Providence Lane Homestead — March 21, 2026

It’s Shearing Day.

Every year, the calendar turns, the snow melts (or doesn’t), the sheep grow heavy in their coats, and we find ourselves here again — the day the wool comes off.

Yesterday, March 21, was Shearing Day at Providence Lane, and once again my lovely flock outdid themselves. As the fleeces peeled away under Alex’s careful hands, that fabled Border Leicester lustre was on full display. My girls glowed. Truly. The kind of glow that makes a shepherd stand back, fold her arms, and think, Yes. This is why we do this.

Wither the Weather. . .

The day didn’t begin auspiciously. After almost a week of balmy temps and sunshine, Saturday morning — the first day of Spring (O! The irony) — dawned snowy and blustery. I was nervous. . . A couple of “Sorry, not going to make it” emails and texts trickled across my phone. Would anyone come?

Sucking in my breath, I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. This is Alberta after all. And these are fibre people.

Incoming!!!

Fortunately, our guests are an intrepid bunch! Neither howling wind nor blowing snow was likely to stop our community from showing up. Laurie trusted to her hardy “Kevin Bacon” pick-up truck and four-wheel drive and I was delighted to see our volunteers from the Calgary Heritage Weavers and Spinners Guild come tumbling out! Laughing, stamping snow from their boots, and getting straight to work, they made quick work of the antiseptic foot bath and were off to set up in our outbuilding — I watched them go, completely untroubled and chatting away through the swirling snow.

With the gates open, cars slowly started to rumble through and as I got everyone parked and oriented, it struck me that Albertans are a tough-minded bunch of folks but fibre friends take it more seriously than most!! With no hint of sunshine in the offing and a full morning planned, my husband Bob and I got everyone sorted and on their way. Our dear friend Maddy from Cows and Fish took her first group on the first of her two tours and the other group disappeared into the outbuilding to play with and learn about fibre.

I was in the sheep sheds, eyeballing my lovely charges when a head popped through the door, “Hi Mum!!” Malcolm, AKA the Foreman (for our long-time social media followers, you may remember my youngest son’s appearances in the homestead’s earliest days. He’s all grown up now, married and living with his lovely wife, our darling Shannon, in Cochrane) was here to get the fire pit dancing and keep people warm. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Alex the Shearer’s bright green jacket and wool cap and then suddenly Janneane from The Alice Sanctuary was beaming at me from under her toque. I was delighted!! Janneane and I have been communicating for almost two years (we think?) about our shared passion for animal welfare but this was our first time meeting in person.

Two of my favourites popped up and helped me pull the skirting table together — that thing is a BEAST — but between us, Fenway and I got it manhandled while Rey “held things and passed things.” As our favourite farm sitters and farriers, Rey and Fenway were key in Sparrow the Pony’s recovery from founder. I was thrilled to introduce them to more of our fibre community.

As always, Shearing Day becomes a reunion as much as a workday. Farriers, farm-sitters, neighbours, fibre friends, students, families — all finding their way to the same place, for the same reason.

Food, Fire and Fibre Friends

Between groups, the outbuilding was kitted up with coffee and snacks from my neighbour and caterer extraordinaire, Nan Harrison of Shadowbrook Stables. Nan, a veteran of the horse show and endurance circuit, knows farm people, winter people, horse people and fibre people — she knows just how to warm hearts and bodies. Coffee and hot chocolate flowed, marshmallows were roasted and snacks disappeared.

Lunch appeared on the verandah: vegan chili, rustic shepherd’s pie, homemade bread, gluten-free options, fruit, salad, even homemade croutons. I stood there watching people line up down the stairs and around the corner and thought, This is what a gathering is supposed to look like.

Children ran between the barns. People stood in circles talking. More marshmallows vanished. Someone asked a question about wool. The ponies leaned over the fence to see what was going on.

It felt less like an event and more like a commons.

The lunch line snaked down the stairs and around the corner (“That’s a lot of people,” Nan muttered at me, smiling. Honestly, I think Nan is happiest when she’s aboard one of her beautiful horses or watching people enjoying what she’s prepared) but everyone was fed and wandered back to Malcolm and the fire pit to sit on stumps and have a great conversation with Ani, our University of Calgary student who chatted with myself, Janneane and Alex about the state of farming — as we see and understand it — in Alberta today.

The “Mane” Event

Warm inside and out — with a hint of sunshine and blue sky (will wonders never cease??) — it was time to head to the sheds where my impatient (and fairly grouchy) sheep were waiting for their annual haircuts. With the shearing stage set, Alex got to work and our first candidate was Banjo, the resident ram for the flock. We (as in Alex. Credit where it’s due!) trimmed feet, vaccinated and sheared and my two stalwart helpers, Margaret and Elizabeth, old-hands on Shearing Day, took charge of labeling bags and running fleeces out to the skirting table where weavers and spinners, knitters and fibre artists got busy picking out bits of straw.

As the fleeces came off, we talked, laughed, took pictures, asked questions and generally had a wonderful time. Sam manned the sheep gate while I drew up vaccine doses, Alex told shearing stories — everyone got to hear about our shearing school experiences with the Viking (he’s not a viking. But he *should be*) —and Elizabeth and Margaret puzzled out spellings and wrestled with the Sharpie.

By the time the last sheep skedaddled off the boards — Lyle, glad to join all his naked friends — and we wandered back through to the skirting table, Mackenzie, Anja, Sasha, Nadine and more had a stack of fleeces in one corner. “Mackenzie is watching that bag with his life,” my husband smiled and pointed at one, conspicuously separate, “Marion.”

At the end of the day, we sold seven fleeces — Marion, Sophie, Charlotte, Banjo, Juniper, Luther and Callie all found their way into the stashes of our fibre friends. I can’t wait to see what they make with them!!

We still do have fleeces available for sale. If you’re interested — Lyle, Lizzie, Maude, Amy, Lois and Levon are looking for their chance to turn into something beautiful! Just reach out and let me know what you’re looking for and I’d be happy to help.