And California-based genealogist Jeff Scism, who runs an international black sheep website, offers his own checklist for those qualifying as black sheep: "Generally, [those committing] all crimes where the person was imprisoned," he explained with great seriousness. Memorial Day weekend launches the season of reunions and celebrations, and the arrival of people we sometimes can't believe are related to us. Here's how to tame, or at least manage, your family's black sheep. And...

Friday, May 25, 2007 INARA VERZEMNIEKS On this particular weekend, obsession looks like a wet border collie, pressed up against a fence, staring at a herd of sheep on the other side with such longing in its amber eyes, you feel ashamed of your own silly human passions: husband, job, family. Friday, May 25, 2007 INARA VERZEMNIEKS On this particular weekend, obsession looks like a wet border collie, pressed up against a fence, staring at a herd of sheep on the other side with such longing in...

What it doesn t get is why in the world the handler would then want to send the sheep running around the field again, through a series of gates, and then in and out of a pen. Handlers put dogs and sheep through their paces at annual Scio event SCIO A border collie knows, instinctively, that its job is to go find the sheep and bring them to the handler. The sheep don t get it either, particularly when they re young, from different flocks, and lumped together in groups of five. The handlers...

We have grown to love our goats Every year there are more baby goats and more kids come out to see the baby goats. He said the goats' annual appearance for fire suppression duty is highly anticipated by local children. on Tuesday residents called 911 reporting possible gunshots, but responding police could not locate anything out of the ordinary. The goats were part of a herd brought in annually to munch on undergrowth to aid in fire prevention in the East Bay Hills. The thought of them...

A "carder," the person charged with brushing and separating the wool, fluffs it as much as possible, then hands it over to one of several spinners, who feeds it into a large wooden wheel that transforms it into yarn. It begins with a mound of raw fleece, which for the local competition came courtesy of sheep near Marysville. Another member of the team then "plies" two or more pieces of yarn together before it goes onto the loom and is knitted or woven into the final product. Like livestock...