Fiber and fishing

I've been pretty good about posting 4-5 times a month, about once a week, but as I said in my last post, summertime is hectic. Still, last Sunday we took family time to smell the roses river. I took my tiniest spindle to spin up the last of the blue silk while my guys tried and failed to catch but one fish; still, we all enjoyed the peaceful setting and perfect weather. A scolding kingfisher followed us along the way, and I managed to capture one decent photo of it (along with all the other shots).

In other fiber news, I have skeined, washed and measured more handspun – the two blue-silk-plied yarns I spun up earlier this year. I think I'll use them in a two-color Buggiflooer Beanie, after considering the FFSSA Sheep and Spindle Fair Isle Hat.

Yesterday was apparently Tiny Snake Tuesday. The first of the two I saw, up by the garage, was shockingly aggressive for being the size of an earthworm – it coiled up and repeatedly struck at the toe of my boot!

I have been considering the qualities of my ewes as I ponder the possibility of breeding a few this fall. In recent years I have selected for typier tails; only Bridget, whose only offspring has an excellent tail, and Bitsy, who I don't intend to ever breed, aren't quite up to snuff. Bernadette has the best earset; the rest are closer to horizontal. The fleece quality in my flock is good-to-excellent but I will always strive for better if/when I breed. As for the "if," that depends on the results of the mid-term elections....

Bernie and her "uppy ears"

I'll close with recent sky shows, always good for perspective.

First August fog?

Sara says August fogs predict summer snows!

this morning's cloudscape

That's it for now from . . .

Summertime, and the living is hectic

'Tis the season for gardening and hay hauling and firewood acquisition and spinning along with the Tour de Fleece. It is hot and very dry and sometimes smoky. The days are growing noticeably shorter and fall is on its way, but there is much to do before then. So I'll throw a bunch of photos at you and get back to work!

our bright dining room light fixture after replacing all the bulbs

our entry light fixture with old bulbs; yes, there is THAT much difference!

getting the last of our hay

that should do us; the bit at the far right is all that remains of last year's

the morning of August 3

the evening of August 3

the morning of August 4

approximately half our fig harvest, my breakfast one morning

the morning of August 5

the evening of August 5, showing the first bit of improvement

my finished TdF yarn

enough contrast for Murano squares?

the morning of August 7

second planting of beets and beans coming up

oak to cut and split, but not dry enough for this winter

back to normal air quality and "the long view"

zooming in  so you can see the hot air balloons with Mt. Adams between

8g of silk singles on my wee Bee Hummingbird spindle 

two paintings given to us by the artist, a friend of ours

doggy yin and yang

That's it for now from . . .