Morning Perspective And Composition

Also known as trying to make the best out of being crabby about just getting heavy frost and no snow this winter.



The view from the back porch this morning. The sunlight hitting the frost gave everything an almost monotone, white look. Somehow I missed that with this pink shot. Use manual settings so you get what you want. How many times do I have to tell me? Sigh.



Everything was pretty (is monotone the right word?) except the sun hitting Handy's back. I moved off the porch to get a different sun angle, played around with how I wanted to frame him, the trees in the background, the curvy fence, the curvy shadow, the curvy driveway.



Which do you like best and why?

Sunday Stills - Liquids

For this next week's challenge get some shots of liquids……any kind.

Well, there have been plenty of liquids this winter.

No shortage of liquids.

Sigh.



I noticed this on the windshield yesterday morning.



Do you see them?



Upside down trees made right side up in this upside down picture.



One of the maples out by the road.

For more liquid Sunday Stills...

A Blogiversary Giveaway!

I've had a couple questions/comments on the Find Five artwork. That was something I did mostly just for fun, but also thought it would be good to have something staring me in the face for the next month, reminding me to not forget to find my five minutes every day.



I've done farm "cartoons" before. This is one of my favorites - from long ago, March of 2007. I remembered doing it, one of the earliest (and still one of my favorite) blog posts. In going back to look for it, I found that yesterday was my five year blogiversary. Holy moly!

A lot has happened in five years. Most good, some bad. Five of the characters in this cartoon are now gone. Our favorite rooster, Brushy, a couple good hens and Miss Aria. Heidi and Peabody are still here. So are Claire Bear, Handy and T-Bone. Tilly is still digging holes in the yard. I can't decide if I should laugh or cry at how I could re-post that blog and most of it would still be valid :-o.

I was going to offer to do a personal cartoon for a lucky finisher in the Find Five February challenge, but in light of my blog birthday, I think it should be open for everyone. I mostly do this blog for myself, like an online diary, but I realize that some of you like to read our diary just as much as I do and I find that really flattering. I also really enjoy reading everyone's comments. Living out on a farm, sometimes you are the only people I "talk to" during the day.

I'm not claiming to be any real sort of artist, but I think the silly cartoons are kind of fun(ny). If you'd like me to try to draw one for you and your wacky (farm or not) family, leave me a comment. I'll leave it open through next Wednesday and then draw a Random.org winner.

It's a Happy Blogiversary!

Find Five

I have a confession to make. I live on a beautiful farm with some amazing sheep. I have a awesome dedicated work space in the Wool House and a loft full of fun fiber. I have drop spindles I could carry around with me, spinning wheels in the Wool House, a really cool antique Great Wheel in the living room. I don't even want to think about how many days go by that I don't spin any yarn. Something I love.

It's nuts. And it's all my fault. I just don't. make. time. And it's not like this is world peace - though God knows we could use some of that - but it's something that nags at me. That I let make me feel stupid and unproductive and ungrateful. And I'm not really any of those things. Well, definitely not ungrateful at least.

I'm not a bad spinner, but I'm not a good spinner either. I thought the other day, you know, if you just spent a measly five minutes everyday spinning something, it would probably be amazing how much better you'd get. How the second skein of yarn would probably match the first skein so your mittens fit better without some creative blocking.

And good grief! If you didn't set up the Mitten Knittin' challenge, would you have ever finished those mittens in the first place? Why does it take the Tour de Fleece or the Knitting Olympics to kick you in the butt??? Do you need an accountability challenge all the time?!?

Yes, apparently so.



So here's the February challenge - Find Five. If there is something bugging you - like not finding time to spin, knit, weave, take a walk, read a book, call someone rather than texting them, cleaning your house (okay, maybe not that ;-)... set yourself a goal to find just five minutes every day and do that thing (or things). Five minutes doesn't sound like very much, but if you are currently doing ZERO, those minutes are going to add up. Surely everyone can find five minutes somewhere.

If you'd like to join in, leave a comment here on the blog or join the Punkin's Patch Ravelry group. If you blog about it, let us know so we can follow along. Feel free to put the Find Five button on your website or Facebook or whatever you use. That's Hickory, B. Willard, Hank, Eli and one of the Adventure Chickens - five Punkin's Patch friends who are always getting stuff done. I'm not saying they are always getting stuff done we like them to...but they stay busy ;-).

I am going to spin something...every day. I'm also going to walk up the hill to Stella's...every day. I should probably clean my house too...but that's going to require a different kick in the butt. Probably from the health department ;-).

Anyone in?

Free Range Chickens

Ten minutes in the life of Chicken No.



Out with the sheep by the end of the arena.



Less than ten minutes later, that's her (tiny white dot) headed down the driveway in the front field.

And that's why every time I think "That's it! Those stupid hide their eggs all over the farm so I have to buy eggs at the grocery store Adventure Chickens have got to go!" I have to just laugh...and chuck another 6 million dollar bag of chicken food in the back of the car.