Third time's a charm!

Meet Charm. That's not her "real" name, but it fits.

I showed you the stunning purple orchid that Kathy sent me for my birthday. That came through a local flower shop. For some reason, another one was delivered via UPS while we were in Nebraska - perhaps because the purple one was not the variety Kathy requested, and they found another source. By the time Debbie came to do our chores late that afternoon and found it inside our gate, the poor thing had frozen to death. I called Kathy to tell her, and she suggested calling the company of origin, ProFlowers, to tell them what happened. At the least they would know that UPS had left a box clearly labeled with contents and temperature requirements outside when it was 22 degrees, and at best they would offer to send a replacement. So I called, and the lady I talked to was extremely gracious and apologetic and offered to send a replacement. We agreed upon a delivery date of Dec. 23 so I could be here and usher in the orchid immediately.

Well, on Dec. 23rd there was no getting in or out our driveway or the gravel road we live on without four-wheel drive and chains. I thought maybe UPS would call, but I guess that's not in their contract. Monday (Dec. 29) I headed to town in the car for the first time in over a week, and there sat another big "LIVE PLANT!" box inside my gate! I grabbed it and sped back to the warmth of the house to open it, but alas, it was toast as well. Not "burned" to the extent of the first one delivered by UPS, but toast just the same. Dare I call ProFlowers again? I dared. And lo and behold, I did not get any less gracious and apologetic response than I had the first time I called! I was again offered a replacement, and we agreed on today for delivery. This time everything went as planned, and Charm was delivered without a hitch. Here she is with her two dead predecessors (I was told they might come back from the root, so I figured I'd give them a chance):
And here she is cozying up with the purple orchid in a lovely pas de deux:
I can't thank Kathy enough for the thoughtful wintertime cheer her gifts bring - or recommend ProFlowers highly enough for their outstanding customer service!

That's it for now from . . .

Deep doo-doo

That's what the dog is in, and probably what he will produce tomorrow morning, if and when I decide to let him out of his crate!

We were out of bread, so I made a batch this evening. Right after I took the loaves out of the oven, I caught Jackson with his front paws up on the counter, sniffing a loaf. I hollered and gave him a good swat, making a mental note not to give THAT loaf to the neighbors. I was pleased to have caught him in the act of counter-surfing, assured he would learn his lesson, smart dog that he is. Fast forward two hours. I stepped into the garage to ask Rick a question, and when I stepped back in, that *)%(&^%* dog had carried a loaf into the living room and bolted down most of it! I happened to have a large, empty brown paper grocery bag in my hand, so I descended upon him with fury, assaulting him noisily but painlessly with it. Now he's banished to his crate in the basement and I'm hoarse and minus a loaf of bread. Turkey.

That's it for now from . . .

Dry day fun

Today is the only dry day in the forecast for many days looking backward or forward. While doing chores I debated with myself about turning out the sheep; their dry lot is muddy and slick. But the "grand old dame" (Inky) took matters into her own hooves and nosed her way out the fold's small gate while I was filling their water bucket. Dinah followed her, and they ran for the open dry lot gate. So everyone is out now and enjoying browsing for blown-down twigs and such. It made my heart sing to see Butter leap about on her way out; she is indeed feeling good and healthy again! Between feeling better and the cessation of torture (injections), she is back to her sweet, friendly self. (Shepherd sighs with happiness.)
Since there is no snow or standing water in our arena, "riding Russell" is a high priority on today's to-do list. Figured I'd better turn him loose for awhile first since he hasn't been out of his stall/paddock in over two weeks. The above shows how wise that was! First he was indeed a leaping, racing blur. Then he galloped and trotted some more before stopping to sniff the air like a wild stallion. I can hardly wait to be astride again; it's been too long!

That's it for now at . . .

What a difference a day (or few) makes

This morning during chores Jackson treed a cat I've never seen before. The photos I snapped in the dim, overcast morning light of the cat 25 feet up a tree turned out blurry, as did most of the photos of Jackson. Even though the one above is dark, it shows the alert energy Jackson was radiating. I find his proportions very pleasing; he's SUCH a handsome boy!

Remember my guys tubing down the stairs? Those stairs are passable on foot again, and our usual winter green is emerging. That is one thing I love about winter here - the emerald green. In the midwest everything is dreary tan and brown when not covered by snow. I find green much more soothing to the eyes and soul, even when the skies are grey.

Like others, emerging on the other side of Christmas makes me think of all the things that need to get done around here. Last fall Rick dumped three loads of composted manure on the island bed at my request, and there it has sat. After chores this morning I got busy with shovel and rake and spread one load evenly over the front section where the daffodils are planted. Green shoots are already pushing through the soil, so I knew I needed to get on the stick. One load (the most critical) down; two to go!

That's it for now from . . .

A blizzard (of cards :-)

Yesterday mail was delivered for the first time since last Saturday - so much for the postman's creed of "neither rain nor snow, nor sleet nor dark of night shall stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds"! Not that I blame our mail carrier; the roads up on our hill were pretty hairy. Still, it was nice to have a mailbox more full of personal correspondence in the form of Christmas cards and letters than junk mail and bills. I always tape the cards we receive up on our mirrored hall closet door so we can enjoy them awhile.

Our snow is melting rapidly. It rained on and off yesterday and last night, hard at times, and the temperature rose 20 degrees by this afternoon. The chickens ventured out for the first time since the snow started falling; they don't mind mud but would NOT step foot in that white stuff! They did peck it off my chore boots when I went into the henhouse, though. Funny girls.

Butter is better; maybe even 100% now. When two doses of Micotil didn't bring improvement, Rick gave her a shot of LA200, but I had also started giving her daily doses of Probios (the equine variety, as that's what I had) and a high potency B vitamin. The latter is an injectable, but I gave it to her orally as I did to Brava during the second half of Brava's illness last spring. Whatever put her aright I am very thankful! Time will tell if she's pregnant, and whether her fleece will have a break from this illness.

That's it for now at . . .

The slushy lining to the silver clouds

Rick spent a lot of yesterday shoveling off the sidewalk and cement pad in front of the garage so Brian could ride his new bike a bit, and then plowing more of the slushy snow off our driveway and the gravel road we live on. The county does no maintenance on it, so I'm sure the neighbors appreciated his efforts. It's raining now, so the snow is slowly melting away, revealing the extent of the damage it did. I still can't believe how completely I spaced the damage potential, damage that could have been prevented if I had been on top of the situation from the git-go and swept the snow off shrubs and trees! After picking up all the debris and pruning back all the damage, we are going to have a huge burn pile. Veggie hot dogs and marshmellows later, anyone?

But yesterday WAS Christmas Day, and it was not all work and no play. Rick left the snow on the north steps that lead toward the barn, and he and Brian tubed down several times. Although I cut off Rick's head in the last photo, I couldn't resist including it because it shows Brian's glee and Jackson's reaction to all the excitement (click on any photo to biggify).

Besides cooking and cleaning up yesterday, I worked on my impulse from Christmas Eve. By the end of the day, "baby makes three" - and I still have enough yarn for more! (I might, too, because it's a fun little knit that makes good use of the recycled silk.) Next week when I can finally get out and about in my car, I'll pick up some fabric to line these so I can give them to the girls. In the meantime, I am busily knitting away on their mother's birthday cardigan. Although I've been rather obsessed with knitting lately, I also want to skein off that lovely alpaca/lavendar yarn so I can start spinning something new by the new year.

That's it for now from . . .

Christmas cheer

I finished the last of my Christmas knitting last night (now I have to sew on handles and make the liners). I have enough of the recycled sari silk left that I think I will whip out an even smaller model for little Hannah, so all three of my friend's dear daughters can have accessories that reflect their Indian heritage.

When Rick got home at midnight Christmas Eve, he brought with him the new bike for Brian we had stashed at the neighbor's.

Christmas morning sunrise.

Happiness apparent, blurry or not!

We all got fluffy white towel and wash cloth sets beautifully embroidered by my step-mom.

The snow is slip-sliding away.

Jackson's making tracks.

And my Butter Baby is showing some improvement. Can you sing the Hallelujah chorus with me? :-)

We wish you a merry Christmas from . . .

Here's to living in the present, not for the presents

When I was a child we opened presents on Christmas Eve, and us kids awoke to bulging stockings Christmas morning. I didn't realize until much later that this perfect arrangement came to us compliments of my Swedish heritage through my maternal grandmother. Perfect? Yes; let me count the ways:
1) Candles and Christmas lights all look prettier at night.
2) Evening gatherings are coziest, and most conducive to story-telling.
3) There are no distractions from an empty tummy.
3) A child can actually fall asleep on Christmas Eve with the gift-giving over.
4) Filling stockings with inexpensive little treasures for the kids to discover as EARLY as they want to lets the adults sleep in Christmas morning!
5) Opening presents Christmas Eve leaves more time on Christmas Day for the cooks of the family to prepare the Christmas feast.

Unfortunately, I have never been able to convince my steeped-in-different-traditions husband to see the perfection of my childhood Christmases. He feels that opening more than one present each on Christmas Eve is "cheating." (Bah humbug!)

Not that it would make that much difference in our lives whose traditions we follow. Because Rick must sometimes be on call for emergencies (as he is this Christmas) and ALL our immediate family lives in other states, we often celebrate Christmas several times and places each year. This year we celebrated in November when Rick's mom visited us, again with Rick's sister and family when we visited them in Nebraska, and hopefully first thing tomorrow morning, just the three of us. We WERE going to each open a present tonight while indulging in Christmas goodies (those I made Sunday and the fresh cranberries I enrobed in chocolate yesterday),but Rick got called out to sew up a badly cut horse before we had the chance. Good thing I wasn't expecting a Christmas Eve from my childhood, huh?

This is one of the gifts Brian received from his grandma in November - perfect in its beauty, perfect in its timing. Just like all of God's gifts to us!

Wishing you a blessed Christmas Eve and Christmas from . . .

Jackson has a cousin!

We take a break from our regularly scheduled snow coverage to remind you of this old jump-rope chant:
"First comes love"

"Then comes marriage"

"Then" (what else?) comes puppy in a puppy carrier!

Yes indeed, my sister and her beloved have taken the next big step of their married life - they have adopted a dog. Meet Kohl, a year-old, 30 lb. mixed breed they found on Petfinder.com.

Jackson has extended an invitation to his cousin to come play in the snow, but she isn't sure she's ready to leave the new RED leather couch that she is calling her own. Let's just hope Kohl is not the chewer her cousin is!

That's it for now from . . .

Deadly

(Double-click on the photo above to see just how high snowflakes can stack on a slender wire!)

I must have been in a sugar haze after yesterday's makin' like Martha, but it never occurred to me that I might need to rescue some of our landscaping. I was out taking pictures of the beautiful snow this morning, admiring the perfect drape it lent to the big firs, and didn't consider the deadly weight it might be adding to the smaller trees and shrubs. Then late this afternoon after violin practice, Brian pointed out one of our narrow north-facing windows and said, "Look Mom, a fort!" I looked, and there was our dogwood tree, bowed over to half its usual height.I grabbed my camera, threw on my coat and boots, and flew out the door to relieve it of some of its burden. Alas, some limbs had already snapped, and smaller ones broke as I gently tried to shake off some of the ice and snow. I gave up, fearing I would do as much or more damage as the firmly adhered precipitation. Coming back around the front of the house, I saw that my biggest Japanese maple in the island was also struggling under its load, but again, I could do little without causing further injury. I am afraid this spring will reveal the need of much amputation in order to save lives; I only hope none of the injuries prove fatal.
(While it truly does pain me to see my carefully chosen and much-cared-for plantings groaning under the weight of our unusual winter bounty, others have more serious concerns. A dear friend in a nearby town called this afternoon to chat, and mentioned the flood of 1962. She was a newborn then, but she has seen the photos and heard the firsthand accounts and is praying earnestly that her town is spared a repeat performance. That winter brought a similar snowfall, followed by a warm front that melted everything within a day or two. The river that runs through town could not handle the run-off, and the whole town flooded. So while I might wish for a quick thaw to save my landscaping, I must join her in praying for a slow warming to spare people's homes and businesses.)

That's it for now at . . .

Unbelievable!

Woke up to MORE snow, and it's falling thickly as I type; this can't be the Willamette Valley! Last night on TV the official news was 10 inches in McMinnville, 12 inches in Amity. That much snow on the valley floor is so rare that communities invest little in snow removal equipment, so everything pretty much shuts down. A friend's sister who moved here from Ohio six weeks ago went to Wal-Mart for a snow shovel, and was told they don't carry them. She was dumbfounded; I told her that PROVES this is not normal weather for us (she's been saying, "Yeah, right")!

We still have electricity (some don't) and therefore water, and it isn't very cold, so we truly can appreciate the beauty around us. We have plenty of food for us and all the critters; the wild birds especially seem to appreciate the buffet. Our biggest hardship is that the snow is too deep now for Brian to sled or shred our moderate slopes, so all that energy is cooped up inside for me to deal with!

Rick headed out this morning with the front chains on, but turned around and came back to put chains on the rear tires, too. He told his secretary to stay home, and has a tow rope along should he run across anyone who needs help. There is not much weatherwise that fazes my Nebraska boy, and I really do appreciate his can-do attitude and helpful spirit.

My ButterBaby is still quite sick, and I'm worried about her. This morning after taking the above photos and doing chores, I sat with my sheep waiting for Rick to come down with her shots (Micotil for the pneumonia and Banamine for her obvious discomfort), and she was the only one uninterested in attention. We pulled Brava through worse, but that wasn't pneumonia, either. Remember the old Little Drummer Boy movie? The little lad brings his mortally wounded lamb to the stable, where the very presence of the Baby King heals it. Healing would be an answer to prayer here, too.

That's it for now from snowy . . .

A good day to be in the kitchen

One batch of toffee; check.
One batch of Rich & Chewy Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies; check.
One batch of fudge; check.
One batch of snickerdoodles; check.

It's been the perfect day to stay at home and bake/make goodies, viewing the icy whiteness from hearthside, so to speak. When a mix of freezing rain and snow started falling this afternoon, I switched into high gear, hoping to finish all my projects before the power went out. The power quit once with loads in washer and dishwasher and cookies in the oven, but came right back on and has stayed on since. Once I get this posted and take a shower, that snow- and ice-laden tree (or twenty) can go ahead and fall on the power lines down the road!

Rick is going to be my "little" Christmas elf and drop off a couple plates of goodies for the neighbors on his way to work tomorrow morning. It doesn't look like Brian and I will be venturing out in the Honda any time soon, and the snow is up over the tops of our boots. So we will stay home and do homeschool and violin practice, maybe make another recipe or two, play Uno, and keep the woodstove stoked.

Below are the recipes I used today. Everyone probably has a Snickerdoodles recipe, but just in case, I didn't want to leave it out. Enjoy (while I go hit the treadmill)!

Toffee
(from the "Stir Ups" cookbook of the Junior Welfare League of Enid, OK)
1 lb. butter
1/4 cup water
2 cups sugar
6 oz. pecans, chopped (I used roasted, salted almonds; many times I omit nuts)
10 3/4 oz. milk chocolate bar (I always use semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Spread nuts in jelly roll pan. Break apart chocolate bar and set aside. Cook butter, water and sugar, stirring constantly, until 300 degrees. (Mixture will be a rich caramel color - but use thermometer.) Pour over nuts. Sprinkle chocolate on top. Spread with spatula when soft. Cool completely and break into pieces.

Rich & Chewy Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
(origin not noted)
2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon each salt, cinnamon, baking soda
1 cup each dried cranberries, white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or pecans

Mix in the usual way and bake 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Easiest Fudge
(found on the internet; really good!)
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (I prefer walnuts)

Carefully melt chocolate chips and butter in microwave. Stir in vanilla and condensed milk and stir until smooth and glossy. Stir in nuts and spread in greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Cool and cut into delectable pieces.

Snickerdoodles
(my friend Debbie's recipe)
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix in the usual order, then roll balls of dough in a mixture cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for nine minutes.

That's it for now from . . .

Crystal palace

On our way home last night a bit of freezing rain was falling; by the time we got home (at midnight) there was a hard candy shell on the snow. Didn't know what we'd find this morning, but we weren't expecting what we got: more snow, another hard candy shell - and ice crystals sprouting from everything! Rick offered to do morning chores, so the following photos are what I could snap from the doorways in my slippers. If I donned my boots and coat, I'd probably fill up my camera's memory card many times over!


Basking in breathtaking beauty at . . .

Our winter wonderland continues

The snow continues to fall in the most picturesque way here - not too deep (yet), not too cold (yet), and no wind. We ventured out to church this morning to take our parts in the Christmas program, then came home again to fill horse tanks, bring in the sheep, let the dog out, stoke the woodstove - and, unfortunately, treat a sick lamb. Rick is plowing the driveway to stay ahead of the accumulation, and we plan to venture out to a Christmas gathering at a friend's house tonight. Rick already has chains on his vet truck, and we're going to pick up someone else on the way. I also need to pick up some baking supplies on the way home so there will be Christmas goodies, come what may!

The horses' paddocks are covered, but Russell has been standing where the snow can drift in onto him.

Jackson is unfazed by the cold, white stuff.

Inky and Butter, my "California girls," are probably wondering what in the world they've gotten themselves into here! (We're afraid Butter has pneumonia; I am praying we started treatment in time.)

Brava, one of my two "Arizona sheep," has had a winter to acclimate.

Is there anything more reassuring than a well-filled woodshed in weather like this?

That's it for now from . . .

Our world's a picture postcard

We woke up to a fresh layer of powder, with all the trees perfectly flocked. The temperature, just a few degrees below freezing, is comfortable. Sun and snowflakes - slowly drifting by the windows, just like on the cool folks' Wordpress blogs - have alternated throughout the day. Brian ate breakfast quickly and went out to conquer more slopes on his snowboard.
Inside, there is more to delight the eye. Last night Rick brought home this orchid from friend Kathy. A local florist held it for me until we got back from NE; isn't it stunning? While at the florist, Rick saw an arrangement he thought I'd like, so I got an early Christmas present from him along with the belated birthday present from Kathy. That's a Thomas Kincaid collectible cottage in the center.When you flip the switch, the lights inside illuminate a cozy gathering of people around a flickering fireplace!
It occurred to me today that I don't have a single holiday cookie on hand - and Christmas is less than a week away! I pulled out some recipes and ingredients to remedy that, if not today, then Sunday. I want to make Snickerdoodles, Rich & Chewy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, Sugar Cookies (with mint chocolate chips), and Krumkake. If the fresh cranberries I purchased awhile back are still good, I'll coat them with chocolate, and probably make a batch of fudge. That will give us plenty to eat and share with friends and neighbors.

That's it from scenic . . .

Here's snow, there's snow, everywhere is snow, snow...

We are home again safely and I am wading through the usual "catch-up" after a trip while Brian plays in the snow outside. It was raining on the snow when we got home last night, but the snow started in again while I was doing morning chores (above). Brian and I made Costco run for dog food and toilet paper and other things one doesn't want to run out of since the roads were pretty good. Because Brian got to try his cousin's snowboard in Nebraska (the "sledding party" below consisted of Brian, two of his three cousins, his dad, aunt and grandma), he decided to spend some of his birthday money and buy one for himself; we found a very inexpensive on at K-Mart.
I glanced at my Blogger dashboard and there must a hundred new posts on the blogs I follow! I want to read every one but don't know how I'll ever catch up. Lots of photos of snow, so I see Boulderneigh and Nebraska are not alone in their coverings of white.

The animals are fine here, although Braveheart bashed his way out of his pen twice to get in with the ewes, causing extra work for our friend who did chores. I'm hoping Franjean bred everyone and Braveheart didn't cause enough stress to make anyone abort; I have no desire for May lambs. Time will tell.

Must run; more laundry and unpacking await at . . .

Tagged for "Eight things"

I was tagged for this meme twice, and have been occasionally mulling over my answers while trying to keep up with the seasonal madness. Once most of the deadline knitting was finished, and our Christmas cards were sent out, I had time to sit down and finish my thoughts. (Since I'm scheduling this to post while we are out of town, the "8 Things I Did Today" represent a typical day at Boulderneigh, not what I am actually doing right now in Nebraska.)

My 8 favorite foods:
1. Chocolate
2. Grapefruit
3. Raspberries
4. Cookies
5. Cinnamon rolls
6. Amadeus hummus (see below)
7. Gourmet veggie pizza with creamy garlic sauce
8. Green salads (without iceburg lettuce)

8 Things I Did Today:
1. Checked email and new blog posts
2. Did morning chores
3. Put on my "homeschool teacher" hat
4. Switched "teacher" hat for "graphic designer" hat when a client called
5. Went for a two-mile walk with Brian and Jackson after lunch
6. Directed Brian's violin practice
7. Fixed supper
8. Knitted during the 10:00 o'clock news

8 Favorite Stores:
1. Wal-Mart
2. Christopher & Banks
3. Bath and Body Works
4. New To You (local consignment shop)
5. Bi-Mart
6. Fred Meyer's
7. Costco
8. eBay (hey, I shop there a lot!)

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Amadeus Cafe
2. Marco Polo
3. Thai Country Restaurant
4. India Palace
5. Crescent Cafe
6. The Sage
7. Olive Garden (the only chain in the lot)
8. Orchards Bistro

8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. Meeting my Savior
2. Brian's bedtime
3. Knitting a Fair Isle sweater out of my own sheep's homespun
4. Having lunch with a friend
5. Getting together with fellow shepherds at sheep/fiber shows
6. Laughing with my sister
7. Having a good ride on my horse
8. Dessert!

8 Things I Like To Do With Family:
1. Worship
2. Play table games
3. Horse-camping
4. Music (play, sing, listen)
5. Go to the beach
6. Play in the snow
7. Sit quietly and read
8. Walks and bike rides

8 Things on My Wish List:
1. A talented horse who stays sound
2. A flock of fully polled, fine fleeced Shetlands
3. A good market for #2
4. More time for riding, spinning and reading
5. Having all our pasture "sheep-fenced"
6. Another perfect dog like Rosie
7. Less clutter
8. A way to haul sheep in the back of the pick-up

8 People I’m Tagging:
Nah; if you wanna play, just let me know so I can visit your blog and read your answers!

That's it for now at . . .

Baby, it's c-c-cold outside!

We are in Nebraska, where the temperature is hovering just about zero degrees Fahrenheit. It's been awhile since my nose's mucous membranes have frozen on contact with outside air! Unfortunately, we are here and snow is THERE, at home at Boulderneigh. Rick's secretary says there's 3-4 inches in McMinnville, which is on the valley floor. That means we could have double or triple that much up on our hill. (I forgot to ask how much there was when I called our friend who is doing chores, because she was dealing with an unpleasant surprise at our house - sheep out of place! Great....) No, we have not shared the snow news with Brian. It may yet snow here, and there may still be snow at home when we return. Right now he is having too much fun playing with his cousins to care.

Reporting in for . . .

"And snow for the little boy who lived down the lane"

When Brian heard us talking about the weather and learned it was going to snow while we were gone on our trip, he nearly cried. He wanted to stay and play in it, since we don't get that much of the cold, white stuff at Boulderneigh.
So imagine his delight to wake up to the above yesterday morning! It wasn't much, but he whipped out his snow boots, mittens, and toboggan and got in some snow play before we left for church.

In anticipation of more, we decided to spend last night at a hotel near the airport. We woke up this morning to wet streets, so we probably would have made it just fine this morning. Oh well, better safe than sorry. As long as we get through Denver okay, we'll be with family this afternoon!

That's it from the Portland airport for . . .

Serendipity

I squeezed in just enough "me" time this afternoon to finish plying the suri alpaca and "Allena's batt" singles (okay; and do this post). And no, I don't know what I'm going to make with this yet. When I have a chance to skein it, I'll see how many yards I have.

Anyway. I didn't weigh or measure either single before deciding to combine them. And since the alpaca top was spun on top of some brown llama, there was no good way to compare amounts on the two bobbins. Yet THISis all that was left of the singles from Allena's batt when I was finished. How cool is that?

That's it for now at . . .

Worrisome weather

We're experiencing a typical-for-here winter storm. Rain, wind; no real big deal. Since it hasn't been raining lately the ground isn't saturated, so it is not as likely that branches and trees will blow down, taking power lines with them. Possible, but not as likely.

However, THIS is what is coming! How is it that a nasty change in the weather corresponds perfectly with our scheduled holiday trip to see family in the midwest? We may not even be able to GET to the airport on Sunday morning. (Is it really morning if it's still pitch dark?) Rick thinks we should spend Saturday night at a hotel at the airport; I think we should stay home. (The tickets Rick's sister gave us ARE fully refundable.) It's not that I don't have full faith in our friend who will be doing our chores; I do. But faith won't help her much if there is a power failure to deal with on top of the cold, wind, and snow and/or freezing rain. She lives a few miles away, up another hill. That's down her hill and up our hill to do chores, then back down our hill and up her hill to go home, twice a day. We will be installing all the tank/bucket heaters we have; the chickens are my biggest concern.

Staying busy to keep my mind off the forecast at . . .

My one-of-a-kind calendar

Today I got the one, the ONLY 2009 Boulderneigh Shetland Sheep calendar. It turned out very nicely, if I do say so myself! Only one of the several photos considered too low-resolution for good print quality showed some pixelation, so next year I will proceed with confidence and offer some for sale. Since this one was just for me, I had all my friends' and family members' birthdays printed in it to help me more easily remember to send greetings.(Sorry, Tammy; my heart will always claim "my sweet Valentine," even though she's yours now. :-)

And for those of you who wanted to know where I sent Braveheart's fleece samples, I put the info in the comments of this post. I look forward to sending in samples from all six sheep come spring!

That's it for now at . . .

Pinch me; I must be dreaming!

This afternoon Brian rode with Rick. For the first time in awhile there was nothing that HAD to be done, so I took a good friend's advice (she of the wondrous handknit socks - made of SUPERWASH wool, no less!) and took time for ME. Brace yourself: Russell and I got to go out dancing (I schooled my dressage horse) and I got reacquainted with Louie Two (I used my spinning wheel). I didn't actually spin, but started plying the single from Allena's glorious glitzy batt and the single from the supremely silky Suri alpaca top I received as a sample from Ann Mayes. This is going to be the softest yarn I've spun to date, thanks to the luscious fiber.
My guys are back now, so duty resumes. But I am facing it with a lightness of heart I haven't felt in awhile.

"Sheep geek" post

Remember this? Since Braveheart was getting tufty all over from Russell's "ministrations" and getting snagged running the fence, I decided to send in fleece samples for testing now. I pulled loose locks from three different spots and sent them in to Texas A&M's AgriLife Research lab. Their turn-around was very fast, and I had the report back sometime over the weekend. (I plan to send in a mid-side sample from Braveheart along with mid-side samples from the rest of my flock at shearing time next spring.)

The results (with many thanks to Garrett for helping me translate the abbreviations) were both what I expected and not. Braveheart has always looked very consistent from end to end and top to bottom; he also feels very nice to my hand. I didn't think he was superfine, but I WAS hoping for a lower average micron count than the test revealed. Anyway, without further ado, below are the results for my 1 1/2-year-old ram, Valiant Braveheart:
Neck: 28.9 AFD, 5.4 SD, 18.9 CV, 64.4 CF%, 27.6 SF, 95 SL, 55.3 CRV
Low shoulder (just above elbow): 31.7 AFD, 6.2 SD, 19.4 CV, 41.2 CF%, 30.5 SF, 100 SL, 48.4 CRV
Low side (almost into belly wool): 30.7 AFD, 6.4 SD, 20.7 CF, 48.2 CF%, 29.8 SF, 100 SL, 51.6 CRV
(There are other figures, but these seem to contain the most information.)

For those who may be interested but who, like me until today, are fairly clueless as to the abbreviations, here's the explanation:
AFD=average fiber diameter (measured in microns)
SD= standard deviation
CV=coefficient of variation (the lower the CV, the more consistent the animal)
CF%=comfort factor percentage (the higher the better)
SF=spin fineness (what it will feel like when you are spinning it, in microns)
SL=relaxed staple length (in mms)
CRV=curvature (higher number means more crimp)

I hope other sheep geeks will let me know what they think of these results!

That's it for now from . . .

Whirlwind weekend

Here is Brian in his birthday cardigan. Like the socks, I took some nice shots of this buttoned up and arranged nicely on a chair, but managed to delete them instead of saving them like I thought I did. Too much on my plate - or not enough neurons in my brain!

And here is Brian beaming over another of his gifts from us - a pair of like-new rollerskates/shoes I found at a consignment store. They were not as easy to use as he expected (wish I'd taken video of his first attempts!), but he is practicing daily and getting steadily better.

I thought of subjecting you to photos from the three parties we attended this weekend, but figured you had no real urge to look at photos of people you don't know. Instead, I'll share the more peaceful images captured this weekend, to soothe my own soul if nothing else.
That's it for now from . . .

Speechless!

I took some lovely photos of these before I put them on (sorry, I don't think I've ever seen a terribly flattering self-portrait of feet in socks), but in my effort to be efficient with all the photos I have taken the last several days, I managed to delete them instead of save them (grrrr)!

In Friday's mail there was a package from New York. Wee Farmer Melanie is the only person I know out there, so I thought maybe she sent me something about schooling or parenting to encourage me in my job. Instead, I found these - my very first pair of handknit socks! I considered framing them since putting the results of so much labor on my feet seemed disrespectful, but since I have heard that people really do WEAR handknit socks, I put them on - and they fit perfectly. Melanie, I do not deserve such special treatment, but I'm thrilled!

From my humble, honored feet at . . .

Busy, busy, busy

Carol Ronan, Franna Pitt and I met in Salem today to send the rams Franna let us use home to Everranch (Carol had leased a 75% Gotland ram lamb from Franna). I was amazed that Franjean fit in a 500 dog crate - and could even turn around! I'm sure he'll be happy to get out at the end of the trip, though. Was so involved talking and listening and loading to remember to take a photo, so there are no parting shots of the handsome boy or the other shepherdesses. Guess I'll just have to dream of the little gulmogets I'm hoping will pop out come spring!

When I got home, I admired my girls in the winter light. Browning and Butter had their faces in the fenceline feeder, but Dinah, Brava and Inky posed graciously for some shots. Dinah is always photogenic, but I was tickled to get some nice photos of my Brava, who usually ISN'T photogenic (I can relate!). I promised everyone a lot more chin scratches in their immediate future. Probably not tonight, though. I have five more buttons to sew on Brian's cardigan and it's done - just in time.

This weekend is going to be crazy. After church and potluck we are practicing Christmas carols for church service on the 20th, going home for a couple hours, then off to our Christian trailriders' club's Christmas party. Sunday is Brian's birthday party and my dressage chapter's Christmas party. I have food to make for three potlucks - so I'd better scat!

That's it for now at . . .

Calendar redux

Okay, spurred on by Sharrie, I'm back to waffling on whether or not to do calendars for 2009. The chicken calendar is done, I just haven't posted the link where you can order one (for about $16; I think shipping is on top of that), as I was waiting to see if it turned out to be worth purchasing. However, if I wait to post the link until after I receive mine, you may not get yours by January 1st.

I set up a sheep calendar on a different website, but deleted it this morning when I decided the quality of some of the photos wasn't good enough. I could set it up again, though. That website would require me to place an order, so I would want pre-orders from anyone who wants one. The sheep calendars would only be $10 plus shipping.

So let me know if you REALLY want a calendar, either sheep or chicken, even if I'm not sure how the quality will turn out. Others have told me they've taken a chance and are happy with the results, but coming from the printing industry, I'm a little nervous.

That's it for now from . . .

Franjean's first fling is nearly flung

Franjean is scheduled to go home on Friday. I think he's done his job because no one has been receptive to him in awhile, but he still enjoys smelling the girls.

Inky seems to be giving a clear message here; "no ram parts welcome!"
While Franjean has been a gentleman during his stay, I have been careful to give him little opportunity to be anything but. Once he's gone I'm taking a stool into the sheep fold to have a nice, long cuddlefest with my girls and Browning. I also need to pick the VM out of Inky's, Butter's and Browning's fleeces and put coats on them. I can hardly wait to scratch everyone all over and admire their fleeces! I may also start leading them down to the lower pasture to enjoy some fresh grass and clover.

About the proposed Boulderneigh Shetland Sheep calendar (for the one or two of you who were interested). I have discovered that most of my photos are not high-enough resolution for a satisfactory print job, so I am postponing this idea for 2010. My new(er) camera takes much better photos even on its lowest setting, so hopefully I'll have plenty to work with for next year!

That's it for now from . . .

A little self-indulgence

Today on our way to town, I made an unscheduled stop at a nearby alpaca farm. I had stopped there once before a few years ago, but didn't find much in the little gift shop. Since then, the name has changed, the number of alpacas in the pastures has mushroomed, and I'd seen an ad in the paper stating the availability of everything from fleeces to yarn to finished garments. Lots of good reasons to check it out again!

The place is owned by a different family now, one that specializes in Suri. They had everything their ad said they would, and Brian and I enjoyed browsing and chatting with the owner. I had to buy 2 oz. of black Huacaya roving to play with, even though my wheels are sitting idle right now (supporting the local economy, don't you know). Although the animals themselves hold no appeal for me, it's very nice to have a local farm from which I can purchase alpaca fiber!

While this photo shows a peaceful scene, earlier a pack of youngsters had been racing round and round the pasture. I've never seen alpacas play before; it was a comical sight! They definitely run like camels. Speaking of camels, check out this video of a very unusual Pas de Deux. (Blogger won't let me imbed it; sorry. Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnsWQ4kNG-w) If you're like me, you gotta see it to believe it!

That's it for now from . . .

I'm claiming victory on a technicality

Last night before the clock struck midnight, I finished all the knitting on my NaKniSweMo project. All that's left to do is sewing seams and weaving ends. This project, like all new challenges, has taught me a lot and greatly increased my knitting comfort level. And Brian should be able to wear it this winter and next.

Last night I began to think Rick and Brian were not going to get a tree, because Rick got busy putting up more lights. I realized when I took the photo of the decorated maple that quite a bit of sunset color was showing through the fog that had lingered all day. God's decorations always make the manmade ones pale in comparison, don't they?

But as you can see, we DID get a tree - and I DID end up going along. Rick pointed out that he couldn't carry a tree by himself. I stayed in the truck and let him and Brian choose, and was surprised they ended up with a noble fir. The process went much more quickly than when I am involved in choosing; we were in and out of the tree farm in 14 minutes flat!

That's it for now from . . .