ANOTHER DAY IN THE OVEN OF SUMMER...

Terry Donica called & asked if I had time to help her sort some llama fiber. We got at it this morning. Kinda interesting. My first experience of sorting the hair out...of the fiber that is...We got that done with some good ole visiting...Stopped and went to town and ate lunch and came back and finished the last bit. She should have a nice amount to work with.

The last week I have spent all my time behind the water hose and bucket refilling. If not there been helping with hay...We got another nice load in...We have our fingers crossed for one more good load...before winter...

We haven't gotten rain in several days. Between here and Salem they got a good shower we noticed on our way home. Orleans got dumped on this evening & we told it to move on down just didn't listen...I got out and gave lots of plants one more drink of water...I have planted 8 new fruit trees in the spring. I just hope they are getting enough water...

My young goats are looking so good. Really nice curl conformation. Lady Brown is so hot. She gets as close as she can to the fans. I keep telling her to hang in there. I don't won't to shear her for another Month or so...

I watched the weather. They say SALEM SHOULD GET RAIN AROUND 10 tonight. I have about 18 bags of mohair sorted out & ready to wash. I left them out hoping the rain may do the first rinse anyway...I can't wait to get the fleece washed. It should be a good load of doll curls...

Gotta go get busy

It was oh so hot even in Maryland the Beginning of May

Finally got the Maryland pictures loaded in.

This is just a spot in the 15 acre parking lot at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival










What a Crowd. All we could do was hold the camera up in the air to get the picture.












Em's favorite place to eat

Went to French Lick...Street Fest

Soon be a couple weeks ago we went to the French Lick Street Fest. It was in conjunction with the big PGA Golf Tournament. So hot all weekend. We went ahead and came on home Saturday evening. Storms were coming and didn't have the right anchors for the concrete for the Tent...On the way home Saturday evening I did enjoy the drive. The fields are just beautiful with Corn. Seems like there is lots of fields at different heights. The soy beans are like fields of green velvet....Just a nice time of year despite the heat,...

I have been out busy cleaning chicken pen this morning before the heat set in to bad...Got 4 wheel barrell loads out of chicken pen and over in a section of the garden where nothing is growing at the moment...Now it can rain....

I have to get outside. Connie isn't feeling well this morning. Have to go give her a beer drench...

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

I have been out digging pototoes this morning. They are really nice but oh, the dirt is hard...I hear there will be rain by the end of the week. I think I will just make sure I am ready to dig again this weekend.

We had a wedding last weekend. My oldest is now a married man. They are on their honeymoon now....

We have been having some lambs over the last week. Great big lambs at that...Every evening when it cools down the great lambie races begin...They are so cute.

I am heading back outside to top off some water tanks and clean out on a pen....

BUSY,busy.....

We have been busy with the first part of lambing and kidding. Looks like the next round is fixing to get started...We had a set of twin goats born Saturday. It was a good thing we were here. The little buck was a big one. All came out well in the end. Both are real sweeties.
Last weekend we were in Franklin IN at Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival. We met lots of nice people & saw old friends...Bad part was when we came home to find someone had decided to cut down 12 trees on our corner property. I was busy all last week with that. We have no clue what the deal is. I just get sick when I look out that way and see the big ole gap in the tree line.
I have been working in the garden. Everything is coming right along. Something tells me it will start needing picked right in the middle of the time Mom and Add will be in from TX. I think I will tell her to bring jars so we can fill them...
It is only 3 weeks til the wedding now. I am excited. I told them both the other day I think the day they went and got their marriage license was to me the day a Mom realizes the kid is making big decisions....The ceremony just finalizes it...
This heat is horrible. I hope it is doing this now and when Mom and Add gets here it evens out. Texans can handle heat. I am just not sure about the humidity.
I am suppose to get my bathroom totally cleaned out. We are putting a new tub and shower surround in. That may be the only thing I will miss is the second bathroom. My other bath will go with Hannah/ Jarrod apartment. But we will make it. Just gotta get accustomed to it...
Em has the day off. We are going to run into town and do some errands. I need to get boxes to pack some fabric away.
I better get busy. Cat is wanting out...I will have to get a picture of him. He got a hair cut....

I think I have everybody tucked in for the night....

We have a whole bunch of chicks right now. They are a full time job til they get up a little larger. I think tomorrow I will be able to spread them into a couple cages. I will be able to put the bigger waters in also. That helps...

Fed my little bottle baby his last bottle for the evening. He is coming along nicely. His little belly is filling out and his walks are getting longer. Quite a cutie.

My Shetland ewe, Delilah had her lamb. She had a single ewe but she is just beautiful and black. Just loaded with curls...

We are having to move our lawn furniture . The electric company should be here in the next few days to trim back a tree there at the power line. They are actually going to cut a willow tree down out by the road. It seems the tree is just growing right for the power line...Since the drought a couple years ago it had been looking tacky.

My helper comes tomorrow. I have been putting together a to do list today as the day went. I think it is going to rain tomorrow so we will mainly work inside.

I am heading to bed. David watches LOST so I think I will go get some reading done...

It's Been a Little Chilly

Last couple days we have had to get our jackets back out. Wind to go along with it. Guess it was sent our way to remind us how nice and warm we have had it for this time of year...
Em and I went to Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival last weekend. I do love that show. It was a long trip out. We drove straight out, stayed a day and half and headed back. Split the trip up made it easier. It was toasty in MD. I mean like 95* both days. We walked around w/ lemonade in our hands. Inside the buildings got a little stuffy with all the people...I bought a Finn ewe lamb. She is a cutie and was a very good traveler...
We stayed in Comfort in there at Baltimore. We met this older gentleman who had come from IL with daughter and her family to pick up the kids sheep they had won from American Livestock Breeders Conservancy. I told him my daughter had done the same thing 5 yrs ago. We stayed in the Comfort Inn at Cambridge OH and the next morning got up and there they were again...It can be a small world.
I have been busy in the barn and house both. I am about ready to make a clean swoop out of the big room and take it to the barn. I need to get a shop ready out there and then get busy finishing up the apartment. Orange County is going to put out a Artisan Trail Brochure and we are going to be in it...It is in conjunction with the PGA Gold Tournament coming to French Lick....Yes, I know I don't live in OR County but they are very good to us. We participate in the ORANGE COUNTY Homegrown Farmer's Market also. Which brings me to the next subject. Farmer's Market starts in 2 weeks...Then a couple weeks after that is Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival then onto the Lotus Dickey Festival. Em and I went to Bedford the other day and noticed there is a bill board advertising the festival. Looks good. Is kinda high up in the air. Em saw it. I was watching the road...
we have been lambing and kidding both. Banner year for boys...I am not joking. We have ONE DOE. The only female born on the place...I am so proud of her ....She is from my favorite TEXAS doe...I have 2 more finn ewes to lamb. We will see...I am out there talking to them nicely ....
David trimmed some low limbs off the tree line trees. I can get along the fence mowed now. Got lots done. Sure looks nice. I am going to finish in the morning. It is suppose to rain Tuesday. Wednesday we will start over again probably. I hope the summer bonus is nice. I told David I sure would like one of those weed eaters on wheels...
Tomorrow is my birthday. I got my present from David early. He gave me a GPS unit to go to Maryland with. I had always thought I would not use one. Boy was I wrong. Em and I were laughing that we let a blk box lead us around. That is the handiest thing I know of...I have been wanting to go to Louisville wandering around. May just have to now. No, I haven't done much in Louisville. Have always gone to Bloomington...
I better get this day wound up. My little bottle baby is fed. Em made him walk all the way to the house to get his bottle. He did well. I put him up. Let me tell you...I didn't carry him... Well, except for the last 20 ft. He just stopped and sat down...He has a clean dog coat on and all warm now. I told him hopefully this was the last night for that...

MY DOGWOOD TREES...

I was out mowing the tree line this afternoon. I was so excited to see my dogwood trees blooming. We have been here in IN 8 yrs now. When we first bought this property the trees were so small we did not even know they were here til after the signing when the guy we bought from came out and told us. The dogwoods were slow growing. The last couple years they blooming here and there but the trees have really grown this winter and they are really looking nice.

THE FIRST FIBER EVENT OF THE SEASON

WE JUST CAME BACK FROM THE FIRST FIBER SHOW OF THE YEAR. It was a beautiful weekend in GreenCastle IN...We met lots of new people and visited with lots of friends...It was good to hear what everyone has going on.

We got home and bailed out to go check on everybody. Jarrod was here to open gates in the morning & close at night. I had everybody well watered before we left and we gave plenty of hay so everyone was fine. We had some new chicks that hatched before we left so was glad all them were doing well and Chase, my white cat was fine. He was glad to see me...

We are counting the days til Hoosier Hills Fiber Show. Franklin IN ...

I have the washer going, got the dishes done and have chicken breast and beef ribs in the oven cooking. David has gone to Tractor Supply. We have a new one near us and had a good coupon so he went to get more gates. We are doing up a couple pens in the barn for the Finn sheep and want to get them done this week. Flaker's is bagging up nicely.

I am heading out to go fill up water tubes...Going to do some accounting studying. Have a test tomorrow night. I think I have about 4 more classes left in this semester. I was thinking I had time for this. I am getting it done but having to squeeze in the study part. I know for sure I couldn't do it in the fall....At least I can relate well now to what the kids have going on...

I have a couple spinning wheels coming in I intend to stain in colors....I can't wait. Maybe they will get here this week while there is so much sun shining....

ANOTHER RAINY SUNDAY

KINDA YUCKY AROUND HERE TODAY BUT I GOT LOTS DONE INSIDE. Finished my accounting test, got it packed and ready to go tomorrow. We got my old freezer taken out to the barn. It still works, just needed another. We emptied out a cabinet I am going to move to the kitchen til I get new cabinets done. THEN, what I have been waiting for. David got my first book shelf put together to put in the front room. I have been in the need of these for a long time...I have to move that cabinet out and sweep and mop, clean the wall then put another shelf together and start filling them up. The shelves will go all the way to the ceiling...

Chase, my white male cat took a trip to the vet this week. He needed to get fixed before he fixed my house up...I kinda worried at first. He wasn't as perky as the other cat that went with him but the next day he started coming around...Today he has been quite funny. I think he knew he had our undivided attention...

It will be about a month and we will start lambing and kidding...Everybody is starting to get really fluffy...This next week it will be mid 70's here which is pretty warm. We will have to get on the shearing. Bad part is it will rain til then...

I was watching Bob a Louis the Donkey trying to get Corey the male Llama to play with him...The donkey had a stick and was carrying it around. Corey just wouldn't quite take it on...So funny. Bob a loouie has kinda gotten moved around. He was being a little rough with my goats...He is in with the Rams. Everyone stays on their own territory and lots of time the Donky goes and lays at the fence with the bucks. He had my young brown buck by the other day and he was yelling....I didn't wait to see how it was going to play out. We moved him...

BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY...

SPRING HAS SPRUNG AROUND HERE AND BOY HAVE WE BEEN BUSY....FIRST, SINCE I HAVE POSTED LAST, A WEDDING DATE HAS BEEN SET AROUND HERE. Jarrod and Hannah will be married in July. They will be living here. The large room at the back of our house will be an apartment. They will get married life started here. That way they won't have to get into any mortgage or lease til they figure out for sure where they will want to live or a job will take them. We are excited but I think Hannah is pretty excited also. The wedding will be at after Farmers Market then onto a reception. More details will be posted....So things have been a little busy around here....

I did get the garden good and started this week. We did get a good freeze like Thursday and Friday night...We don't really plant to much til after Mothers Day...

The geese have been flying over this week. They are just beautiful. Cranes were coming through a week ago. We do live in a bird flight path. Of course the fighter helicopters flew through today also...Doing practice stuff. They are big....

In early February we were vendors at a Quilt Workshop in French Lick at the Hotel...We had a very good time ....Met lots of nice people....I am busy now getting ready to go to Greencastle IN in a couple weeks for "The Fiber Event." Onto the Lotus Dickey the first of June and Hoosier Hills Fiber Event the very next weekend. I better have everything all ready before it gets here...

Boy the wind Thursday night was a bit rough. We lost a little of a ridge cap off the top of the barn. I have to threaten David he can not put it up there. He will be trying before I know it...In case you don't know our barns are a bit tall for him to be up there...

We started shearing. We get 2 or 3 done every couple days. Weather is just not on our side.

I was just weighing out felting fibers this week. It was the first I had been into the load of felting fiber I had gotten processed. It is nice and perfect for the job...I should be getting in a load of fiber to spin with and also a new yarn weight....

Most important...SOCKS...They will be perfect for the winter hiker or hunter. I can't wait...They will be done with kid and lamb cut wool...

2010 is an exciting year for us....Stay tuned....

WE SAW THE SUN....

Boy, the sun was beautiful yesterday....I am hoping everybody got their bones warmed before the next snow storm. I have to get out this morning and fill water tubs...of course they should have plenty of snow to eat from the way it sounds by tomorrow...I am about ready to move to San Antonio, TX....67*

My goal for tomorrow is to get my box of wool finished and ready to ship ....The box will weigh 50lbs. This load will be for worsted weight yarn and roving...

The big pellet stove is groaning. I probably should turn it off about 3 this afternoon for when David gets home....it would be cool enough for him to clean...

Chickens are still laying a good 2 to 3 dz eggs a day. I do believe the warm water is the combination.

I need to go get chicken food on my way to school. I think we are in pretty good shape otherwise if it snows.

I HEARD IT IS LIKE 42 DAYS TIL SPRING....

OH....Me, Will we ever dry out around here. I was just being able to go to the barn and not sink in the mudd & here we are again....Em decided she didn't want to go to work today. She called & told she would help keep payroll in control & just stay at home. She got lots of homework done...Of course Jarrod gave her a rough time...

I have had the hankering to get stuff listed on ebay again. I had come across several pieces of glass ware I had bought to list. I do love it. I have had to do a little homework and get my mind back to learning glassware patterns...

My friend Kate in Columbus emailed tonight to say she had lost her 101 1/2 yr old Grandma this week. They buried her today. Kate has had some good stories to tell me about her through time....

David is sick with a pretty bad cold. I am very worried & see how easy it would be to turn into pneumonia. You know he is bad when he lets me put Vicks rub on him. Thank goodness for the creme stuff....I just remind him how it would be to go to Emergency room as Friday night rolled around....A guy at work that he shares the office with blessed him with this....

Bob a louie, The donkey is doing fine...I keep checking on him to see if he needs his coat back on.

I sat down last night and transferred my seed order to the order blank. I am excited. I should have some interesting beans...I am going back through the catalog and write out a description....Some need to be picked at snapping time others let dry all the way...I am determined this year to get the pumpkin in the ground at the right time...

I have about 8 new apple trees coming soon. They are of the heritage type. I had apple trees but ended up putting a goat pen there & the trees didn't last long. I had really trimmed and worked on getting them going again. Had a bumper crop and put that pen there...

As soon as this weather straightens back out I will have to get on cleaning barns and pens...I usually keep them raked down but not lately...Sheep pen we actually had to go shovel out last week. I made sure it all got taken to my garden and not out to their hay field...That should be a prime area in the garden.

BEEN OUT VISITING

This morning was David's banjo lesson. The drive over was much nicer this week than 2 weeks ago in that snow. It is some nice country out that way. I am liking the banjo lessons, it gives Ellen & I a minute to talk. Seems hard to believe it is time to start thinking Farmer's Market. It will be fun to go to a Farmer's Market get together the 20th of Feb. I am going to try to get word out to everybody I can think of...One of the Eldridge's had a lesson after us so they came in & we visited w/them some before we headed out.

I had to get out a shipment of brown mohair locks going to OR...We dropped them off at PO when we got back to Orlean's.

Then went on to Paoli to get groceries and stopped at Mexican food restaurant. Ran by & saw David's Mom & Dad & on back to house.

Now I need to get back to sorting wool. I have 30lbs done & shipped to have more felting roving. Am working on my finer wool for yarn. All takes time. I have the washer going, doing dishes and sorting wool so I guess I better egt back at it. David is bringing more wood pellets in & then going ouut with hoof trimmers to take a look at everybody after all this rain...

IT'S MONDAY....not to bad!

I am taking a minute out from sorting wool this fine foggy Monday morning...
I have to get this wool out of here and shipped up to Michigan so I can have felting roving. I am making a list a checking it twice getting ready for the First fiber festival. Stayed tuned for the first one details. I am waiting to be confirmed.
Jarrod's Hannah was over yesterday. Bless her heart. He won't even let her sleep in. He goes and gets her bright and early Sunday morning...We enjoyed pizza for lunch and everybody just did their own thing as the day went...
Em's been working on homework over the weekend and she is working on getting more organized. Poor child, she can't gain to much knowledge there from her Mom. But I am trying also. I bought plastic boxes at Home Depot the other day. David & I bought a trailer to keep our booth supplies in. I now have the clear boxes to put my inventory in...We have to get a rack built in to hold tables and shelves. Maybe there is hope for us...
Yesterday I went to the barn to get a couple sheep fleeces to go w/ the felting mohair. I got into one and knew right away it would go for yarn roving. Got the second one sorted and had to go back out to get more...I do love sorting fleece. I have been doing it long enough now I am seeing what I have pretty quick....The wool processor likes for us to put sheep wool w/mohair to keep it calm when it is being processed. The mohair can get to flying...

Got everyone tucked in for the night....

I had the feed mixed up and ready when David got home. I filled the buckets and had them ready as he fed ea pen. The snow is almost kinda slick now and was really work to walk on. David said it is like walking on bunches of marbles. I came in and sat down. Got back up about an hour later and boy do my legs feel it. I had my leg work out....

I had to put a blanket coat on the donkey. He was shivering. Last night I put a bale of hay in the barn trying to get him to stay in there. Everytime I went out today he would be in there chowing down...but I noticed he was still shivering so went and got out a coat. We had to hold onto him to get it on it but he settled in quick...

My earlier post said we had temps below freezing 4 days. I was wrong. They say they have been below freezing since before the first of the year...I am banking on the sun to shine Sunday. It won't be above freezing but I hope they are right when they tell us the sun will shine...

I am heading to bed. David has banjo lesson in the morning. I think I am going with him. I think we will run to Tractor Supply and get some gates and feed when we get finished...

HAPPY NEW YEAR....

Well, it is freezing here for about the 4th day in a row and they tell us we have at least that many left to go before it warms up. Seems all we have been doing is putting hay in feeders and refilling water tanks... BUT, so far everybody is ok...

I have been working on my kitchen. David is making me a set of shelves that go all the way to the ceiling. I am in the painting mode on those. I am doing one section at a time. Got all the sides etc painted now I need to paint ea shelf. I am thinking we may have to shave off just a tiny bit. I got the corner cleaned and painted where I will put a new refrig. I have to get some dishes packed up and spices moved because I intend to tear out 2 cabinets and have refirg and freezer side by side...I have been every place imaginable looking at refrigs and freezers...I like just the simple refrigs ...I really liked the one I had and they darn near don't make them good looking anymore....

2009 was very good to us and I have been very busy getting my game plan together for 2010. I am going to a couple extra Fiber Events I didn't go to last year. Getting my garden list together. Oh, Yes....I am going to Ivy Tech to take a accounting class. Nothing major. I got into the same class as Em...which it is evening but we had to think about lambing time. David will get back to the house and I will just be leaving in case we have a lamb watch going on...

I was just out feeding chickens and watering them. I mixed up feed for everybody else so when David gets home it won't be hard to get everybody fed....

I am heading to make a corn casserole. Made jello and strawberries this morn. Baked chicken. Just pulled mince meat pie out of oven...The kids are here today. Em called off work which she has never done. She has a pretty bad cold and then the roads are pretty crummy. This was Jarrod's reg day off...Em has tomorrow off and Jarrod goes back to work...

Boy do I have crackes on my hands. Guess I am going to have to get vaseline out and socks....

We have our hands full right now with the cats. I have a couple with a pretty good chest cold...I am hoping the roads are good enough in the morning for me to go back to the vet and get more med...