Riding Off Into The Long Shadows

I originally intended for Frankie to be a riding horse.  I now can't remember why I decided to drive him that first year, but then I was having so much fun driving that I didn't really even think about riding anymore other than just on rare occasions, and now, what, four years have gone past?   

I'd be surprised if Frankie had had more than just a handful of rides when he was in rehab at New Vocations.  I've only gotten on him a couple times since he's been here.  He is definitely a green horse under saddle.

I had zero concerns about him not being a kind and careful mount, but I didn't want his first real experiences being ridden to be with an old, fat, out of shape, does she even remember how to ride partner who might do or not do something and cause him concern.

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Leslie knew just where to send us for some expert help and we trailered over on Sunday for his first ride.  They both did such a good job that I felt confident getting on him myself at home yesterday.  We didn't do anything too exciting - just walked around the side field - but it was plenty exciting to me to be up on a horse again :-).

Frankie's still not 100% sure he likes this new job, but I think as his confidence grows he'll enjoy having something different to do and some new adventures to go on.  Rockstar-ing on!

Roc Day Eve

Tomorrow is Roc Day or Saint Distaff's Day, the day "all spinners go back to work" after the holidays.  It's basically a holiday in itself if you need an extra excuse to pull out a spindle or wheel.  I've picked out my spinning for the day.

I'll be spinning some California Red from one of my favorite local shepherdesses, Andrea from Morgandell Farm.  This is Patch and Levi :-).  

I'm hoping to spin off and on all day, but will definitely have my "butt in seat" between 2:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon and 7:00 and 9:00 (eastern time) in the evening if anyone would like to join me via zoom to share some spinning, ask questions, talk sheep and wool...

To join in, click the Wool House Crafters button at the upper right of your screen or you should be able to  follow this link. You shouldn't need a password.  Give it a few seconds and I think it just prompts you to turn on your microphone and camera.  Once in I usually switch it to "gallery" view so I can see everyone and what they are working on.

I look forward to this day every year.  I traditionally spin on my Canadian Production Wheel, but I usually try to give everyone a bit of a go.  I'm also working on my Jared sweater, so I may take a break and do some knitting too.

Whatever you do, enjoy it :-).

On The Tenth Day Of Christmas

I was gifted a beautiful witch hazel for my birthday several years ago.  I put it in a spot that I thought it would like and that it would add some color and dimension to the area. I was so excited about a super early blooming shrub for the bees...and two years in a row it got "pruned" by some naughty sheep :-/.

I finally got it secured effectively and it's alive and well and bloomed nicely last winter/early spring, but unless I remembered to walk over there to see it (which really shouldn't be that hard), I missed watching it.  The blooms are fun and I knew the bees would be happy to see them.

I toyed with moving it to a closer location, but decided it had be tortured enough so I headed to the nursery and bought a second witch hazel.  This one a native variety that would bloom in the early winter.  Tim "pruned" it with the hedge trimmers :-/.

Two good branches remained and even though it was just in it's first year here, they budded up and were just starting to open when the super cold hit.  I wasn't worried about the plant surviving, but I'd been so excited watching the blooms starting to pop out that I decided to try to save them in hopes they'd continue to bloom after the freeze.

I put a fence around it and filled it with straw and then added a clear plastic wool bag over the top.  I secured the bag with two heavy clamps and could not believe it rode out the crazy winds.  Once the cold broke I uncovered it, thought it looked not too bad and crossed my fingers.

It took several days to wake back up, but as the forecast ran into the 60s I was hopeful.  It's blooming!

I remember as I was planting it thinking what on earth would still be out and about to take advantage of it in December.  Bees don't fly at temps under 50 degrees.  December and January are usually below 50.  Not normally below 0...but let's not think about that.

As I was taking pictures, a hint of movement caught my eye.  A honey bee!  I thought just the honey bee, but when I downloaded the pictures I see a smaller wild bee in there as well.

Against all the odds, this tough little plant DID get to host a bee party this winter.  And I'm enjoying walking past it as I go back and forth to the barn.  But I will also be excited to walk over to the far side of the yard to hopefully see more partying bees in February :-).

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For anyone interested in Roc Day or Saint Distaff's Day, I will be posting more about that tomorrow.  I wanted to get these pictures before they got buried in my photo files.  More blogging in 2023!

Cats...

We had a nasty thunderstorm early this morning and then flooding rains most of the day.  I walked to the barn with a flashlight at 7:15 and wondered if the night was ever going to end.  

I went back to the house for breakfast and when I got ready to go back to the barn and do morning chores, I thought - for the very first time I can ever remember - that I wished I could just go back to bed.  I didn't, but I have pondered a couple times today if indeed I've never had that thought before.  I don't think I have.

Archie, of course, DID go back to bed ;-).

Happy Ground Hog Day I Mean New Year

Something went wrong when I saved the year end photo slideshow yesterday and I didn't catch it until this morning...after I'd already posted it and deleted the "albums" where I store the month and year end photos on my phone.  Not to worry, I'd backed up all the pictures...just not in their albums.

What does this mean?  The pictures were all still there in the archives, so I could recreate the "memory".  They were just no longer in small(ish) curated groups...so I spent several hours this morning sorting through almost 4800 (!) photos from 2022.   

Interestingly the first "memory" cut out pretty much all of summer and early fall.  While I think eliminating those months is mostly a great idea except for maybe sweet corn and monarch butterflies, if I have to live through them, I'd like to remember them.

Luckily 2022 was a pretty good year here.  I'd have still recreated the year end review even if it hadn't been, but I'm incredibly thankful I wasn't sorting sad pictures.  

You can't have a year end review and leave Frankie, Fiona and baby Fritz out!  It was worth the trouble :-)

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