Thanks, Claire!

This week Claire over at Whispering Acres gave me the Premios Dardo award. It always humbles me when someone shows their appreciation for my little corner of the blogosphere by reading, commenting on, following or awarding it. The Premios Dardo award is especially meaningful because "the original intent is to show admiration for a blogger's 'word darts,' i.e., getting one's point across cleanly and pointedly, as well as having a point to get across." I like that; thanks, Claire!

Here are the rules that go with the award:
STEP 1: Respond and rework. Answer the following questions, replacing one question that I dislike with a question of my own invention.
STEP 2: Add one more question of my own.
STEP 3: Tag eight other bloggers.

Here is Step 1 (I'm going to take a pass on Step 2):
1) What is your favorite day of the week? Most definitely the Sabbath - Saturday, the seventh day of the week. At God's bidding I get 24 hours to set aside my non-essential labors to worship, fellowship, rest, and reflect. It keeps me from going crazy! (And for those who think six days a week aren't enough to get everything done, I'll let you in on a secret. Just like 90% of a tithing Christian's money goes farther than 100% does for a person who doesn't return God's tithe, He blesses time the same way.)

2) What is your biggest fear? I used to have all sorts of Fears - with a capital "F"! Now I can't think of one, just some things I wouldn't want to experience, but know I would survive with God's help.

3) What was your worst subject in school? Health. I already knew the diet and exercise stuff, and the "sex" stuff was sooooo embarrassing!

4) Who is the last person you hugged? My hubby. He's very huggable, big enough and tall enough for a good bear hug.

5) What websites do you visit when you go online? A whole lot of blogs; The Animal Rescue Site and its related "click and contribute" sites; eBay if I'm watching something.

6) What was the last item that you bought?This cute little teacup and saucer for cheap, along with some groceries at the Grocery Outlet. Isn't it sweet? Oh, what's that inside?A regular 8-oz. mug! (This planter is going to be so cute filled with pansies and primroses on my deck where the deer can't eat the flowers. :-)

7) If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? I would love to roam all over the British Isles, hike the hills and dales, visit the coastlines, see the native ponies and sheep and cattle, soak up the music, admire the textiles, and sit and listen to the people. But then I'd probably want to MOVE there!

8) What is your dreamlife like? In a word, busy. My mind is running constantly as I drift off to sleep, and continues all night. If you woke me up at any time between bedtime and rising, I could tell you what I was "dreaming" about the moment before. Mostly run-of-the-mill, daily life kind of stuff; occasionally stressful stuff; never weird or completely improbable stuff.

9) If you couldn't have your current job, and money were not an issue, what would be your second choice? Considering that my current "job" includes being graphic designer, editor, first grade teacher, maid, chef, baker, veterinary clinic payroll specialist, animal caretaker, gardener, hand-spinner, dressage trainer of horse(s) and person(s), I think I've used up more than my share of choices, don't you?

10) Has a celebrity's hair cut ever influenced your own hairstyle? Farrah Fawcett's "feathers;" didn't every young female (and a few guys) back then go for those? (Did I just date myself, or what?)

11) If you had a whole day to yourself with no work, commitments, or interruptions, what would you do? Call a couple girlfriends, load up the horses and haul to the beach to ride. Sit down and spin once I got home.

12) What was the last movie you watched? Day of Discovery's "The Eric Liddell Story," the true story of the man behind the movie "Chariots of Fire," complete with interviews of his daughters and others who knew him. The testimony of his short life is powerful; he was truly a man of God.

13) If you were to win the Powerball, what would you do with the money (besides invest it)? Pay off our mortgage, buy the five acres next to us, fence everything the way we want it, put away enough money for all of Brian's education, finish the basement, contribute generously to those causes we care about, buy a newer car, and cover the arena. And get the carpets cleaned every month. :-)

14) What is your favorite plant or flower and why? Oh my. If I had to choose just one kind to surround myself with, it would probably be Japanese maples. That would give me shade, color, architecture, even container plants - the works!

15) What do you do to try to make the world a better place? Treat others the way I want to be treated; share the gospel, using words when necessary; recycle; conserve resources; contribute to environmental and earth-centered charities.

Now for Step 3. I am tagging eight blogs who, for me, fit the spirit of this award. Please feel free to join, if you wish!
1. A Day Late and a Dollar Short
2. Antiquity Oaks
3. Boston Lake Farm
4. Chronicles of a Country Girl
5. Karen's Shetlands
6. Musings from Fairlight Farm
7. Punkin's Patch
8. Stonehaven Farm

Here's yesterday's calendar page as my parting shot (click to biggify):Yep, that's it; I'm protecting the masses - hee!

That's it for now at . . .

Snow white, blood red

The weatherman nailed the forecast again; we woke up to at least 4" of snow with more coming down! It's not supposed to last long (it IS almost March in the Willamette Valley), so the first order of business was to take pictures, of course!Hungry juncos.

Buried daffodils and happy Jackson.

Snowy sheep lot.

Douglasfir on the way to the barn.

Then I got busy with chores. Open the henhouse door for the day and check the girls' food and water; hay the horses and pick their stalls and paddocks; feed the cat; feed and water the sheep. WHOA! What in the world? As I walked into the sheep fold, I saw blood first, and then noticed that sheep were everywhere. Braveheart, probably frustrated by being cooped up these last few soggy days, had bashed his way out of his pen, bloodying his bone knobs in the process. He then proceeded to bash on three of the other sheep - Brava, Browning and Butter. Dinah didn't have a mark on her; it didn't appear that Inky did, either. Everyone was was standing and walking on all fours, so it looks like no harm was done. I just hope all the girls are already pregnant, because I don't need late July lambs!(Look at Inky's baby bump! I sure hope her little lambies are okay in there.)

That's it for now at . . .

Two down, three to go

I have two of my Pay It Forward gifts all packaged up and ready to mail today! Photos will be posted just as soon as the surprises reach their intended recipients. I'm tickled with how they turned out; I hope the "giftees" are, too!

Pay It Forward gift #3 is halfway done; the others are still in the "figuring out" stage. I have ideas for both, but haven't started implementing them yet. I gave myself until June, but hate to leave things until the last minute - although heaven knows I do that often enough. :-(

Here's some "project progress" I CAN show:I'm almost finished with the first eight ounces of alpaca top singles! I gave the alpaca farm owner the choice of an 8-oz. skein or two 4-oz. skeins of two-ply; she opted for the 8-oz. skein. As soon as I get it done, I'm going to take a short break from alpaca to spin at least one of the roving samples Sara at Punkin's Patch sent me in trade for some of my Shetland. Then it's back to another eight ounces of alpaca.

That's it for now at . . ,

Soggy; soon to be snowy?

Yesterday I woke up to rain, but by chore time it looked like it might clear some so I put the sheep out. Then it rained for hours! Mid-afternoon there was a break in the weather, so I went out to put the sheep away before leaving for Brian's violin lesson and bluegrass group class. My little wet woolies were definitely ready to come in:I know they won't melt, but I do wonder if wet sheep suits rubbing on wet wool could cause felting.

More rain was predicted for today, so although the sky tried to fool me with another little break about morning chore time, I left the sheep in the fold. Wouldn't you know it; all we've had is a few sprinkles, and the standing water in our arena has disappeared. But I'd bet money (if I was a betting woman) that if I went out to work my horse, it would start raining in earnest again....

As for the rest of the week, the weatherpeople are saying we could get snow down to 500' (we live at around 700-800') on Thursday. It IS still February!

Here's a parting shot of another "sign of the season" around here. These are catkins on a volunteer hazelnut in the sheep lot (which has become Braveheart's winter turnout). I think they are rather decorative!

That's it for now at . . .

Weekend, part two

Our lovely Sabbath repast came to an end exactly as predicted by the weatherman. He had said the rain would move in oh, about 5:00 Saturday afternoon, and I felt the first raindrops at 4:50. Mind you, these were not big, quart-size, Midwestern raindrops; we rarely get rain like that here in the Willamette Valley. Usually it's more of a drizzle, or what I sometimes call "spit." We need rain; we're down about 8" from average for our "rain year," which begins October 1. Hard not to enjoy the drier, sunnier weather we've been having, though! Really makes one think it's spring, especially with buds swelling and daffodils emerging:
It really wasn't doing much precipitation-wise on Sunday, so Rick and Brian got busy in the garden trellising the caneberries, planting some new blueberry bushes, and fertilizing everything. I was playing catch-up housemaid when the phone rang. It was an acquaintance from church, inviting Brian to go bike-riding with her and her daughter at nearby Willamette Mission State Park. Rick and I don't send off our boy without our supervision often, so since Rick was on call, I had to decide whether to say yes and go along. I didn't really have time; taxes (both personal and for my small business) needed doing, along with a job for a client and more housemaid stuff, but Brian needs outings like that and raising him should be my first priority. Taxes, etc., would have to wait yet again.

Said acquaintance stopped by and picked us up, and off we went to the park. Of course, as soon as we got to the parking area to unload our bikes and cross the Willamette River by ferry, it started sprinkling. Oh well; we don't melt, so off we went. By the time we made it around the park, we were all wet and dirty. But the kids were having fun, and were loathe to go home. So after crossing the ferry we hung out on the gravel bar for awhile so the kids could throw rocks and discover empty liquor bottles to pour water. It even stopped raining and some blue sky peeked through the clouds!
Fortunately, I had assembled Brian's favorite "green and white" lasagne before we left, so I was able to call and ask Rick to put it in the oven. By the time we got home, it was hot and ready to serve along with a tossed salad I threw together. Jackson provided dinnertime entertainment, throwing his toy around trying his best to get someone to play with him. Sorry, dog; no rest for the weary. There's still laundry and that client's job to do!
That's it for our weekend at . . .

Play, a universal "language"

Sabbath afternoon after church and potluck, Brian and I went outside to enjoy the beautiful day. While Brian was off slaying dragons, I picked some grass for the chickens, schmoozed with my horse a bit, then sat and watched my sheep graze. Jackson was feeling left out on the other side of the fence, so I opened the gate so he could join us. Turned out he didn't want our "company," he just wanted to "graze," too - on sheep poo! Browning, being the bold and curious fellow he is, had to go investigate.
"What is this?"
"Doesn't smell like a sheep."
"What's so interesting down here?"
"Come on, let's PLAY!"

From then on, it was "game on." Brian and I laughed and laughed at the two youngsters' exuberance and obvious delight; don't you just love how play crosses all boundaries of language and even species?

That was our weekend, part one, at . . .

Doing its job, almost without fanfare

(Little windchime #1 on the south side of our house, with our bathroom and bedroom windows beyond.)

While I've been captivated by the crocus and wooed by the windchimes at the front of the house, around the corner on the north side the sarcacocca bushes have been exploding with fragrant little flowers. I must admit they had completely slipped my mind until I happened to look out a window to check on Brian today and saw them:
These evergreen bushes flourish in complete shade and very minimal care, and scent the winter air with their blossoms. The deer don't touch them. They are our seldom-sung landscape heroes!

That's it for now from . . .

Tufty no more

Last night I sat down in the sheep fold to perform a needed task - remove Butter's fleece and coat her before she removed it herself and trashed her new fleece in the process!

Here she is, tied up for the ordeal. She looks leggy because her belly is already rooed, and there's a divot behind her withers where she has rubbed off a hand-sized patch of fleece, imbedding bits of bark in her new wool in the process. That is why I decided I'd better get busy....
I started at her head and worked my back; Rick came in and helped hold her (and even helped roo a bit) when I was working on her hindquarters. It took us awhile; the new fleece acted as Velcro with the old fleece - the old fleece didn't just "wipe" off like it did from Brava after she got sick. I was so pleased to see Butter in such good condition as her little body emerged from under the tufty fleece!
I promptly covered her with a sheep suit to keep her fleece clean, then Rick helped me give her a pedicure.I couldn't bear to throw away all that incredibly soft lamb fleece; I still kick myself for not saving Brava's fleece after the break. So I have most of the good stuff in a feed sack while I decide what to do with it. Should I try to process it myself, or send it out? What would remove the most VM? I have hand cards and a Clemes and Clemes drumcarder, but no combs. The fleece is probably 3-4" and very fine. I'd love some guidance from those of you with experience.

I couldn't resist snapping a photo of Butter's beautiful backside this morning. I doubt there is a lamb lurking in that little yearling body, although she wouldn't be due until early to mid-April. I expect awesome offspring from this girl whenever she does produce!

That's it for now at . . .

Bad bread salvation

Okay, it's not really bad, in that it is edible, but my last batch of bread definitely leaves something to be desired - namely salt. So today I used up most of a loaf making bread pudding, and it is AWESOME! I found a recipe on the internet and tweaked it to make it my own (of course); I'll share it below. (Note: my home-dried, unsweetened Royal Anne cherries make this recipe, so if you don't have any on hand, you will miss out on the awesomeness and probably just land in "good" territory. Also, I didn't list the salt I added for what went missing in the bread.)

Cherry Chocolate Whole Wheat Bread Pudding
9 slices whole wheat bread, cut into 1" cubes (I used generous slices of my homemade Flax Prairie Bread, recipe below. If you use store-bought, you'll probably need to use more slices.)
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup fat-free half-and-half
1 1/4 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat together eggs, liquids and sugar, and pour over bread cubes in a big bowl. Let sit for at least five minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in cherries and chocolate chips. Pour into a 2-quart casserole greased with real butter, and bake at 325° for 55 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream (Rick's choice) or fat-free half-and-half (my choice). Moan and groan; have seconds.
Below is my bread recipe, modified from one from the Flax Council of Canada. It makes a four-loaf batch, and gets raves from nearly everyone. The original recipe is for a bread machine; if you would like that version, email me.

Flax Prairie Bread
5 cups warm water
8 teaspoons fast rising instant yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
dash of ginger powder
12 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/3 cups flax seed, ground (I use a little coffee mill)
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil (can use a little less)
1 cup honey (or less, depending on your preference)
3/4 cup raw sunflower kernels

Combine the first four ingredients and let sit until yeast bubbles. Mix in half the flour, then the flax, sunflower seeds and salt, then the oil and honey, then the last half of the flour. Kneed thoroughly, form into four loaves, and put in 100° oven to rise. When you poke a loaf with your fingertip and the dent remains, turn oven up to 350° (without removing the bread pans) and set timer for 30 minutes. Done!

That's it for now at . . .

Yesterday's endeavors

I enjoyed a blissful afternoon to myself yesterday because Rick, Brian, and two other dads and their kidlets went up to the sledding hill for an afternoon of snow play. Having time to spend any way you want is akin to having "fun money," at least to me. And I guess you could say I acted like I had both, since not only did I catch up on blogs, spin some alpaca and ride my horse, I also did some necessary and UNnecessary shopping. Before picking up some needed items at Costco in Salem, I stopped by Tuesday Morning. They had a whole bunch of windchimes, the kind with the metal tubes that make a lovely musical range of sounds. I came home with a rich-sounded 34" model and a higher-pitched 23" one, and spent less than $16! I hung them in the flowering cherry outside our front door. We don't get a lot of wind here, so I don't anticipate them ever being too noisy. We have a much smaller version hanging outside near our bedroom window, and I love hearing it tinkling gently in the summer when we sleep with our window open. Anyway, here's the big one:
And here they both are, with the smaller one in front.
As I said, I also got in some spinning. I'm slowing filling a bobbin:I was planning on putting 8 oz. of singles on two bobbins and then plying off two 8 oz. skeins, since it is much less hassle to ply from bobbins on a lazy kate than it is to ply from a center-pull ball. But I may get too impatient to have some finished yarn for the alpaca owner to wait that long; she would prefer 4 oz. skeins anyway. I'll see how I feel when I get the first 8 oz. of singles spun.

My lovely afternoon came to a busy end when I learned that everyone was coming to our house for a late supper. I dashed home from Costco, put away groceries, pulled out leftovers, assembled other dishes, and fed the hungry crowd. While they ate, I started a much-needed batch of bread, but that proved to be too much multi-tasking. I realized when I tasted a bit of bread that stuck to the pan that I forgot to add salt. Yuck! And I have four loaves of this stuff! I think I'll look a a bread pudding recipe, add extra salt, and use up some eggs....

That's it for now at . . .

Hey, Ewe!

I'm going to be a sheep and follow the flock of shepherds' blogs in posting photos of my Shetlands' faces today. I can't say these are the best photos of my girls and boys, but it was fun trying to "shoot" them.
Here is Dinah, wearing her "bliss face." She is the first Shetland to seduce me, and I love her still. Can you see the little wisp of wool on the top of her head?
Maybe you can see it better here (along with her big, beautiful eyes); it reminds me of Longfellow's poem:
There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead;
And when she was good
She was very, very good,
But when she was bad she was horrid.
(Not that Dinah is ever horrid. :-)

Brava is my Arizona ewe. She and Braveheart were flighty little lambs when they arrived, but she has turned into a quiet love. I'm hoping she's pregnant with her first lambs; I really want to see what she produces.

Eight-year-old Inky is my "grand old dame." I love her short face, and am eager to see what she produces as well. With her milkiness, polled genetics and scant age-greying, she has a lot to offer. We'll see how she does; I would love a set of lambs from her next spring from Braveheart after seeing what she produces from Franjean this spring.

My sweet, beautiful Butter Baby. She was such a love before she got sick; after all the shots she's still not sure she trusts me again. She's looking ragged and patchy from the break in her beautiful, trashed lamb fleece; I need to roo her and cover her.

Browning, Dinah's wethered son. He doesn't have the most attractive head so it's hard to get a good photo of him; I'm happy with this one.

Finally, here's Braveheart. His hormonal frustrations seem to have abated (along with the size of his nose). He bounces playfully at the end of the leash when I lead him to and from his turnout lot, as well as playing with his rope swing. Hard to believe he's a two-year-old ram!

That's it for now at . . .

Nuzzle a muzzle- it's Valentine's Day!

Russell has such a beautiful muzzle . . . .

but he's not much into nuzzling, unless you have a cookie.

Look; our Creator gave us flowers for Valentine's!

That's it for now from . . .

Fugitive captured; small boy and dog assist

Just when I decide I have nothing better to offer than 25 random things about myself, MUCH more interesting blog fodder comes along. Today, after eluding authorities for months, the only survivor of a band of fugitives is captured - right here on our property!

Oh, she looks innocent enough, but she's a sly one. She escaped, along with two or three other pullets and a white rooster, from the neighbor's "coop." Granted, what our city-slicker neighbors set up for their chickens doesn't look capable of keeping fowl in or predators out, but they do still have a few hens contained in it. The stupid ones, perhaps? For awhile now, this fugitive is the only one I've seen occasionally; the rest, I'm guessing, picked off by coyotes or that bobcat I saw while riding one day. This week she's been seen hanging out in our pastures and around the chicken yard - scheming, no doubt, about setting our ladies free so she has some company again. Or maybe she just wants to improve her odds; you know, you don't have to be faster than the predator, just faster than one other loose chicken. Anyway, we've tried several times to corner her, without success. This afternoon, however, with the help of my able assistants Brian and Jackson, I managed to nab her.

Isn't she a beauty, with those blond streaks on her neck? Is she a red Sex-Link? I've named her Lucille, even though she isn't ours and we plan to return her to her owners tomorrow. She dove into the Layena crumbles, making the other girls think there must be something new and exciting in the feeder; free-ranging must not be all it's cracked up to be. Being the new hen in the henhouse isn't so great, either; she's going to look a bit worse for wear when we have a chance to take her home.

That's it for now at . . .

25 things random things

A friend of mine who is on Facebook (I'm not) encouraged me to do this, and then Sharon did it and encouraged her readers to do it. It has been fun to read others' lists, so I thought I'd give it a try. (And let me insert here, after working at it on and off for days, that it is a lot harder than it looks!) Here are 25 random facts about me:

1) I was born in Walla Walla, Washington. Walla Walla means "water, water" in some Native American language even though it is pretty arid there, so maybe that's why our wet Pacific Northwest winters don't bother me like they do so many other people. Either that or it's a genetic influence; my mom was born and raised in very wet Ketchikan, Alaska.

2) My dad was born and raised on a "century farm" (in one family for over 100 years) in western Kansas; we lived there for awhile during my toddler years and I still visit from time to time. I have fond memories of the old barn and adore the grand old farmhouse my great-grandparents built. If I had unlimited funds, I'd buy the house from my uncle (who no longer lives in it), totally restore it, and live there. I'd miss the beauty of the NW, though.

3) As a kid I was a very slow eater; I can remember sitting at the table long after everyone else had finished. (My mom says I would sometimes protest that I couldn't eat my food because the "colors didn't go together.") In high school I learned the opposite habit, and have been a fast eater (probably too fast) ever since.

4) My first commercial endeavor was a curb-side art gallery in Loma Linda, CA when I was in kindergarten or first grade. I set up a TV tray and a chair and peddled my paintings; Mom says that she and the landlord of our duplex were both customers.

5) I don't remember not being able to swim or liking the water. I especially loved to dive, and did so fearlessly until I did dove off the high dive at a pool in Lincoln, NE when I was a high schooler and hit the bottom where it sloped up to the shallow end. I cracked my two front teeth, and scraped the bridge of my nose, my chin, and both shoulders in the impact. It's a wonder I wasn't knocked out and left at the mercy of the lifeguards to pull me up to safety! I haven't dived off a high board since.

6) I don't remember not being horse crazy. I drew horses, read about horses, collected (toy) horses, pretended to BE a horse, and spent time with horses every chance I got. Then we moved to my step-dad's family farm in Texas, and my horse dreams started coming true. They've been coming true ever since.

7) My seventh and eighth grade years I attended a one-room, one-teacher school in Hereford, TX.

8) In school I loved sports and was highly competitive. In grade school I hated playing with the girls, because most of them were wimpy and whiny. The boys were tougher and faster and much more my speed, and soccer was the name of the game. In high school my athletic horizons were broadened to volleyball, badminton, floor hockey, basketball, gymnastics and track and field. I set several track records at our small parochial school. I also broke the lower bar on the uneven bar set with my thighs when I didn't extend properly for a "giant;" that little accident caused the most spectacular bruises I have ever had - or seen - in my life. I learned to play racquetball in college, and started running longer distances, but only got up to a half-marathon road race, never my goal of a full marathon.

9) My boyfriend (now DH) did not like the way I looked when I was running those distances. "Too lean;" NOT what I wanted to hear, because at that time my self-image was probably at its highest.

10) I have never had long hair.

11) My dark blue eyes are often mistaken for brown; they have a golden ring around the pupil.

12) I have always had crooked fingers and toes, particularly my pinkies and "little piggies."

13) My maternal grandfather was a commercial fisherman, as are my uncle and a cousin. I get sea-sick . . . and car-sick . . . and air-sick . . . and most definitely spinning-carnival-ride-sick . . . . I've gotten good at keeping emissions under control, however.

14) I've had pet dogs, cats, fish, a hamster, birds, horses, cows, guinea pigs, goats, and sheep. I wanted a pet gerbil and a pet turtle when I was a kid, but the former was banned in California, and my mom wouldn't let me have the latter because of the risk of salmonella.

15) As early as I can remember, I have prided myself on being able to make (to me) realistic animal sounds. It embarrasses my DH when I whinny.

16) As a high school student, I worked for the biology teacher; in the school cafeteria; and driving tractor for the neighbor. During college I worked in a health food store as a bagger, clerk, stockboy, and baker's assistant; as the art director for a campus magazine; for a small-animal veterinarian; and as a receptionist and aerobics teacher at a gym. This was not for spending money; this was to help pay for my tuition.

17) I can wiggle my ears. I passed this talent on to my son.

18) I listen to the same instrumental CD every night when I go to bed.

19) To varying degrees of proficiency (none of them very high), I learned to play the piano, clarinet and accordion. I still have the accordian and a piano.

20) I love the look and feel of smooth wood, polished stone, and leather goods, but I don't wear earth-tone clothes.

21) I have never fainted, nor been knocked unconscious. I do have a cousin who was in a coma for nine months. No, she did not come out of it "okay."

22) I have never been in an altered state of consciousness brought about by anything inhaled, injected or ingested (unless you count nitrous oxide at the dentist's office).

23) My mom and grandma both made custard when I was a child; it is one of my favorite "comfort foods" but I don't think I've ever made it. (Now that we have chickens, I should!) On a related note, the one food I could overdose on (and die happy) is creme brulee, although I rarely indulge.

24) I don't butter my bread (good bread doesn't need it, and it saves more calories for dessert. :-)

25) The one modern appliance I could easily live without is the clothes dryer. The one modern convenience I would miss the most is indoor plumbing.

That's it for now from . . .

Fresh eggs

Green egg (look closely) courtesy of Ebony, the black Easter-Egger.

That's it for now from . . .

YooHoo! Schumadeka from Oregon!

After sharing my alpaca deal, one of you readers asked me if I might be interested in spinning fleece from your sheep for halfsies, and sent me a sample. I thought I saved an email, but can't find correspondence on this anywhere, and the last name on the envelope doesn't ring a bell. So if you are the Schumadeka who sent me a fleece sample, please email me (there's a link in the right-hand column).

Thanks!

FO, FS, and SF

FO (finished object): Last night I finished this "one skein household item" for the Traditional Knitting gift exchange. It's made from discontinued Lion Brand Chunky Cotton (not the easiest yarn to knit with) and I had just enough - whew! I'll get it in the mail today, so the recipient may even get her Interlocking Hearts dishcloth by Valentine's Day. (My very first "dishcloth" turned ended up a hefty 14"x11", so I don't know what she'll use it for, exactly, but it was fun and I can see more dishclothes in my future.)

FS (fun surprise): Yesterday I got this in the mail from Miss Peach's mommy Karla. The Valentine and its envelope are beautifully handmade, and the book is chock full of mouth-watering bread recipes from around the world; I think I've gained another five pounds just looking through it. I do love to bake, and we all like good bread here, so Karla chose my gift during her visit to Waldport very wisely.

SF (snow fall!): Yes, winter has returned to the Pacific Northwest. Last night we went to sleep with a full moon shining down on green - albeit, frosty - grass; this morning it is white. The mountains needed more snow; Brian is hoping for enough here to practice on his snowboard. Could happen!

That's it for now from . . .

Sensory delights

Yesterday afternoon something caught my eye out in the side pasture. I walked out there and was surprised to see these snowdrops; I don't remember ever seeing any out there before.Funny how a few simple white flowers blooming unexpectedly amid the grass can bring such a lift!

Speaking of a lift, last night Rick and I went out on a date, using the tickets to An Dochas and the Haran Irish Dancers that I got him for Christmas. We don't get to do this sort of thing often - maybe a couple times a year - so it is always special. But when the performance is as good as last night's was, our time together is even better! I pulled the photos below off their website; you can click on the link to see more photos and hear some clips of their music. I highly recommend them if you like Irish music and dance!
Today I took off with a friend to look at a horse she bred and raised and do a little shopping - another rare treat. She took me to a shop at a new mall I've never visited (to say the least, I'm not a "mall rat") that features a mouth-watering array of rice puddings, of all things. It's called "Pudding on the Rice," and they give samples on little spoons, just like Baskin-Robbins does. I settled on a delightful combination of rice pudding, fresh raspberries, vanilla and a touch of almond, and savored every creamy, "comfort-food" mouthful - YUM! Then, among other places, we stopped at Cost Plus, another store I've never been to. There I spied some chocolate that sounded intriguing, and suspiciously good:My friend thought the combination sounded nasty, but I opened it in her car and insisted she sample it with me, and she agreed my instincts were correct - it is SENSATIONAL! It's a good thing Cost Plus is located in an area of Portland I never go to on my own, because seriously, this stuff dances on the tastebuds like nothing else I've had.

While out and about on the day's outing, I even got a good start on my "one-skein household item" for the Traditional Knitting gift exchange. I hope it doesn't disappoint. I'm obviously feeling some insecurity in this area, because last night I had a dream wherein I received a HUGE box containing the gift knitted by the person who got my name (I think it was a big, fancy rug along the lines of an oriental carpet). I can remember thinking there was no way it was made from just skein, but it still left me feeling a little panicky.

That's it for now from . . .

One down, many to go

Last night I finally tackled sewing the seams on my friend's late Christmas/birthday Sonnet. It's not that I hate sewing seams, it's that I hate sewing anything with this chenille yarn! It's not fun to knit with, either, but it does make a soft, lightweight garment. Today I did a crochet slip stitch edging around the neck opening and bottom hem - my first but definitely not my last dance with that technique! I'll weave in the ends tonight (Pam didn't want buttons) and give it to her tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to show you mom and daughter in their matching cardis someday.

I've already started on one of my Pay It Forward gifts, but need to set it aside for the Traditional Knitting list gift exchange I signed up for. Somehow it had slipped my mind that this "one-skein-from-your-stash household item" needs to be in the mail by March 2; I was reminded when I got my designated recipient's name and address this week. I'm torn between knitting a cotton dishcloth (and maybe using that crochet slip stitch I'm newly enamored with to add the recipient's name in the middle) or knitting up another mini-Himalayan tote out of the remaining recycled sari silk I have. Decisions, decisions.

Then it's back to making gifts for the five people who signed up for my Pay It Forward exchange. And spinning alpaca top. Just how much "free time" did I think I have?

Struggling to chew all I've bit off at . . .

Baby bump

Inky still has 6-7 weeks to go; I think she's going to get BIG.

That's it for now at . . .

She's "in the Army now"

Last night I finally got around to changing Dinah's and Brava's sausage casings - er, coats. I had ordered two F and two G coats from Rocky Sheep Suits awhile back, but didn't open the package until last night. It contained one in the tannish color of all my others (now on Brava), a khaki green one (now on "new recruit" Dinah), and two in dark forest green! The dark green ones are size G, which may be bigger than I need. (Braveheart's shredded coat is an F, so he could probably wear a G, but I'm not sure I want to let him shred another one at $16 a pop!)

Dinah's covered, skirted fleece will be available at shearing. It is long, lustrous, and wonderful to spin, and should weigh in at four pounds or more. Brava's I want to keep and use myself, but I do still have her lamb fleece (as well as Braveheart's), plus the roving I had done last year (available for sale) and the white alpaca top, not to mention other fibers I've picked up here and there! Maybe I'll enter Brava's clip at some of the fiber events this year with a high price per pound attached, and if it sells, it sells.

The photos above illustrate some of the good and not-so-good features I have to work with in my ewe flock (click to biggify them). Dinah is a nice, wide ewe with good tail, wool on her poll, and a long, lovely, lustrous fleece. Her rear pasterns, however, aren't as upright and strong as they could be. Brava's head shows excellent breed characteristics with wool on poll and cheeks, but she also has a LOT of wool - too much! - on her tail. I haven't spun her wool yet, but it has incredible "hand" and is long and lustrous with a lot of color variation. I am hoping her lamb(s) this spring inherit Franjean's tail; if not, I'll try breeding her one more time to Braveheart, who stamped all his get last year with nice tails. If her tail type ends up being dominant, she will be retired from breeding.

Off to wash dirty sheep suits at . . .

Another award!

I actually got TWO awards yesterday! Mud Ranch gave me the Fabulous Blog award; I'm blushing. This blog award comes with the responsibilities to list five things I’m "addicted" to and then pass it on to five more bloggers. Here are my addictions:

1) Animals - I love animals; I NEED animals in my life! Only animals give unconditional love; I cannot imagine a life void of animal friends.
2) Digital camera - I have gotten addicted to the instant gratification, the ease of putting photos on my computer to save or share with others, and the freedom from buying film and paying for processing. What an invention!
3) My computer (make mine a Mac) - what would I do without my blogpals, email and the internet? Ack! Don't make me find out!
4) Mochas of many flavors, hot or cold - I love the flavor of coffee mingled liberally with skim milk and sweet flavorings.
5) Sugar - yes, I have a sweet tooth. When I was a preschooler we lived with my maternal grandmother, one of the world's best bakers, for awhile. While "helping" her in the kitchen one day, she asked me if I had a sweet tooth. My response: "I have 32 sweet teeth!" (And doesn't my dentist know it!)

Let's see, five fabulous blogs that have not already received this award (I think):
1) Miss Peach's Meowz - I cannot imagine how much time Miss Peach's mommy Karla puts into her beautiful creations and her beautiful blog. And she's always doing things for others, too.
2) Tammy at Wrensong Farm is a relative newcomer to blogging, but a life-long animal-lover like me - and it shows.
3) Kathleen features her artwork on her Tulip Tree Hill blog: her creativity and whimsy fascinate me!
4) On High Ridge Highlights, Sharrie shares shots of sheep, scripture, shaggy dogs (collies) and - be still my heart - bulldog puppies that her son raises. Sigh.
5) Karen is another fellow animal-lover, birdwatcher and Shetland shepherd.

I also want to pass along the Lemonade Stand award to the following blogs:
1) Molly Bee's Attic - This woman is FUNNY, and amazes me with her positive attitude in spite of the fact that her husband blindsided her with a divorce and turned her life upside down.
2) A Blip on the Radar - That's what Tina decided to call the diagnosis and treatment for uterine cancer, and the blog she started about it, back in 2006. I think her positive attitude played a big role in making the title of her blog a self-fulfilling prophecy.
(Ladies, click and drag the logo at the right to your desktop if you'd like to put it on your blogs.)

That's it for now at . . .

Flock goals - and getting there

Several shepherds' blogs have featured their flock goals recently. How's that saying go? "Aim for nothing and you'll achieve it"? Yes, goals are important, and I have some flock goals of my own. They are simple, really. My long-term goal is to have a friendly flock of fully polled Shetlands with good conformations and little fluke tails covered with consistently fine, lustrous fleece, including on the poll and cheeks, and a market for them. The questions are: how long will it take to reach that goal, and what steps must I take to get there?

In just two years I think I've taken a big step towards a fully polled flock. My ram, and the ram I used last fall, are both half-polls, as are for sure one and possibly all four of my ewes. As for conformation, I own no perfect sheep yet. To my eye, Braveheart and Butter come closest; Butter could be a bit wider through the chest and some would say both could have longer toplines (I think they are beautifully proportioned). I think the offspring of both will contribute towards my conformation goals (and they have perfect little Shetland tails). The others all have traits to contribute as well.

As a spinner, I personally prefer a longer staple with lots of luster and a silky hand. I plan to harvest samples this spring from every sheep for micron testing, and will factor in the results along with the characteristics I appreciate. Braveheart is VERY consistent from front to back and has very good length in a single coat; I need to see offspring of his from each of my ewes to see how they cross. (Dinah is the only ewe I retained who has produced lambs from Braveheart, and I was pleased with her twins. The ewe lamb went to Alaska, and the ram lamb is my wether Browning.)

This spring's lambs will be from Franjean. Ideally, I would keep all his likely half-poll and full-poll lambs for at least a year or two and evaluate them compared to next year's Braveheart crop, keeping the best from each ram to cross with each other to continue towards my goals. That, however, will not happen; I have neither the space nor the agreement of my husband to expand my flock like that. They are my sheep, but this is our property, our time, and our family and I want to be the kind of partner I want to have. So I will work towards my goals as I can fit them into happy co-existence with the man I love on our little plot of paradise.

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Yesterday Shannon at Kenleigh Acres sent me a Lemonade Stand award, for "blogs that show gratitude or great attitude or both” (I've added it over there at the right side of the blog). It always feels nice when someone gives me a blog award (They like me! They really like me!), but this one is especially meaningful. I do strive to recognize and appreciate the abundant blessings God gives me each day (including my blogpals!), and I'm glad it shows. In so many ways I fall short of living the gifts of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith), but as the bumper sticker says, "Be patient; God isn't finished with me yet." Kinda like my flock goals....

With gratitude from . . .

Boy toy

Saturday morning on my way back to the house after finishing chores, I couldn't spot Braveheart in the sheep lot. Then I saw that he was playing with the rope swing - just like Franjean did while he was here. I never got any good photos of Franjean with the "boy toy," so I had to try again. Here's Braveheart - aka "Raggedy Andy" - entertaining himself:
That afternoon after church I went down to the barn to turn Russell out into the arena for awhile. Braveheart was still sparring with the rope swing, so I took some more pictures in the afternoon light:
I don't know who is more easily amused, my ram (by the rope swing) or me (by watching my ram)!

That's it for now at . . .

February frost art

I am as enamored by the beauty created by a good frost as I am by the flowers of spring and summer and the colors of fall - maybe even more so. After all, frost can transform even weeds (top two photos) into works of art! Yes, every season has its treasures; isn't it wonderful?

Speaking of flowers, the rhodies and daphne odora are making promises:

And speaking of treasures, here are the beaming faces of my son and husband with the "bucking" sawhorse they made together today. Rick still uses the sawhorses his grandfather made for him one Christmas long ago; I have a feeling Brian will use and treasure this one for many years to come.

That's it for now from . . .