Dreamweaver Alpacas

Crawford Notch, White Mountains, NH

2010-07-05T14:16:00.011-04:00

Yes, I'm back after a long reprieve. Just busy with things & our computer died.

So hubby & I took a few days vacation at Crawford Notch in the New Hampshire White Mountains. Here is a view of the notch.

Across the road from that view is Silver Cascade.

And in the parking lot from that same view of the notch was a sign that said something like "Dull Pond".......I can't remember the exact name.........we followed the path & came to this little gem in the forest.

We hiked up to Ripley Falls.

Sadie taking a rest at Ripley Falls. We were all out of shape as it was only the second hike we've taken this season. (Forgot the camera on the last one......views weren't as grand as there was a heavy haze from the forest fires in Quebec.)

The next day we took a gondola ride to the top of Wildcat Mountain. Below is a view from the top with Mt. Washington behind us.

We checked out a section of the Appalachian Trail which runs over the top of Wildcat Mountain.

It's very interesting to check out the trees & plant life as the elevation changes. Notice the short trees & haggard looking trees. (They look shorter in person.)

This is called Elephant Head. Do you see the giant elephant coming out of the forest? We kayaked in the little pond next to it & then hiked to the top of Elephant Head.

TTFN!

Felting Challenge

2010-02-10T19:14:00.002-05:00

This is my felting challenge entry for Kenleigh's Fiber Studio's Felting Challenge. Voting is going on right now until noon February 12. Hop on over & leave a comment to vote for your favorite!

TTFN

Fiber Arts Gathering

2010-01-27T20:14:00.013-05:00

A few weekends ago I hosted the monthly gathering for our Saco Valley Fiber Artists Group.

Everyone brings a dish (or drink) to share (like Sangria & wine!) & a project to work on and show off. We always have a great time & it's such fun to see what everyone is working on & what beautiful projects they've finished & brought for show (which I forgot to get pictures of!).

Below, Janet of http://www.jconnerhookedrugs.com/ is working here on a new idea for kits to make a hooked rug tote/purse.

Joyce was knitting socks.

Barb was working on a needle punch project.

Knitting, rug hooking, needle punch, spinning were the projects going on that day.

Our next gather is coming right up soon & I'm really looking forward to it. In fact, I have a few things I'll be showing off! Can't post about them yet though.....but soon!

Sadie was awfully excited for a while with all the people & attention she was getting. She got so excited she had to take a rest in the other room.

I came in the house this morning from doing chores & these two hoodlums were sitting here like this. It was kinda comical. Sadie was sitting right up against the wall. I came in & out of the room a few times & they both never moved so I was able to get a picture. Sadie looked like a little kid who'd been told to sit in their chair for time out & not move. Ben looked like the kid who felt bad for her but didn't know what to do but just wait until she could come play again.

TTFN.

Friday Funny

2010-01-22T06:28:00.005-05:00

A friend sent me this piece. I laughed so hard I had tears running...and not because I've done these things or been in any of these situations but because I've known people who have. Read on.

Important Women's Health Issue

* Do you have feelings of inadequacy?
* Do you suffer from shyness?
* Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask you doctor or pharmacist about Margaritas.

Margaritas are the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. Margaritas can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything. You will notice the benefits of Margaritas almost immediately and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live. Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding and start living with Margaritas.

Margaritas may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Margaritas. However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.

Side effects may include:

- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Incarceration
- Erotic lustfulness
- Loss of motor control
- Los of clothing
- Loss of money
- Loss of virginity
- Table dancing
- Headache
- Dehydration
- Dry mouth
- And a desire to sing karaoke

WARNINGS:

* The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you are whispering when you are not.

* The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to tell your friends that you love them over and over again.

* The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to think you can sing.

* The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.

Please share this with other women who may need Margaritas.

TTFN.

Christmas Presents

2010-01-05T20:58:00.011-05:00

My Christmas present....a Zojirushi bread making machine. I love it! I've made 3 loaves of bread and a cake so far. It makes very big loaves so with just the two of us it lasts a while. You can also make meatloaf and jam in it. I'm excited to try the jam.

My fiber arts group, the Saco Valley Fiber Artists, has a Christmas party every year. We all bring a dish to share & a gift for the gift swap. The gift that I got was two balls of brightly colored roving, a sock making kit (just add needles) and this neat little hand made kind of like a daytimer. My friend Janet made it and did the penny rug design on the front of a heart, sheep & sunflower. Doesn't she do a beautiful job?

The sock kit I've almost finished. I'm making those for myself as I need a new pair of wool socks.

This is the inside of the "daytimer" (for lack of a better name to call it). It is made from a quilted placemat that is folded over, sewn and then sewn to create little pockets to hold things. It could be used for different things....like holding knitting needles maybe.

Tristan & Petnuia got a new scratching post. Poor Tristan kept trying to rub & scratch himself but all he had to scratch on was shiny metal pen panels. So I tied up a pallet for them & they've used it plenty already. There's a nice lanolin "patina" on it. ;o)

Petunia is quite loving. She kept trying to get up to see the camera & I was trying to keep her back a little in the camera view.

You can see her breath in this picture. She's a sweetie.

I am weaving overshot table runners that match the kitchen towels that I did before Christmas. I will probably get 2 runners with the warp that I have left on my loom. This is the first one.

TTFN.

Alpaca Thiamine Deficiency Again

2009-12-27T11:03:00.004-05:00

Christopher Gold had thiamine deficiency earlier this month. I caught it in the very early stages. It was the weekend & I was already out in the barn cleaning up manure. He kept humming over & over which he normally is a "talker" but this was not normal so I stopped & watched him. His legs were trembling & his head was starting to tremble also. I felt pretty confident that it was thiamine deficiency again as he had it twice last winter. I went in the house & got the thiamine & gave him a shot of 2cc. He is easy to handle & since he was unsteady & kinda woozy it was easy to corner him, get him haltered & tie him so I could give him the shot. Within an hour there was definite improvement & about 4 hours later you wouldn't even have known. Thank goodness it's a quick and easy fix & I keep thiamine on hand. He is the only one of my alpacas that gets this & so far it has only been in the winter. Here he just wanted to sit & look out the barn door. I had given him his shot but it hadn't had time to take effect yet. Poor Chrissy.

Thiamine deficiency (it's not known what causes it) makes them act very "drunken".....dizzy & it will make them go blind. It can be reversed though, luckily. A friend of mine had a llama that had it & had pretty much completely lost his eyesight. She thought for sure he was going to die but he didn't, he made a full recovery.

Next post, my Christmas present.

TTFN.

Ahhh.......This is the Life.....

2009-12-14T19:54:00.003-05:00

.....Mama feeds me when I promptly remind her that it's breakfast & dinner time......I get to sleep on the couch & cuddle.....I have a little buddy (Ben) to play & keep company with when no one else is home........................this is life.......

Welcome Tristan & Petunia!

2009-11-22T18:30:00.006-05:00

Look who came to live at my house! Welcome Tristan & Petunia!

This is Tristan........

and this is Petunia.

They are both Romney lambs from my friend's farm. I wasn't planning on getting any sheep (well, not just yet anyways). It all started with an innocent visit to my friend Karen's farm to see the white llama born to two dark brown parents.

I turned around & there he was! Tristan!.....with the most adorable face! He looked like an Olde Babydoll Southdown lamb which is what I am interested in getting in a year or two.

Well.......I just had to have him.
And of course you can't have just one by themselves.....so in the next pen were 3 little girls.

I picked Petunia.

They are very happy in their new home.

I just love them!

TTFN!

Fall Time This & Thats

2009-11-01T12:24:00.008-05:00

I finished this pair of socks that I made for my neighbor. I am going to give them to him today. They came out really nice. The pattern was called "Hunter's Socks" & they have a double heel. I had never done a double heel before. It was very easy. I bought this wonderful DK weight yarn from Romney Ridge Farm. I was lucky, I had just a few yards left when I finished off the socks! Whew!

Went hiking again over in the White Mountains. I took a co-worker & her daughter with me this time. I took them on the Square Ledge Trail. When we came back down of the ledge, there was a 5 year old boy with his mother waiting for his father to climb to the top. The 5 year old climbs too! She said they started him when he was 2! The Dad is a guide in the White Mountains. You can see the little boy in the picture with his mother right behind him. Dad is at the top.

My alpacas are enjoying the maple leaves I give them. They love to roll in them & of course, eat them. They see me gathering them & they get excited. Some of them let me dump the tote over them & let the leaves fall down around them (since I'm dumping them over a 5ft fence).

You can see the ducks in the background, sitting in the shade of the barn. I don't know why they would want to be in the shade on a November day! Silly ducks!

Gus is getting old. I can see different signs, changes in him. He is about 9 now. He is the first bunny we ever got & he has out lived others.

Christopher was curious about the bucket. He wasn't sure if it was something that would attack him so he checked it out very cautiously. (Even though he sees me with it every day.)

Having their morning hay (before the maple leaves).

I finished spinning some of the brown dyed roving that I bought from Rolling Knolls Farm while at the Fryeburg Fair. I love the variation. I was very happy with how it came out. Now I'm anxious to spin the purple roving I bought from her.

My parents came to visit this weekend. They brought my birthday present & I love it! I have been wanting to get a dutch oven & cook delicious stews. I can't wait to try it. Maybe next weekend! We took them to Cabella's since my Dad had never been to one & my brother talks about it (and has a lot of stuff from there). LL Bean is the big thing out here. Their flagship store is in Freeport which is about 45min from here. I think I may go back & get one of the books on dutch oven cooking so I can use it next weekend. They also brought us some moose meat. My mother got her license this year.

Here is another one of the many projects I have going. I am making this scarf out of Spin-Off magazine (Winter 2004).

Here's mine in progress.

Well, got to get some other stuff done & my apple crisp is just about ready to come out of the oven.

TTFN.

Fryeburg Fair & Draft Horses

2009-10-14T19:55:00.022-04:00

I went to the Fryeburg Fair this week. We had good weather for the most part of the fair week. I went & watched the draft horses pulling their wagons. It is a sight to see that I just love to watch. I love these dapple gray Percherons.

I chatted a bit with a gentleman next to me who was from Oklahoma. He and his wife had come out to the Fryeburg Fair because they had seen Oxen pulls listed. So they came out to see that & were surprised and treated to the draft horses pulling their wagons. He said they don't have that event out in the midwest. He said most of the horses are light horses that are ridden & that they don't have a lot of draft horses. I found that interesting.

I also was invited by one of the women who owned some of the draft ponies to come take driving lessons from her husband. Oh, the temptation! Someday...when I have more time!

This beautiful team of Percherons was from Sennett, New York. They won first place in the 8 horse hitch. They did work very nicely together.

These were also Percherons from Hi Lo Farm from Springfield, Vermont.

These draft ponies were really beautiful & they also worked very well together.

Oxen being taken for a walk.

Being scrubbed down for his show.

I went to see Jamey Johnson in concert Saturday night. It was a good concert, I like his singing. It was pretty cool when he sang "In Color" & the whole audience sang every single word to the song & drowned him out. He also sang "Give It Away" which he wrote but George Strait sings. I like Jamey singing it much better. It just fits his voice & persona much better.

I also bought some beautifully dyed Finn/Romney roving from Lisa of Rolling Knolls Farm. I love browns & the color was so beautiful I had to get it. Here it is spun singles just waiting for my to ply it. Like I don't already have enough of my own fiber to spin......well, it's always fun to try different fibers & colors.

I also bought some purple roving from her. Can't wait to spin this up, too!

TTFN.

Weaving More Overshot

2009-09-29T19:54:00.011-04:00

The current project on my loom is cotton kitchen hand towels with a band of overshot pattern on each end in pearle cotton. I love how they are coming out. The pearle cotton really makes the overshot pop out with a bit of sheen. These pictures don't do them justice. I will sell these at my Holiday shows this November bundled with a bar of my handmade soap. They make a wonderful gift & they are always a good seller for me.

I'm kinda torn. I have a big old loom that was given to me. The elderly lady that owned it said she wanted it to go to someone who would use it. I would definitely use it if I had space to set it up. I keep holding onto it thinking someday I will have space. Now I'm thinking maybe I will let it go. I don't know. Guess I'll have to think on it some more.

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Calypso came in last weekend & had a seat right on the porch & said "I'm ready for my grooming now!" He's such a cuddle bug.

Well, I'm off now to work on my wool socks that I'm knitting for a gift.

TTFN!

Hiking the NH White Mountains II

2009-09-29T19:40:00.001-04:00

Hubby & I went hiking in the White Mountains again. This time we took Champney Brook Trail off the Kankamagus Hwy. It was another beautiful day here in New England. We took a lunch & ate when we reached the falls.

These trees were growing on top of this big rock so their roots were exposed. It looked like something out of a horror movie where the trees come alive.....ha ha.

This section had a lot of roots exposed.

I should have taken pictures of the climb we had to make to get to Champney Falls & Pitcher Falls. It was quite a ways of steep "stairs".

This was Pitcher Falls which was just soooo awesome! It looked like someone just cut the ledge with a knife & spread it apart. You can just see hubby & Sadie on top of a rock at the bottom.

Sadie somehow got up on the rock all by herself but then couldn't get down so she needed a little help.

This is me & Sadie after the hike at a scenic rest area. Isn't she a good lookin' doggie!

And this is part of the view at the scenic rest stop.

Another beautiful day for hike. We had a great time & I can't wait to go again! I'd go every day if I could! I think when I retire I'll move to the White Mountains.

TTFN!

Goodbye Oreo

2009-09-19T09:16:00.008-04:00

Oreo has been missing for a month and a half now. We've had our speculations about what happened to him. We didn't think he had been struck because he was pretty street smart. He would sit right next to the edge of the road & look up & down for traffic....and when the coast was clear, he would cross. It was funny to watch.

I was across the street at my neighbors a couple of days ago & they asked me about him. I said he's been missing. They noticed that he didn't seem to be so street smart anymore. I had noticed the same but we hadn't found a body. They'd seen big trucks come to a complete stop for him several times. I'd noticed that he would start across the road right in front of a car & just take his sweet time. I guess he'd become too confident.

Last night I was sitting on my porch just starting to look at the new issue of Spin Off magazine when I heard my other neighbor's chickens squawking like something was after them. I looked up & there was a dog trying to get into their pen. I immediately went over to let them know what was happening. We were talking & they asked me about Oreo. I told them he's been missing. A little ways further up our road, a black & white cat was struck. A fellow at a nearby house removed him from the road but didn't know who he belonged to. This happened around the time Oreo disappeared so, I think it's safe to say...... it was Oreo. There is a bit on a knoll in the road there so someone coming along would not have seen him until it was too late.

So, we sadly say "Goodbye" to Oreo.......King rodent catcher (we're talking...in one afternoon....a mouse, a bird, a red squirrel and another mouse!), great sidekick around the yard, loving lap warmer and VERY loud meow-er at 4:00 in the morning.

Goodbye Oreo....little buddy. We'll miss you.

Hiking in the New Hampshire White Mountains

2009-09-07T19:44:00.023-04:00

Hubby & I went kayaking this past Labor Day weekend & hiking in the White Mountains. We had the most perfect weather & clear skies.......great for viewing the mountains. The two photos below are from Waterfall Loop Trail. There were several very pretty waterfalls along this trail which continually follows up a stream coming down off the mountain.

The photos from the following pics are from Square Ledge AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) Trail. Below is the view from Ladies Lookout. The view is of Pinkham Notch.

Hangover Rock.

We came upon some rock climbers who were just starting to climb Square Ledge so we sat & watched them for a bit which was very interesting.

Then we continued on to the top of the ledge.

This is a view from beside the ledge.

And looking up at the ledge from beside it.

We made it on top!

And........the first rock climber makes it to the top!

And the final reward...........the view from the top of Square Ledge.

And the view (zoomed in) from the road of Square Ledge. We could see the mountain climbers standing on top.

It was a perfect day & we had just the best time. Sadie had probably the most fun of her young life so far. A very happy day!

Next trail!

Weaving Overshot & Pumpkin

2009-08-18T20:45:00.009-04:00

I have never woven overshot & wanted to try it. I picked out a project from Handwoven magazine that was a beginner's overshot pattern. It said "If you've never tried overshot & have wanted to, this is the perfect project for you." Perfiect! So in I dove! It is potholders, the warp is rug warp & the weft is Peaches & Cream yarn, doubled. It was very easy & fun and it worked up quickly. It made I think 6 potholders.

I have them on finished with the little loop & everything, I just have to get a minute to take pictures of them.

My sister got a new kitty. His name is Pumpkin & he is part Persian. He is adorable! Funny, his eyes look blue in these pictures but in person they are not anymore, they have already started changing.

Aint' he cunnin'!!

Sadie wanted to play with him. He would make these little spitting noises at her that were so cute.

That's it for now. Just a quick post.

TTFN!

Basket Weaving Class

2009-07-19T18:52:00.005-04:00

I took a basket weaving class this weekend. It was a fun time with a gourmet lunch. It is a 2 day fiber workshop with several different classes offered at Shearbrooke Farm in Standish, Maine. For the basket weaving class, we made a potato basket.

Getting it started is the unfun part. You need 6 hands to keep everything in place until you get it going.

Then it got fun after things would stay in place on it's own.

This is my finished basket with Ben modeling in it for me. He was being a very good model which is unusual for him.

It is plenty big & will hold lots of fiber. My husband couldn't believe it when I showed him. He said "You didn't make that just today." He expected me to come home with a little bread basket or something a lot smaller than this.

If you want to check out the workshop info, go to this link. It is held once a year, always in July. http://www.sacovalleyfiberartists.com/shearbrooke.html A portion of the proceeds go to the Guatemala Education Fund, in support of the children of Maya weavers and crafts people.

We had beautiful weather here in Southern Maine this weekend. It's about time.

TTFN.

Summer Excursions

2009-07-05T20:12:00.009-04:00

Aaaawwwww, ain't they cute! Sadie was laying on me Oreo came up & laid on her. I wanted to be in the picture but had to get up to take the picture.

We took a little day trip to Popham Beach here on the coast of Maine. It was about a 2 hour drive from our house. On the way there I stopped in to Halcyon Yarn & bought 7 cones of unmercerized cotton for weaving towels & napkins.

It was very overcast at the beach. We collected seaweed for our compost bin, driftwood & sea sponges.

Hubby posing by one of the cannons at Fort Popham near Popham Beach. We had lunch at a little seaside restaurant that is behind the cannon. They had awesome clam chowder.

On the drive away from the beach, hubby spotted this deer drinking from the river.

This past weekend we went to Rangeley, Maine. It is over a 2 hour drive from our house. We stopped & took this scenic photo along the way. It was so beautiful.

And then we continued on after a day at Rangeley to a July 4th get together with my family. I had a really nice time with my family. My Mom is doing this new needle work that she recently learned. It is called Amish Embroidery (also known as chicken scratch). It is pretty cool how it looks like lace & it is just cotton gingham fabric & cotton embroidery floss. My Mom did the blue one & I wanted to try it so I am doing the green one for her.

Well, that's all for now.

TTFN.

Christmas Ornament Exchange

2009-06-10T20:04:00.004-04:00

I feel very badly I have not posted about this yet. Back in February I participated in a Christmas Ornament Exchange thru TylerFarm Homestead. I have not yet posted a pic of the wonderful ornament that I received. Kristi from Harvest Thyme Homestead sent me this cute little snowman on skis. She got it from her favorite Amish store in her region in Ohio. And I love the sheep card, too! Thank you again Kristi & I apologize for not blogging on this back in March!

TTFN.

I Haven't Forgotten About My Blog

2009-06-02T20:02:00.009-04:00

My new alpaca Robin was not allowed to eat from the hay feeder for quite a while. Only a couple others were the mean ones who would not allow him & then eventually it was just Christopher. Christopher beat up on him terrible for several weeks. I had to put a tote near the door where he would stand & watch everyone else eating. It was pitiful. A couple of them wouldn't even let him come in the barn so he would just stand in the doorway & watch them all eat & he would lay down there & hope to be accepted. Here he is eating from his own private tote of hay. I eventually added a second smaller hay feeder just for him & things were much better. None of them minded eating with him out of that one. And!....tonight for the first time, he was eating out of the blue hay feeder after grain time & Christopher came over & ate too & didn't drive him away! Then Robin went over to his own feeder (I call it his feeder but the others eat out of it too) & Christopher eventually went over & ate out of that one with him. I'm glad it all eventually worked out. Took a while though. Boy, he doesn't let himself get pushed out of grain time though. He always (now, not in the beginning) gets the first, second or third dish of grain.

I had them sheared a week ago. My friend Jan came over to help.

Dreamy was the first to get "de-fleeced".

I wanted to get more pics of shearing day but this was the only one I got.

I had some fun taking pics a few weeks ago of my flowers.

Lilacs

Bleeding Heart

Pansy

And this was our flowering crab this year.

The bees were aaallllllll over it.

That's all I have for now. Just a quick update since I haven't posted for a while.

TTFN.

Welcome Rockin Robin!

2009-05-05T20:51:00.005-04:00

Meet my new alpaca Robin! He arrived last night, is almost 2 years old (this September) & dark brown. He has had a tough time his first 24 hours here being accepted into the group. Two of them are fine with him but Christopher beats him up, won't let him eat, Chestnut won't let him eat & Nevis tried to breed him the within the first 15 minutes after he arrived. Luckily, he will eat out of my hand easily so I hand fed him this morning & tonight. I will probably have to fix him a dish at the other end of the barn for now until the others get used too him. I just love his color. Tonight in the drizzly overcast light he looked dark maroon brown. Funny, he has a lot of guard hair on his brisket. Isn't he beautiful!

TTFN.

Daily Grommet & New Spinning Wheel

2009-05-03T10:22:00.007-04:00

Well, I have been busy with my new job. I went to New York again this past week for more training. I will have to go one more time, probably in a month.

One of my products from my little soap company was selected to be featured on Daily Grommet (http://www.dailygrommet.com/products/132-Steep-Falls-Soap-Company-Lavender-Pillow-Mist). This is a link to the feature & video. My Lavender Pillow Mist is a favorite of the founder of the online business. They did a wonderful job, professional photographer & videographer. I was flattered & they really did a lot of work on my behalf.

I also treated myself to a new spinning wheel, the Kromski Sonata. I have had my eye on this wheel since it first came out. I decided to finally get it & sell my Ashford Traditional. The Sonata is a folding wheel with a really nice carrying bag so I can take it with me much easier than trying to take the Traditional & it is also much easier to just take it to a different part of the house to sit and spin. I have spun on it two evenings now & I really like it. It is beautiful mahogany.

The carrying case is REALLY nice quality (as is the wheel).

I also did the Denmark Sheepfest a few Saturdays ago. It is a very small fiber fest & is really fun because it gets a lot of traffic for such a little event & I know most of the people....... AND it is local, so I really enjoy doing it. I bought some roving to try water color needle felting. I thought this blue and green would make a nice background for flowers or fish in the sea. I've never done water color needle felting but I bought a book & would like to try it.

I also bought a spinning wheel basket at the sheepfest. You hang it on your spinning wheel & you can put your oil, hook, pens, notepad and whathaveyou in it. I don't know yet if I'm going to hang it on my wheel or use it for something else.

While at the sheepfest, I had brought my drum carder so I could get some carding done that I had been wanting to do for a year. I wanted to blend some of my black alpaca with brown alpaca. So I got some done! I've already spun a couple of batts on my new Sonata.

When I went to visit Romney Ridge Farm last fall, Kelly gave me a sample of Southdown Babydoll sheep's wool to try spinning. I haven't gotten to it yet but I think I will within the next couple of weeks. I've had it setting on my table so I see it everyday & won't forget about it.

Oh, I made yogurt for the first time last weekend with my new yogurt maker & it came out great! The only thing, which didn't bother me anyways, was that it was lumpy like cottage cheese. I didn't care, it tasted wonderful!

Well, I am headed to Foss Mountain Farm in New Hampshire this afternoon to look at a couple of brown alpacas.

TTFN.

Sadie Got a New Bed......

2009-04-15T20:07:00.003-04:00

and Oreo thinks she's awfully nice to share.

Sunday Night Update

2009-04-04T17:31:00.006-04:00

Well, this past Friday was my last day at my job. But......I have a new job!!!......and at the same company! Yup, I accepted the position of Assistant to the Vice President. I am so excited! I head out to New York tomorrow for training. This is a great new opportunity for me & I am really looking forward to it.

I started taking an herbal liver cleansing pill twice a day & guess what!....I didn't get any migraines last month! This is a huge breakthrough for me! After 2 years of having migraines every month, this is huge for me. We'll see what happens this month.

I finally decided to order myself a yogurt maker. I bought some homemade yogurt at my feed store that is made by a local farm. It is soooooooo much better than store bought! I had been thinking for quite a while about getting a yogurt maker & that told me "you've got to get one". It arrived the day after I ordered it. I can't wait to try it next weekend! This one has 7 glass bottles & I can order an extra set. I wanted glass & not plastic. You never know what chemicals are seeping into your food when you use plastic with heat.

I groomed Calypso the other night. This was taken before his grooming. He's such a sweetie, I just love him.

I got Dreamy's DK weight yarn skeined & dyed. I did a purple, raspberry & yellow. The black is Christopher's natural color. I'll package them together for the Denmark Sheepfest April 18.

I bought this sock yarn to make myself some socks. I really like the colors & it's very soft. It's 80% superwash wool & 20% nylon. Another project added to the list of many. I'm going to make my neighbor some wool socks to thank him for the times he's come over with his little John Deere tractor & bailed us out of situations. He & his wife are so nice. I like to go over to sit & visit with them. I don't get to do that as much as I'd like to so that's something I've got to work on. Making more time for people.

Sadie ran & ran outside like some imaginary friend was chasing her & she was having the best time. She tuckered herself all out.

Well, I've got the get to bed since I've got to drive 5 1/2 hours tomorrow to New York.

TTFN.

Just Like Christmas!

2009-03-18T07:50:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I went back up to northern Maine to attend my uncle's funeral. I stopped to take some pics of Mt. Katahdin. It is always impressive. The best & closer views were before this but I missed them because my sister drives too fast.

I received my fiber back from New Aim Fiber Mill in Waldoboro, Maine. This time I had her spin DK weight. This is Dreamy and Christopher's fiber. It's just like Christmas when you get your fiber back from the mill! I will be getting the dye pots going soon for Dreamy's.

And speaking of "just like Christmas", I spent my lunch break yesterday at Borders & finally got this book I have been wanting to read. Basically, I think it's a study on the differences in the way America & China eat & treat health & wellness.

And while I was there I saw they had the new edition of MaryJanes Farm, so of course I had to get a copy. I was hoping to get the new copy of The Herb Quarterly but is hasn't arrived yet.

And I spent most of my time looking at the knitting books & I came across this gem! Shear Spirit. The author & photographer visited 10 different fiber farms across the country. The stories are deliciously interesting, the photography is spectacular & the whole book is just so inspirational. The first story in the book is about a farm right here in Maine, Meadowcroft Farm who solar dyes her yarn with seawater. I don't simmer my yarns either when I dye them because they felt too easily so I let them set in the dye pot for 24 hours. I started reading it last night & can't wait to read more. I just love it and would definitely recommend it to anyone who has fiber animals or is into fiber arts at all. It's truly one of my favorite books now!

TTFN.

Fleetwood Mac Concert in Boston

2009-03-12T20:11:00.005-04:00

Last night I went to see Fleetwood Mac in concert in Boston. It was an awesome show. Here are some pics.

The place was packed.

TTFN

Snow Storm, Morning Visitor, Crafts

2009-02-28T14:50:00.009-05:00

Here's what we woke to this past Monday morning.

It's pretty.......but it's a lot of work!

And I've noticed we've had visitors most every morning lately........

Cleaning up underneath the crab apple tree.

Here is my wool needle punch picture all done & framed. I really enjoyed this little project.

And here's what I've been working on lately.......little baby mittens! Aren't they cute!

Ben & Sadie really like the doggie buiscuts that I made for them. Ben loves them so much that he likes to hang onto his for about an hour so he can tease Sadie 'cause she already ate hers and doesn't have any more.

He just lets it set there for Sadie to see but as soon as anyone comes near he scoops it up & carries it around in his mouth. They're so funny.....

I baked mixed berry pies today....oh my word are they good!!!!!!!!! Luckily my Mom & Dad are coming to visit soon & they'll be bringing my more berries! I'm also trying out the sourdough bread that was in MaryJane's magazine. I'll be baking it in a couple of hours. I can't wait....I hope it comes out good!

TTFN!

Bear Dance

2009-02-13T20:26:00.001-05:00

This was the email going around at work today. Have a good chuckle.

TTFN.

More Sick Animals

2009-02-09T20:56:00.011-05:00

A couple of days ago we had to put flea/tick medicine on both cats & both dogs because Casey, my himalayan was having an allergic skin reaction to something & we thought it might be a flea bite since we found one on him. Well, Sadie, our boxer licked the medicine off Oreo's back. The poor, poor thing......she was horribly sick from about 9:00 pm, all through the night. It slowly subsided after several hours. By about 5:00 am it had subsided. She dry heaved all night after all the food & bile were gone from her stomach. The poor baby. I felt so bad for her. We thought we were going to have to take her to the emergency vets but I called & they said the medicine is not toxic. Then the next day her medicine that was on her back was driving her nuts. SHe couldn't sit still for 3 seconds, she kept trying to dig at it and she was so miserable she was whining.

I'm giving Casey human antihistamine to clear up the skin allergy. It seems to be responding. He doesn't like having a dry pill put down his throat twice a day. He's 12 now & has lost weight so he feels like a little whiffet when I pick him up.

I promised the guys at work that I would make one more of my Rhubarb-Strawberry pies before I left the company. I have to admit, damn I make a good pie! They said I should sell them. Hmmm......they're putting ideas in my head.

I finished the wool needle point project. When I took this picture it reminded me that I have to go back & fill in the places that are kinda thin. The white flecks that showed up in the picture are tell tale signs. I punched most of it in not-so-good light so I need to go over it. I am painting a photo frame to put it in.

While I was Valentine shopping today for hubby, I picked up the current issue (and my first issue) of MaryJane's Magazine. I can't wait to get home to look at it!

TTFN!

Needle Punch with Fine Wool

2009-02-01T19:52:00.007-05:00

This past Sunday was our monthly gathering for Saco Valley Fiber Artists. It was held at Janet's house who is a fabulously talented rug hooker (check out her website, http://www.jconnerhookedrugs.com/). Well, she is working on adding something new to her business. They are needle punch kits of her own original designs. And what's even better is she is dyeing fine wool thread to punch with instead of the shiny embroidery floss. I love this idea because first of all, I love Janet's designs and second, I love the matte hand dyed wool colors much better than the shiny embroidery floss. I am so excited because she sent me home with one of her designs that she drew for me while I was there & she had me pick out some colors to punch it with & all she wanted in return was for me to punch it so she could take a picture of it for her site/kits.

I love to needle punch so when I went home I started on it right away. This is 2 nights of working on it. It is so fun, I can't wait to do more of her designs. I also like to draw my own which I haven't done for needle punch yet but I have for rug hooking.

This was the first kit that I ever bought from Attic Heirlooms. I need to frame it or do something with it.

This was a rug hooking pattern that I downsized which I still need to finish punching.

And that is all I've done so far in needle punch.

TTFN.

Organic Skin Care

2009-01-30T20:20:00.008-05:00

I've had very oily skin for most of my life, and I mean very oily. A few years ago that changed & it is so nice not to have a grease slick on my face anymore. So now, I need to use a moisturizer in the winter. Never had to worry about that before. I discovered a few years back a great little home business called Greenridge Herbals. They make all organic skin care products. They have grown over the years & moved to Florida. I had been interested in trying some of her products & finally did last year. I ordered a "Pumpkin Face Cream" which I like. The only thing is living in a cold climate, in the winter it stays solid. So I just have to rub my fingers in it until some melts & I can rub it on my face. I then ordered her "Face Petals Brightening Scrub". This one I really love. It has tiny jojoba beads for the exfolient. A tiny bit goes a long way so this will last a long time. She has so many enticing products, I will be trying out more of them. If you are interested in checking them out, hop on over to http://www.greenridgeherbals.com/. Just thought I would share that.......

I made some peanut butter doggie treats last weekend. Odd thing......Ben liked them the day that I made them but ever since, he has no interest in them & won't even take it out of my hand. He takes a quick sniff, then snubs it and turns around and walks off. Sadie still loves them though.........and I used the crunchy peanut butter, too!!

Well, I have to go watch the second part of "Wuthering Heights" on PBS, Masterpiece Classics (the new 2009 version).....for the third time. I am so addicted to that movie!

TTFN

Diary of a Snow Shoveler

2009-01-19T15:52:00.005-05:00

December 8 - 6:00 PM
It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses Print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!

December 9
We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the whole world? Moving here was the best idea I've ever had! Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life!

December 12
The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment! My neighbor tells me not to worry- we'll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I'll never want to see snow again. I don't think that's possible. Bob is such a nice man, I'm glad he's our neighbor.

December 14
Snow, lovely snow! 8 inches last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn't realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish l wouldn't huff and puff so.

December 15
20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that's silly. We aren't in Alaska, after all.

December 16
Ice storm this morning. Fell on my butt on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very cruel.

December 17
Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her. God I hate it when she's right. I can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room.

December 20
Electricity's back on, but had another 14 inches of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling! Took all day. The damn snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they're lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they're out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they're lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he's lying.

December 22
Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white sh*t fell today, and it's so cold, it probably won't melt 'til August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to piss. By the time I got undressed, pissed and dressed again. I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter, but he says he's too busy. I think the *sshole is lying.

December 23
Only 2 inches of snow today. And it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What, is she nuts?!! Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I think she's lying.

December 24
6 inches - Snow packed so hard by snowplow, l broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the son of a bitch who drives that snow plow, I'll drag him through the snow by his balls and beat him to death with my broken shovel. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at a 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was too busy watching for the damn snowplow.

December 25
Merry f---ing Christmas! 20 more inches of the damn slop tonight - Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. God, I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she's a fricking idiot. If I have to watch "It's A Wonderful Life" one more time, I'm going to stuff her into the microwave.

December 26
Still snowed in. Why the hell did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She's really getting on my nerves.

December 27
Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze; plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for him, he only charged me $1,400 to replace all my pipes.

December 28
Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed in. The BITCH is driving me crazy!!!

December 29
10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That's the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?

December 30
Roof caved in. I beat up the snow plow driver, and now he is suing me for a million dollars, not only the beating I gave him, but also for trying to shove the broken snow shovel up his *ss. The wife went home to her mother. Nine more inches predicted.

December 31
I set fire to what's left of the house. No more shoveling.

January 8
Feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed?

Stormy Sunday

2009-01-18T16:00:00.007-05:00

Today we are getting 8-12" of snow. Lucky for me.....I was just starting to feel out of shape. Now I can go snowblow, shovel & roof rake all evening long & be too tired to get up in the morning. Hubby had to go do a magic show & got stuck trying to get out of the driveway so I had to go help. I think I pulled something trying to push him out. Kitty litter does the trick though, just as long as you aren't stingy with it & put plenty down. You might have to apply it at least twice or more.

So while I pass the time until I can go out & work my butt off, I made some raspberry scones this morning for breakfast. I love scones & I love making them. Yesterday morning I made blueberry ones. I wrap them individually & put them in the freezer. Then in the mornings I take one out & by time I get to work it's all thawed. I recycle & reuse the wrappings also. I'm big on recycling. The blueberries are wild & the raspberries are from my parent's huge raspberry patch. They are both picked by my Mom & Dad up in Northern Maine.

YUM!!

And I did some spinning. This is a blend of my Nevis' seconds & red merino. I thought I would try an odd color combo & see how it came out as Nevis is a tan alpaca. I'm not crazy over the color myself so after I spin it I'm going to overdye it but it is a joy to spin. It looks fine in the pictures, like a soft pink but in person it looks like a dirty pink.

Ben vomited some bile this afternoon so he had to have a bath. It gets on the hair around is mouth & holy cow does he stink! Sadie likes to try & lick the water coming out of the sprayer while I'm bathing him.

Boy if looks could kill.

Poor Sadie has had cabin fever as it has been too cold lately for her to stay out very long. She is good at entertaining herself & playing alone.

I caught some action photos of her. She would run around the other side of the barn & come flying back out again like some imaginary playmate was chasing her. She will get all that energy burned off this evening when she goes out with us to clear snow.

I was determined to get some goat milk soap made this weekend. I used fresh goat's milk this time instead of the canned I have always used in the past. That is why it is lemon yellow in color. No, it's not going to stay that color. This is a small batch of spearmint. I hope to get a batch made next weekend, too. I would have made a bigger batch but didn't have enough goat's milk.

Yesterday I went to see my friend Debbie at her shop in Limerick www.greenwoodherbals.com. She made up a tea blend for me to see if it will help with my migraines. She told me that the Chinese believe that the liver is the cause of migraines. I found this very interesting & am going to research it. I am determined to find the cause of my migraines & put an end to them. If the liver is "out of balance" or overloaded with toxins or something that it can't filter & flush out properly, the result is a migraine. A liver detox may be in order. So anyone who suffers from migraines, I would recommend looking into this. What have you got to loose but your migraines?

Oh, and for anyone wondering, Chistopher is back to himself now, kicking up his heels at grain time. He is so funny.

Well, better go start on the snowblowing so hubby can get back in the driveway. TTFN.

-35F

2009-01-16T08:18:00.005-05:00

-35F this morning at my house here in southern Maine. Frozen pipes, car sounds like it's going to blow a piston. (sigh) So, needless to say, I'm not making it into work this morning.

I took some video with my new camera & tried to upload it this morning while waiting for the pipes to thaw (which they haven't yet) & it was taking over an hour I think so I canceled it. I don't know if it's normal to take that long?

Christopher Update

2009-01-14T14:49:00.000-05:00

Christopher is doing much better. He is not quite himself but I haven't seen him loose his balance since Monday night. I will continue to observe him. Hopefully he gets back to normal in a few days after the last of his meds are done.

I got a new camera which I just LOVE. It is a Canon Powershot A590IS. I wanted a smaller point & shoot camera of my own that I could take with me all the time so I found an article online from PC World on the Top 10 Point & Shoot Cameras. This one was at the top of the list. It was a great price for 8.0 megapixels and 4X zoom AND it was on sale at Sears! So I have been playing with it and I am very, very happy with it. Here are some playing around shots.

I love standing way back & looking into the barn at night. I love the cozy glow & watching the animals all content inside.

TTFN.

Christopher

2009-01-11T20:19:00.000-05:00

We didn't go snow shoeing today as it was too cold & windy. It was 9 degrees when I did chores this morning. I took this picture at the end of the snow storm so it wasn't snowing very hard in this pic.

Christopher was doing better this morning, however, when he walked he kept his back legs apart. I think it is probably a combination of trying to stay balanced and a little of being stiff from the cold & getting so many shots in his hiny. This evening when I was getting their grain, I didn't see what happened because my back was turned dishing out grain but I think one of the other alpacas may have bumped him & he lost his balance and fell down. So he still has a good amount of recuperating to do. Poor guy.

One of Sadie's favorite spots. Right in front of the pellet stove.

I'm wiped out from snowblowing and shoveling all the snow away from the side of my barn.

TTFN

Sick Alpaca

2009-01-11T06:40:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning when I got up & came downstairs, when I looked out the window, Christopher Gold was laying right outside the doorway of the barn, right next to a manure pile. I instantly new something was wrong because they never lay there. After 5 seconds of watching him, I could see his head was shaking & bobbing around like he had no control over it & he kept lowering his head like he needed to lay it on the ground. I immediately called the vet & luckily she was already on her way to the town next door to me for another emergency call but could be here in an hour. I then called my good friend Marcia who is very knowledgable as she has an alpaca breeding farm. She always makes me feel better & helps calm me down.

When he stood up, it was like he was drunk. He was trembling in his limbs & appeared quite dizzy. He would loose his balance & fall.

When I fed everyone their grain while waiting for the vet, he managed his way over & as soon as he did the poor thing fell & hit his mouth on the pen panel. It looked like a blood waterfall coming out of his mouth. I know it was because it was combined with drool, but it looked terrible. In this picture he looked better as it was about 20 min. after he hit his mouth. I felt so bad for him. He tried so hard to make it to the feeder & when he did he couldn't even stay standing up.

My vet said she hadn't seen anything quite like it. The symptoms didn't quite fit any known problem as he was lacking certain symptoms that should be present for certain illnesses. He would seem a little better & in a few minutes he would get worse with a dizzy spell. You could see it coming on. It came in waves every few minutes.

These were the possible causes we were thinking:

1. Thiamine deficiency - This fit the best but he didn't appear to be blinded. With thiamine deficiency, it blinds them. I am thinking though, maybe that just hadn't set in yet. When my vet did the light test on his eyes, there wasn't any reaction from his pupils.

2. Meningeal Worm - But this didn't quite fit because of the shaking & bobbing of the head. With meningeal worm, he wouldn't have this and he was able get up fine from a cushing position. Also, when we put food or water in front of him, sometimes he had a little interest, sometime none at all. With meningeal worm, he would still want to eat. This also didn't fit well because I have been giving them their wormer right up until a month an a half ago.

3. Bacterial Infection.

4. Rabies - Rabies infected animals are afraid of water. But no animals get inside the pasture so I really didn't think this was an issue. This seemed a remote possibility.

She mentioned a few others but they were kind of remote possibilities also.

When she left at 2:00, he didn't seem any better. I had some lunch & went back out to check on him. I had to make him get up every so often so his temp wouldn't go down too low & so his joints wouldn't get stiff (he didn't have a fever & his gum color was good). I also needed to keep offering him food & water & observe his progress. So, when I went back out after having some lunch, he was a little better. BIG sigh of relief! He ate 1 cup of grain & then went over & had some small bites of hay out of the feeder. The drunkenness appeared to be lessened also & I didn't witness another "wave". By supper time he had improved even more. Even less drunkenness, although he still got dizzy & lost his balance sometimes when he turned his head. He went right over to the grain buckets for supper & ate a good supper, then went to the hay feeder & was taking larger mouthfuls of hay. He was also acting more normal, like he was feeling better.

So my vet called me later in the evening to check up on him. We are thinking it's probably the thiamine deficiency. It's not known why this happens. He'll get a thiamine shot & a penicillin shot twice a day for the next 3 days. BIG sigh of relief. I have not been out yet this morning. I am expecting he is doing even better. I hope. I drug my hubby out at 9:00 last night to hold him so I could give him his shots. (This spring we'll get my chute moved inside the barn so I won't need someone to hold them for shots & toenails.)

Boy, it is so stressful to see them like that. You don't know what's wrong, you don't know if they're going to die before the vet gets there. You just want to fix it & make it stop. It is so calming though when your vet calls you right back & then when you know they are on their way & when they are already close by.....even better. She lives, I dont' know, like an hour and a half away probably? So, it was calming that she was already nearby.

I will probably post again this evening to give his progress. Also, we are getting a snow storm right now & we wanted to go snowshoeing today so I will take some pics.

TTFN.

Christmas gifts, Bunnies in hayfeeders

2009-01-07T21:06:00.000-05:00

Well, now I can show what I was working on before Christmas. I made 5 pair of alpaca/merino socks for Christmas gifts. One pair was for myself. They are nice & toasy warm. I have mine on right now. I like making socks, I think it's fun. I hope everyone that got a pair likes them.

I got my hubby snow shoes from LL Bean for Christmas. I already had a pair so we went snowshoeing last Sunday & of course I forgot to take the camera. We saw lots of tracks. Mostly fox & rabbit. We took Sadie with us, she loved it. We are planning of going again this weekend so I will be sure to take the camera this time.

Sunday afternoon I let the dogs come out into the big pasture. Sadie wanted Ben to play.

Ben thought she was irritating.

So he tried to ignore her.

The alpacas kept an eye on them.

Sometimes I like to put one of the bunnies in the alpaca's hayfeeder. Tonight was Gus' turn.

Here he is arranging pieces of hay the way he thinks they should be. Hay has a special way it is to be arranged you know. You take one piece at a time until you have a little bundle in your mouth......and then you go put it in the other corner. And if someone should move any of it or mess it up in any way, then you hop right over and act all disgusted & put it back the way it was. That's the way you arrange hay (according to Gus).

Casey says TTFN.

Snow, Snow, Snow

2008-12-22T21:45:00.000-05:00

Well, last Friday night we had a big snowstorm & yesterday we had another even bigger one, one of our famous "Nor' Easters". I think I'm having de'javue.........wasn't it just last winter that we had a snow storm every couple of days, literally, all winter long? Call me paranoid, but I think this winter is off to a good start of following last winter's storm pattern. I think we have enough now. We don't need any more at our house. If someone delivers more to our house, I'm going to return it. Don't get me wrong, I like winter...... but....... snowblowing, shoveling & roof raking every couple of days is dang tiring!

The 'pacas were all snug in their barn.

We were snug in the house with all our beautiful Christmas decorations.

Then when the first storm was over, Dreamy was the first to venture out & check out the new blanket of snow.

Then Christopher had a roll in the fresh white stuff, then back in side for a taste of hay.

.......and we have 2 more baby doves from the same pair that just had a baby. The white dove feeding the babes is the father. The gray one on the left is their sibling that I posted baby pics of a few posts back. Yup, that's him/her......all growed up! Two days ago, I peeked in on them. My husband had taken the father on a magic show. The mother (who is gray) needed to eat & drink but Papa was not home. So older brother/sister actually babysat while Mama got off them to replenish herself! I couldn't believe it! It was so cool to watch!

TTFN!

Mish Mosh Monday

2008-11-24T19:14:00.000-05:00

I almost forgot to take pictures of my handwoven waffle weave towels after they were all finished & bundled with a bar of my handmade soap, all ready for sale. I had already sold 3 so these are the other 5. I am anxious to get more done over the next year for the next holiday season's craft fairs. They make wonderful gifts. All handmade & made in Maine.

Here is a current pic of the baby dove. They grow unbelievable fast. It is about 2 weeks old here I think. It is already sitting up on the edge of the nest box & the parents aren't sitting on him/her so much even though it's been REALLY cold here lately. We don't know how to tell male from female doves. We just wait & see if they lay eggs or not. :o)

We got my BIG bunny hutch moved in the new barn this weekend. I was so glad to get that done. I was having to hold a flashlight & try to pour grain & change water & it was just a big pain in the a$$.

I keep thinking about what I would like to do when my job ends next March. I really would like to start my own business but man that's scary when you've always had a steady paycheck & benefits. I just don't know. At least I've got some time to think about it.

We went to LL Bean this weekend so I could get some new shoes. I ended up not buying anything & hubby who was just along for the ride ended up buying shoes. It was kinda funny, I made the special trip to LL Bean with the intention of buying their closed back clogs because they were cheaper than the Dansko & I figured just as good. As I was walking around in them to see how they felt, this woman jumped up from trying on her shoes & wispered in my ear, "Don't buy those, buy the Dansko." I was kinda on the fence about the Bean ones because there was a piece that was hard & kinda hurt my foot. So I decided to spend the extra & get the Dansko ones. Luckily, JL Coombs was down the street so I went home very happy with my new Dansko closed back clogs.

Sadie & Oreo are making sure that Ben eats all of his supper & they won't have to clean up after him. Oreo will stick his head in every now & then & steal a kibble. Sadie will wait (she' been trained well) & wash the bowl when Ben is all done. Sadie's a good dish washer.

Bad News

2008-11-13T06:10:00.000-05:00

Well, last week I missed a few days of work because of a migraine. Monday morning when I returned to work I found out that I missed a very important meeting Friday. All of our accounting department is being moved to Tampa, FL. I was in shock the whole day. I was perfectly happy where I was & don't want to have to start all over again someplace else,....low man on the totem pole, too. But, since there is nothing I can do about it, I'll have to look at it as maybe it will be a good thing. I might have to go into another field if I can't find a job doing the same thing. The catch is, I have until the end of March 2009 (some have only until December 31, 2008) & if I don't stay until they no longer need me, I loose my serverance pay. I want that severance! I've been there almost 10 years & I feel I deserve it. (and I was about to get 4 weeks of vacation!) Well, nothing I can do about it. I just hope I find a job I will like & be just as happy in & that it comes along the beginning of April! It's scary to think of going without medical coverage. COBRA cost an arm & a leg & Dirigo Health is closed to new clients. Of course, my husband is self employed so the weight is on me to provide health insureance. Great economy to be losing your job in.

Well, enough of that. Casey says "Aw, don't worry about it, just kick back & take life easy like I do. Worrying won't fix it."

We have a new baby dove. My husband wants white babies but this one is going to be Gray. It's about a week old here.

TTFN.

Apple Picking & a Finished Barn (almost)

2008-10-21T19:06:00.000-04:00

My parents came to visit & we went apple picking. We went to two different orchards this year. We bought apples & cider & cider donuts & pears. It was a beautiful day.

Dad using an apple picker.

They had a live blue grass band & a strolling puppeteer.

The foliage was at it's peak.

So. The barn is just about finished. It is usable but just needs some finishing work done. This is not the final doorway. It will be bigger when we tuck it in around the door frame; then I can use the overhead steel door. It's really big!

We were able to go get pen panels & install them to separate the hay. The installation was perfect because we had left over hardware from the barn that worked perfectly to attach the panels to the hoops. Hopefully we can move the hay in this Sunday. Yahoo!!! No more messing with that pain in the butt hay tarp! Although it has served its purpose, it didn't do it's job so well last year. The water leaked through a lot.

We were surprised how light it was inside on an overcast day. The skylight really does let plenty of light in. We moved the alpacas hay feeder inside & tonight we moved one of the bunny hutches in. The big HEAVY bunny hutch will have to wait for another day. We've got to figure out how to attach the alpaca grain dishes to the pen panel. So soon, everything & everyone will be inside.

I've been bringing in totes of maple leaves for the alpacas to eat. They like them. I dumped several totes full on the floor tonight so they could lay & roll in them. They love that since they rarely have any tall grass to roll in which they also love.

This was my new little sugar maple tree about a week or more ago. I am so happy with it, it turned beautiful shades of orange which gave a nice splash of color to our back yard. I will enjoy watching it grow.

A little more progress.....

2008-09-25T19:16:00.000-04:00

I took today off to get more work done on the barn. We're getting rain tomorrow, all day Saturday & half of Sunday. I was hoping to work on it all day Sunday & be ready to put the tarps on Tuesday as my hubby is working pretty much all weekend every weekend now so I am getting anxious now we are running out of time. It's going to have to be weekdays now, I'll just have to take more days off to get it done. We're supposed to be getting work done on the house before winter, too! We worked on the end walls today. The front wall is now ready for the canvas & hopefully Sunday we can get the other end wall done & ready for the canvas, too. Then the main canvas can go on.

I have some Christmas towels on my loom now. I just started so I have to get busy to get them done before my holiday craft shows in November.

Oh, I forgot to write a few weeks ago about going to see Cirque du Soleil in Boston. The show was called "Kooza" & it was awesome. If you have never seen a Cirque du Soleil show, I highly recommend it. This is my third show. I saw "Mystere" in Las Vegas and "Corteo" in Boston. They are top of the line entertainment. Click on the link below to see the trailer for the show.

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/showstickets/kooza/intro/intro.htm

Ahhhh, fall is here. I love fall. It is my favorite time of year. It's nice & cool, the flies are gone, the leaves turn color, soups & baking are on the menu & the festive holiday season is coming. I just love it. It could have something to do with the fact that I was born in late September so I kinda thinks it's "my" season. ;o)

An Old Fashioned Barn Raising......

2008-09-21T19:15:00.000-04:00

So here is the beginning of the raising of my "barn", after hubby & I leveled the ground which was a LOT of work even though it was pretty level to being with. We got the boards down & level. My brother & two nephews came to help. Here we are working on putting up the hoops.

Two more hoops to go!

And the final hoop is done.

We were all exhausted. We had boiled dinner for supper that I had in the crock pots all day & coconut cream pie. Poor hubby had to go work until 11:00ish! The rest of us went to bed.

My brother & hubby were up and outside at 6:30am the next morning to get the door up before my brother had to leave.

And it's up!

Now, it will be a little slower going to finish it since it will be me & hubby only working on it now. The most part is done so the rest will go quicker than it did thus far since this part took a lot of level & measurement checking. We will need to recruit some help though to put on the main tarp. My brother doesn't live locally so he probably won't be able to help finish it. But, it's almost there! I am so happy & appreciative of every one's help.

Dreamy here is in the hay feeder per usual.

Here is the new look for my soaps. I had to redo my packaging as my supplier for the mulberry paper went out of business & I have not been able to find it anywhere else, not even on line. It was too expensive & very time consuming to wrap anyways, even though it did look really good & I got tons of compliments on the packaging. I like having it easier & more economical, especially now that cost of the ingredients are sky rocketing. Essential oils have gone through the roof! But anyways, here's the new packaging, I hope everyone likes it.

Preparing for Winter

2008-09-06T15:01:00.000-04:00

Well, I got my winter's hay delivered. Nine monster bales that weigh almost 1000lbs. each. It took three of us & we could barely roll one of them. I ended up calling my neighbor & he came over with his little John Deere tractor & pushed them into place for us. We still had to roll them off the truck. Wayne, my poor hay deliverer, he probably won't want to deliver hay to me again! :o) I won't be rolling these around when I need to get a new one out. But......no need for me to worry about that anymore!...........

I am sooooooo excited........I am getting a new "barn". It's actually a storage tent but it is very big, 26'X12'X48' and sturdy & that's what it's going to be is my barn so that's what I'm calling it. As my brother said, it's the "New Age" barn. You can have it much quicker than building a structure, it's much cheaper and you don't have to get the town's approval or pay taxes on it.......because it's a tent. This is going to make everything sooooo much easier for me, especially in the winter. I will have enough room to store all of my hay and plenty of room for the alpacas, their hay feeder, my chute, bunny hutches & still have extra room. It should be here & set up in two weeks. My wonderful brother is going to come down from a couple of hours north & help us put it together. I am just so excited! I tried to post a picture from the website but it didn't work. I will be posting pics when it's here & assembled anyways.

This is Gus. I put him inside the fencing around my new maple tree so he could run around. Sadie wanted to play with him.

This guinea hen was roosting on the top of the aviary which has slippery plastic roofing. Didn't look very comfortable to me, but he stayed there for quite a while.

Sadie with her collar on for when she's a naughty girl & chases the ducks & guinea hens. She was eyeing Gus hopping around the maple tree. She knew she couldn't have him, but ooohhh, mama if I could just play with him for a little while, I promise I'll go easy. Yeah, right.

That adorable face doesn't fool me.

The Sun!!!!!

2008-08-17T19:40:00.001-04:00

Wholly crap, the sun came out! It's actually summer again! The boys were loving it as you can see. They all headed out to the back pasture.

Nevis

Chestnut

Christopher enjoying a good roll.

I'm almost done the kitchen hand towels that are on my loom. I'm currently doing waffle weave. I have probably enough warp to do two more towels. I am anxious to get them done, off the loom & finished to see how they look. I did a two color stripe pattern at both ends of each towel.

I got some peaches today from a very generous friend's tree. I was so excited, this is the first year I've ever gotten local peaches. I made some jam today, also the first time I've made peach jam. I like that you don't really need to use any sugar because they are naturally so sweet. These still needed to ripen just a tad more so I did add a little sugar. It came out wonderfully! It was a very small batch so I will make a double batch tomorrow night after work. I just need to get some more jars. Don't they look delicious!

I also made Rosemary-Mint goat's milk soap today. I love the beautiful creamy tan color that goat's milk turns. I like to watch it as it sets up. My regular non milk soaps have to be covered up with a wool blanket so I don't get to watch to process with that kind. Goat's milk soap is soooo creamy.

Casey, my creampoint himalayan says goodnight. We are exhausted & I have to get up at 4:45am.

Still Rainy........

2008-08-11T19:48:00.000-04:00

It's still rainy & dreary. My newly planted raspberries & Sweet Annie are doing great but my blueberries are slow to ripen & the wet weather is not so good for my poor lavenders. I am planning on doing our local farmer's market this Saturday which I will take yarn and my soaps to sell.

Here are some pics of a NICER day that we actually DID have this summer......this past July 4 when my family went to Echo Lake in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. It was a beautiful day, perfect weather.

White Horse Ledge overlooking Echo Lake

View from top of Cathedral Ledge

View of Echo Lake from top of Cathedral Ledge

Top of Cathedral Ledge (that's me, 3rd from left)

Sadie's Birthday

2008-08-07T06:24:00.000-04:00

I'm 1 year old today!

Dreamy is the only alpaca who lays in the hay feeder. Well, I guess he has the right to since he is the head honcho around here.....translation - I can do whatever I want.....and if someone doesn't like it....I don't really care. That's his whole demeanor. He also is the only one who stands and lays in the duck's pool (which we don't have one this year). That's Christopher Gold standing next to him. Christopher was named after a Caribbean island, Dreamweaver was named after the song "Dreamweaver" by the Moody Blues.

Yep, this is my handy dandy hay feeder. It is some kind of storage bin that I got from my work. They weren't using them so they let me have one. It works great! .....and even better, it was free! You can see the two opposite sides fold down half way so it's perfect for the alpacas to feed out of. The other two opposite ends completely fold down but I don't have any need to open those ends. There were holes already drilled in the bottom to let water out. If it rains hard though and a lot of water gets in, I just tip it up and let it run out. It takes about 3 tries & all my weight but I can do it, no problem. Once I get my overhang built though, I won't need to do that anymore.

Soap fresh out of the molds. Orange-Oatmeal and Lavender. I'm going to make Rosemary-Mint this weekend and probably Maine Woods or Rose-Patchouli and I should make some goat's milk soap too before my milk goes bad.

Nevis (also named after a Caribbean island) earlier this spring.

Introduction

2008-08-05T01:00:00.000-04:00

(Ok, this is last Sunday's post.....I ended up re-doing it.)

Hello and welcome to my blog. I am a fiber enthusiast who enjoys weaving, spinning, knitting, rug hooking and all kinds of other fiber mediums. I have a hubby, no children, stepchildren though, 5 alpacas, 2 dogs, 2 cats, 4 bunnies, and an assortment of birds. We live in south western Maine, about 40 minutes from New Hampshire's White Mountains and about 40 min. from Portland. Dreamweaver is my first alpaca who has AWESOME fleece, soooo soft & fine. He is the one pictured at the top of my blog page and hence, the name of my fiber business. I am just getting this year's fleeces skirted. I have the "seconds" for all five alpacas still to do. I am planning on taking some of them to the mini mill this week. This is Christoper Gold's "blanket".

Sadie, our boxer and Ben, our Yorkie snoozed next to me while I skirted my fleeces.

I'll probably post lots of pictures of Sadie....she is so photogenic!

Isn't that the most precious face.

Here is an action photo of Ben & Sadie that my husband took last winter. They were rough-housing in the snow. I love his photo. Doesn't Ben look vicious? You laugh, he can be quite vicious if he has a bone.....just ask my brother. Ben doesn't care that you're just teasing. He means business & doesn't think teasing is very funny.

I also have a little natural handmade soap business called Steep Falls Soap Co. I made lavender soap yesterday & orange-oatmeal today. Went outside to fill the flying saucer with water for the ducks & Dreamy decided it was for him. I didn't even get to finish filling it up. It's every 'paca for himself when it comes to getting cooled off. It was very humid today when the sun finally came out.

Then Sadie found the guinea hen's new nest & tore that apart, lost half the eggs & there were at least 12 to begin with. Naughty little girl.....

I hope Miss Guinea Henny doesn't abandon it. I put the remaining eggs back hoping she will still lay more & then hatch them. She hatched a brood of 13 earlier this summer. They were so cute! I found out right off how protective she was. I followed them until I could catch one, not even thinking about Mama.......well she came, seemingly, out of no where & scratched & pecked & beat me with her wings! I made sure I had something in my hand after that to fend her off!

Spent the past week dying Dreamy's yarn with Gaywool Bush Dyes. I just love them, they are such beautiful colors. I do the cold process method with Dreamy's fiber because it is soooo fine that it starts to felt if I simmer it. I found that I actually like doing the cold process better, with the Gaywool dyes anyway.

We had another thunderstorm today. Sadie was a little nervous, pacing with one of her stuffed toys in her mouth. Well, it's actually Sam's (my stepdaughter's) but Sadie makes regular trips into Sam's room to claim stuffed animals for her own.

Well, I guess I should end this for today. My mouth is watering for some ice cream..........

Guinea Nest Saved

2008-08-04T20:16:00.000-04:00

Well, the guinea hen did reclaim her nest. She actually moved it back to where it was originally....guess she didn't like the spot I chose.....and there are a few more eggs. Now to keep the Sadie-meister away from it.....now there's a task.

Ah yes, fresh carrots for all the bunnies this evening. I try to give them something fresh every evening during the summer......carrots, dandelion greens, clover. Below is Bunny Fru Fru with the wild doo. He's a Lionhead bunny. The next pic is Hocus (who is shedding his coat). He's my husband's magic bunny. Yes, I said "magic". My husband is a magician, but that is another post.

So I had to choose a year with a ridiculously rainy summer to plant a bunch of lavender. They were starting to rot some about 3 weeks ago but luckily they appear to have recovered from that.

It's sometimes difficult to get good pics of Dreamy because he doesn't stay still long enough, so here's one I just took that I was happy with.

On my way to my hair stylist last night, what I think was a lynx crossed the road up ahead of me. One month ago, one crossed the road in front of my sister as she was going home from my house & it was in the same vicinity. I wish I could have gotten a better look. Several years ago, someone told me he saw one in the big field in back of my house. Now I can tell him I saw one in his neighborhood. Think I'll do some research online.