Preparing

I have been mostly packed for our Kaua'i trip for days, not hard since what I've been reminded that I will wear for the tropics is not what I am wearing for autumn at home. My friend has posted and sent me photos so I am prepared for things to not look postcard-perfect; they are still cleaning up the damage left behind by Hurricane Lowell. We're not sure yet if the botanical gardens we'd like to visit will be open because of that, but we have scheduled a chocolate farm tour, and plan to take a boat and snorkel tour up the Napali Coast if the seas are calm (I'll still have to take anti-nausea meds). Rick and I want to hike and drive to as many scenic spots as we can, and my friend and I plan to ride together as many afternoons (on the beach!) as we can squeeze in. Of course there will be beach/ocean/pool time (my friend has a pool), too, but laying around is not what I'm looking forward to. I want to experience as much of the island as I can on this, the only Hawaiian trip I anticipate I'll ever take.

I picked up some waterproof bandages to wear in the water, because I got a dandy steam burn while canning applesauce Sunday. I need to do at least one more batch of applesauce; I will try to be more careful!

Out of curiosity I contacted my oldest cousin (eldest son of my eldest aunt, who was 18 years older than my mom) to get more information on family history. I knew my aunt, uncle and cousins were missionaries in Hawaii, but that's about it other than these photos of old photos:

My cousin (on far right in first two photos) obliged me with the following:

"Good to hear from you!

1946-1949: Kapa'a, Kaua'i

1949-1952: Hilo, Big Island

1952-1957: Honolulu Central, O'ahu

1957-1959: Traveling evangelist on every island except for Ni'ihau (the Forbidden Isle); home base was Kailua, O'ahu.

"When you are on Kaua'i you can see the church my father pastored. He started a successful poi manufacturing business that helped finance the church school. You will also see a mountain range called Sleeping Giant. High up in it is where we lived when we returned from my family's evangelistic meetings. This is where we had our first horse, Blackfoot."

We were already planning to hike Sleeping Giant, so that will be another fun connection to family history.

I have lots of 'local news' (photos) to share but will pick just some for this post and try to do one more called "Where the wild things are" before we leave. I am not going to take my laptop with me for once, so no posting from Kaua'i! But there will be spinning and hopefully knitting to pass the time on the long flights to and back. Here's a summary of my spinning since the last time I shared my progress:

I used up my blue silk plying (I thought; I found another turtle of it later!)

so plied the rest of this colored merino on itself.

Then I started flick-carding and spinning this darker colored merino.

I might use that found blue silk single to ply some of this!

After some welcomed late summer rain I have been watering the garden again. Harvested some lovely beets to make my favorite raw beet/apple/carrot salad for potluck last Sabbath,

and put the handful of green beans I picked into a delicious yellow curry. Brian won't do anything with/for the garden while we're gone, but more rain is in the forecast, thankfully.

Wool is growing; the sheep are going to need bigger coats soon.

The ground squirrels are moving back in and Poppy is in full hunting mode; she caught and killed two in one week. It's been harder to keep her attention in agility class because of that; we'll see how this Sunday's trial goes!

I don't think Chuckie hunts for anything but attention anymore. He was positively fawning over the farrier this morning!

That's it for now from . . .

Flock and fiber

Last Wednesday the three 'barn ewes' (because they share a stall at night) – Bernice, Bitsy, and Bridget – got their toes trimmed, and the latter two got bigger coats (Bernice got a bigger coat and fleece detail shots the day her son left). Good opportunity for photos: ✅

Bitsy's fleece is jet black, always a struggle for the camera.

Bridget and Bitsy, on the left, in their bigger coats

That inspired me to look for other flock photo opps:

Mother Boop, behind, and daughter Blossom

Woolly rumps!

On Sunday afternoon I drove down to the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival with a couple friends. I delivered my Clemes & Clemes drumcarder to someone who will hopefully use it more than I have (which wouldn't take much). Divesting!!! I also dropped off Bette's 2024 fleece and a washed and picked Romney lamb fleece at a mill's booth. I've had the Romney for years, thinking I'd card it with that drum carder; time to have someone else turn it into roving that I can sell or spin. I found a fellow Jenkins Junkie's champion entry in the fiber arts competition and drooled over it (along with a captivating needle-felted fox), then just walked around window-shopping until the festival closed, since the Jenkins didn't have a booth there to tempt me with their latest model and I didn't need anything else. Well, that's not quite true; soap and shampoo are essentials – and I couldn't resist this shawl magnet. 😁

The famous Wanda Jenkins on the left, with me and another fiber friend.

Check out the bead 'water droplet' at the end of the fox' paw!

I took along my biggest spindle with its plying project, the last third of Prada's black fiber, but didn't have time to sit and spin there. Two-thirds is plied and skeined, awaiting a wash so I can start knitting a Dala Sweater with it. I still need to dye my white skein red for the yolk pattern. Can I finish it by the end of the year? I also finished spinning the ounce of silk hankies that I dug out of deep stash; I'm planning to ply it with a soft, fat fingering single I have yet to spin from my first ever Inglenook Fibers purchase (from a destash).

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That's it for now from . . .

Full September

volunteer 'sunshine' in our garden

When the State Fair ended and our schedules returned to 'normal,' I felt a little giddy, like a big load had lifted. Yeah; that was short-lived. Garden harvest and fruit preservation season waits for no one, and with my upcoming trip to NE taking a considerable bite out of the month, I can't afford to dawdle. I finally procured a lug of so-so peaches, and have been picking our prunes to freeze and dehydrate. Since these won't wait, making applesauce will have to. I'll lose most of the apples on our first-to-ripen tree, but should have plenty to sauce from the others once the stone fruit is put up and I'm back from my trip. The limiting factor? My ability to stand for extended periods. Nothing 'cripples' me like standing; my knees stiffen and my sciatica screams. So I adapt my work to sitting at the table when possible, and take icing breaks when it's not. (This is also why I'm so behind on skirting fleeces.)

I've been helping a little with the firewood, but Rick has been doing the lion's share. Last night he got a bunch of the split hardwood moved into the new woodshed. The woodpile has been Poppy's obsession for days, as well as some cabinets in the shop. Apparently varmints are afoot, and we have to physically drag her inside to get her to stop her fruitless hunts. (Then she moves from window to window, bark-screaming when she sees a Western Gray Squirrel scurrying around preparing for winter.) The obsession seems to have affected her ability to focus in agility class, so I'm limiting her freedom on class days.

before any of the wood had been moved inside

AHA! A California Ground Squirrel scurried out when I approached to take this photo.

Yesterday morning Bitsy was unusually cuddly; it was loverly. 😍 Some of the sheep need bigger coats and I should go through the flock to check feet for needed trims. Just add it to the list....

That's it for now from . . .