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Sunday 22 February 2015

Lunar New Year - Sheep; Sunday Stamps II

Canada has issued two stamps to mark the Lunar New Year.

Canada - Year of the Ram 2015
The domestic stamp shows three rams welcoming spring. Hopefully someone else will be able to show us that.

The Merino is a famous breed of sheep and it appears on stamps from - 

South Africa - 1972
and

Australia - Poll Dorset and the Merino 1989
These were two of a set of four issued to commemorate the World Sheep and Wool Congress held in Tasmania that year.

I have had some close encounters with sheep - well their fleeces at least. In school summer holidays I had the pleasure of baling fleeces at a Central Wool Growers plant where fleeces were graded according to the quality of their wool. My hand have never ever been as soft since then - thanks to all the lanolin they contained.

I'll draw a line under the effect of baling dags - the clippings from sheep's behinds.

There have been some articles in the UK newspapers this week on whether this should be the year of the sheep, or as they are too meek, the year of the goat instead. I don't think I would argue with a Merino ram.

But just in case here's a - 

Goat from Norway - 1981
There's no need to be sheepish when you can see more at Sunday-stamps-ii-10. and where I've just discovered both the Canadian stamps and more about goats.



13 comments:

jp@A Green Ridge said...

Not being "sheepish", my favorite s that first one!!!...:)JP

FinnBadger said...

Very nice. I particularly like the handsome merino sheep on the Australian stamp.

Jocelyn said...

Wow, a South African stamp! But I like the goat one best ^_~

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

One of the very few geography lessons I remember from school was about merino sheep in Australia. Geography should be an interesting subject but it wasn't in my schooldays.

EG CameraGirl said...

LOVE the first stamp!

Jo said...

Funny that, I send you a bunch of stamps and the Ram which I used on the envelope is the one that you use.

Mail Adventures said...

Love those sheep!

Joy said...

The stamps show the luxurious merino wool perfectly. Your summer job was an unusual one. The Canadian galloping ram is superb and glad you've found a goat to make an appearance.

Heleen said...

Beautiful stamps, all of them!
I had received the Canadian stamp, too, and couldn't resist posting it.

21 Wits said...

Sheeps alive, these are Baa-Baa wanderlust, and so creative of them too! Perfect design.

♥ Willa @ Postage Journal♥ said...

The Australian stamp design is my favorite!!

Willa @ Postage Journal
Sunday Stamp#93: Lunar Year

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Bob .. the Merinos are amazing ... but the Canadian stamp is just a brilliant depiction - love it ...

I saw a pearl jewel ram dating from the 1600s in a talk recently - stunning ...

Cheers Hilary

VioletSky said...

I could be doing with that wooly coat the Australian merino has right about now!