Ian McRae is our new sheep shearer; our friend Liz has retired from shearing and focuses on her farm and her town job.

Both Ian and Liz are from Vermont, which seems to be the ancestral home of shearers around New England and upstate New York.

We are fortunate to have him. He is gifted, young, and committed to this work. On a farm with sheep, the right shearer is a great big deal.

Ian is young, enthusiastic, fun, and terrific at shearing; he’s been coming here for years, first with his grandfather Jim McRae who sheared for many years and trains border collies near Rutland, Vt., and then with Liz, both of whom trained him since he was knee-high.

He has the best pedigree of any shearer I have seen.

Shearing is in Ian’s blood, he is skillful and easy with the sheep, and his shearing is careful and meticulous.

Maria was thrilled with the wool we got this morning; we will take it to the Vermont knitting mill shortly and sell it for her increasingly popular yarn.

We have 12 sheep now, with young Robin added to the mix.

I was happy to watch Ian this morning. We signed him up for the Fall shearing and years beyond. Shearing is a way of life, not a job. It’s a calling. The committed shearers spend half their lives on the road and the work is hard and demanding.

Maria scooped up the wool as it came off and put it into marked bags. In a week or so, we’ll take it to the Vermont Knitting Mill.

We offered him a job for life, and the sheep are relieved. A good shearer is a precious thing.  And Ian is a pleasure to talk to.

For those of you who live in the New England area, and have sheep, you can’t do better than this kind and strong young person. His number is 802 558 5943.

He is looking for sheep to shear.

In a year, you won’t be able to reach him; he will be too busy. We love shearing days; they remind us why we live here.