Monday, April 29, 2013

More healing

When we got back from our walk, Rick sat down in his recliner. Dozer claimed the resulting lap immediately – and went to work washing Rick's face. Dozer is a "kisser," but this was different; he was on a mission. It was so singular that I grabbed my camera to record it. Of course, it was also rather comical, so I had a hard time stifling my laughter. :-)


And you know what? Laughter IS good medicine! (And yes, Rick did get up and wash his face after this. :-)

That's it for now from . . .

A healing walk (photo-intense)

Sorry to be absent here; I've been immersed in a rough few days around Boulderneigh. But I have great faith that we will come out stronger on the other end of our "trial by fire." And so we walk together through it....

On Saturday afternoon when Brian was at a friend's, Rick and I took a walk together. Actually, Brian was at a friend's because he did NOT want to go to a memorial service for a church member's mother, and his friend's parents were kind enough to let him come over while we went. Rick and I were well on our way to Portland when our neighbor called to say that there was a lot of commotion in our barn and a horse was out. So we turned around and headed home. The horse – my horse – was fine despite his escapades, and Rick and I were blessed with some much needed time alone to walk and talk.

I was hoping to see some of my favorite wildflowers, and I did.


Plus a lot of others!
Poison oak; walkers beware!

We listened to a babbling brook,

stopping to rest further upstream. I didn't find the ground as comfortable as Rick did, so I occupied myself by taking more photos.
Now you see him....
Now you don't!

If you're still with me, there's more to come.


Thursday, April 25, 2013

I'm being followed by a moon shadow


That's it for today from . . .

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

24-hour summary


Bing, why weren't you born with different plumbing???

I did finally get Bing's (above) and Marta's fleeces skirted yesterday – a job definitely easier in the warm sunshine!

No photos allowed during the concert
Rick and I had a date last night. For Christmas I gave him tickets to a Don Williams concert at the Elsinore Theater. We ate at one of our favorite restaurants first. "I believe in love;" yes, I do.  :-)

Spring means blossoms . . . and badminton.

We have a wannabe-pterosaur-hunter.
"Who? Me?!?"
"Oh, all right. So you caught me drooling."


My textiles students are doing a great job at creating yarn.

It looks like I really will be saying good-bye. This afternoon I received a deposit on Cadbury and Bonny (above). They will be moving to Washington in June.

That's it for now from . . .

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Little pterosaurs

The chickies are doing well in their corner of the sheep fold. I love to hear their sweet little peeps – a sound totally incongruous with their awkward adolescence. All legs and feet and scruffy plumage, only an enamored 11-year-old boy would call them "pretty" (and does). Looks like they are going to turn out more "red" than "golden;" oh well. :-/

This morning after filling their feeder, I kneeled down and took some pictures.
Yep, they're curious. :-)

That's it for today from . . .

Monday, April 22, 2013

Focused (mostly) on fiber

The best laid plans of shepherds and skirters . . . .

Yesterday I wanted to get Bramble scissor-sheared, and Bing's and Marta's fleeces skirted. Since it was cool and cloudy, I decided to start with skirting. I pulled Bing's fleece out first. Jet-black and crimpy-crimpy (SO hard to photograph); mmm-MMM!
But then smoke from the fire Rick lit to burn up the firewood debris started blowing towards my work area, and it started to mist a little. Back into the bag the fleece went to wait for more suitable conditions.

I turned my attention to another project. Now that my Textiles students are spinning, the need for looms on which to weave their yarn is, well, looming.

Last year I made looms out of mattboard. They work, but are tedious to use; I had to do a lot of after-hours weaving so the students' projects would be done by the end of the term. When I spotted a little Harrisville peg loom in a Ravelry destash, I thought, "How hard could it be to make those?" Brian and I went to Lowe's and bought all the materials to make ten looms for under $20 (the budget for my class). My little wannabe carpenter was all, "I can make those for you, Mom." But when I started asking Brian when he was going to make them, he said he needed his dad's help to make the first one . . . and Rick wasn't stepping up to the plate.

So yesterday I kickstarted the project by hauling the wood and a calculator to Brian's workbench, calculating my lengths and marking. That got Brian cutting, and Rick drilling, and by the end of the afternoon, we had ten frames made with glue drying, and approximately 230 little pegs cut and ready to tap in. I think these will be sooo much easier than cardboard looms for the students to weave on!

I'm itching to weave up a sample on the little Harrisville loom, but that would mean turning away from another itch I've been scratching:

Yes, my inner spider has awakened; I'm filling a second spindle with grey Shetland I drum-carded.

The other day I noticed that the spot where albino maple leaves have sprouted the last few years is coming to life again.

Regular maple leaves:

Albino maple leaves:
Just one of life's fun little mysteries!


That's it for now from . . .