A happy Friday.

As I sit here this morning, there is a huge bucket truck out in the sheep yard, right outside my studio. They are trimming (well, actually, cutting half of) the maple tree off the power lines. And a little bit of the apple tree under it. I have given some of the limbs full of leaves to the goats.

Last night I was out in the garden and saw these 2 beautiful butterflies flying around the Mexican sunflower. They are so pretty.

Then they both landed on this flower! Isn't this cool? I love it!

And still just 1 sunflower open. It was a busy place last night, with bees on it.

I saw a lot of ripe elderberries, so decided to go ahead and gather them. I got a baggie full. The rest will be ripe in a few weeks.

It's time for another Sherrill family reunion this weekend! I love spending time with family. It's at a church camp up in Ozone, Tn. It's got a lake so people can fish and swim. And a nice cool building where we all gather to eat. It's a fun day.

And the sign is still laying out there. I hope the boy is ok.

Have a happy fun weekend y'all!

A wreck.

My husband called me while I was at the farmers market Tuesday afternoon. He said we had a little excitement out here. My first thought was that the sheep had gotten out on the road and caused a wreck. But he said a car had lost control and ended up on the big metal pot under my farm sign. Broke the posts right in two and knocked the sign down.

If you can see that red mail box beyond the tree, that's where the car started . You can see the tracks in the grass.

Then I guess he flew over this stump and up onto the other stump, then the metal pot and the sign.

The stump in the last picture is to the left of the metal pot. I'm just glad the boy didn't go through the fence.

A teenager was driving. He said he just lost control of the car. His parents think he might have blacked out. He was ok but they went ahead and took him to get checked out. I think he was playing Pokemon Go.

They said they would be back yesterday to put the sign back up. It's still laying on the ground this morning.

Sheep, goats and evening sky.

Last night after I milked the goats, I let the sheep out there with them. I saw this beautiful evening sky. Isn't it awesome?

Then I went out to the garden. I noticed all the sunflowers were facing west, following the sun. All except the one flower that had already bloomed. Maybe it was too heavy to turn?

And this morning, they are all facing east again.Just amazing.

Happy hump day y'all!

Comfrey

I finally got the comfrey planted. I was trying to figure out where to put it because I was told they can take over pretty quick. So I had put them up under this cedar tree since I got them. They seemed to do well there. It's shaded most of the day and I read they don't like full sun. But can handle it if watered well. So decided to put them right here. I was going to buy some good soil but realized I have the best soil ever right here in the chicken-sheep yard. It's amazing stuff. I used some to plant the mints and rosemary in in the trough planter. And they are doing great. I also got 2 surprise tomato plants growing in with them!

I put this fencing up to keep the chickens out til they get established. I know they will grow huge and spread, so I'll have to see which way they go.

This is the soil from the sheep manure and chicken manure plus old hay the chickens are composting for me. I have 2 stalls that look like this, plus the chicken coop too.

Can't wait to start using this amazing plant. I'll make salves and soap with it. Plus let the animals have some too. Supposed to be really good for them.

1st sunflower!

I was out milking the other morning, and noticed this beautiful sunflower in the garden. The first one so far! I love sunflowers. I have really babied these guys too. Watered them a lot. They are in the middle of the bean rows. I didn't even water the beans much. Just the sunflowers.

I am trying yogurt again. I got the milk a little hotter and added more yogurt, plus some of the thin yogurt from the other day. After 24 hours wrapped in the blanket, I'll put them in the fridge. I hope this will work and I get thicker yogurt. I did use the other that I made last week in a smoothie. It was good. But I want nice thick yogurt.

Alpaca

I have been afraid to spin alpaca by itself. I have blended it in with wool while spinning and I love how soft it makes the hand spun yarn. I'm knitting a hat I spun with white wool and black alpaca. It's so soft and pretty. But I have never spun alpaca by itself yet. It's so fine.

But yesterday, after I finished plying the wool-alpaca yarn, I got down the little tote full of the black alpaca I had carded last year. And I started spinning it. And I could do it! And it was fun and pretty easy. It only broke once so far. I am spinning it just like I do my wool, fairly thin. I am loving it!

I already have 2 totes of my alpaca's fiber washed from 34 years ago. I have used the white fiber in with my wool. But never have used Misha's red fiber yet. I threw last year's bag of fiber in the washer yesterday and now it's drying on the rack. After I spin all this black I will start spinning more. I need to wash the 2 bags from this year too.

This should be really pretty when it's spun. And I guess each year will be different.

I still have all of this years wool to get washed. I did wash half of Cameron's wool so far though. She's the black sheep. It really was not all that long though. And after handling alpaca, sheep wool is really rough and course. I may just have to buy some more alpaca from my friend Susan.

And my yogurt did not turn out. I did put it in the fridge just to see what it would do. I'll check it later.

Spinning and yogurt.

I have been working on spinning some wool and alpaca for months now it seems. I finally got another bobbin full and started plying. I have 1 skein done and now working on another. It just seems to take me forever to bet a bobbin full. And I have so much wool to spin!!

This is really pretty and oh so soft too. All from my sheep and Sugar, the alpaca. I really need to just spin plain alpaca by itself one day. I will.

Yesterday I made some goat milk yogurt. My favorite show, Live Free or Die on National Geographic, has come back on. But I missed the first show. I thought it was tonight but it was Monday. I am so upset. But I watched a little video of Amelia making yogurt so I decided to try it.

I wrapped it all up in this blanket and put it on the back porch where it's hot. This morning, it's still warm, but not at all thick yet. That's the problem I have always had with goat milk yogurt. It's never think. I'll leave it and check it again tonight. I may just have some good buttermilk.

And this is some lacto-fermented ginger carrots I made about a month or so ago. I did not like them at first. But now, since they've been in the fridge so long, they are SO good! I love this. But next time I make it, I won't use so much ginger. It's way to spicy for me.  But so good.

Looks like we are in for some good rain. And tomorrow, right around market time, looks like the most is heading our way. So I am thinking about not going. But then if I don't go, it won't rain.   Ugh.