Hank Appreciation Post

Hank and Comby, getting ready for the early evening shift.

Which is a bit hard to do when your close talking co-worker won't leave you alone ;-D.

Spud cracks me up.  He and Hershey love to hang out with Hank.  Marcel did, too.  

Hank can smell trouble.  That's not even the direction the wind blows.

A not Biscuit and Muffin puzzle ;-).

Enjoy!

It's Too Nice To Be Inside

But in case you are and want a new puzzle...  I'd try to surprise you, but you already know it's Yet Another Biscuit And Muffin puzzle :-).

Enjoy!

Most Any Job Is Do-able...

...if you just do it.  I've had a couple of those "do-able" jobs lately.  Putting this blog post up is sort of one as well, just way more fun :-).  

Remember the Tour de Fleece?  Yeah, I barely remember it either.  I didn't get everything done that I wanted to, but I did get enough done that I was happy at the end.  And I did take some pictures throughout even though I didn't post them.  As I really do want to remember at least some of what happened, here goes a flash tour.

First I spun half of Chocula.

Next I spun and plied the dark denim from Elizabeth.

Then I stewed about what to do about all these "not exactly the same" balls of medium blues while I spun the brown and white.

I was really happy with the dark blue and brown and then lost my ever loving mind apparently when I was spinning the white and it came out way thinner than the first two skeins.  I stewed on that for a couple days.

And spun and plied the other half of Chocula to get my nerve back up...while I continued to also stew about the "not exactly the same" medium blues.

Whereas at that point, as I tend to do with most of my yarn/knitting/weaving problems, I turned it all over to 20 and went back to the barn to play with Biscuit and Muffin.

He pulled out all of the brightest blues (on right) that didn't perfectly fit in with all the grayer blues (on left).  He then weighed them and weighed out the same amount of grayer blues.  I spun both separately and then did three plying samples to figure out our next step.

Left to right:  bright blue plied with bright blue, gray blue plied with gray blue and bright blue plied with gray blue.  We decided that the bright blue and gray blue were not significantly different enough  (even though they look pretty different in this picture) to keep separate so I plied them together and then spun the remaining gray blue.

All the blues are twisted together here (including a very small skein of light blue) and you can pick out a few different strands here and there if you look very closely, but if I alternate the all gray blue with the bright and gray blue as I knit or weave, I believe it will all work itself out into a "nearly all exactly the same so Sara is happy" finished project.  

I also found this in the dusty archives of early July.  Those three kids are so stinkin' cute :-).

Steamy Summer Evening

Renny

Levi

Hank is all smiles while his sheep are heading in.

And then he's all business!

Enjoy!

Sunday Stillness

Enjoy!

A Picture Of My...Rabbit?

I have pictures of spinning, wool, yarn, 20, flowers in the dye garden, cotton plants, purple martins...and I just can't get them sorted and posted.  Instead of the blog "rule" of posting a picture of your cat, I'm posting an adorable visitor to the lavender garden yesterday morning.

I love yard bunnies :-).

More Cute Babies

They are cute...if you just look closely and give them a chance ;-).  The writing spiders are hatching!

I can find 6 tiny webs in this picture.

The spider sacks from last year's spiders.

Already working hard on their webs.  This one is about the size of a dime.

And catching bugs!

On the other baby front, everything looked good out there yesterday evening :-).

Meanwhile Out In The Field

An update on our favorite robin family!  Last night, just before dusk, I walked out and peeked into the nest to see how many babies were actually in there.  I found two babies, but they looked dull and lethargic and my heart sank.  I know how heat can affect animals, especially tiny babies :-(.

This morning I took my breakfast out to the end of the walkway and watched the "tree" while I ate.  I saw no activity.  I waited and watched for any sign of life.  No mom or dad coming or going.  I wasn't super surprised, but I'd been so hopeful yesterday.

I finally decided I had to know for sure, so I walked on out.  As I climbed up the ditch, one baby heard me and jumped up, active as could be!  I quickly backed away and was happy at least one baby had survived.  And sure enough, mom and dad were still on the job.

I checked on them from a distance several times during the day and found both babies were alive and well.  Baby birds grow fast.  Hang in there kids!  

*     *     *     *     *

Meanwhile, as I was on my stakeouts yesterday I caught a couple nice horse shots.  Hickory and T-Bone are much like Biscuit and Muffin.  They are almost always together and frequently side by side.

More puzzles :-).

Enjoy!

Robins Of The Year

Earlier this week - I hope it was Tuesday and not Monday - the neighbor across the road had a crew come through and clear out his fence row.  I felt bad for any wildlife that had been used to having cover over there, but didn't think any further about it.  Tuesday's weather was almost tolerable. Wednesday was brutally hot.

It never cooled off enough last night to open the windows and turn the AC off.  Anyone who knows me knows how. hot. that. meant. it. was.  It was 72 at 6:00 this morning.  At least it was overcast at times and I worked around the farm and then at lunchtime headed to town to deliver some printing for Tim.

As I pulled out of our driveway and started down the lane I saw it.  A robin nest sitting on top of a now completely exposed fence post.  Not just a nest, but an adult robin standing over some babies. Open mouthed panting. I felt sick.

I couldn't get to town and back fast enough (luckily just a few minutes away).  Saint Tim and I formulated a plan en route and when I got home I gathered up some pine branches and wire ties and headed down the road.  The adult was still standing over the nest, but darted away as I approached.

I didn't waste any time taking any pictures and didn't really look into the nest any more than to see that the babies were still alive.  The branches went up easier than I thought they might and I think they'll hold at least for a few days...unless we get a big storm.  Fingers crossed. I then grabbed my binoculars and moved away to see if the parents would be willing to come back.  They did.  

Not only did they come back to feed the babies, but they both were feeding the babies, not one standing in the nest...and it dawned on me that one of those adults had spent the last few days standing over their babies trying to provide as much shade as they could.  That is not a dumb animal.

Let me introduce you to the robins of the year!   

The pictures aren't great because I didn't want to bother them.  They'd had enough stress the last couple of days.  I sat out on the other side of the wet weather creek in the blazing sun.  You know, my favorite thing to do during my favorite season of the year :-o. 

You may be able to click to biggify.

They cautiously approach and then swoop right in.  Hard to capture.

This last picture was taken from The Unit, parked up next to the garage in the shade just a few minutes ago.  I've been stalking them off and on all afternoon (with Weaslie and an ice cold beverage ;-), just to make sure everything is going okay.  Everything seems good.  

Interestingly, while I was sitting there, a robin flew over and landed on the fence next to me.  It stared at me for a good while and then flew down into the pasture.  It joined up with another bird and they both hunted around, slowly working their way over towards the nest.  I can't swear they were the "right" birds, but the behavior was curious and if so...you're welcome :-).

Are You Getting Tired Of Biscuit And Muffin Pictures?

I hope not, because they sure do make me smile :-).

Yet another Biscuit and Muffin puzzle :-).

Enjoy!

Good Evening!

Always handsome Hank happily clocking in for the night.

And a couple new puzzles :-).

Enjoy!

Maisie Monday

Crazy Maisie, always good for a laugh :-).

Keeping Watch

Good Morning!

These pictures were all taken at the same time.  Well, not at the exact same time, but within a minute or two ;-).  I love how the light changes color.  The horses were shot with the sun just off to the left of center/in front of me.  I turned to the right about one quarter turn to take the pictures of Hank.

And then back again.  The horses had also moved a little further to the left, towards the sun.

Two new puzzles :-).

Enjoy!