be assured that we will stir Baldrick into putting paw to keyboard before much longer. He has had far too long a holiday.

SEASON'S GREETINGS

Best wishes for your winter/summer, wherever you are. May your Christmas be blessed and happy, and your New Year full of good things.

Clive & Rosemary Wilkinson
Dunnose Head Farm
Falkland Islands