Community Calendar of Events

Shepherd’s Cross Shepherding-Lamb Tours & Shepherd’s Garden Tours

Every Thursday, Friday & Saturday | 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
May 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 & 27, 2017

Spring Tour Season Begins at Shepherd’s Cross Shepherding-Lamb Tours & Shepherd’s Garden Tours Sponsored by Heart of the Shepherd Spring & Summer of 2017 Open Thursday – Saturday 8:30-5:30pm • Shepherding – Lamb Tours begin when the lambs are born each spring at Shepherd’s Cross - an authentic working sheep farm, just north of Claremore OK on Scenic Route 66. • Come to the farm and watch as the sheep peacefully graze the pastures, and rest by the still waters. • Lambing season is the month of April. Watch the new born lambs jump for joy & frolic in the pastures • Shepherd’s Garden is bursting with blooms in the spring – guided, self-guided or audio tours • Preschedule School or Group Tours:  Shepherding – Lamb Tours o Guided Walking Tour – see the sheep across the fence & learn about shepherding & sheep. References to nomadic shepherds and Biblical shepherding; o donation based – suggested $5 o Wagon Ride Tour – Take a wagon ride out in the pasture and see the flock up close. Learn about the sheep and the shepherd. o references to nomadic shepherds and Biblical shepherding; $7 per person – one free leader for 10 paid  Shepherd’s Garden Tours – a Bible Garden o Guided, self-guided tours or audio tours available on a donation basis - suggested $5 o Guided Tour with a take-home planting activity; $7 per person - one free leader for 10 paid • Wool Mill Guided Tour - wool is processed on site – combed, spun, and woven into a finished product. • Visit the sheep in the farm animal barn area. (USDA licensed) • Tour the educational & interactive Farm Museum & Educational Silo – guided or self-guided tours • Shepherd’s Shop features a host of “woolly” and farm related handmade gifts made by Shepherd’s Cross and over 50 local crafters; honey, Animal Welfare Approved farm fresh meat, Amish jams, health foods, yarns, fiber and art supplies and much more! Additionally the shop features a mission section; purchases made in this section of the store return 100% of the sale price to the indigenous people that made them (countries include Afghanistan, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Uganda and more) • Shepherd’s Cross features farm fresh, Animal Welfare Approved, pasture raised, free range, chemical free American sheep meat (lamb & mutton) and Dexter beef. • Yarn, yarn, & more yarn – natural, many types, produced and processed on the farm. Shepherd’s Cross also offers roving, batts, felting supplies, knitting needles, spinning and weaving supplies and much more. Animal welfare Approved wool. • Fiber Arts, Animal Husbandry & American Sheep Industry Certified Shearing classes are available at the farm throughout the year. • Heart of the Shepherd, a 501-C3, provides the educational tours. Teaching basic agricultural principles and agricultural references to the Bible are a part of tours. • Groups of twenty or more please pre-register. • Picnic area is available; bring your picnic with you; limited seating. • Snack and beverage concessions are available on site. • Tours can proceed even in the case of inclimate weather. Demonstrations will take place in the Amish built gambrel roof tour barn, which houses some of the animals as well as the wool processing, farm museum, and the gift shop. • Shepherd’s Cross is an accredited Agritourism facility, a Made in Oklahoma Company, a producer for the Oklahoma Food Co-op, and is Animal Welfare Approved. • Website: http://www.shepherdscross.com • Online Stores: http://www.shepherdscross.biz and http://www.heartoftheshepherd.biz • Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShepherdsCross/ Shepherd’s Cross & Heart of the Shepherd 16792 East 450 Road, Claremore, OK 74017 Dr. Diane Dickinson, President & Executive Director eat1@eau1eav1eaw1 918-342-5911

Oklahoma Steam Threshing & Gas Engine Association Annual Show

May 5-6, 2017 | 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Be sure and make time this spring to visit Pawnee and help us kick off the second fifty years of the Oklahoma Steam Threshing and Gas Engine Show. Our steam engine display area, as well as the working steam powered exhibits, are always very popular and this year should be no exception. Our featured steam engine will be the 20 Horsepower Keck Gonnerman. In a break from traditionally naming a brand of gas tractor, the “Feature Gas Tractor” will be all steel wheel tractors. This will mean that most of the featured tractors will be pre-1930. Not to be outdone, the “Feature Gas Engine” will be the Maytag line of equipment. Many folks don’t realize that the grandmother to their utility room washer was a gasoline powered work horse that also could churn butter as well as grind meat and make sausage. These features will make for an exciting look at farm life in the first half of the 20th century. As always, there will be 15 to 20 steam traction engines (steam tractors) operating “era correct” machines. Probably the most popular of these is our steam powered saw mill that operates almost nonstop during show hours. This exhibit is complemented by a cedar shingle cutting machine, a woodshop planer and other assorted timber/lumber related machines. Another crowd pleaser is our blacksmith shop, where tools and household items are hand forged from raw steel. Also, we have an early 1900s machine shop, showing how metal working machines similar to today’s were powered by steam engines. In our “Domestic Display”, located in our headquarters building, you will see displays of the items of everyday life used up until around the end of WWII. This is our newest feature and generates a lot of nostalgic thoughts for rural folks, as well as wonder from the younger more urban groups. We also host a flea market, arts and craft area, and a hobby related swap meet. The fun doesn’t stop at dusk. On Friday and Saturday evening (weather permitting) the steam engines put on a “spark show” shooting glowing cinders 50 to 60 feet into the air. As is the tradition with most shows of this type, there will be a bean and cornbread dinner for vendors and exhibitors on Thursday evening. Camping (for exhibitors) is available on the grounds. Hookups are $10 per night for water and electric and $5 for primitive. There is a dump station on the grounds. Spectator and overflow camping is available a short distance away at Pawnee Lake, also for a fee. (50 amp hookups at lake only) Come see us again, or for the very first time, and don’t let the weather bother you. The show goes on rain or shine, with many inside exhibits. For more information our website is: http://www.oklahomathreshers.org May 5th and 6th, 2017 Held at the Steam Park Grounds in Pawnee, Oklahoma (401 East Beck Drive) Gates Open at 8:00 a.m. Adults: $10.00 per day………….2 day pass $15.00 Children 12 and under are free Friday is School Day (school groups accompanied by teachers are admitted free)

The Art and Science of Flower Photography for DSLR Cameras

May 6, 2017 | 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

LEGO Build

May 15, 2017 | 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.

Do you like to play with LEGOS? Get hands-on experience with engineering principles as you design and build with LEGOS. For ages 5-18.

Foster Care Informational Meeting

May 17, 2017 | 6 - 7 p.m.

There are about 10,000 children in Oklahoma’s foster care system. On any given day there are 150 children in need of a foster home, which has yet to be found. When a foster home is not available, these children stay in county shelters. In response to the lawsuit that was brought against DHS, the use of county shelters is being phased out. This has created an urgent need for more foster homes in Oklahoma. Circle of Care works to recruit, train, and provide ongoing support to foster parents. We have a contract through DHS to provide these services anywhere in the state.

Healthy Brains for a Healthy Oklahoma - The Balanced Brain

May 25, 2017 | 6 - 8 p.m.

The Laureate Institute for Brain Research presents "Healthy Brains for a Healthy Oklahoma" a series of talks focused on Brain Healthy, Development, and Safety, all aimed towards parents, educators, and community members. Each talk is FREE to the public and takes place every 4th Thursday of the month! This months talk, "The Balanced Brain," with Dr. Yoon-Hee Cha, will discuss how the parts of the brain work together and how to achieve a healthy balance between all parts of the brain. The talk is located at the Laureate Conference Center from 6-8pm on Thursday, May 25th!

Zoo Insider Workshop: Exhibit Design

May 30, 2017 | 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.