Another skiff, and a link for Nancy

Rick romping with the dogs on the way up to the house after morning chores.

This morning we awoke to another skiff of snow. Since Nancy had never heard of the word "skiff" before seeing it here, I looked it up, just for her. ;-) The Word Detective says its origins are from the same part of the world as our little sheep - cool!

Today we "put away Christmas," taking down the tree and packing away the decorations. After a rain/snow shower, Russell and I had a good schooling session, and here and there during the day between various tasks I finished filling a bobbin with Braveheart singles:
I couldn't quite get all of his roving on this bobbin, although I really tried (it's hard to see in this photo, but the singles are actually brushing my flyer arms!). I plan to start plying this with the Jacob singles tonight. I can hardly what to see what it turns out like!

My immune system and the cold are still doing battle, but my immune system finally seems to be getting the upper hand. Everything else on Boulderneigh is healthy, so for that I am thankful. Gotta focus on the positive, because there is plenty of heartbreak all around - in my family, among my friends, and in the world. The devil is certainly acting like the raging lion described in the Bible, but we know who wins the cosmic conflict - praise the Lord!

That's it for now from . . .

Just as forecast

Thankfully it is only drizzling, so there wasn't much build-up of the freezing stuff before it turned to liquid.

It is a good day to stay inside and nurse a cold - my second in one season, I'm disgusted to say. It won't last long - they never do; it's just annoying and inconvenient and I feel betrayed by my immune system.

Oh well, I can sit and spin. A bobbin is filling quickly with Braveheart wool to ply with the Jacob. I had a little over 10 ounces of his roving left, so I'm spinning it a little bulkier and hoping to end up with close to the same yardage I have in six ounces of Jacob. This is will be my first serious stash-busting effort (using up all I have of two different fibers), and I'm positively thrilled with the production I'm managing with the help of my miniSpinner and its handy-dandy WooLee Winder. It sits on a stack of footrests next to my comfortable corner wingback chair, where I can sit down and spin off and on throughout the day and evening.

As for the longwool swatch, this is what it looks like after two machine washings (one in a lingerie bag and one loose) and one machine drying. Still has great stitch definition, very little change in size - in other words, a fulling failure! At least this time I was smart enough to test a sample, unlike that 100% New Zealand wool yarn that I knit into a big French market bag before learning it wouldn't felt.... I'm thinking I may use the rest of the longwool two-ply to knit mini-sweaters. Over the year I may finish enough to string into a nice, long garland for next year's Christmas tree!

Last night, probably because I wasn't feeling up to snuff and Jackson is such a good and helpful dog, he offered to do the dishes. When I declined, he was clearly disappointed.

That's it for today from . . .

Enjoying it while it lasts

The forecasters say this is our last dry day - so we celebrated with a spectacular sunrise. :-) Tomorrow morning it will be raining - probably freezing rain at first, followed by a warm-up and regular ol' wet rain. As I said in a previous post, we've enjoyed the sunshine and frozen ground. Russell and I got out for rides both of the last two days, and may make it three in a row today(!) if Brian and I can get other things done.

I thought I'd share one of "our" other volcanoes. Mt. Hood is the closest to us and therefore looks biggest and most majestic (it's my personal favorite):

But some consider Mt. Jefferson, further south in the Cascades, to be the prettier peak:
The above photos were taken from the same place on the road at the same zoom from Russell's back, so you can see how much bigger Mt. Hood appears from where we live. Oh, and if you click to biggify the sunrise photo, you can see Mt. Jefferson on the horizon just to the left of the center trees!

This morning I finished spinning the Jacob batts. Since I haven't settled on a pattern and therefore a needed yardage, I don't know yet if it will be plied on itself or with a white Shetland single. It can cool its heels on the bobbin while I consider the possibilities. I was considering the Trinity vest from A Fine Fleece for the Jacob/Shetland combo, but Sara rightly pointed out that color trumps pattern. For that reason a marled yarn would be a better fit for the Oregon vest from Oat Couture, but that pattern calls for a bulkier yarn than I would have unless I spun the Shetland single considerably thicker or did a three- or four-ply out of the same grist I spun the Jacob. Ah, decisions, decisions! They are frustrating, and yet also kinda fun.

That's it for now from . . .

Breaking with tradition

I didn't start this year out right, according to family tradition and my own self-imposed requirement. In other words, I didn't eat any black-eyed peas or ride my horse! But I rode on Friday (when I zoomed in on Mt. Hood, above), and I'm going to ride today (yesterday was full of other commitments), so I didn't feel the need to ride ON New Year's Day to signify to myself or anyone else my commitment to ride in the new year. As for the black-eye peas, well, that hasn't always happened and it hasn't killed me yet. :-)

We're experiencing a stretch of clear, cold, dry weather. The sheep are enjoying being out; I'm enjoying the absence of mud during chore time and on the dogs' feet. I'd like to take down the Christmas tree to fully enjoy the precious winter light, but Brian says it's too soon. I was also wanting the tree out of the way to make it easier to fill the bird feeder, but last night the raccoons (I'm assuming) busted one of its plexiglass panels so it is out of commission for now. We'll have to rectify that quickly; the birds have been relying on that energy source even more than usual during this cold snap.

That's it for now from . . .