A [Three]fer

Three new puzzles for the price of one ;-).

Sunbeam Sheep

I really thought things were starting to settle down...  I did take my camera out this evening for a few minutes though finally.  Surprisingly the batteries were still charged up enough to use it.  Just for fun I took this sunbeam shot and it's a nice way to end the day.

  

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!"  

I'm not sure what the means, but I was really, really happy with it too.

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.

May

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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.  

I Gave Up...Again

I'd hoped the greenhouse rosemary would either send up some new growth from the bottom this spring or that the cutting it tried to give me would root, but neither happened.  I carefully cut off the two spider cocoons and pulled the rest out.

The greenhouse sheep doesn't look quite so lonely now with two tiny new friends...and Possum.

The rosemary in the front is a trailing variety.  The rosemary in the back is a more cold tolerant plant, but I'll have to go check the tags to remember the names.  I'll try to do better this time around.  I miss my huge old friend :-/.

Down The Toilet

For the last few weeks we've had some skunk activity, not in the barn (the norm), but in the driveway between the barn and garage and possibly the garage itself.  As anyone with a dog knows, this is not ideal.

I've not found any sign of the skunk living in the garage, but the other day I noticed freshly dug dirt between the garage and the outhouse.  On closer inspection, there is a hole dug under the concrete floor.  

Yeah...but what can you even do about it?

A few days later I looked again, still trying to figure out if there was anything to be done and noticed that there was even more fresh dirt...and now a tunnel leading under the outhouse.  

I carefully opened the outhouse door and peeked inside.  No sign of the skunk, but it did have a new distinct smell...so I peeked down the hole.

The skunk is living under the garage...and using the outhouse...as an outhouse.

You can't make this "stuff" up.

Speaking Of Names

A couple of weeks ago I walked out late one night to check the back gate and turned around to find that Krista Two/White Krista/New Krista/K2 had walked out in the dark to come see what I was doing and we stood out there together for quite a while.  We do this a lot.  She's just. that. sweet.  

Having two Kristas though is just. not. working. 

20 and I went to see The Sheep Detectives movie yesterday. We both loved it. It was so good and so fun that we are going to probably see it at least one more time and I've promised the sheep that as soon as it comes out in DVD (I think they still make those?), I'll get a copy and we'll show it in the barn so everyone can watch.

In the meantime, one of the main characters is named Lily.  This is not a spoiler as she's in all the trailers ;-).  By the end of the movie, as I watched how she and her shepherd interacted, it was obvious that Lily would be a perfect re-name for a great little sheep who deserves her very own special name.  I told her she'd understand when she got to watch for herself.

In the meantime, meantime, if you are not aware of the new Sheep Detectives movie, I've included one of the trailers here.  There are tons of clips all over and it's currently sitting with a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and I saw somewhere that it's Hugh Jackman's highest rated movie.  It's that good!

Don't miss it!  Grab your best sheep friend and go to the movies :-D.

New Smol Rabbit Fren

Last Saturday 20, Pip and I were on our way to Maryland when we spotted a rabbit in a heap on the side of the side of the interstate :-o.  We'd left Kentucky at 5:00 that morning facing a long drive and I made the quick decision to feel sad, but keep driving........ . . .  .  .  .  .    .     .      .       .

We passed the first exit... . . .  .  .  .    .    .     .       .

.   .   .   and turned around at the next one.

I probably would have turned around anyway, but I really couldn't not stop with Pip sitting right there.  Remember that story?

I pulled way over and quickly jumped out of the car, grabbed the rabbit and jumped back in.  He or she did not appear to be injured, just wet and scared, and I gave them a big hug and told them they were safe.  They tucked in behind 20, looking very sad.  Pip promised them everything would be okay.

At the next rest stop they were starting to dry out and everyone repositioned and decided they were all feeling much better.  I'd added 20 or so minutes to my drive, but I was feeling better, too.  A good hug and snuggling in with some friends will do that for you :-).

Now home and washed and with a good brush out, we are all settled in.  Sadly, when I did an internet search, I found that this is probably a rabbit who originally had a baby rabbit sewn to their chest.  Maybe.  I hope they didn't lose their baby on top of losing their family :-(.

The name Sebastian had originally popped into my head, so maybe that's a sign I'm wrong, but the string on their chest seems important.  Maybe someone will see this and recognize their friend and they can all be reunited.

Until then, with the weather still so chilly, I'm thinking they might need a nice warm wool sweater :-).

April

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April was busy (unless you were Archie), but fun.  Lots of spring flowers, new bees, new raised beds (that I'm having to replant after the really hard freeze over the weekend :-/) all the spinning, a little painting, beautiful moons, interesting fog, good sheep, good friends...

So I Did A Thing

I decided I wanted to go to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this year.  It only took me over 20 years to get over the extreme heat from the first time I went when I swore I'd never go back ;-).  Anyway, I thought if I was going all that way, I should challenge myself to enter something in the Skein and Garment competition.

My favorite class is the Spinners Yarn Basket and from there it was an easy jump to figure out some way to include Jared.  If you are going to put that much effort into making something, it needs to be with a good friend.

In 25 words or less, you spin at least one pound of yarn, tell how you processed and spun the yarn, include the pattern you are going to use the yarn for and a swatch to show how it will work.  My favorite description for everything after that is "flower arranging for yarn".  

I am extremely honored that Big J and I brought home the blue ribbon.

I always wished I had a picture of the two of us so I decided to paint one.

And I wrote him a letter and put together a little booklet with some more information and "flower arranging".

And some of my favorite pictures that helped illustrate how much he meant to me and everyone who met him.

I made a big "basket" to hold his big yarn from the apple crate I used to sit on in the barn with him.  I lined it with a drawstring project bag that I made from one of Bill's old shearing bags and a sheet that we use to wrap the freshly shorn fleeces.  The tags are my required entry information.

This is the front and back (outside) of the booklet.  The inside spread was an excerpt from his obituary from the blog.

And this was what I would have said to him if we were standing in the driveway.  The Xs were to make sure there was no identifying information anywhere.

Meteorological note - this year was one of the coldest on record.  Of course it was.  

Maisie note - I included the picture of Maisie sashaying away from my wrecked bike with Jared looking on in horror because if you are going to do something bold, you might want to do it with Maisie...or not ;-).

And After

I always love Murphy's marbled colors.

And how black Muffin still is.

The two Kristas, grandmother and granddaughter.  I wonder if the little gray ewe on the left is related to them as well.  She looks more like the OG Krista than the new Krista does, although her "Baa" sounds just like her grandmother :-).

Everyone in the main flock together in one picture.

And a new puzzle!

Before...

Is Maggie taller than she is wide?

Big Moose

Pinto...only taller because he has long legs ;-).

White Krista.  What a sweet little ewe.

This is a fun puzzle :-).

 

Meanwhile, Back Before Spring Shearing...

April has been just a blur.  These pictures are fun of Archie and Possum, so better late than never.  I also have pre-shearing sheep pictures and post shearing pictures.  Any interest in seeing those or has that ship sailed until next year?  Maybe as a puzzle or two?

Archie and Possum both loved hanging out on the roll bale. 

But as with most things "Possum", frequently dissolved into a fight.  

"Possum!"

"What?"

The top roof is the one Archie fell off of a few years ago?  Well, he fell off the lower roof, too, on the way down.  

I'm guessing he only has about three lives left...that I know about.

I Gave Up

I'd hoped for the last two years that I'd be able to pick up a neighborhood swarm and feel pretty sure that I had at least some descendants from Stella's bees.  That didn't work out and I finally decided to just start over.  Of course, now that I've gone to all this trouble and expense, I'll probably find a swarm next week.  

I've never installed a package of bees before.  I've had lots of experience handling bees in general and am comfortable working with nucs (a small box of established bees with a queen), but dealing with a queen in a cage in a package of bees she doesn't know was a little daunting.  

I wanted a particular strain (Buckfast) bees though and a package was my only option.  That's okay.  Stella and I loved learning new things about beekeeping.  She'd have enjoyed the whole day, from going to pick them up to getting them settled.  She'd especially have liked the new inside feeder I'm using.

While a friend and I were waiting for the stragglers to move from the package into the hive box, we were able to watch some of the bees start to fan and talk to each other and then saw some take  orientation flights circling over the hive box.  A few even started exploring whatever these flowers are.

By nightfall, all but a few were tucked into the box and I was able to pick up the last 10 or so and deposit them at the entrance.  Hopefully they'll be happy here.  They've had a long couple of days I'd guess being packaged up and moved.  I promised them that tomorrow will be a better day.

March

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March was jam packed...but pretty darn good :-).

Under The Burled Arch

The 2026 Iknitarod is in the books.  The trail was pretty clear the whole way and about halfway to Nome I picked up a couple of Iknitariders who saw all the purple yarns and couldn't resist joining the fun.

"I wonder what this is for?"

"This purple matches my sweater!"

"And this one matches my whole outfit!"

There was a bit of clean up, but nothing the team couldn't handle and from there it was smooth sailing.

The front or "right" side.

The back, which is actually the side you are looking at while you are working.  This is technically the "wrong" side, but I always kind of like the back sides better.

As always, I learned a lot as I punched along.  I also learned a lot after I finished.  There are some colors here that are too close to each other, but I didn't notice how too close until I took these pictures.  I'm not sure if I'll take anything out and change things around or just leave it as is as a reminder to watch for that and a couple other nitpicky things that I wouldn't do again.

All in all it was very fun and I'm looking forward to my next project.  And it was nice to hang out with one of my all time favorite sheep for a bit :-).