Finally doing the Twist with Bill Withers

Well, I'm attempting to, at any rate. I've been waiting with great anticipation and some trepidation (just like before most first dates!) to try my hand at spinning around with Bill Withers. Last week I finally cleared my dance card, and got my hands on Bill. This is my "first time" with something other than sheep's wool, and Bill and I are not yet the most coordinated couple on the floor.

Notice that there is no yarn going through the orifice to the bobbin? That's because it keeps coming apart, and I have to keep finding the end (not too difficult so far, thankfully) and starting again. This is my biggest bugaboo in spinning: getting the fiber well started on the bobbin. But I've learned to relax, slow down, and perservere, instead of thinking that I've forgotten how to spin. We'll stop stepping on each other's toes soon, Bill and I. And once our dance card is full, Bill gets to have a threesome with two beautiful red Wensleydale singles I have spun up and waiting for him!

That's it for now at . . .

Bloom and re-bloom

I love lavender, so even though Rick is not fond of its appearance or aroma, I planted a long row of edible "Grosso" three years ago. The buds are starting to open, to the delight of the bumblebees. Although I haven't gotten around to using any in cooking yet, last year I did get some sachets made, and plan to do more this year. They make fragrant little additions to gifts and care packages.

In addition to the lovely lavender, four of our daphne bushes are reblooming. We have three different varieties, but only one is giving us an encore performance after this winter's profusion. Give 'em another round of applause!

And remember that volunteer dahlia? It's still by far the biggest and best of the dahlias in the island flower bed.

There you go, the flowers of July in red, white and blue at . . .

Picnicking, politicking and pets

Last night we attended a free evening concert on the campus of Linfield College in McMinnville (a beautiful institution that reminds Rick and me a bit of our alma mater back in Nebraska). Brian and I heard Etouffee as an acoustic duo at the Brown Bag concert series last summer and liked it a lot. Last night featured the whole band, and it rocked a little hard. Still, it was a nice place to be on a hot summer night with a picnic supper.

This morning the state vet gave the nod to my little Shetland flock for the voluntary scrapie program. I'm a little envious of all those whose state vets help them with tagging and shots and such; the one in my area comes strictly to do the necessary paperwork. He doesn't think much of the program, either, because it is only as effective as people are honest. He does make a good point: to make the program more meaningful, necropsies should be required on all animals in the program who die. Otherwise, people may unknowingly (or knowingly) dispose of an animal that has scrapie and no one is the wiser.

Fellow Shetland shepherd and blogger Juliann had to put down her old, beloved pug recently. Reading her account made me cry -- and reach over to scratch my Rosie. At seven years of age she's been having some health issues of her own, and I am very conscious of how short our time is together. We've had Rosie since her conception, and she has been my "baby dog" ever since we decided which pup in our litter we were going to keep. I'm hoping for a few more good years, but it won't be long enough.
That's it for now at . . .

Pictorial update on the lambs

That's my beautiful Brava (looking a bit washed out by the camera's flash), who is steadily learning that humans can give pleasant sensations with their hands and often come bearing yummy things to eat.

Today is Braveheart's three-month "birthday," so I took my camera and a ruler with me when I did chores this morning to measure and document his scurs. They are still small and even, showing little or no growth in the short time I've had him.
As you can see, they are no wider than 1/4 inch at the base, and no more than 1/4 inch in height. While I still have many months to wait to see what he'll end up with, so far I'm very pleased with how little horn material Braveheart has.

Last night I put bigger coats on Dinah and Rechel, which should be more comfortable in this heat wave we're having. (Sorry, no pics of their beautiful, clean fleeces!) Fortunately, they have lots of shade and a nice breeze to help keep them as cool as possible. Valentine and Bella get the coats just removed once they are dry from washing. Bella's current coat REALLY looks like it's bursting at the seams!

That's it for now at . . .