Thankful.

 This morning, I put the sheep and alpacas in back with the goats. There is plenty of grass and the goats don't eat it much. They'd rather be out eating the brush on the other side of the fence. So I need to let the sheep out there to keep the grass down.

Here's little Rika, doing a goat baby dance! She's so cute.

The Locust trees are in full bloom right now. Bees all over them!

As I was walking from my studio to the car this morning, (to go to Cloudland Station for the day and sell soap and stuff)  I just felt really thankful.

For my sheep and alpacas. I get so much fiber from them and make dryer balls, needle felted things and yarn, and I make money from them.

For my goats for their milk that I make soap and cheese with. And make money from them too.

And for my hens who lay the best eggs ever that I sell and make money from.

And honey bees for their bees wax that I make soap, salve and lotion bars with and make money too.

I am so thankful for all my animals and bees here at Outback Farm. They give me so much and then others get to enjoy it too. It's amazing that I get to live here and do what I do and make a little money to boot. Just awesome.

I swear Black Bart poses for me, Whenever I have the camera and point it at him, he stands still like he's posing. He knows he's the most handsome rooster ever. Look at that one while feather on his tail. Cool right? I lost a hen this week, so down to 7 now. Plus the 6 new little ones. I hope a few hens go broody soon so we can have some more chicks running around soon.

A yarn. And some yarn.

 Yesterday about 4 I got a call from Abby, the event planner at Cloudland Station. I went to 2 last year there and did really well. I loved it!I have been seeing lots of activity over there and wondered what was going on. Even thought about calling Abby a time or two. But never did.

So she says they are having a another Southern Living open house event and wondered if I'd be interested in coming. I said sure, I would love to, when is it? She said Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1-6:30. I said like tomorrow? Yes. Ummmmm, really?

This happened both times before. The day before they have the event, they call to see if I'd like to come. Well, I start stressing out about it. I have SO much to do already, now this? I really want to go. So go tell my husband. And there's water all over the kitchen floor. A lot of water. The sink had been draining slow lately. And I had just washed a load in the dishwasher. It backed up and sent water all over!

So this, plus had to go to town to pay one of the care givers and go to my pottery class for the glazing class. (Which was so fun! I learned so much and can't wait to go back to finish the rest of the things I've made. It was too much to do in one class.) Thinking of all the things I should be doing, like wrapping soap. Making more lotion bars. Washing all the yarn I've been spinning. Finding tables and table clothes and display shelves and baskets and getting the car loaded and and ..... Oh my goodness, I almost had a panic attack!

So when I got home last night, my husband had some things ready to try to fix the sink. I just said I don't have time for this! He said I don't need to be doing everything. And I realized I was not going to the show Friday. And I felt so much better. Abby said I didn't have to go all 3 days. But we need money so bad right now, so I really wanted to. So I decided to just do the weekend. So I have all day today to get ready.

I wrapped soap last night til midnight. Also made 2 more batches of lotion bars. That felt so good just to get the soaps wrapped.

So today, I made more lotion bars, found the table clothes and shelves and got the soap all ready.

Then started setting the twist on all the skeins of yarn I've spun lately. Got them all hanging on the porch to dry. Still not totally sure I'll take them to this show. Might save them for the show down at the barn in May.

But aren't they all pretty hanging out on the porch? I love spinning and the results are just amazing. So soft.

Here you can see Buttercup's on the top row. The other white is Amarillo and Sugar, the alpaca. The blue and white is Buttercup and a blue roving I bought. I think it is BL.

                                                                   The brown is Romney.And to the left barely in the picture is the 2 skeins of that Merino  I've been trying to spin for a year. All done!

There's also some Border Leister that's blue and some more white wool with black alpaca.

I think I'll take my knitted hats though.  But mostly soap and lotion bars this time. Because the farmers market starts next Friday in St. Elmo! So excited about this one. I hope I have to make a whole lot more soap!

Y'all have a great weekend! If you're up this way, stop in and see me at Cloudland Station on 193.

A new hive.

 My friend Allen, who lives up the road from me with his family, has been catching swarms like crazy for a little over a week now. 7 so far! Last year he had a swarm in his garden and I brought up my empty hive to use. We will split it soon. I call Allen The King of Swarms now.

So he called me yesterday and asked if I wanted this new swarm he was getting ready to catch. I said sure! My husband had to come get the nuc box that was in my car at Mrs. T's and take it to him. He caught the swarm and closed the nuc.

I went this morning to the bee store in Lafayette to get a hive set up. It was on sale! But we had to put it together. When I got home, our friend and wood fairy Kid, was just coming in behind me. So we had help!

The guys put the brood box together first so I could get that painted. Then as they put each piece together, I'd come in and get it and paint it.

So here it is, all ready for bees! I went to Allen's to get the nuc full of bees. Got them home, added the sugar water and entrance reducer, ran to get my shirt and hat on. Then opened the top. Then realized I'd need my gloves to get the frames full of bees out. So shut the top and ran to get gloves. A whole bunch of bees got out.

Got back to the box, opened it up again, and realized I just might need my hive tool to get the frames full of bees out of the box. So shut the top again, letting more bees out, ran to get the hive tool. Opened the top back up. By then, those were some pretty pissed off bees!

I went ahead and got them out as quickly as possible, without stirring them up too much more. I did have to stop at the 3rd frame to get a few bees out of my hat. Got the rest in, put the top on the hive and the blocks. And ran away! There were several mad ladies who wanted me gone! Fast! So I went. Some followed me out the gate just to make sure I really was leaving!

This is the hive after I was away a few minutes.

Then about an hour later. They had settled down a lot by then. I was a little worried. But they are good right now.

I decided to just put them next door to the first hive. I don't know how they know which hive is who's. But they do. Bees are pretty awesome creatures.

I just love having bees here. But I have just been used to 1 hive. And that hive has been great. I have not had too many problems with them. I just hope these new girls settle down and like being here. I hope they stay.

I'll check the hive in a week to see if they are building comb and brood. Then go from there. I just hope the queen is in there. Pretty sure she is or they'd all be gone, right?

But yay, 2 hives at Outback Farm!!!