Topic: shearings
Kirk stopped by yesterday just in time to be helpful with the camera. Here I am clipping Betina, who's sister went home with Rebecca on Sunday. Notice how close one can clip to get maximum fiber length in one snip.
And I mentioned how I proceed to clip in rows across the rabbit, from tail to head. When this gets working right, one hand holds the fiber already clipped away just a bit from the skin, so the next cut is clean with no short pieces. And the already clipped fiber will fan out, just as it does when shearing sheep. If you consider the use of your forearm as a retaining wall, the fiber stays altogether until you take your arm away.
This is Lucas holding still while I used both hands to snap this picture. Bless him, although from just his/my breathing, this is a bit fuzzy. You can see the fleece rolling away from the skin, and it cooperated by staying put for you to see.
