Apparently, the going rate for plumbers is $3.00 a foot. So it's going to be $1950.00. Yippee!

What we've been up to

About ankle deep in mud and old broken leaking water pipes. As if there wasn't already tons of mud on this farm and not a dry spot anywhere. UGH!

We have been dealing with this very same spot here for years now. Seems like we patch a little every year. It started to the right in this pic. Then it moves down a few feet. We don't even cover the hole back up any more because we know we'll just have to dig it all back up. Which is probably not very bright.

So from right here, it is now gray PVC pipe. But going to the road from here is all very old galvanized pipe. VERY OLD PIPE! The main house here, where we live, was built in 1948. They had a well back then. Then about 1975 or so, the old man had the little house built to the right beyond this picture. So this is in between the 2 houses.

I don't know when they got city water here, but they re plumbed it all over to city and disconnected the well. There is a hole that's covered up with a wooden box in the cat room, which is next to the kitchen. We think it had something to do with the well. It's creepy though.

You can see where this river is headed. To my garden shed where my mowers and tiller are parked.  To the right is the bigger sheep pasture, where the sheep are staying now til we can get this fixed. It's just a muddy mess over there.

My husband called a plumber this morning and they're supposed to come out and look things over and give us an estimate. I'm thinking a couple thousand bucks. It's about 650 feet to the road straight ahead. And when we do get this all done, I want a faucet for my garden and to water the animals over on the other side of the driveway, to the left. If you can see under the shed to the left, I have the old kitchen sink under there. I  have wanted to be able to use it to wash produce there. That would be so nice. Then run a water line to the garden from the wash water. And be able to water the garden without having to drag 10, 586 feet of hose all over this farm. Because the only 2 outside faucets we have on this whole place are at the little house and the well house. That's all.

So, the husband has this bright idea to put a Tee right here, about 12 feet from the well house, to the faucet there, for the 2 houses to have water. From the well. I have no idea what he's talking about. Til I see it. This is all well and good right now, since we have so much rain in the winter. And NONE in the summer. And the well goes dry after filling up the sheep trough. But we have an 11 year old girl child here now. If anyone else has one of those, you know what I'm talking about, right? 30 minute showers and all. So this might work til we can afford to have the water line fixed.

This is the old well house. I use it for all kinds of things as you can see. But the water is amazingly cold in the summer. I love getting soaked after working out in the garden. So nice. That little hole is to the left of the picture here, about 12 or so feet away.

  And just a little bit of mud for your enjoyment, just in case you don't have any right now. This is where my poor sheep have to go through to go out back. And where I have to go to get to my studio. I hate it!

So anyway. I hope it's not going to cost an arm or a leg to get this done. But it so needs to be done. because I am sick of having to deal with this mess all the time. That's all.   ( I might do a Go Fund Me project.)

Just dreaming.

It is SO wet here right now. And I cannot remember what dry ground feels like. Or even what it looks like. I don't think there is a piece of dry ground anywhere in the country at this moment. I am so tired of slipping and sliding all over while trying to get to the animals to feed the poor things. It's just a slippery slimy wet mess out there. And I am tired of it! I'm tired of having to pull on my boots just to go outside. Then having to pull these things off is a nightmare anymore. The handles are ripped so I have to get them just in the right place on the steps to yank them off. Just another of life's little inconveniences, right? I know this summer, when it's dry as a dessert, I'll wish for these days. NOT!

But really. Why is winter SO wet anymore? Seems like this whole winter, it's just been rainy or freezing or snowy. Which, by the way, I LIKE walking on frozen ground so much more than wet slippery ground any day. But hate being so cold! Awe, will I ever be satisfied?

SO, I will dream of spring and seeds and gardens and DRY DIRT for now! Look back at all my pretty veggie plants with all their pretty blooming goodness. And dram of all the good healthy veggies I'll be canning this year for us. Because I am down to just a few jars of green beans. And they are from 2008. And just a few jars of tomatoes. So, I will be concentrating on growing a canning garden for us this year and now so much for selling.

There is so much to do out there too. Last fall, I threw clover seeds out on most of the rows. They all came up. But now I want them to bloom for the bees. I did plant a lot where I won't have to till under, just for them. I am seeing all the good rich manure the chickens are composting for me in their yard. And all the old wasted hay they are scratching around. I am throwing their feed in the old hay so they'll scratch it up some more. I'll be using it for the garden.

And I'll be getting a few new critters in 11 more days. Feb. 14th, this farm will be a whole lot different.

I will also be looking for a few milk does too. I've been buying cow milk from a friend, but at $6.50 a gallon, twice a week, it's getting a bit expensive. So I am going to have to break down and get a few does. I have really missed them. But not so much during all this crappy weather.

So, enjoy some pretty color and dream of your own gardens!

Meet Belle...

 my Mom's new little bitty tiny dog. She's so cute. She's the little dog that I can't spell and spell check doesn't know how to spell it either. She's 3 years old. Mom is looking for a companion for her. So far, she is a great fit for mom. She snuggles in her lap and takes naps with her. So cute!

Silly kids!

Woolens...

A few finished projects. And a dilemma.

I asked Kansas to model my shawl and hat I just finished. Look at this silly man. He just had to do this.

I love this shawl. It's made with Lion Brand Homespun yarn. I hate crocheting with this yarn. It's awful. But I do love how it looks when done. And SO soft. And heavy and warm. This is a c2c shawl. I think I'll put a few buttons on it.

 

And I made this hat this afternoon while sitting with Mrs. T. I was over in my studio, carding some wool, when my phone rang. It was Mrs. T's number. Betty, one of the caretakers, was crying. I immediately thought Mrs. T was dead or something horrible had happened to her, the way Betty was crying. But she said her husband's nephew just died. He'd had a stroke last week and they were just going to move him to a room and he died. She was so upset and wanted to leave. So I went to stay with Mrs. T til another caretaker could come for the night.

Betty did this same thing a few months ago. Called me crying and I could not understand a thing she was saying. Again, I thought the worst about Mrs. T. But it was her daughter and a grand baby disaster. Betty is a very emotional lady. So anyway, I brought my yarn and made this cool hat while I was there.

So I have been thinking about farmer's markets. And if I should really be going to them. I love the Main St. market. And the people who come there to shop. But it's $15 for a 2 hour Wed. afternoon. That's a lot of money. For 2 hours. And this year, the membership fee will be $100 for the whole year and $50 for half a year. And most weeks I would not make much money. Mostly around $100 or so. If I count the time I start preparing for market, picking veggies, loading up the truck, driving 30 miles one way, setting up, then the 2 hours selling, then loading back up and driving 30 more miles, it's just not worth it. And the other market is on Sat mornings. Same distance. 2 hours. Not near the people there and a totally different area and older customers.

So, I don't know what to do. I need to make money. I also need to do a lot of canning since I am out of most everything right now. I also want to be able to start selling my hand spun yarns. And other wool related items.

I also want to make soap. And lotion bars. I love making soap.

But I also would like to start selling wild edible plants. I have been thinking more and more about this. I have so much better luck lately with more wild crops. Like dandelions. And I want to grow more medicinal plants too. I would love to sell to restaurants and stores.

So there is Etsy. I could try that again. I could also go around to shops to see if they would buy my soaps.

I am just not a get-out-there-and-sell-myself kind of person. But I need to be. I need to be out there meeting people and letting them know who I am. And what I do.

I really would love to get my little studio up and running too. I'm going to talk to the sign people up the road about a new fiber art sign. I want people to come here to buy from me. That would be the best thing for me. Then I wouldn't have to travel much.

Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions or advice, I will gladly listen. I need all the help I can get here.

Oh, I am also trying to get AdSense on my blog. But not sure it'll work. I would make money for every click on the ads I get. I suppose I might need to get a real blog too. One where I could put all that stuff  where I want it. Like an Etsy store link and all.

Thanks for listening. And for coming to my blog. I hope you are not bored with all the wool and sheep posts lately. But I love wool and sheep! This is what I want to do.

PS- I stopped at the feed store in town and asked about putting my soap there to sell. She said sure, bring some. So yay! That's a little step forward. She is also wanting to start a little farmer's market there on Mondays. No fee either!

And I am still working on the AdSense. Can't seem to get things going. I may have to get my niece to come help me get it set up for me. I am not very bright when it comes to computers.