Boulderneigh

Sunday, January 25, 2026

'Reality' is only getting worse

Except, perhaps, for the filthy rich. But even for them, a Divine reckoning is coming....

After a few days of togetherness for my remaining eight ewes, little Miss Bernice, she of the teenage fling with her half-brother, starting escaping from the wooded lot. She is the smallest sheep I have thanks to her growth-stunting pregnancy, and she figured out she could squeeze under the old wire fence to graze the grassy verges of the driveway. I did my best to block her escape route, however inelegantly, and that seems to have done the trick.

In the meantime, I was sent this wonderful photo of the third of my ewes who left:

I must say they got a nice variety of colors and patterns. The little girl said she was going to rename one of them "Mary" because of "Mary had a little lamb." (Hmm; shouldn't she have renamed herself?)

My Inglenook Fibers/silk hankies yarn when my silk singles ran out:

I need to do a serious stash dive to see if I have anything that would be close enough to ply with the rest of the IF singles. If I don't, I may just ply it on itself and set it aside. The 2-ply I have should be plenty for a soft, warm neck accessory.

I've also finished spinning over half my navy SW merino/alpaca top on my Dovekies; four more ounces to spin before deciding whether to make this a 2-ply or ply it with something else.

Other miscellaneous photos I've made since my last post follow, some with explanatory captions.

New & shiny (we had to replace our 23-year-old range)

the Yarn Harlot featured this recipe during Veganuary and I had to make it; YUM!

sunset by horseback, above and below

Big Dipper

Orion

"Neighborhood Watch"

That's it for now from . . .

Sunday, January 18, 2026

More eggs, fewer sheep

With the gradually lengthening daylight (and mostly sunny days this month), the hens are slowly increasing production. Not fast enough for the people wanting to buy eggs, though....

Speaking of buyers, the people who came to buy three ewes last Friday left with four! Good thing I had spent time pouring over last year's micron test data, because when they hinted at being open to taking a fourth ewe, I knew who I should let go. So Bauble joined Boop, Bonnie Lass, and Blossom for the trip south to their new home. I admit to some pangs, because I thought Bauble was my most beautiful Shetland, and since her dam Blaise is gone I can't try to replicate her. Just the night before, Rick stayed in the Sheep Sheraton awhile after carrying a bucket for me and I caught him loving on Bauble.

After the four left, I put the three 'barn sheep' out in the wooded lot with the remaining girls so they could figure out the new social order and live together. Since some of the 'mean girls' had left, I was hopeful that no one would get hurt in the kerfuffle and by this morning, all seemed copacetic, thankfully.

I continue to be delighted with my new iPhone's camera capabilities. On my way home from work Thursday, snow-covered Mt. Hood was shining in the sun so I pulled over at the bottom of our hill to see what I could capture. Finally, a true representation of what I get to enjoy with my naked eye!

Evening photo of dark yarn? No problem!

Besides spinning navy singles, I'm plying two very different singles I spun last year into what for me is an experimental 2-ply:

Not sure I'd wear these colors, though, so this yarn might be knit into a gift.

That's it for now from . . .

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Reality, looked at steadily, is unbearable

Forgive me if I have used this C.S. Lewis quote as a blog title before. It just rings so true. Not for my own immediate reality, the reality of my quiet, rural life; that in and of itself brings both relief and guilt for having it so easy and safe. I was not born in untenable conditions of poverty, or famine, or war, or gang violence, or natural disasters, or societal pariahhood; I was born white in America, with an 'acceptable' name and face that does not raise prejudice or suspicion. While my near ancestors were immigrants and came with nothing, they came of their own volition and were legally able to work (on my mother's side) or obtain land to farm (on my father's side). Some call this the accident of birth, but it is no accident that there are WAY too many people who have no compassion, no ability or willingness to imagine themselves in someone else's shoes, with someone else's experiences. Even supposed Christians demonize others for these reasons, ignoring the teachings of Jesus and the Bible as a whole – not that that is anything new since early days.... Humans can just be so utterly vile that being one of the species can be depressing – if one looks steadily at that reality.

So look away, friends. Not to the point of being uninformed, but enough to stay sane. Look to beauty, especially in nature, which, despite all the damage done by humans, still reflects the Creator's hand. Remind yourselves of your blessings, and look to humans who demonstrate kindness, selflessness, generosity, good humor, helpfulness, faith. Strive to be that kind of human. And take care of yourself, because everything looks worse if you are short on sleep, fresh air, exercise, plenty of water, and good nutrition. Lastly (but most importantly for me), trust in God. Today is not guaranteed, but eternity is for those who trust in Him.

Making pictures helps me focus, literally and figuratively, on beauty. And I must say, despite the hours, frustration, and the loss of some data that was meaningful to me in switching over to a new phone, I am enjoying the new iPhone's improved camera.