Tag: Friendship Village

Sheep, Dogs, Donkeys and Shepherd

That was the title of my presentation at Friendship Village on Monday.

The first order of business was herding the flock into the Skirm, the auditorium at the Village. They came by twos and threes walking, pushing their walkers or wheeling in their wheel chairs. They were joyful, smiling, talking to each other. I needed a couple of sheep dogs to keep them moving but they finally listened to directions!

One lady brought her own small flock.
They sat talking to their neighbors and friends.

Some just sat and stared at the screen. It made me really think they were a flock of sheep.

With the flock settled down to take a rest, chew on their breakfast, announcements were made, and then it was time for Melanie Aja Lanford to introduce the speaker. That would be me!
The early history of sheep moving in and out of Arizona was first on the agenda.

Then the speaker, that’s me, presented the cyclical cycle of sheep in Arizona.

The speaker in her wool granny square skirt. It was made especially for this week of Sheep September.
Concluding the presentation the speaker discussed why the sheep industry has declined in Arizona and what people could do to help the industry not only in Arizona but also nationally.

To conclude the day activities the film by Francis Line following the sheep on the Heber-Reno Trail was shown. More on this tomorrow.

Day One of Sheep September is in the books.

Friendship Village – Sheep Week

It has been several months since I last posted here. My sincere apologies but life took a drastic turn for me and I am just getting back to writing. This project which I about to write about has kept me busy and I still dabble researching the sheep industry here and there across the state, but just not as much time to do as before.

But let me tell you about an event that I am really excited to be involved with and one that I hope brings others to appreciate the history of sheep and their contribution to Arizona’s early economy.

A retirement village in Tempe approached me last January to help organize/coordinate activities for a week long event in September about sheep in Arizona. Over the last eight months a community of ladies from the village and I have determined those activities. A variety of activities were discussed and given a “hoofs” up or down.

The kickoff event is September 5th. On this day there will be several events. The first event centers on judging of plywood sheep that members in the community decorated. I have arranged for four ladies whose families were in the sheep business to be judges for the wooden sheep decoration contest. Those judges are Kathy Aleman, Janice Ryan Bryson, Melanie Aja Lanford and Betty Thude. The author, that’s me, will be the tie breaker. The judges:

Kathy married into a sheep family. One of the important facts about this sheep family is Frances Aleman who started the Make It With Wool Contest back in the late 1940’s and is still going on today. More will be written about this in association with the fashion show.

Janice Ryan Bryson’s grandfather and father had sheep at what became known and is still called today, Ryan Ranch near Heber.

Melanie Aja Lanford hails from the Aja-Echeverria sheep families that came very early to Arizona. She still raises a small herd of hairless sheep, St. Croix, for their meat. Her family raised Rambouillet and Suffolk.

Betty Thude can date her sheep family back to the 1940s when her father started his first sheep flock running them both in the area of Williams and the Mogollon Rim area. In fact he purchased the Ryan Ranch! Small world? No, not really as there were not that many sheep owners in the state. It was common practice to buy land or a flock when one sheep owner wanted to leave the business!

Pictures will follow of the sheep after the judging but I’ll tweak your interest with one.

Another event that day is the opening ceremony for the art produced by residents in Friendship Village. I can’t wait to see all the items that have been painted, molded, sculptured or woven/cross stitched or other art forms.

And then to top it off is Happy Hour where there is supposed to be lamb sliders (sliders using lamb meat) and a beer made especially for the occasion. More on this in tomorrow’s blog.

I will be writing about each of the events as they happen. The other events happen the week of September 23rd. I will post more all through the month leading up to that week. This week will be the opening ceremony/judging and basic information. I will post pictures also.