Really September now!

It is September now. And it has come in with some anger here. Woke up this morning and checked my phone to see if there were any messages. My daughter Abby had sent a message saying power was out in Flintstone. She lives on the same street as Mrs. T. Then a little later, another message saying it was back on.

I looked out the window and saw trees just about bent in half. Crazy rolling clouds moving fast. So got dressed, fixed a cup of coffee, took a few drinks of it, then ran out the door with the milk bucket.

Olga came out first. Got her settled in. Started milking. She lifted her right leg a few times. I can usually sense when it's going to happen and get the bucket out of the way. But the next time she got it. And I was almost done. Turned the whole thing over. Great, milk all over the floor now and the stanchion. So got her out, took the stanchion outside and hosed it off. Grabbed the broom and some more water and swept out loose hay with the milk on the floor. Got the stanchion back in. Grabbed Freya. Got what little milk she had and gave it to the cats. I've had the sheep out back with the goats, so haven't been able to let the goats out. So they have slowed down a lot. Which I am trying to get them to do, so I can go to once a day.

Then the sheep were acting crazy. So threw some alfalfa pellets and sunflower seeds in a bucket to feed them. Then later, I just let them back out to the front. There's lots of leaves and apples down that they were wanting. I opened the little side gate for the goats to go out to the "jungle".

Before I let them all out, I put hay in the racks. Little Galadriel came to me and just looked at me with her beautiful eyes. I felt her telling me to calm down. I named that sweetie right.

Yesterday, I tried to finish the bobbin of alpaca. I got tired. It's taking forever! So I started getting some wool ready for the next bobbin, to ply them both together. I want to make a sweater with this yarn. It's so pretty.

Then I realized how amazing it is that I have sheep and alpacas! Right here on my little farm. I can go out there any time just to pet them or talk to them. And get this amazing fiber from them! I just feel so blessed.

And this is so pretty to me. I love using the hand carders to make little rolags to spin. I finished that red basket up. I have 3 rolags of alpaca to spin, then on to the wool.

This is 14 sheep, 2 alpacas and 2 greedy goats at the trough this morning. Isn't that just so cool?

I also made some bug-off bars for a friend. Her boys love it and that's all they want on when they are outside. My studio smells good when I make things.

I'll have my 2 grand dogs this weekend. Daisy and Rousey, the Boxers. I love them. But my chickens will not have fun at all. Those dogs want to kill them!

August 31 (thought it was Sept. 1st)

Last night, on the way back down the mountain. It was quite foggy. But when I got down to the bottom, it was clear again. It's always sort of spooky driving through fog. I keep expecting to see some mystical creature go across the road, like a majestic buck with golden horns and glowing body. But didn't see any last night.

I wanted to start a group of other kindred spirits to meet together and spin or knit or weave or crochet. And talk and have fun, just being with other people who love doing what I love. So I met with a friend who lives on the mountain and has Finn sheep and a fiber studio. We decided on Wed. evenings up at her studio. Then when she can't be there, we'll have it down here at mine.

We started last night. We were the only ones. But it was nice, spinning with someone else. There are several more that will start next week. It will be so fun. And I'll have time with kindred spirits.

When I got home yesterday, I found this pile of clothes in the bathroom, right next to the almost empty clothes hamper. UGH! So I called my husband and grand daughter in there to ask why. My husband said he'd been working outside and his clothes were sweaty, so he put them there, on top of Kansas' clothes. They picked them all up.So fun right? I'm sure other people have this same problem.

This was my view a few days ago, when I finally went out and got in my new hammock. Oh my, it was so boring, just laying there, doing nothing. I started feeling guilty. Then I wished I had a book. And a sick to push myself with. The cicadas were very loud there. And the birds. The sheep looked spooked when the saw me in this big red thing. I laid there and took pictures of the trees. Really is amazing, just being there under such beautiful trees.

                                           Isn't this beautiful and peaceful? It really is nice.

And these 2 trunks are so big. Not sure what kind of trees these are. But I'll find out. I love them.

Wild hair...

Every now and then, I get a wild hair. To clean or make things. Today, I had already decided I was cleaning the bedroom. I had already gotten the dresser cleaned off the other day. So got in there and got all the clothes in bags to take to a thrift store. Vacuumed. Made up some rug freshener with baking soda and some different essential oils. The house smells so good now! I even put some on the beds and pillows. Got all sheets and washed them and hung them out, along with shirts and pants and towels.

Then went out to the pear trees and got all the pears I could reach. Got a big pot cut up and simmering on the stove to make pear butter.

I got 6 pints and a half quart. It is SO good! I have enough pears for dinner tonight. I like to slice them up, put them in a baking dish with butter and roasting them. Then I add cinnamon and honey. Yum!

                While this was going on, I cut up 2 big packages of pork fat I had in the freezer to render into lard.

I got almost 3 pints. That'll last a few months I hope. I put them all in the fridge outside.

It just feels good to be productive and actually do something. I have been on a reading binge the past month. I found a book by Nora Roberts called Jewel of the Sea at a thrift store. It takes place in Ireland. It's a 3 book trilogy. So I had to find the other 2 books. Found the 2nd book at McKays used books. Didn't have the 3rd, so got it from the library. While there, I found another 3 book set of hers called the Dark Witch trilogy, in Ireland too. Oh my goodness, these books are so good, I could hardly put them down to go to bed at night.  Now I have to go to Ireland!

I moved my sheep and alpacas to the back again. We have not had rain here is quite awhile, so the sheep are all so much better and I have seen no signs of those horrible barber pole worms. I am so relieved. But we are supposed to start getting rain tomorrow for several days. Ugh. I have hay for them, so they should be ok. And we do need some rain. Can't believe I just said that.

I went outside to get some cobwebs off the windows and saw a million hornet and wasp nests all under the back of the house and under the shed. I have never seen so many before. We have used so many cans of spray, only to have that many more building nests again. But these back behind the house were huge! I didn't have enough spray to get them all. I hate them!

My Ent

I am obsessed with The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. I love the Ents. And now I have my own!

I was looking out a back window last night and saw him. I wish I had taken a picture then. But this is from this morning. I can see his face. I don't know his name yet. But I feel very happy to know he's been here for so long. He's in the back of the house, keeping us safe here.

Hammock

Yesterday, my husband and grand daughter Kansas went out back to put up my hammock. Can't wait to use it now. Kansas is behind the tree. And I just noticed Stella is out there too. Can you find her?

Just random stuff

Last night, this was so pretty. I love when the moon looks like this. And that big bright shining star, or planet, what ever it is there, to the left.

Went out to pick some pears yesterday. I heard buzzing and saw some of my girls, drinking pear juice from some of the very over ripe pears. Bees are amazing.

This is pears and figs, from my own trees, in bowls that I made myself. So cool. And so very good!

So the hens have found yet another nice cozy place to lay eggs. This is a hay bale in the corner of the milk room. I'll get a few eggs a day here. The rooster will start cackling when the hens sing the egg laying song. You'd think the boy laid an egg himself, the way he goes on and on about it!

And this. Oh my goodness, this. Really? There's probably a few little teaspoons left in the jug. I really do not get it. Also, the same person who does this, leaves about a spoonful of food in a pot or bowl. Just drives me crazy!!

Right now, this minute, all my sheep are looking great!! I was just about to throw in the towel with them. Seems like every day or so, for the past 3 months, one of them would have puffy jaws. I just wanted to cry. It's been awful. But right now, this minute, they are all ok. I have seen people all over this country talking about barber pole worms, and losing their sheep or goats because of them. It's been really bad this year.

This morning, my husband's outside spraying more hornet nests under the eaves of our house. I went outside to see one. I bent down behind him to look at it while he sprayed them. Then he brought his left arm down, right on my face! I kinda saw some stars. And I have a headache now.

The door...

that disappeared in the previous post.

I really would like a screen door.