The North Wind Doth Blow....

Do you remember that poem? The north wind doth blow and we shall have snow. And snow we did have.... tons of snow, and the wind blew the shingles off the barn, and the snow was waist deep from the snow plow, and the kids were excited!

The sheep stood in the doorway of the barn asking me to bring breakfast to them. "We can't possibly wade through this deep snow for food, can't you bring it to us??"

Santa-husband, who complained that he has shoveled snow for too many years, decided that he and his wife would shovel no longer, and arrived home with a shiny new snow blower, and promptly made paths for his wife to feed the sheep ....but not for the sheep to come to the feed.:)

I have been working hard to keep the hay from building up in the new sheep paddocks. Putting a pony or two in for clean up from time to time seems to be helpful ...at least while the ground is frozen. Too much hay piled up insulates the ground and keeps the snow and ice from melting in the spring.

While feeding yesterday I was looking over my empty, snow-covered, vegetable garden, dreaming about last year's harvest, designing this year's planting in my mind, and thinking about an expansion and maybe a new greenhouse. Oh how I miss those beautiful, fresh tomatoes. I finally found a source for Maine hydroponic-grown tomatoes, they will get me through the long winter, I can make my homemade salsa for my eggs again, and the basil, growing on my windowsill now has a use besides just looking pretty. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

Luckily I still have several bags of a tomato sauce base that I made this fall from our tomatoes, peppers and onions, all sauteed in olive oil and then frozen in 4 cup increments in freezer bags. I was surprised how quickly we went through the bags. Jarred sauce tastes TERRIBLE after you have eaten fresh sauce all summer. I have used this base for chili, meatloaf, and pasta sauces ...I will plant more tomato plants next year.

Last year I was considering a few milk goats. There is nothing like fresh goat cheese, and my kids love the milk. I think I will research this as an additive to the farm for 2009. I have talked to many folks who currently raise and milk goats and their biggest advice to me so far is to be committed to my daily milkings.

Lots to think about for 2009. Lots to plan for...... now I am hungry.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL ....

...and to all a good night!

Thaw duck ... cook at 350 degrees for two hours

Last week a new duck arrived at our farm. She had been found down by the river near Reed & Reed, the large crane and construction business. After agreeing over the phone to give her a home here, she was delivered and introduced to our three Pekins. My worry was that my girls would be mean to her, but the seemed uninterested in her and let her eat with them.

By late afternoon, I could not find her then ... ring ring ....the phone is full!

"Hi Kelly, it's your neighbor Tracy, I think one of your ducks is here ....sitting on the roof of my car! "

I zipped up to Tracy's and sure enough, the new duck was resting quietly on one of the roof racks of her car! When I walked over to pick her up, she flew away. I shrugged my shoulders and headed home. What more could I do?

The next morning, she was sitting on the roof of the duck and chicken shed a.k.a The Cluck & Duck Inn. Now, keep in mind, little fat Pekin Ducks cannot fly so this was all new to me. She made herself at home all day and then by night fall she was no where to be found.

This continued for a few days until one morning I noticed the cars driving by my house were slowing down. A quick head count of dogs and I was out the door. Sure enough, there she sat, in the middle of the road, caked in ice, on one foot, head in wing. I scooped her up and brought her in, lit the stove in the basement, and set her in a box by the fire. Oooooo the lengths I go to.....

The duck, now named Qu'vack ( remember Hagar the Horrible's duck ? ) spent last night in the Cluck & Duck last night for the first time. It did not stop her from going to the pond this morning and once again stopping traffic, but I think she might be starting to feel at home.

The dog ate my ... the goat ate my ... the guinea pig ate my ...

Okay, when I was a kid, I had a rabbit, a cute little bunny that hopped around the kitchen and ate carrots and apples ...and every electrical cord it could find. My mother would remind me "Rabbits are rodents and rodents chew." Yep, rodents chew. Kuzco, our darling little guinea pig is a rodent ... rodents chew.

The vest I started over a year ago and finished, up to knitting the shoulder seams together, was left by Kuzco's cage ...rodents chew.

It was my fault, I knit in my Boston Rocker that sits beside my Mastiff's crate. On my Mastiff's crate sits Kuzco's cage. I spread projects out on top of the dog's crate, and apparently I set the vest close enough for Kuzco to reach ...rodents chew.

So, after the initial shock of the damage he had done, I feel as though I can fix it. The neckline, that I painstakingly knit in a seed stitch ssk-ing and Ktog-ing to create the perfect angles is now chewed, unraveled and fit for, well, a guinea pig's nest.

I have learned my lesson, I will listen to my mother ... rodents chew.

Trust

I have owned several horses in my lifetime. Reluctantly I sold two of them to very nice homes after finally giving into not having enough time for them.

I was discussing with a friend the other day how neither one of us became what we thought we would be when we "grew up". I, had I had the courage, would have gone on to college to study architectecture and design, but I chose a different path that combined my love of art with my love of animals. If only I had known then what I know now, things might have been different.

Maybe I would have made my fortune as a home designer and had enough money to build my dream barn, with a heated tack room and an art studio in the loft. Oh well...my life is good, and working harder for the things I need in my opinion have made me a very determined, go-getter...oh yes and I am told stubborn.

I worked for a very fancy dressage stable for a while when I was younger. The horses were beautiful, yet so pampered that they were fragile. The ladies who came in to ride were perfect in every way. Fancy this, fancy that.... I left after a few months of trying to please people who had it all but were so unhappy with their lives.

I saw the other side of the horse world at a harness racing stable. The job started with caring for five horses, then at one point 18. They were sad souls, I saw it in their eyes. I can see in most animals, their happiness and their pain . I fret more over my animals than most folks, they are my other children ...I am their shepherdess.

The picture above is of our young pony L.T. He is just a year and a half, and I have watched his eyes soften as he has adjusted to living with us. His fear and caution have given away to curiosity and joy. He follows me around like a puppy, watching my every move, pulling things from my pockets, and stealing my tools. He and I go on long walks in the woods accompanied by three dogs. He pushes his head close to me when he is afraid. It is an amazing feeling to be so connected with this beautiful little creature.

First Snowfall

I awoke this morning to the most beautiful snowfall. It must have started in the wee hours, as the fluff was less than an inch thick. It was that first frosting of the season, the now bare trees were outlined in white. The air smelled so fresh and clean, and there were "warm spots" in the paddock where each sheep had lay during the night.

I grabbed my camera as I headed out to do morning chores. The lighting is always perfect during snowfall. Please enjoy the new photos in my Flickr account by clicking on the badge to the right. I am sure I will be adding more in a few days.

It was a busy/lazy day. The temps were mild, so I was able to fill water buckets from the outside spicket. No need to shovel since this storm was only a dusting.

Three very desperate-to-sled kids spent the morning trying to find enough snow to glide gracefully over. They did manage to make a few runs in a mixed snow/leaf covered path.

I have learned over the years to get my winter chores done early, before that first snow falls especially raking up leaves and hay where I will eventually be shoveling. Yesterday I located all of the snow shovels, found a bucket of salt, and pounded in a few stakes where the fence seemed like it could use a little extra strength...well the truth to the fence story goes like this.

Four days ago I moved two ewes from the front paddock, leaving my ram, Joker, with the two ponies.

Three days ago finished the "Hill" paddock and decided to bring the ponies up to enjoy the dry ground and more room to run during the day. I brought Joker some grain and hay to keep him occupied while the ponies were away ...which left him all alone ..... of course he broke out.

Two days ago I was sitting at the table helping my son with his homework, when I happened to look up in time to see Joker smashing through a new spot in the old fence.

One day ago I mucked out the pony's run in and Joker's shelter, anticipating today's storm ....the newly smashed in section of the old fence was now newly patched and replaced for the winter, but seeing the look of desire in his eyes I decided to reinforce my patch job. A new fence will go on the list of things to do come spring...as well as a ram pen for my very strong little love-muffin.

Tonight the snow has stopped falling. Aside from the sound of the snowplows, it is silent and cozy. The knitting I had planned to work on is waiting for me. I knit to the thumb on my second fingerless mitten last night while enjoying good friends and a bottle of Merlot.

Tomorrow brings yarn and calendar orders to be mailed out, finishing up a design job, and shopping for a new pair of boots for my Sam who grew considerably during the summer.

But for now I am enjoying the peace.

Monday, Monday ...so good to me.....

This will be a very long post ....here we go.

I will start by saying that Thanksgiving for us was wonderful. The weather was mild, our good friends invited us for a fabulous dinner, then tea and pie, topped off with a walk down their long field with kids on ponies, in strollers and running in the muck. What more could you ask for!

For the past two days, the kids and I have been fencing winter paddocks for our ponies and sheep up on the hill. When we cleared four more acres for the paddocks last spring, I had envisioned the fencing complete by August....hehehehe someday I'll figure out that I cannot estimate weights and times correctly. BUT .... the mild days we were blessed with allowed me to drive in a few stakes and run the electric wire without any trouble.

We also cleared the path for our super-fast-high-speed-dangerous-poop-your-pants sled run. ( the kids named it ) as well as the incredibly-slow-boring-mom-said-its-safer bunny slope. Aside from a few stumps that might get in the way, it should be a lot of fun!

As for knitting, I have finished one very large stocking which will be embellished this week, one fingerless mitten that started out as a Christmas ornament ( don't ask), and I finally decided to finish my vest that I started ....ohhhhh, I think maybe a year ago. Now I am anxious to start the sweater I designed this fall. The second fingerless mitten is in the works, but I like to save projects like that for times when I can knit without thinking like waiting at the dentist, ball games and such.

Today is as usual Catchupmonday. I have been paying bills, mailing out calendar and yarn orders, cleaning ( yuck) and making a super huge Turkey soup. Since the weather turned snowy/rainy/sleety/cold, and I managed to get all of my outside chores done over the past few days, I am happy to be "house bound" with catch up tasks.

One last thing....to my dear Patriots ... if I can carry two five gallon pails of water down stairs, across an icy driveway,and up a slippery hill, in a snow/sleet storm, and NOT drop them, YOU my dear Patriots, YOU should be able to catch a ball....thats all! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is how I plan to spend my afternoon today....this is MY chair after all. After eating my fill and more, I plan to sink into MY soft chair for an afternoon of movie watching with friends and family.

MY chair ....hmmmmmm. I wonder if Matilda will ever get it into her very large head that is is MY chair. She crams her very large body into this chair, that is much to small for her, then looks at me like a little lost creature who has finally found a home. I am such a push over.

I am thankful for her, for all of my dogs, for my kids who flop on the dogs, who pile up on the couch on a cold winter day. I am thankful for my husband who works every Thanksgiving Day and happily eats leftovers when he comes home. I am thankful for my family, my life and my freedom. Happy Thanksgiving.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

BRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Where did this cold come from all of a sudden??

Seems like lately I spend more time thawing my butt out in front of the heater than getting anything accomplished! I have come to the conclusion, that fat does not retain heat...only blubber. I am beginning to wish I could trade my fat for some blubber! Enough about being cold ... I love the change! I like cozing up in my house, in the barn, in my new studio. Ahhhhhh, more tea drinking, pie, hot chocolate, pie, yes you get the picture. :) ....and were does that fat on my butt come from??

The sheep don't seem to mind the cold. They could be in the deeply bedded barn that I took time to make for them, but the prefer to be outside in the cold wind, in the middle of the paddock. Guess I wouldn't mind if I had on wool underwear, leg warmers, sweaters, hats and scarves.

I guess my only complaint is dealing with frozen water buckets. Over the years I have filled water buckets in the kitchen sink and then have made three to four daily treks to the paddocks to freshen water. It is a heck of a job, but I will never allow my animals to go without water. I have seen neglected animals drink and drink when they have been denied fresh water...it breaks my heart. It is also very important for pregnant ewes to always have fresh water available.

I am finding now that my elbows are beginning to show the signs of over use. I carry two full 5 gallon pails at a time ... it balances me. But it looks like I will be carrying less and making more treks. I friend suggested that I use gas cans and wheel them in my wheelbarrow I think that is a great idea. My husband promises me that I will have a snow blower this year as well. Last winter was brutal, and even though I would have rather had water piped to the barn, I'll take what I can get! :)

They're Here!!

The UPS Man, grateful that my husband graded the driveway yesterday, motored his big ole' brown van up my driveway today and handed me a the big ole' box I have been waiting for. CALENDARS!

If you have ordered yours already, then I send you a gigantic MUCHAS GRACIAS ....and your calendars will be in the mail tomorrow. :)

Here is Belle as Miss August.

Look At This!

Look at his scary picture that I just found!! Hard to think about snow when I just watered and fed this morning in my shirtsleeves!

If I remember correctly, last year we received, from the overly generous snow gods, 92 inches of snow. I believe in total, I shoveled a good 6 acres of snow ... well it felt as though I did. It may have seemed like a rough winter at the time, but looking back, it was a great winter.

I am one of those strange people who likes snow. I love sledding, I love the magic of a snow storm. I love to stand on the deck in during a snowfall and listen to the silence. And I looooooove snow on my sheep!

Now that the garden has been "put to bed", I am hoping for colder temps. I planted garlic in late October and I am hoping the ground will soon freeze so that my bulbs will not rot. With temperatures in the 50s they could even sprout!

Today I will be back in the basement setting up my new studio. After a few years of thinking about creating this space, I am making it happen. It will be so nice to be able to set up and leave projects until they are finished. It also will be nice to take my bedroom back!

Welcome Sprout

My trip to New York was fun, but also very educational. I was able to see breeds I am familiar with looking quite different than some of the lines here in the northeast. All sheep are beautiful if you ask me, but I eye is aways caught by the stocky, stout, old-style Romney.

I am very happy to have just purchased, Sprout, a beautiful Romney ewe from Louise and Stephen Hessert of Pleasant Valley Farm, here in Cumberland, Maine.

I have drooled over their beautiful Romneys for a few years now, and now am a very proud owner of one. Yesterday I brought Sprout home to our farm to live. This feels like a big step for me. As my old wether Joe ages, I have feared that I would not be able to find another like him. He is the old-style type as well, and his image was in a dream I had of the sheep that would graze the ridge behind my house. His fleece has always been a dream to spin and his disposition, a classic sweet Romney.

Sprout is much like Joe. The Hesserts were kind enough to breed Sprout to their handsome Guy Noir, a gorgeous ram, before she came to us. I am in heaven dreaming of those big, beautiful Romney lambs I will have in the spring!

Katie

Look at this face. Couldn't you just eat it up?!! I have been trying to get a good photo of Katie for quite sometime, but every time I try she comes running up to me and is too close for a nice picture of her beautiful little face. Today I was sneaky. I let all of the sheep out into the new paddock, then walked behind the barn. They thought I was gone. Then I stepped into the paddock and click-click-click! Got her! Of course after I got this shot, she was practically in my lap. She still loves to be held ... and I can never refuse her. :)

Flattery?

I used to think that the person who invented black licorice was the most brilliant person on earth. My father in-law once brought me black licorice from Iceland ( although I would have preferred an Icelandic pony ). It was strong, unique and delicious! Although my tastes have changed over the years, my mouth always waters when I think of that package that only lasted about a week. :)

Not many folks like the strong flavor of black licorice. It has a uniqueness all of it's own. I like that. I'd like to think that I have that too. I hate copy-cats.

When you work hard to create your own image, when you express yourself as you, when you are honest, true and sincere about the life you have chosen, when you take pride in what you create. It is very hard to watch people copy you. This has been happening to me for a long time. A person, who even has the same first name as me, continues to be unable to have the creativity to be herself.

If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then why does this make me ill. I'll tell you why. Because I would be embarrassed if anyone confused me with her.

So I, in an effort to remain uniquely me, I will change my blog background and layout that I chose two years ago, since she has now taken as well. I am sure that she will continue to steal my image, my style and worst of all my words ..... I am NOT her ... just me, someone she could never be.

I LOVE N.Y.!

Whew! What a whirlwind of tasks and trips, and you name it over the past week. I left for Rhienbeck N.Y. last Friday, to judge fleeces at the New Youk Sheep and Wool Festival. I have to say, it was a good thing I did not take a trailer, as I would have come home with a few new additions! What beautiful Romneys! I did gather up a few business cards and will be contacting a few folks for some possible new lines in the spring.

My favorite fella at the show was a giant Rambouilett ram named Lucky. The kind gentleman that owned him was also a favorite of mine. Both of them were gentle giants. The sweet man who truly loved his sheep, was over six feet with a gentle hand, and it was evident that his demeanor was appreciated by his sheep. They too were calm and relaxed. I love folks like that! Kindness is so admirable.

I was quite well behaved with my spending. I was drawn to a handwoven African basket when I arrived. It was a one-of-a-kind that I had to have ...it is half full of yarn already! So funny to go to a place that sells such beautiful yarn and not need to buy any. I did though .... some beautiful mohair/cormo lamb . :)

I have to toot my own horn . My felted farm sign took First Place in the Felted category at the fleece competition. It is Joe, made from Joe. I needle felted his beautiful silver locks to make his body and then used Babydoll for his face. The white border and lettering is Judy, my Suffolk.

2009 Calendars

Well .... they are off to the printers! They were a delight to put together this year. I have included some of the older girls as well as some of the new. Oh, yes, and after many "Why isn't Romeo in your calendar?" inquiries ...he is Mr. December! :)

Take a look http://www.romneyridgefarm.com/

Done Atlast!

My head feels like it might explode at any minute. My kids brought me a nasty head cold. Is that fair to blame them? Seems like the second school starts for the year, one of them is sniffling and snuffling. So yes, I blame the germ magnets. :)

Being sick forces me to finish projects. The poncho I have been knitting for a quarter century ... okay that's a bit of an exaggeration ... was finally finished last night. I brought a few unfinished projects out to the couch this morning, planning to work on them, but the beautiful day called to me and I went up to the barn. I raked, and coughed, and sneezed, and scratched a few heads, fixed a door hinge, sneezed some more, was stung by a hornet, fed the rabbits, then decided to come in for some tea.

I am wrapped in my beautiful, super warm poncho, pleased with myself for not laying on the couch all day. :) Now I should take out my spinning wheel, but my head feels clearer outside, and I have a pony to train. Hopefully tomorrow I will feel more like myself.

New Life

Friday one of our silkie hens hatched three eggs. By late afternoon we had four little black chicks and two eggs. By Sat morning we had four little black chicks and one little brown speckled chick. This morning that one egg still remains unhatched, yet that mother hen guards it with her life.

I think eggs are one of the most amazing things. A gooey, slimy mass can become life. A miracle? Science? Who knows. All life is a miracle if you ask me.

I brought home a pony this week. He is only a yearling, full of life and curiosity. When I walked him into the paddock, our old pony was very curious. They touched noses and squealed, they pawed the ground and then ....she walked away and rejoined the sheep. If ponies could cry I think he would have. His little face, that still has a baby look, looked confused and he rubbed his head against my arm. I comforted him and brought Romeo into keep him company while he adjusted to his new surroundings. He is new life on our farm. He will not be lonely with three kids who can't keep their hands off him. :) In a few days I will put both ponies together in a new paddock. He is recovering from being castrated so he needs to remain calm. I think he will be good for her and they will become good friends. I am not sure he will convince her though that she really isn't a sheep.

Fall Chores

It is a dreary week. Thanlfully the changing leaves brighten it up around here. Last week we finished the new roof on the barn, and within hours it began to rain ... and rain ... and rain... Evey sheep and the pony were cozied into the fresh straw bedding where they stayed for a few days. The ground has become much like mud season again and I prefer to keep their feet dry.

Yesterday I worked in the garden again, cleaning up the long vines from the acorn squash. One vine had "snaked" around the backside of the compost pile. I followed it to the end and found four more squash! Two of them were a little squishy, so I smashed them and fed them to the sheep. It was good to get outside and work as I had been on the computer most of the morning finishing the last pages of my 2009 calendar. I'll post some pics of the pages on my website today.

Hardly a day goes by that I don't see perfect photos to take. Yesterday I carried my camera around as I worked outside. After filling the garden cart with vines, I sat down with Katie and Sam. It is nearly impossible to take a picture of Katie as she immediately wants to crawl into my lap. I put a chair in the paddock and kept to one side of it and finally got a shot of her. She is a porky little girl. enjoying very little competition for food in the back paddock.

Her fleece, as well as Sam's is gorgeous! Little tight curls on top of a crimpy, dense, lofty fleece. I will make something special for myself from these special little sheep.

Bad Goat ...Bad, Bad Goat!

Let's take a moment and talk about boundaries. When I used to work with horses, I was always taught "Your space...my space." The horse stays in it's space and never crosses into my space. Romeo is extremely smart. He knows his name, he can open gates, he is very social .... but why ... why can he not understand "your space ... my space"? No, to him its "what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine " ....mi casa su casa .

This is where I found him today. I was working in the garden, sweating, raking, pulling weeds, cleaning out expired plants. And here he sat watching me, chewing his cud.

There he was, the King of His Castle. King of the Mountain ...King of my heart.

Summer Comes To An End

Today I gave in to mom-nature and admitted .... summer is over. The garden is just about done for the season. It was bountiful to say the least. My friend Pam came over this morning and helped harvest the last of the acorn squash, cukes and lettuce. There were still a few green tomatoes, peppers and beets I decided to give a little longer to ripen. We have avoided the frost so far, but our neighbors to the north in the mountains and valleys got a touch last night.

Yesterday I walked up on the newly cleared land accompanied by 19 sheep and two goats. As we reached the top of the hill, they dispersed and began eating everything green in sight. I always dreamed of a vast field for them, but the rocky hill surrounded by woods is so beautiful. And they are beautiful. It causes me to waste time when I go on walks with them. I left Joker and two ewes behind, as well as three lambs. I could hear them calling and felt bad, but the nights are cool and he is anxious for " a piece of the girls". He may have already bred the two Columbias. A bit early, but I expect they will be quite hardy babies and we can let them lamb in the barn. Ohhhhhh ......I am thinking about babies already! :)

Color! Color!! Crazy Color!!!

White beckons me to change it. White is beautiful ... in the winter....on a sheep... on a ice cream cone covered with chocolate ... well you get the picture. White wool, white roving, white yarn ... now that needs a little help from me.

I like to try different colors that you would never imagine blending together. Reds, pinks, browns, purples ....oh I just go nuts!

This past week, I have had several lovely ladies visit my shop and take their time choosing colors. It is so fun to see what colors they mix together. Some lay skeins side by side, then change their position until they see what they have envisioned the yarn to be. Some pick shades of the same color, and some just pile colors on the counter and when I ask what they will make, they smile and say ... "I have no idea!". I love it! One lady told me the yarn tells her what to make it into when she gets it home! I believe that is true. I really liked her, she did not laugh when I told her that Romeo talks to me.... It's true you know.

Okay .... off to spin this crazy roving. :)

Tomato pie ... tomato sauce... tomato slasa ...tomato jam...

Okay, that last post makes me sound a little mad that so many folks love my little Katie. I sounded a little selfish .... sooooooo I will gladly share her with visitors, just remember she stays here when you leave! :):)

Speaking of sharing ... take a look at all the tomatoes I have been blessed with! I have shared quite a few ( eaten quite a few more ) as "off the vine", in salsa, tomato jam, and today a marinara sauce. I'd love some new ideas as to what I can make with these tasty beauties. I also have quite a bountiful crop of cukes. They have been sliced and eaten in vinegar by all of my kids. Seems to be their favorite way to eat them and no one has complained yet.

So for those of you who wonder who won The Goat vs. Human Garden Battle of 2008 ... I think I can safely say MEEEEE!!!!!! Sorry Romeo. ;)

Katie Kisses

If I was offered a lifetime supply of New York style cheesecake, with cherry topping, that contained no calories and would not make my behind expand any wider....or a brand new motor yacht with room for 20, a personal chef and jacuzzi on the stern ....or a trip to New Zealand where I would ride horseback into the outback with a handsome tour guide and gather up all the Merino sheep I wanted to bring home .... if I was offered all of these things in trade for Katie I would not take them.

So if you come to visit, remember Katie is not for sale. Many, many visitors who have met my sheep this summer have fallen in love with her. Many, many visitors have offered to buy her....and many, many times I have said no. Kaite is here to stay. She greets me every morning and all throughout the day with kisses. She is a beautiful spirit who delights my family and I am completely in love with her.

Katie is ours...Kaite is not for sale.

Crispy!!!

How nice it was to pull on a sweatshirt this morning as I headed out to the barn to feed the "kids". If these cool nights continue, I may have to move Joker to his bachelor pad early. Currently he resides with Laverne and Shirley, our Columbia ewes in the front paddock.

Yesterday I spent some time in the shop, tagging some freshly dyed yarns. My attention however was drawn to Joker as he pursued Laverne while singing her a love song. I swear if he had a guitar, he'd have played her a sweet serenade! Laverne however was not interested and finally lay down in the shed. Poor Joker! :)

Thanks Ravelry Gals!

Today I had a lovely visit from a group of fellow Ravelry girls. After touring the farm, meeting my beloved woollies, and enjoying some tasty treats, we sat, talked and knit ...what more could you ask for? It was a little hot for my liking, but at least it wasn't raining! Max, my dog, was so pleased with all of the attention and love he received.

After everyone headed home, I let Romeo out ( though he did make a brief appearance earlier and got a little too pushy ) he was more than willing to help me clean up ... well maybe a little to willing.

Thanks for a great day ladies! Hope to see you all again soon!

August Already???

How did that happen! :)

Our Annual Open House went very well last weekend. We collected lots of dog and cat food as well as $ for the Lincoln County Animal Shelter. Thank you to everyone who donated.

This week has started out as a wash, but ( dare I say it?) the sun is peeking out from time to time after a morning of heavy, steady rain. When I went up tot he barn to feed this morning, I was glad to be the wise -woman who built her barn on the rock. The water was flowing like a river all around, but everyone was safe and dry inside. The outside is another matter. Mud, mud, mud...need I say more. Hopefully the ground will absorb the new rainfall before this weekend.

I did manage to pick many ripe tomatoes before the rain came, as well as acorn squash and cukes. I plan to make my favorite tomato pie this weekend. The squash I eat for breakfast!

Got some more dyeing done this morning while it rained, now the skeins are drying on the deck.

Sheep are in the pasture, dogs are at my feet, kids are at camp... I am headed for some tea and a quick break before I go and pick them up. Time to look over the building plans for the new shop & studio. Today I picked out the windows and paint...looks like we will begin soon, our builder assures me he can be done in one week!

Hairspray

Last night my husband was watching Hairspray while I was skeining yarn. I guess it must have inspired him as he created this beautiful beehive for Pirate! If you have not seen the movie....I highly recommend it! The music is great, the singing and dancing is superb! My only complaint is, I cannot get the songs out of my head when I try to go to sleep!

Cinderella

Since last Friday, the rain has been falling. It sneaks up when we are working outside, it falls fast a furious and creates rivers running off the hill, it makes mud and deep puddles that leak into my boots....but it does give us blessings. Blessings of beauty. My pumpkin and squash plants have been growing slowly, but now with all the rain, they are about to take over my house! Please enjoy these pictures. I just find Mother Nature so beautiful.

Don't let the dogs on the new what????

After 5 years of babies and milk, toddlers who spill everything, and puppies who like to chew, my husband and I felt it was okay to buy an new couch.....I remember him saying something about not letting the dogs get to comfortable.....

Today I Dyed.....

............and went to color heaven! :)

Over The Rainbow

These are my latest treasures! I handspun these two skeins last Sunday as I took a leisurly day to enjoy my wheel. I am so happy with my Louet. Many people ask me what I would suggest for spinning on and I always say the Louet s-10. The bobbins are huge, it is fairly light weight and easy to take with me, and it is durable. My Louet was 10 years old when I bought it and that was 6 years ago!

Beauty and the Beast

Even on my extremely messy desk.... a.k.a. "The Beast", you can find beauty. Yesterday after, chores and garden duties, I finished this crazy skein of color.

It utilized the last of some natural colored roving and some blend batts I had put together a few months ago.

Yesterday my Cushing dye order arrived, and my freshly spun yarns should be here next week. I am looking forward to getting the dye pot out again. This yarn contains a perfect blend of Maine grown fibers, including my own Romney, Border Leicester and Columbia.

I send a HUGE thanks to the great folks at Green Mountain Spinnery in VT for their wonderful job of spinning my fibers into such beautiful yarns!

Smitten

Is it okay to admit it? Okay ...I am smitten with Katie. She is a little delight. He little friend Noah, who she paired up with a few weeks back, has been sick and is being treated in my basement. Noah had a bad case of coccidia which knocked him down fast. After over a week of treatment, I am seeing him show signs of recovery.

Coccidia is a protozoa that lives in the intestinal tract of many animals. It can come on fast,especially in lambs, and damage the intestinal lining resulting in improper or reduced absorption of nutrients and weight loss. The first thing I noticed in Noah was weight loss. I ran a fecal on him and wormed him for Haemonchus Contortus....I missed the coccidi....

Within a few days he started severe diarrhea. It is labor intensive and stressful to deal with a sick lamb. Keeping him clean was the worst.

This morning his little eyes were bright and his "baaa" not so weak. I will take him outside in a bit to enjoy some fresh air and then run another fecal. I cannot stress enough the importance of fecals. If you know what your animals have you can treat them correctly. I know Noah had another type of worm, which I treated him for, but I missed the coccidia.

We live and learn I guess ...fortunately this outcome should be good. I cannot wait to put Noah back in with Katie, she seems so lost without him.

Lookeeee....lookie!!!

Well this was certainly enough to make me smile! A blue ribbon at the Maine Fiber Frolic with my hand-spun mohair.... UMA! I am so pleased. Now I anxiously await Uma's first kid to be born.

One Angora goat is just not enough when you clip only twice a year. At least two goats will supply me with a bit more to spin and blend. Of course kid mohair is the finest and usually adult mohair becomes coarser. Uma however has stayed quite soft. It is a balance of grain, minerals and good hay that contribute to the fiber...you are what you eat after all! :)