One month closer to fall!
Showing posts with label pinot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pinot. Show all posts
Friday, August 7, 2026
Thursday, July 9, 2026
Thursday, July 2, 2026
Everybody Gets A Pergola!
The weather has been ridiculous. We are currently in a stretch of mid to upper 90s and the sheep are hot, the horses are hot, the cats are hot, Pinot's hiding in the air conditioning and I'm...trying not to cry. The bees are hot too.
Bees work very hard to keep their hives warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They do this by working together to generate heat when it's cold or try to fan it out when it's hot. There are lots of interesting articles online about this. Here is a good one.
Stella and I had the good fortune of having a small building and some trees to provide afternoon shade for our bees when they were up on the hill. Here's a link to a great Stella and the bees story and also a picture of our set up. She also had an old leaky cistern and the bees gathered water there every day. I'm not sure if I have any pictures of that.
There's no shade down here for the new hive and I had been thinking about how I would handle that. Sure, the bees could probably take care of things on their own, but why add any extra stress to an insect that is already facing so many stressors these days.
I started with just a lattice back and top, but that really didn't help much. I added the small shade cloth and while it looks a bit janky, it did the trick. The front porch of the hive had been covered in bees trying to help fan cool air up into the box. The numbers went way down almost immediately.
This picture was just after I added the cloth, but it's not very clear. You might be able to biggify it to see more bees.
The other issue in high heat is water. The tank I've had sitting out in the B Garden to provide water for birds, bees and plants was getting super hot and soupy really quickly. I've tried to keep it clean and I've seen birds and wasps drinking from it, but never any bees. I added a shade top to that as well and changed the safety landing to something hopefully more bee friendly. We'll see.
Ideally it would be great if the weather could just cool off a bit...
Sunday, June 28, 2026
Pinot's Pergola
Several year ago I built a small(ish) shaded stand for my night blooming cereus. That worked so well and the plant has been so happy under it that we decided to build a Wool House version to try to help me get through summer as well.
Since we have Pinot's Porch and Pinot's Patio, it's only fitting this is Pinot's Pergola. When I was putting his fence (that you can barely see in the picture) back up, I made an extra side paddock...Pinot's Paddock :-).
I went with a pergola design because I didn't want to completely cover up the front of the Wool House. There are several most months of the year that I actually like the sun shining through the windows and front doors. For those months that I don't...here's hoping the removeable shade cloths will help.
With some roll down side shades.
The vining flowers in the elevated (because of sheep ;-) pots are cardinal vines that the hummingbirds are supposed to love. Can't wait!
I spotted this four leaf clover while we were hanging the side shades yesterday. I was standing up on a ladder when I spotted it. Tim couldn't find it. Pinot did...and ate it ;-D.
I built this raised bed using leftover scraps from the builders. The big nails holding the 8"x8" sides together are the spikes we used every year to anchor Maisie's "birthday cake" to the bale of straw.
The little shelf holding the not so little anymore hoya is another favorite detail. That tiny cutting happened after the parent plant crashed during a storm last year...or maybe the year before... It's been living in the window over the wash room sink and has done so well that it's outgrown that spot. I hope it likes this outside location for summer.
I also treated myself to a bird bath fountain. I filled the basin with broken chunks of old clay pots so there are plenty of spots for bees, butterflies and birds to land. Waiting for my first visitors! In the meantime, I have a beautiful place to sit out with Pinot and watch the bats and fireflies.
If you'd like to sit out with me and Pinot for a minute, enjoy!
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
The Sweater Story
I've had a pretty crazy life so far! After being lost along the highway and being so scared and sad, I now live on a quiet sheep farm with a cat who says I'm the only good rabbit on the farm! I've met the other rabbit and he seems fine to me, but apparently there are some issues with cats...or at least this particular cat.
When we got home to the farm it felt good to get a nice warm bath and have my scraped up nose doctored on. It was still pretty cold so the lady wrapped me up in a big dry towel.
And now I have my very own sweater! Pinot, that's the other rabbit, says he's glad he doesn't have to wear a stupid old sweater, but I like it. It's very warm and soft and fuzzy and I don't think I'll ever be cold again.
It started with brushing out some really pretty wool. The lady said it didn't come from one of the sheep here, but that it had been left behind on a table at a big sheep show so she thought it would be perfect for my sweater. She said just because something gets left behind doesn't mean it's not worth anything. Sometimes things just get lost.
Then the big orange cat helped her spin it into yarn.
She said the wool was from a Romney sheep and that she really enjoyed spinning this yarn. She said she thought it would be fuzzier, but that she still liked it.
I had to try the sweater on a million times because she wanted it to fit me just right.
When she washed it, the yarn got much softer and fuzzy and then she was really, really happy with it. She said it was "a Sara fleece for sure!"
She found a pretty heart that she pinned to the front. She said I could tuck all my memories in there and they'd never be lost again. I still can't remember what my name was, but she's calling me Annie and I like that. I'll tuck into in my heart.
Saturday, June 6, 2026
May
May was a big month and so much never made the blog...because sometimes it's more important to keep your head up and keep treading water. Springtime...
Maryland Sheep and Wool seems like forever ago. May rain brought lots of May flowers. The butterflies are arriving. The bees are doing great. I may still try to say more about the little rabbit sweater. I definitely will say and show more about the addition to the Wool House...when it's finally finished.
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Friday, March 6, 2026
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Tuesdays Are For Knitting
Some signs of spring! Melting snow, a baby chick and an open door :-).
Pinot being outside is not a sign of spring because he's been going out all winter, but his muddy feet could be a clue :-).
I couldn't resist making my Emotional Support Chicken her own baby chick. These are fun little projects and a great way to use up small amounts of leftover yarn. Here's a link to the patterns.
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
The 74 Days Of January
It wasn't really that bad, but it does seem like a long time ago since we had green grass!
Thursday, January 8, 2026
Thursday, December 18, 2025
Merry Christmas!
Every now and then I catch a little glimpse of white out in the field or a flash of orange in the garden and I hope we are all still here together under Hank and Maisie's watchful eyes, the bright stars and occasionally the northern lights. I wonder if Maggie and Big Moose see them, too.
* * * * *
I couldn't fit every beloved ghost in the scene, but ghosts are fluid and other than Hank and Maisie watching out back and Salt and Comby out front, everyone else can be whoever we are missing the most and catch out of the corner of our eye. Remember, they might be tucked in the barn or curled up in the Wool House.
I'd love to know who you see.
Merry Christmas!
Oh, and it's a puzzle too :-).
Thursday, December 4, 2025
Snow Bunny
Pinot was pretty sure he wanted to go out to the barn for a bit Tuesday morning, but he didn't go far before he turned back and decided to shop local in his patio by the Wool House.
Look at the snow fly.
He knows it's important to eat your greens.
And your browns.
I've had a couple of questions about if Pinot is cold when he goes outside or if he's grown extra hair for winter. If you click to biggify this picture you can see how dense his hair is. I've also noticed he's put on some extra weight and has a fat pooch around his neck now.
When I think it's okay for him to run around for a bit, I leave the door cracked open so he can get back in when he's ready. That being said, when it's really too cold to leave the door open very long, I don't let him go outside. That's my work room, too :-).
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