Almost. Maybe next week.

 I was going to do a little work out in the garden Saturday. Like take up all the tomato stakes and cages. And cut down all the okra plants left from the last garden. Take my loppers and cut all the hard trunks that the 2 old retired guys didn't get the other day. Even had my wagon out there to load with stuff.

But it was such a pretty day. So brought my bag with all my goodies in it and a cup of coffee and sat out in the sun, in the garden, in my old yellow garden chair. I worked on my shawl  I started for myself the other day. I really love this yarn. It's so soft and pretty. But I HATE crocheting with it. It's horrible to get all stuck on the hook or too tight or I have to pull it too hard and it snaps. But it's so soft and pretty. And warm too. I knit  Mrs. T a long rectangular shawl and she loves it. Wears it every day when it's cold.

I didn't do any of the other things I was going to do in the garden. I did walk around a little and saw the bees out and about. And washed some wool. And spun some more.

It's still just January. I have plenty of time to do things in the garden, right?

2 old retired guys.

 2 old retired bored guys did this Thursday. There  was a huge brush pile  at the end  here and a huge evil nasty horrid wild rose tree by that phone pole. Then I had a field fence to the right of the pole dividing the garden to the left from the orchard to the right.

So my husband's friend Kid came down Thursday and together they cleaned off the fence row of all the trees and briers and crap and burned the brush pile. It looks great now!

This is looking the other way toward the south pasture. I am going to have to keep the garden looking good now. It was hidden behind all the mess.

            Here comes Black Bart, checking for any good bugs left. I hope all those big dandelions will come back though. Under all that brush grew some huge ones.

This next week, they are going to start working on all those downed tree trunks in the back pasture. I'll be getting pigs in March so need it all fixed up for them. There is also another pine tree leaning toward the electric fence back there that needs to come down. Gotta keep these old bored retired guys busy, right?

Now to get the rest of the garden cleaned up and get some seeds ordered and start dreaming of a new garden.

BIG difference!

 I grabbed the 2 skeins of the brown Romney I spun last month and wound it up so I could knit a cowl for me. And I can really see a big difference in the way I am spinning now from just a little over a month ago. This is pretty thick. The wool I'm spinning from Amarillo is really thin. I have to make myself make it a bit thicker. I like a bulky yarn though. And I like size 13 needles too!

This is SO soft and not stiff at all. I love it. I have only spun the 2 skeins so far and still have a huge garbage bag to wash and spin. It's almost got a hint of lilac in it.

I only really know a few knit stitches yet. I did make half a hat using 6 different stitches and will try to use them in something. But I always end up curling when I knit and purl. I've read different ways to prevent that but I just wanted a quick project now.

I have got to find a Romney ram y'all. There is someone in Kentucky who has beautiful Romney sheep. I may try to go up there in the fall.

More yarn. More sheep.

 I finished spinning the big bag of Romney wool the other day. It's so pretty! When I put it up to white wool, it's a pale yellow color. I just love the natural colors right now. I'm sure I'll try to dye some. But right now, I'll stick with natural. If I do sell any of this yarn, then whoever gets it can dye it. I just wouldn't know what colors to dye them anyway.

Some of the lambs, checking out this strange stuff. They are so funny, these lambs. Very curious about everything. Where the adult sheep will run away from anything strange, the lambs will walk right up to it. They ain't skeered of nothin'!

Isn't this so pretty y'all? To me, it looks like a fresh water pearl necklace. I love it. I am getting better about spinning smaller. But it takes forever to fill a bobbin with really small yarn.

                        Just look at all these big fluffy wooly sheeps! I hope to have them sheared in March.

This is Adalaide's back wool. Is this not just the most beautiful wool ever? It's SO soft and crimpy. I still have some of hers from last year but I am waiting on some combs so I can get all the locks apart to be able to spin it. This looks a lot better though. I posted this pic on a fiber forum and lots of people are interested in her fleece.

So then I started in on the rest of Amarillo's wool. It's so white and soft. I love it. Sure do wish I had hand combs though. The batts would be so much smoother and I could get out all the little nibby-nubbies.

   

Clack had to come up on the porch Monday while I was spinning, to check it out. This is his mother's wool. I wonder if her knows it's hers?

A close up of the fibers. I just love watching it as it goes from my fingers to the bobbin. I am so amazed  that I am even doing this. I love it and cannot stop. I still have a bag of Annabelle's and her daughter Buttercup's wool I need to be cleaning. I will when I get these 2 bobbins plied.  I started that last night.

Well, I think our really nice sunny warm days are over for awhile here. I have so enjoyed being able to sit on the studio porch and spin. It's been so nice this week. But today is a bit overcast and cool. Supposed to be a 90% chance of rain tomorrow. And just when the ground was starting to dry up. UGH, I hate mud!

My boys...

I sure love them all. They are such good protectors for all the girls here.

Yesterday, I was sitting on my studio porch spinning and heard a sheep stampede. They they all came running through the gate into the yard. Then I heard the loudest strangest noise. Took me a minute to figure out it was the alpacas hollering or whatever it is they do. It sounds like a peacock. It's so loud. They stayed over there in the pasture, looking toward the barn. They even walked over closer. But they made the sheep leave. They are such good protectors.

I walked over there and never did see anything. But something gave them a scare. They all followed me. The alpacas kept looking at the barn. It could have been a stray cat. I never saw a dog. But I have been hearing lots of coyotes all around, really close, the past few weeks. Last night, across the road, they were really close and loud. Makes me nervous.

And this fella. Black Bart. He's the best rooster. He loves his girls. He finds some good things to eat and calls the girls. He will not eat til they do. He is usually crowing all morning.

This morning though, he was quiet. I heard a rooster far off to the North as I was feeding the sheep this morning. I had to go check to see if maybe he'd gotten out and left. But I do believe there's a new roo in the valley. And Black Bart was hanging low. He has still not crowed this morning.

                                                   He is the most handsome roo ever.

Some visitors this morning.

Had visitors this morning. Campbelle and Cameron, the 2 ewe lambs I had to bottle feed last year. I let the sheep in the front yard and they stayed all night. I have been hearing coyotes yipping a little too close the past few nights, so I felt safer with them in the front yard. (I know the glass needs cleaned. But we have 2 dogs. They are like children with dirty hands.)

I let them in. They wandered around the house a little while. I wonder if they remember being in here for so long when they were little? They are getting bigger, but still way too small. They have 2 brothers, Click and Clack. Amarillo raised the boys and I raised these 2. They are the smallest of the lambs. Aren't they the fluffiest little cuties though? They will be sheared with the rest of the flock in March. Can't wait to see how their fleeces look off of them.

This is Campbelle March 3rd, 2014. Little bitty scrawny baby. She was the smallest of the 4. Didn't think she'd live.

                                              And Cameron was so black, like her 2 brothers.

                                                   We can't hold them like this anymore.

Happy Monday y'all! And hope you all have a great holiday, as we remember a great man, Martin Luther King.

The mystery is solved.

Ok, look at these 2 sweet dogs. Aren't they just the cutest sweetest best ever dogs? Just look at those faces. How could they ever do anything wrong? How?

Well, one of them is so bad. So evil. So sneaky. One of them is a cat food stealing dog. Yes, that's right. Stealing cat food. Can you pick which one it is?

Well, Stella has admitted she has a problem. A big problem. She said it was just so easy to do it. It's right there, in front of her, all the time. All she had to do was take the lid off. Cat food is yummy. Really, it is. She just couldn't live with the guilt any more. She has confessed.

Well, she really did not confess. I caught her, red handed. Or red pawed. Right in the very act of eating cat food. I was wondering why the lid kept being  off the cat food container for awhile now. Never even thought it could be one of my sweet doggies. But it was Stella Bella Luna. The bad cat food stealing dog.

Just look at that face. She could not live with herself any more. She is so relieved.