Second Annual Sheep Shearing
June 5, 2005

St. Peter's Church is now in its third year of using sheep to gently and naturally handle the landscaping amongst the centuries-old tombstones within our upper churchyard. Since that introduction, parishioners, preschool students, and many visitors come to see - and hear - our sheep in this timeless environment.

After a cool spring, June brought with it summer's heat. The annual shearing ritual, again expertly orchestrated  by Margie and Rob Wiltshire, was upon us.

This years event, held on Sunday, June 5th, drew a small crowd of children and adults to watch Michael Hearn, a professional sheep shearer, make his second visit to St. Peter's to expertly remove the inches-thick fleece of our ewe Snow Ball, and the large ram named Ramasus. After initially rounding-up both adults and our lamb named Aslan*, Michael made the decision that the lamb should be spared this 'event' until next year, and it was released back into the churchyard. Then, first with Snow Ball and then Ramasus, Michael deftly flipped each sheep on their back and expertly lightened their load. Each in turn seemed bewildered as they bounded from their confinement with that "freshly scalped look." To visit this year's pictures in greater detail, just click on each thumbnail below.

This shearing event was SPECIAL for at least two reasons:

First, it was the birthday celebration of Mallory Dovey. 8 years old, and surrounded by her parents and her friends!

Her parents, Susan and Steve, were the successful bidders at April's Silent Auction for what was billed as:

A SHEEP SHEARING PARTY
Bring 10-12 friends to enjoy watching our sheep being shorn, also carding and spinning demonstrations, fun and refreshments.   

The event was "donated" by our Property Commission and its chairman Rob Wiltshire; our own Anne Mitchell Reid, a artisan skilled in the use of the spinning wheel; Florence Watson, who baked a wonderful 'lamb cake'; and Larry Malcolm, who brought his van with all that delicious ice cream for the partygoers. Anne Reid not only demonstrated the art of spinning, but allowed each child a turn at the wheel to spin their own yarn with the wool from the newly shorn sheep. Mallory was heard to say that this was one of her best birthday parties ever.

The second reason for which this shearing was important is the use to which part of the fleece harvest will be applied. For the second year Anne will use her spinning wheel to convert portions of the fleece into yarn for use in our Prayer Shawl Knitting Ministry.

* There is a great story about the naming of our new lamb. When it was announced that one of the events at the Silent Auction would be a bidding contest for the privilege of naming the lamb, Amy and Kevin Johnson's children (Emilie, Chloe, Mollie and Trevor) were so excited that they immediately went home and pooled all their allowances to came up with a 'down payment' for their parent's  successful bid for naming rights.  The kids researched many names before deciding on Aslan, named after the lion, King Aslan, in C.S. Lewis's classic book from his Narnia series, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. What a great, and symbolic, choice of a name!