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. :)