So long to summer

This past year has been something else. You just never know what life will throw at you. A year ago, I was preparing for a major surgery. I'm so grateful for the healing I've had, and the past year I've had, all the new opportunities and adventures.  Now, my little pal Coral is battling Leukemia. I crocheted these hats and some flower accessories to cover her little head as she lost her hair to the chemotherapy. I am confident that she will pull through, but if you are reading this, you sure can tuck in a prayer or two for her. She is a brave, smart girl who will have a lot to offer the world when she grows up.

We have a lot of Queen Anne's Lace growing out here. I love it. I just know that flowers like these are what first inspired some woman in history to take up a small hook and fine thread to create beautiful, dainty embellishments for her home.

To be sure, it was a long, hot, dry summer. Emily participated in Municipal Band, performing every Thursday night in Central Park in our little nearby town, among the most talented musical mentors in the area. This was one of the few storms we had, just moments before the final scheduled performance of the year was suddenly brought to a halt by the still welcomed rain.

Emily had her first experience at the fair, showing a couple of our young does. Pictured with Emily is our affectionate little doe Sissy, named for another Sissy that we had, and miss. 

Ashley

This past summer, I had the honor of taking my friend Ashley's senior photos. 

We did this over two different days, once in the early part of summer, and once in late summer. The shot above was on a June morning.

 This one on a late August evening.

 The August photos had the benefit of a stormy sky near sunset. Not much else to say, other than I really enjoyed both sessions, and am very happy with how some of the photos turned out. I'm hoping to do more of this in the future.

Late Winter Afternoon Walk

This morning, I heard and saw a red-winged blackbird. First one I've seen and heard since they left this past fall.

This afternoon, I also heard robins. The breeze was a mix of warm and cool, speaking of stormy weather to come. 

The earth and the sky seemed to be vibrating with impending spring. Won't be long and these landscapes will be vibrant green. 

Mimi

We always manage to have one special pet hen. For a while, that spot was occupied by Speckle, who we will never stop missing.

  Now we have Mimi. She just exudes sass. Mimi is splashy, well accessorized, and savvy. She knows how to duck out of the roosters' way, she knows that being held is cozy and warm, and that the goats drop food on the floor in the milk parlor. She is always trying to sneak in to clean up after them!

Mimi is the sole survivor of the group of Mottled Houdans that we ordered. I've always wanted some 'hairdo' hens, and was very happy to be able to order them. She is a white egg layer. Somewhere under that fluffy crown are white ear patches. Did you know if a hen's ear patch is a whitish color, they will lay white eggs? If their ear patch is reddish, then the eggs they lay will be brown. 

Note her right foot. It has always been turned under that way. It has never slowed her down. She has never known it to be any different. She scurries around just as well as any of our hens, with ten times the sass. Keeping the other hens in line is her pet pastime. Mimi is very loud and talkative. 

The day I was taking these photos, I was amused to find that our goat Lady has supermodel aspirations. When she figured out the lens was on her, she struck a pose.

 Then I moved on to some roosters, some other goats. Then back to Lady, who resumed her pose. 

I've said it before - never a dull moment around here. Characters like Lady and Mimi make sure of that!

I've heard quite a few women say, "Don't get me flowers for Valentine's Day, they just end up dying."

I am not one of those women. So beautiful!! Thanks and much love to my boyfriend, my best friend, my dear husband Andy.

This was the view from the barn this morning. I have more photos to post, stay tuned!

Study of egg colors

After a short break over the winter, as the daylight hours have increased, our hens have resumed production. Eggs have such soothing, comforting colors. Our hens produce mostly shades of pinky browns. The white egg was produced by one of our older hens, either a Brown Leghorn or a Silver-Spangled Hamburg, or our Mottled Houdan, Mimi. Our brown egg layers are Dominiques, Barred Rocks, or Partridge Rocks.

My favorite eggs come from our Silver-Laced Wyandottes. Brown with white speckles. I almost hate breaking these little works of art. But we let our chickens range around with the goats, and even in the winter time. Unless there is snow on the ground, they follow the goats around picking at grass, bugs and seeds, and whatever else they find. Their rich and varied diet, supplemented with a quality, very nutritious pellet food and scratch grains as a treat, makes for very rich and yellow-orange yolks. We have even discovered that our Dominiques are actually really great mousers. I'm not sure how that contributes to egg nutrition, but its a nice asset. 

What I've been up to

I have no idea where summer and autumn went. Well, I do, but those details are not for here. I was happy to finish this baby jacket and hat and booties for my new nephew. It was made with Swish Tonal worsted, named Kindling, a super soft merino yarn from Knitpicks. I have a few other things going, socks and mittens and such, a scarf and a blanket, but how to find the time to work on them? I always have such high hopes of providing my loved ones with high quality hand knit and crocheted keepsake garments and accessories, but its rare that any of them are done on time. This set, however, was. 


We opened the first jar of black raspberry jelly, since the ground is white with snow. Is so fun to taste summer when temps are in the single digits and the snow is cold and crunchy on the ground. Andy is out hunting, and the kids and I can't seem to drift away from the warmth of the wood stove. I am excited to start a project today that I hope is done in time for Christmas this year. I have high hopes.