Let Me Tell You a Tale

NOTE: This post was written Saturday ...

...of broken washing machines, bad coffee, mud, fish chowder, and shearing sheep.

I guess it's true what the song said...you take the good, you take the bad, you put them all together.......

The bad ... my washing machine died with a load of towels...filled to the top with water.

THE GOOD ...( see how I made those letters bigger :) ) my husband is somewhat mechanically inclined and just ordered the new timer.

The bad ...I woke up waaay too early this morning, got up and brewed a pot of coffee that was waaay too weak, but since I cannot waste anything, poured myself a big cup.

THE GOOD: Max jumped up on the couch with me and I spilled most of my big cup all over my lap & laptop. So I had to brew an new pot.

The bad ... MUD ...need I say more?

THE GOOD ...the slow warm up is giving the ground enough time to slowly absorb the water and mud so in another week or so it should get much better around here.

That's it, there is nothing bad about the tasty fish chowder I that is filling the house with a yummy smell. Biscuits with butter and fish chowder for dinner tonight!

....AND let's not forget shearing! My shearer will be here in a few hours, I have locked everyone in the barn to stay dry as it is rather foggy and damp here today. Last night when I brought them in, I stood amidst the munching and made my list. Whites, darks, lamb fleeces, weights for CD&T doses, and scales to weigh fleeces.

I have special projects for some of the wool. Katie and Sam's little fleeces are going to be blended with Uma's mohair and some bunny. I think I will keep it for myself. Old Joe is my all time favorite to hand-spin, so he will become roving. The rest will be decided as I skirt them next week.

And so ends my tale for today. I will leave you with a shot of fully clothed sheep.

In a few hours they will be naked and many pounds lighter ...hmmmmm wouldn't that be sweet if we could do the same! Pictures tomorrow ... of naked sheep.

What's Up?

Please bare with me as I go through another one of my " time for a new look" phases. I like to keep things fresh and evolving. :)

Time goes by so fast these days. It seems I was complaining about the cold not too long ago, and yesterday, while raking up in the barn, I was sweating! The slow melt is good, and if we can keep the rain away for a week or so, I may not have the "boot-sucking" mud to deal with much longer.:)

The lambs are growing and thriving. I can't help pulling up my bucket chair each afternoon and watching them. The sun shines on the front of the barn in all afternoon, and they seem to pile up like hound dogs on the porch, basking in it's warmth.

Lyra and Pixie continue to follow me around as I rake or pick up fallen branches each time I am in the paddocks. Winter storms left us with quite a mess this year. Both ewe lambs are friendly as puppies, enjoying my attention. The boys, Mike and Angus, are gorgeous lambs. Beautiful Romneys that I am so happy to have.

My yarn shop has had a make-over. I rearranged shelving and displays to maximize space, and have added new goodies. My latest blend of Romney, Corriedale, Mohair and Angora has dyed up beautifully, and I have taught myself to crochet some great little hats using this yarn. I also started a pair of legwarmers for my daughter ...I used to wear those!:)

I have spoken for a little Angora buck this spring, and I hope to make a trip to pick him up soon. He will be wethered and used just for fleece, then if Queen Uma gives me any babies, my little herd of Angoras will grow. They will have their own new barn and paddocks and work on keeping the saplings from growing.

Chickens arrive soon as well, and seeds will be planted an a few days ....busy, busy, busy.

Life is very good ...if you don't listen to the news.

The Long-legged Monster

A full, round moon shines brightly over the tree tops as I write this early in the a.m. It is quite silent in the early morning innocents of the day. In a few moments I will pull on my boots, coat and hat and inhale to cold air that smells a bit like spring is close by. The deck will crackle from my weight as I step on to it's cold planks. The gate will creak, and then I will hear it. The ear-piercing "maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" that belows from the small, long-legged monster. Lyra knows I am coming!

She will gallop down the hill from her warm straw nest. He little voice will be as mighty as that that comes from a trumpeting elephant! The old sheep will shake their heads at the young whipper-snapper. The younger sheep will rise, startled from the noise. And I will step into the paddock, pull up my bucket-chair, and produce a warm bottle of milk from my coat pocket. The attack will ensue.

This is no exaggeration. It is an attack. After sucking down the warm milk in record time, Lyra will try and climb in my lap. If I don't rise from the bucket immediately after the frenzied feeding, tiny sharp hooves will dig into my legs. As I feed the others, spreading hay around, filling all of the feeders, a nose bonks my legs. The swift black monster weaves in and out of my legs, occasionally tripping me, or sending me, off balance, into the fence.

When every creature is contently munching hay, I stop, sit back down on my bucket and allow Miss Lyra to take all she needs from me. my hands rub and scratch her back and head. I kiss her cheeks and talk to her. What else can I do?

Lyra's ovine mother enjoys her breakfast, oblivious to the fact that she is the one who should endure the incessant "bonking" and demanding. She is the one who should be climbed on and calling this little creature to her side ...this little pest.

Mother nature hold many mysteries. The mystery of why Lyra's mother rejected her. The mystery of my patience, and the energy that this little soul has tapped from me ... where does it come from?

It will then be time for me to come inside and wake my own two-legged monsters. Time to get ready for school, and the day. The little black face will watch me walk away. Her full belly has recharged her to hop and pop around the paddock with the other lambs, pesting the older sheep, tasting the different grasses from the hay, and exploring all corners of her world.

"I'll be back soon.", I always tell her. And I will ...ready to face the next attack.

Mike & Angus

The much awatied birth of Mike and Angus came yesterday morning around 5 a.m.

All are well ...and I am pooped. Mike is the larger of the lambs, and Angus slightly smaller.

The story of their birth and of Lyra The Pest who fogot she is s a sheep ...in a bit.

Spring Yarns

In the dreary, colorless land of Februaryinmaine, if you look hard, you'll find a surprise.

The color palette used by Mother Nature is limited to shades of grey, whites, dark greens, and dirty snow ...is that a color? The brilliant red winter berries that screamed "look at meeeeeee!" this past fall, have been devoured by the birds leaving only bare branches ... no color.

The autumn oak leaves are still hanging on to the trees, but their pumpkin oranges are now dreary, decaying browns. Everything seems so blaaaaaahhhhhhh ...and then I hear him.

At first he is far away. I whistle. He comes closer. "Reveal yourself!" I yell, and whistle again. And then there he is, sitting in the tippy-top branches of the tall pine tree. My friend, the cardinal. The sun is peeking through the clouds and creating a glow around him, he sings his beautiful song and tells me, "Get inspired Kelly!"

I look around me. The plain white ducks, who splashed with joy in the tub of water I set out for them to bathe in, are not plain white, but rather yellow with bright orange feet and beaks. The sheep are not dirty white, but beautiful, rich browns, blacks, whites, even tones of blue are visible in the white fleeces. Look at those beautiful pine needles! Look at the shades of blue in the sky! Look! Look! Look!

And then ...they dye-pot comes out .....look!

Diggin Out ...again

It was sneaky ...it arrived after I scoffed at the weatherman ...it came later than predicted and hit with brutal force. I do not find it pretty anymore. I do not want to shovel or snow blow anymore. I curse the groundhog. Where is spring?

As frustrated as I am with this latest round of heavy wet snow, I have to thank my lucky stars that everyone/creature is safe. A tree was brought down by the weight of ice and then heavy wet snow. I chill came over me as I looked out the window yesterday morning to see it had fallen into the pony paddock. I did not see movement ...but I also did not see casualties. I quickly pulled on my boots and coat and ran out to asses the damage. The large maple had fallen, missing the pony barn, the ponies, my ram, fences and the power lines. It must have been horribly scary for the animals as we had lost power overnight and no lights were on.

L.T. ran under the tree and enjoyed some comfort from me as well as a nice breakfast. Everyone was safe in the back barn as well.

It feels very small and enclosed when we have these storms. Branches, that have not broken from the weight, are bent to the ground. There is no openness unless I walk up on the hill, and that is pretty much impossible with the snow so deep and crusted. I spent almost two hours yesterday making wide paths with the snow blower, scraping snow from roofs, and digging out gates. I was spent when I came in.

The kiddos enjoyed another day off from school, playing in the snow and building snowmen with the sticky snow. No t.v. no power...just imaginations and board games.

Today the sun is starting to melt the un-needed mess, but it will take more than one day with temps in the 30s to make it all go away, and they are telling us we will have heavy rain by the weekend....YUCK!

Sprout is due to have her lambs soon. I watched her last night as I fed Lyra her last bottle for the evening. She reminds me of Judy in the last stages of pregnancy. We referred to her as the aircraft carrier. Poor thing, she seems so uncomfortable. If I watch closely, I can see movement on he sides. This is an exciting year for me ...I am actually crossing my fingers for ram lambs!

Lyra & Pixie

Amazingly two weeks have gone by since Lyra and Pixie arrived. It is a very different lambing season for me this year.

1. Lambing in February.

2. Having only three bred ewes.

3. Having large lambs.

Keep in mind, that my ram is a Babydoll Southdown and his genetics have alot to do with the size of the lambs he helps create. So it is a little surprising that these lambs have such a good size to them. I love their long legs and loins!:)

Pixie has gained 5 lbs since birth and Lyra has gained 8!

Lyra has become a member of the flock now, bouncing around, pesting everyone she can during the day, then snuggling in a safe, warm stall with Katie at night.

Katie was my bottle lamb last year, she has remained small with a loving personality. She wasn't so sure she liked Lyra at first, but now they are chums. All of my sheep are good friends, a tight unit.

Giving my usual breeding ewes the year off has been great for their body conditions. It has been a nice break for me as well. I have had more time to work towards growing my yarn business and have still enjoyed a few babies hoppin' and poppin' around the paddock.

The dyepot is full today....stay tunes for my latest creations!

Super Bowl Baby

Since the Pats weren't playing this year, I managed to have another source of entertainment last Sunday ...Lyra.

There was quite a commotion in the barn as I walked out to feed. I had put Shirley in the jug the night before as her udder had tripled in size and she was not all that interested in her dinner ...a sure sign that something is up. Sure enough, lying in the straw was a long-legged black lamb. Shirley was not happy. I quickly moved in to grab the lamb as mom blew and snorted at her, slamming her against the wall . A sinking feeling grew in my chest as I tried with no luck to make the mother realize that this little miracle was here to be loved, and was hers to nurture.

After a day of trying, tying mom, milking a swollen udder, and showing her time after time that it was okay...I gave up. If there is no bond within a few hours, I don't think there ever is one. I've been told that mothers can be forced to accept their lambs by putting them in a stanchion and forcing them to nurse. But where is the love? Where are the gentle nuzzles and sweet mumbles? Lambs crave love ...it is true. And why tie an animal and force her to do something she is clearly not happy to do, and create fear and distrust? This is why I tell people I am not a real farmer.

So the new "black sheep of the family", Lyra, spent two days in the kitchen, and now resides in the barn with Katie and Sam, two of last year's lambs. She is happy, she is not alone and she is loved.

My daily and nightly treks to the barn to feed her, a bit hard to adjust to at first, are now routine. Her happy little bouncing, to greet me and climbing me like her own mountain to conquer, show me that she is content in her environment. He mother, who resides just on the other side of the barn is still uninterested in her. No longer mean, just not sure Lyra is something she is supposed to care about ...I told her that it was okay. She is sill an important member of my flock, things just didn't work out.

Lyra, like any toddler is an imp. Her days are spent exploring, pesting others, eating, sleeping and pooping ...what a life. Last Friday I took her to my feed store, where she bounced up and down the isles and charmed everyone in her path. Then off to visit the creative ladies at MaineFiberarts. Knitting needles stopped clicking when she arrived in her green sweater. Confidently she explored the bags of yarn and papers that were at her level, then fell asleep in my arms as I chit-chatted with the ladies. Now isn't that a better life than being left in a stall with a mother that doesn't want you. I think so.

Three days after Lyra was born, Laverne, another early-bred ewe, presented me with a beautiful little white ewe lamb, Pixie. She is as beautiful as Lyra with her long legs, and fuzzy ears. This time, this mom took on her role is caretaker of the new life.

The Queen Returns

Yesterday, Queen Uma returned to her kingdom. She left in November to visit with a handsome knight at nearby Spinnakees' Farm.

Though she visited the knight last year, she did not produce any heirs. So, being the mighty queen that she is, she returned for an extended stay.:)

It sure is nice to have her back! With any luck, she is carrying a few little goatie babies for me to love in April.

Here is a little sheep porn. These pregnant girls were "crotched" ( sheared around udders, back legs and vulvas ) last week as it is too cold to completely shear them. This allows me to watch udders grow, keep an eye out for prolapse, and yes ...look at their hoochies.

A few days before lambing, they will look very swollen and almost purple. If the fleece is left on, it is harder to see what is going on down there. It also is very hard for lambs to nurse, especially if the ewes are longwool breeds such as Romneys, Border Leicester, or Leicester Longwools.

These ewes are Columbias, the largest white faced sheep. As I was feeding them tonight, I checked them for lice. I did not see any, but I was ooooooing and ahhhhhhing over their fine, white fleeces.

Oh my gosh....where did he come from? Well .... that is what I said to my husband when he discovered this bunny in the basement last night. :)

My good friend Betty Stover gave him to me yesterday. If you are looking for a beautiful German Angora, you must talk to Betty of Spinnakees' Farm.

This beauty tentatively named Mellow Yellow by my daughter, is almost ready to be clipped. He will blend nicely with Alice, my grey Angora.

TGIF!!!

Thankfully the week has come to an end here in freezing-cold Maine. Temps dropped on Tuesday night and continued to fall until we hit 21 below last night. Ole' Mom Nature was good enough to let the winds subside so that the comfort level was a bit better. The sheep take it in stride, but mt heart goes out to the chickens, ducks and ponies who must long for summer sun and warm breezes.

This week was the Maine Agricultural Show in Augusta. The turn out was incredible. We shared our Maine Sheep Breeders Association booth with the Wildlife Services folks. I enjoyed their company, but the poor men must have thought that my jaws were hinged in the middle. I talked to so many people for so long that I should not have a voice today. It is one of my favorite events to be a part of.

Sally made an appearance as well this year and thankfully her head stayed on throughout the many oooooooooohhhs and aaaaaaaaahhhs and touching. She is becoming a bit of a fixture at the Ag Show, as it was requested that she attend watch over our booth.

Udders are beginning to fill on Laverne and Shirley. Shirley seems to be in the lead, and a bit smaller belly-wise, although we know that that does not clue us into how many lambs have taken up residence in her womb. Poor Judy looks like and aircraft carrier a few weeks before she lambs, but always has average sized twins. I am happy to have given her a year off from having babies and nursing, she has grown beautiful fleece and has a healthy weight.

I took my wheel to the show as well, it was nice to spin again. My knitting phase has passed and I am ready to begin spinning up some beautiful hand-spun yarns for the shop this summer. I have a surprise fiber to add to the mix this year which should make for an interesting blend.

Hope you all are staying warm and dreaming of

spring...it isn't that far away!

Slow and Steady

Today was a day of longing. After a cool start to the day, it warmed up enough for the snow to melt ... drip, drip, dripping off the roof. The sweet little birds who flitter and dance around the feeders all shook their heads in agreement when I told them I wish I could fill my window boxes with bright, colorful flowers, and herbs. My garden is blanketed with snow and ice, not a sign of life is left, not even a frozen stalk or seed pod survived the sheep who I allowed to graze down the remains of the season.

I am thankful for these days though, I scrubbed out all water buckets, raked up a bit, sat in the barn when the sun was warming the milk crate I sometimes use as a seat, and observed....

Observed what you ask??? Well ....it seems that my short little ram, stood on his tip toes sometime in early September and whispered sweet nothings in two of my ewes ears.

I saw a little "action" in the paddock and sort of laughed it off. I must admit it was a bit of an experiment to see if her could actually reach the tall girls. He is a determined little bugger... and I say MARVELOUS! They combination of fleece qualities should make for some lovely little lambs! The barn is ready, deeply bedded with straw and stalled off. Butts and bellies are sheared, now we wait ...slow and steady ...now we wait.

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! :)