Sheep & Wool Festival, Part 1

Whenever we attend one of these sheep and wool festivals I always head for the animal barns first. Usually one can find sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas, and rabbits - with vendors selling the fibers in several forms, from raw wool to spun and dyed skeins of yarn. (I saw no alpacas or goats at this festival, however.) The Massachusetts Sheep and Wool Festival was a smaller affair than I've seen in other states. The crowds were smaller and there were fewer vendors and displays. Nevertheless, the setting was probably the best I've encountered, with the whole affair occupying part of the fair grounds in Cummington, Mass. My favorite scenes were the 4-Hers, from teens down to kids no older than my sons,running about trying to get their sheep ready for judging, their animals bleating loudly as they were muscled from pens to display areas.

The little guy in the second photo is only two weeks old. The white cheviot in the third photo was very inquisitive about what I was doing. she also enjoyed a good scratch behind the ears.