Checking in - finally!

*(Won't be long till shearing time-I'm trying to ignore the vegetable matter)

Apparently, I decided to take a break from blogging, though it was not a conscious decision, as such.  I've considered coming to this space at least once a day and then somehow never made it. It's not that I've been particularly busy, though life on the farm never seems to be really slow. I've been thinking a lot and that takes a fair amount of energy!

The holidays are behind me and right now, it seems that they barely happened. No more shortened work weeks for Mike and I can feel what is left of January and February stretching out before me.  At the moment I have a to-do list that needs to be accomplished before mid-March. It's a long list, to be sure, but there is plenty of motivation to get things done. I'm currently scheduled for knee surgery on March 16 and will be physically out of commission from my regular life for at least a few months (no driving for 6 weeks! Is that even possible?). I don't have an accurate picture of what those months will look like, except that there will be plenty of physical therapy.

I am one of those (among many thousands) who recently read a little book titled 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up'. (Ha-evidently, I'm not alone. Amazon is currently out-of-stock!) I'll admit to some skeptical eye-rolling while reading it, but something about it has lit a fire under me. I've been on a mission to clean out, sort, purge, donate, organize and dispose of an untold amount of stuff.  It started with the decision to move my dye room out of the studio and into a storage room in the barn.  I didn't feel free to make a mess with dyeing in the studio. I was afraid of spilling dye on the tile floors (for the record, I hate tile floors-they are deadly to glass bottles and my back). In order for the move to take place, I first had to empty the storage room. If I'd known how bad that would be, I might not have suggested it in the first place! Now that it's mostly done, I can say it was a good thing. I've been forced to sort through pictures, much ephemera from both mine and Mike's past lives, thousands of photos and stuff that should have been never put in there in the first place. I told friends before the holidays that what I truly wanted for Christmas was a dumpster! (That didn't happen.) Mike moved the big commercial stainless steel sink from the studio and installed it in the barn dye room.  I've repainted the walls, scrubbed the floor, brought in shelving, moved all my dye-stuffs, undyed yarn and brought in last year's fleeces (which are also on the list to be taken to the mill before March 16). As I told my friend, Diane, I can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear because it is, after all, a room in the barn and so I'm going to feel free to make many messes in it!

Another activity that has been occupying me is sewing. Just before the holidays, I bought a new Bernina and have taken a few classes at Q-Quilt First Kentucky. It's been fun to get back into sewing.  I haven't felt a great deal of confidence and the new machine has been slightly intimidating, but I'm starting to feel more comfortable with her and ready to get started making myself some clothes. I'm a terrible clothes shopper, hate going to the mall, never know what size to order on-line, so this seems like a totally reasonable pursuit!

*(Aslan is on the job!)

Animal-wise there is nothing new around the farm. Well, except for Mike declaring all-out-war on the starlings that are determined to nest in our barn and all the farm equipment. He's gone from boarding up every opening possible, to covering the tractors and bobcat with bird netting, trying to shoot them (they are much too clever) to now having a recording of starling distress calls and hawks screaming that plays 24/7 in the barn. I worried that the other animals would be as disturbed as I am by hearing it, but they seem to pay absolutely no attention to it. Even the chickens and peacock seem oblivious (though to be fair, chickens are often oblivious). I'll let you know how this plan plays out!

*(Carson loves napping in the studio bathroom sink)

 Instagram is my new best friend. I nearly always have my phone with me while I'm feeding and I take pictures all the time. They are not beautiful pictures, but do depict every day happenings here. It's a little dose of instant gratification to post something and see what other folks are up to in their daily lives. You can follow me by clicking on the link on the sidebar and see what the animals are doing nearly every day.

*(Carson is also on the job-when he's not napping!)

On the knitting front, I have a few things that I need to take photos of before I can post. Post-surgery should allow me plenty of knitting time, so am thinking of something big I can work on start-to-finish, maybe an aran sweater. I've been enjoying keeping up with Karen Templer of Fringe Supply Co, working on the KAL for her Amanda sweater. Her sweater is gorgeous and is just the kind of sweater I know I would wear forever. Often, I have difficulty staying faithful to a big project, so we'll see how that unfolds.

So, that's a bit of a catch-up.You see, you haven't missed much by my not being here for a while! I'll try to make things a little more interesting before I'm back here again.

*Just in cast you were wondering, none of these photos have anything to do with this post.  I just thought you all might like to see a few of the usual suspects. 

Decisions

(Carson being one with the flock - notice the almost photo-bomb?)

 Life has been full of difficult decisions for me lately.  They're ones I knew would come to me some day, I just didn't think I would be facing them so soon.  For many years, Mike and I have had discussions about how much longer I would be able to handle the sheep and for all of those years, my answer has always been, "Oh, I think I've got at least 10 more years of shepherding in me."  I was obviously delusional,  which I sometimes can be, when facing something I'd rather not.  Just last week, we sent all of the ram lambs off to market.  That in itself eliminated a whole feeding group.  I also sold a few of my problem ewes and a few ewe lambs.  Mostly, the ewes were the ones that were flighty and difficult to handle.  They had beautiful fleeces, so I hope they are being appreciated.  We just felt like it wasn't safe for me to risk being knocked down or dragged around by animals that outweighed me by a considerable amount.  In the evenings now, when I feed Aslan his bowl of dog food, I have to bring him outside the gate to eat.  Otherwise, the ewes confiscate his food and gobble it down themselves (and he lets them!).  I use that time to go in amongst the ewes and wait for them to gather around me for scratches and rubs.  Just being able to sit down out in the field with them brings me so much joy that I can almost not feel too bad about selling the ditsy girls.  So, at this point, I've reduced the number of sheep in my flock by half and have maybe half a dozen more that I should sell, if I can find the right homes for them.  I just keep telling myself that this will allow me to be able to keep my sheep a little longer.  I'm hoping I can allow the remaining girls to die of old age right here on Tanglewood Farm.

Lady Sybil (or Sybie as we call her now), coming in very close!

Sybie's no slouch in the fleece department either.  I think it's gorgeous!

As for the little girls, they are getting calmer and sweeter by the day.  Because of a mix-up on dates with the shearer, they did not get shorn this summer, so they already have 4-5 inches of gorgeous fleece.  Soon, I'll be putting coats on everyone and I am already looking forward to shearing day in March!  I can't wait to see what these little ones produce.  They are all at least 1/2 Wensleydale, some of them 3/4 or more, and because of the cross-breeding I've done, their fleeces are soft and silky and beautifully lustrous.

We've had several fox sightings lately and Aslan has been kept on the alert for any who might stray close to the barn in hopes of a chicken dinner.  Our neighbors lost eleven of their hens in just a few days, due to marauding foxes and raccoons.  Raccoons may be cute, but they are death on chickens, as are possums (who are the exact opposite of cute, in my opinion).  Life and death go hand-in-hand on the farm, even when you're vigilant.

We have some exciting events coming up in the next little bit.  I'm heading south this weekend for a very fun workshop and then, within a very few weeks, the dream-of-a-lifetime trip for Mike and me.  More about that next time!

Is that a light I see?

Yes, I think I may finally be seeing some light at the end of this tunnel (and I don't think it's a train headed my way).  This last month or so has been one of discouragement and lots of reflection on where I'm headed.  I'm not trying to be overly dramatic here, but physical ailments have kept me knocked down and it has affected my state of mind more than I care to admit.  Mike tells me I don't make a good patient and he's right.  I don't even like to be around myself when I'm not on top of my game.

I've had some pretty severe muscle spasms in my neck and it's taken x-rays, MRI's and evaluations by several doctors and a physical therapist to finally get me on the path to feeling better.  Sleep (which is one of my most favorite activities) has been illusive and even that is starting to return to something near normal.  So, all in all, I'm trying to feel encouraged.  Mike has done most of the feeding chores lately and that has been a huge help.  I do miss seeing my flock though and I'm anxious to start hauling hay bales around again.  (Definitely not something I ever expected to say!)

Like a lot of folks, we've been snowed in several times this past week. I managed to get out for physical therapy early in the week, just before we got hit with another round of ice and snow.  I hear that the main roads are mostly clear right now, but our farm road is a bit of a thrill ride and not one I'm planning on making just yet.  Above is the view from the front porch of the house.

Yesterday I got to spend some time in the studio for the first time in several weeks.  It's amazing how a cozy fire in the woodstove and the companionship of Carson can lift my spirits. (Carson is so laid back he could easily be mistaken for comatose!)

I finished another small knitting project that will surely come in handy in this weather (and especially for people like me, with a neck needing to be kept extra warm).  It's Mary Jane Mucklestone's Flying Geese Cowl.  All the natural colors are my own handspun and the red is some of this years run of our mill-spun wool/alpaca blend that I've dyed in my favorite red color.  I've always loved the flying geese quilt pattern (even for my barn quilt).  Mary Jane's pattern has just enough going on to keep it interesting and it's especially good for knitting a simple Fair Isle pattern and practicing holding yarn in both hands.  I've always been partial to the natural colored fleeces of my sheep and it was fun to go through my stash of handspun odds and ends to pick out the progression from dark to light.  Now I'm smitten with the idea of making something bigger (a whole sweater!) and using only my own natural colored handspun for all the Fair Isle patterning.

And, though I wouldn't blame you a bit if you don't believe me, a book review and giveaway of this sweet book is coming next week.  Honest!

Updates

Tour de Fleece:  Yes, I'm actually spinning some every day this time.  I believe it's because there is magic in Olive's fleece.  She was my dearest girl and I can finally think about her and spin her wool without feeling so sad.  The stack of yarn balls is about 3600 yards of singles that will eventually become 1800 yards of two-ply.  I needed a little over 1200 yards to have enough for the Antler cardigan that I'm planning to knit.  Why are the balls numbered?  Because I'm not a totally consistent spinner.  Some days I spin thicker, some days it's thinner.  When I'm spinning for a big project like this, I attempt to make up for my lack of discipline by averaging things out.  The first ball will be plied together with the last one and so on, in hopes that all the skeins will end up close to the same gauge.  Those darker skeins are the last of Poppy's fleece and those 500 yards will possibly be combined with the rest of Olive's yarn for something stripey - maybe - still thinking on that.  I've loved participating in the Tour de Fleece this year and for some reason, it hasn't been a struggle at all.  I've allowed myself to spin a little every day, but haven't felt pressure to accomplish huge amounts every day.  I hope this feeling carries over to the actual knitting of my memory sweater for Olive.

Fleece preparation:  Yes, I'm still washing fleeces, but I'm down to the last of the alpaca fleeces.  My trip to Echoview is scheduled for week after next.  I'm pretty sure I know what I want to do for the 2013 version of "Fresh from the Farm Yarn".  I'm thinking of adding something special to the wool/alpaca blend.  I'm excited about having something that's a little different to offer this year.  Now it's on to thinking about the color palette for the dyeing that will commence when the yarn arrives back at the farm.

(a cloud of alpaca fiber drying in the greenhouse)

More sewing:  I made another Squam smock and this one fits.  Yay for getting it right!  I'm really happy with the way this one looks and can already see that I'll like wearing similar ones with a t-shirt and jeans for cooler weather.  I bought some really cute plaid, cotton flannel a few weeks ago and just thinking about it makes me wish for fall weather, even more than I already do.

(Lying low til darkness brings some cooling)

And speaking of weather - this is the main daytime activity on the farm these days.  It's finally decided to be summer here in Kentucky, which means hot and humid.  Low activity level during daylight hours is the only way to get through the misery.

(Speaking of low activity - Carson knows how to beat the heat)

Soaked

(cloudy and wet this morning)

We are getting lots and lots of rain here in central Kentucky.  We're in a pattern of hot days and late afternoon or nighttime thunderstorms.  It's been really good for my late planted garden (and apparently even better for the weeds that I cannot seem to stay ahead of).  The sheep are not exactly oblivious,  more like resigned.   They pick a shady spot when the sun is out and save their energy for grazing when the clouds show up or the sun goes down.  That makes them smarter than me because I keep finding myself out weeding in the garden during the heat of the day.  My garden is later than usual this year.  May was busy and I was disorganized and blah, blah, blah ..... truth is, I'm always disorganized and nearly always later than everyone else getting my garden out, but whatever ....

Finally the garden is starting to look like a garden.  We've been in a barren spell since the lettuce and asparagus finished producing, but the next crops are coming along.  We would have been enjoying a few other vegetables, but Mr. Dandy "worked" on the garden before he moved to his new home.  :-( I found my first cucumber this morning and it will definitely be part of my lunch today.  I love cucumbers and I have very mixed luck growing them.  The dreaded squash bugs are my mortal enemies!  So far, no sign of them, but I'm sure they're lurking around, waiting for me to feel secure before they show up to humble me once again.  I've been reading that row covers might be a way to prevent the infestation, so that's on my to-do list, if it's not too late.

(Carson - my ever-present gardening companion, inspecting the asparagus forest)

 

 

 

I'm trying to get motivated to take part in the Tour de Fleece again this year.  I can't decide on a project, probably because I have so many already started that I should work on instead.  I'd love to spin Olive's fleece for a good, everyday sweater.  After seeing this Soulemama post, I'm thinking I'd really like to knit Antler with some Olive yarn.  It's a style I know I'd wear a lot and having it as a reminder of Olive would make it even more special.  So .... what are your plans for the Tour de Fleece?  Are you taking part and do you have something specific in mind for the yarn you spin?

(my beloved peonies are blooming-avert your eyes from the weeds!)

 So, it's back to real life.  The Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival is behind us and it was pretty terrific - the best yet!  I saw so many of you and met lots of new folks and answered the question, "What kind of sheep are those?" at least a hundred times.  Everyone who got a look at my girls in their pen wondered where they got those gorgeous curly locks.  For the record, they are half Wensleydale and they've got luster and curls galore.  My grand-daughter, Jordan, was a fantastic help the whole weekend and grandson, Coleman, pitched in on Saturday and Saturday evening for the Farm-to-Table dinner.  It was great fun having them around.

(Carson enjoying the view of growing, growing grass)

So what's happening around the farm this week?  Mostly regrouping, reorganizing and gearing up for the next event on the calendar.  What's not happening?  Mowing .... mowing that desperately needs doing.  Mike reminded me last night that I'm always in this agitated frame of mind in May and early June because the grass it growing and it's raining and getting the timing right for mowing is so difficult.  We've even hired a little help this year and are still struggling to hit a day when he's available to come mow and it's not too wet.  Our farm is one of those "picturesque", hilly places that makes mowing a bit of an adventure, even when it's dry.  You do not attempt it when the ground is wet.  Mike also reminded me that this phase will pass and soon enough the grass-growing frenzy will slow down.

Tomorrow I'm off for a felting class.  The fabulous Nicola Brown is here from Ireland again and I'm taking one of her workshops.  Honestly, Nicola is so much fun to be around, I'd take the workshop even if I didn't already know I was going to learn so much!  Nicola comes to the states for teaching gigs at least once a year and we're so lucky to be on her itinerary.

So, here's a question.  If you knew you were going to have only two days to spend in New York City, what would you want to see and do?  That's going to be part of my next adventure and I'm having trouble making a plan.  I need help!

The main activity

There's been a whole lot of the above going on around here and not much else.  My appearance is apparently the highlight of the day for lots of critters!

(Some girls are pretty, some are just pretty in the fleece!)

The "little girls" have joined the adult ewe flock and when I look out on the pasture, I can hardly tell the young ones from the older girls.  It's bittersweet for me because I enjoy the time I spend with the lambs as they grow, but pretty soon I'll have new lambs to fuss over.  Gabby should lamb around the first of March and that's not long at all now.

(It's painful for me to see all that hay being shared with neighboring fleeces!)

One way to help with identification from a distance is that every year I order different color ear tags and along with the color, I start the numbering on the tags with the year....so tags for this year will begin with the number 1301.  Picking the color is trickier than you might think.  I don't want those humongous tags that will pull a lambs ear down, but something large enough and bright enough that I can read it from several paces away.  I'm thinking I might go bold this year - maybe red or purple, just because I like to live on the edge!

I've spent more time than I would prefer seeing doctors, going to physical therapy and having x-rays and an MRI.  The verdict is that I have quite a variety of rotator cuff tears (at least five).  Not exactly the kind of over-achieving I can brag about!  I'm scheduled to see an orthopedic surgeon soon but, in the mean-time, I'm working diligently at physical therapy and hoping, hoping to avoid shoulder surgery.  Surgery does not fit into my plans for spring!

These pictures were taken last weekend when we finally had a little snow.  The sheep and I enjoyed it immensely.  These two - not so much!

Transition time

When I went up to the studio yesterday afternoon I found Carson listening to what this little lamb had to say.  Carson is just the best cat ever.  If you are thinking of a new pet, please consider adopting from the Friends of the Animals of Jessamine County.  They do such wonderful work and I personally know of many success stories concerning animals they've pulled out of shelters and placed in happy homes.  I have no idea what Carson's circumstances were before he came to live with us.  He was about 8 months old and pretty timid around other animals and people.  The only thing that seems to intimidate him now is our witchy female barn cat, Sadie.  She's maybe half his size and is only occasionally pleasant to him, but he's so laid back he usually gives her a look that says,  "What is your problem?"

The last few weeks have felt very much like a time of transition.  Summer is a (somewhat unpleasant) memory and winter is on the horizon (and I'll go on record as saying I really,  really hope we have a winter this year.)  Until today we've had a long stretch of nearly perfect fall weather.  I spent yesterday cleaning up the garden,  taking down the tomato cages and putting away hoses.  The last big rain and wind storm brought down most of the leaves and I need to get busy raking up the yard and putting all those leaves on the garden beds.  The animals have all been busy, busy during daylight hours,  searching,  scratching,  always on the lookout for an extra morsel of food.  They all get fed grain,  but you'd never know it the way they scurry around.  The Dandy family can often be seen together,  teaching the baby how to go about finding food.  He/she is the only surviving chick and gets plenty of supervision.   People ask me all the time about how noisy the peafowl are and at this time of year about the only thing I hear is the peep-peep-peep of the little one.  When Mr. Dandy has his full compliment of tail feathers he makes quite a lot of racket,  alerting us to any and all movement.  We're so accustomed to it now that we rarely even notice.  Once he sheds those feathers in the fall,  it's as though he becomes mute.  He rarely makes a sound.  I think he doesn't want to call attention to himself when his gorgeous feathers are gone.

I'm happy that the holidays are nearly here.  I've begun my Thanksgiving grocery shopping list and made plans for decorating the tables.  It's my favorite time of the year,  though I never do feel as though I'm quite prepared.  I love the decorating and cooking and having family all here at the farm.  Even with everything else that's going on,  I've managed to squeeze in a tiny bit of knitting and hope to get some decent photos to post soon.  As for Christmas knitting ..... I don't have much to say about that  :-(   How about all of you?  Finished already?

Summer

(welcome storm clouds that actually brought rain)

I've been noticing that I'm apparently not the only blogger suffering from the heat of summer doldrums.  A lot of the blogs I read on a regular basis are offering succinct commentaries at the moment.  I don't know for a fact that it's because they've fallen into a stupor, as it seems I have done.  Hearing me whine about the heat is, I am sure, getting more and more (and more) boring.  So today, just a few pictures of what's been happening around here.

(sixteen year old boys can sleep almost anywhere)

(and so can some cats)

Boss of the barn

 

Carson,  our rescue cat,   is really starting to come into his own around here.  We love him and I think the feeling is mutual.  He's such a lovely boy and his personality is so sweet and affectionate.   Sadie,  wild girl that she is,  still pretends she is pushing him around,  but they both know it's just a game now.   Slowly,  slowly he decided to come out of the room in the barn where the cats sleep at night.  I let him pick his own pace for acclimation.  After all,  it's a big barn and there were lots of other critters around that I'm sure he'd never seen before.  For a week I left the door from the workroom standing open and each day he ventured a little further out.   He was quite timid in the beginning and kind of crept around investigating all the nooks and crannies.  The day he discovered the barn loft was the turning point.  He loves going up there.  In fact,  he turns into " Zippy Kitty " and " Boss of the Barn " when he's in the loft.   He and Sadie chase each other around and up and over the stacked up hay bales and he loves going up into the rafters.  He's even gotten brave enough to take a run at the peacock a few times.  I'm pretty sure he now knows he doesn't want to go there anymore.

Carson reminds me so much of my Buster cat.  Buster was not a rescue,  but was given to me at a time in my life when I needed to feel unconditional love .... and he certainly gave me that for many,  many years.   I'm so glad I just happened to be looking at the adoptable pets on the Friends of the Animals of Jessamine County website and saw Carson's picture ( the boy formerly known as Peaches,  no less ! ) .  I believe Carson is glad,  too.  He's part of our farm family now.

Carson

  

Carson has come to Tanglewood Farm and we love him already.  He's a sweet boy and we are hoping that eventually Miss Sadie will make friends with him.  So far,  she seems determined to make sure he knows she is the boss around here.  Carson appears to be around 7 months old now,  judging from his teeth ( exam courtesy of my resident veterinarian ) .  He's already about twice as big as Sadie,  so it will be interesting to see how long she can keep up that charade !

 

  

Carson came to us courtesy of the Friends of the Animals of Jessamine County.  Recently,  my friend,  Teresa,  adopted a precious little dog named Tilly from the Friends.  I had seen Tilly's picture on the Friends' facebook page and it looked like a match to me,  so being the good friend that I am,  I sent her the picture and the rest is history.  Not one to leave well enough alone,  I found myself looking at their Available for Adoption page late one evening and there was Carson ( formally known as Peaches - which is way too girly a name for such a big boy ! ) looking out at me as if to say,  "Take me,  I'm yours".  How could I resist ?

 

Of course,  the name Carson came about because we are 'Downton Abbey' fanatics here at Tanglewood Farm.  Sunday night is now our favorite night of the week because it means the latest episode will be on Masterpiece Theatre !  I suspect that there just might be a 'Downton Abbey' themed lamb crop arriving here at the farm around the end of March !

Friends does such a wonderful job.  They have members who work tirelessly to rescue as many cats and dogs as they possibly can and they furnish foster care until they find loving,  forever homes.   If you have room in your heart and home for another pet,  please take a look at the Friends' website and schedule a home visit for pet who will be so grateful.