# FAC - May 2014



## Marchwind

Happy May Day everyone! We have had a lot of gloomy cool days lately. Oh and windy days too, wow! I'm hoping all our southern folk are safe and doing well. It seems a bit early to have those kinds of storms.

Down to business :nanner:
This is the Fiber Arts Chat (FAC). This is where we come to touch base with each other. We talk about all things not necessarily fiber related here. If you are super busy come here and just pop in and say, hi! We do tend to miss our people if they don't post for a while. At the very least just soon and say a quick "Hi!" 

If you are new or someone who usually reads but doesn't contribute, here is the perfect place to introduce yourselves. We love all our new people. If you have any questions and need help or want to offer advice please don't be shy. You can always start a new thread but if your aren't ready for the big time slip in here and tell us a bit about yourself. We are NOT an exclusive club.

I slightly re injured my finger the other day. I was playing with my foster puppy and she rained first into my hand. I had pain that shot through my body, ouch! It was feeling so good too. Oh well, more time will be needed 

I've been working on some of my commission spinning. Cleaned several pounds of Alpaca seconds, it took 3 cold water soaks to get most of the dirt/dust out, plus I shook it really well outside before I soaked it. I'm not sure it will be worth doing anything with but I'll give it a try. I have lots of angora and angora blends that need to be spun also.

Belu has been away at training for a week and I get him home today, I'm so excited. I missed him so much. My foster puppy was adopted on Tuesday so I am completely foster free now. The house has been very quiet the past few days with only the Collies home. Things will change this evening.


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## Marchwind

The new FAC is up. Please post there from now on. Here's the link http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/co...r-arts/514694-fac-may-2014-a.html#post7065920


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## Wind in Her Hair

Happy May Day, indeed! How well I remember making May Day Baskets and doing the Maypole thing with streamers. (sigh) Pagans that we were. 

Today is another gloomy and wet day in the Northwoods, but at least the temps are above freezing! 

Our May calendar is already filling so fast- what with a graduation in Texas, Shepherd's Harvest Fiber Festival, our wedding anniversary, a couple of wild and crazy Art Yarn Fiber classes with Esther Rodgers in the Cities, and a consult with a spinal specialist - not to mention all the spring cleanup we need to do after this long winter out in the yard, along our drive in, and on our trails. 

In fact, Cabin Fever had to pull out the chain saw this morning just to get us out and off to work. A big pine tree had blown down across our road in the all the winds we have been having. 

I am really looking forward to seeing many of my "old" HT friends at Shepherd's Harvest and meeting new ones - like Kasota and BlueberryChick for the first time! How cool will that be!?!?!?

Here is wishing everyone a beautiful May - filled with flowers and color and new birth and fresh starts and health and healing and happiness and joy and newness and inspiration!


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## Woodpecker

Happy May Day all. This month is my birthday month. I just saw my GP and he told me Im doing great despite all that I am going through. I am overjoyed to be able to see my birthday. It was warm here today, almost 80. I knew this was going to happen it always does. I got some herbs that I planted today. Lots of running around today.


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## MullersLaneFarm

So happy to hear of the good report, Dreamy!!

I said I wouldn't do it for another month, but I couldn't help myself ... I got my wheel back out and spun this morning ... just for 30 minutes.

It felt soooo gooood!


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## MDKatie

MAY DAY! Where does the time go?!!  We have had ca-razy weather! Dreary, cold, and 4+ inches of rain the past 2 days, and today was HOT and sunny. 

Woodpecker, that is great you're doing so well! 

WIHH, I would love to see a May pole celebration! Looks like fun!

Marchie, I'm sorry about your finger. Ouch! Hope Belu is all settled in! I'm sure he's happy to be home!

Cyndi, I bet it was nice to spin again!


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## Kasota

Hello, everyone! Happy May Day!  

WIHH, I'm so looking forward to Shepherd's Harvest! It will be so much fun to meet people! Not to mention all the fibery goodness to drool over!  

Marchie, what a bummer about your finger. Hope it heals quick! Sounds like you have your hands full with all that spinning! 

WP, Happy Birthday Month! I think you should celebrate each and every day! What kind of herbs did you plant? Oh, I can't wait until things warm and I can get in the garden! 

Cyndi, I'll bet you were so happy to be spinning again! I know it's been a long haul. What kind of fiber did you work with? 

MDKatie, it has been dreary and cold here, too. At least it didn't snow today!  

I have 4 glorious days off in a row because I took tomorrow and Monday off. I hope I can catch up on some sorely needed sleep. Tomorrow the weather won't be so great but I'll spend the time finishing up the bathroom...I installed tongue and groove wood paneling. I just have a few trim pieces to scribe for the corners (old houses are never square...at least this one isn't) and I will be done. I'm going to paint it a creamy white. If I have time (and I should...) I'm going to finish painting the living room. I have a spot by the china cabinet to do and one portion of one wall...and then I will be done. 

I plan to take a nap every day. LOL! And spin some. And knit some. And maybe if one of the days is nice I will rake the gravel back into place in my parking spot. It gets moved around a lot when my brother plows.


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## BlueberryChick

It's May and almost time for Shepherd's Harvest! I am beside myself with excitement to meet so many of you.

Woodpecker, I think of you often.

My husband and I are in Florida this week with our youngest two children (8 and 12 years old). We've been to St. Augustine, Silver Springs, Kennedy Space Center and Legoland. It's been a fun vacation and we are about ready to head home. 

We thought we may have to cut the week short by a day. My husband got a call from home that a wonderful man from our church died suddenly on Wednesday morning. He was a retired pastor and well loved. Since DH leads the music at church and I play the piano, we were preparing to hurry back for the funeral, but it won't be held until Sunday. I'll be happy to be home, but it will be a sad weekend.


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## Woodpecker

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and kind words. They mean more than you know.

Kas I planted Stevia and Madder. Which I don't remember ordering. Oh well I will put them to good use.


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## hotzcatz

Happy Lei Day! That's "May Day" in Hawaii. Instead of flowers, everyone gets lei instead which are still flowers, but you can wear them. Although it was a cold wet rainy day so I wasn't out gathering flowers. And the bunnies were grumpy because they were damp. But oh well, the sun will shine eventually and then they will cheer up.

What's wrong with wearing DPNs to town? I've started using them as hair pins and it works great. Any time you need them, you know where to find them. So far nobody has mentioned that they are DPNs, so it might just be an indication of the general ignorance of knitting paraphernalia amongst the general population or it could be that they are just too polite to mention it.


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## Lythrum

I spent yesterday on a field trip with my daughter's kindergarten class, picking strawberries at a local farm. It was a beautiful day and we had a good time. Both picking and eating them.  I've started working on knitting some baby socks for my cousin, who is pregnant with triplets. We just had the in-laws over for the weekend and are finally getting back to normal after the storms went through earlier this week. We've been off to a busy start to the spring!


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## Kasota

BBC, I am so sorry for your loss. ((((hugs)))) 

The sun is trying to peek out here today. Even just a wee bit of blue sky is such a pick me up!


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## Taylor R.

I will be attending my son's Kindergarten Mother's tea this afternoon. I'm thrilled to be there, but these things always make me cry. Parenting is so often such a mis-mash of contradictions. I spend so much time and energy helping them to grow and learn and I want them to mature, but then I realize that they will only giggle when I smack my lips on their ear and pretend to eat it or blow on their belly for a short while. Dang it..I'm crying already. It's going to be a wonderful and difficult afternoon.

On another note, I finished my first whole yarn on my wheel last night. After sitting there over-plying the bejeebers out of my poor singles and having it refuse to take up, I finally realized my dang Scotch tension spring wasn't actually on. :facepalm: I'll have to take a picture when I find my phone (I think it's lost more than it's found).


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## BlueberryChick

Taylor, I know what you mean. My youngest child is eight and I sat at breakfast this morning, just looking at her and thinking about how fast these years go by. 

Pass the tissues, please.


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## Kasota

I wish I could go back for just one day...and have my son at age 5...a day at the lakeshore putting a line in the water...and him fresh out of the bath later in the evening with that clean little boy smell all snuggled in a blanket with his jammies, reading a story together... 

He is now 28, so much taller than I am that he just tucks me under his arm and calls me "munchkin mamma." 

Some days are so precious. Yesterday it was, "Mom, there's a girl I really want you to meet. I think you'll really like her..."


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## Kris in MI

Kas, I know what you mean. All my kids are taller than I am, even the girls have me beat by 1/2" and almost 2", and I am not a short woman! Oh, the fond memories I have of them all back in the days of sweeping them up in my arms and dancing around the floor, them giggling like mad. My 'baby' goes to her junior prom tomorrow. . .

May has been gloomy and chilly here so far, but at least the grass is nicely green. I have big, big plans for this month and probably won't be knitting quite so much, or online as often. There are fences to put in and horse stalls to build so that I can bring my horses home next month after the first cut of hay is off the fields and quit working at the farm that has been mostly stress for the past several years. This is a long time dream of mine that looks like it is finally coming true. :happy::bouncy:


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## Kasota

Kris, that is just awesome that you'll be able to bring them home!!!! 

Pictures, please!


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## Woodpecker

Kas your son is my age. I will be 28 this month. I hope you really like the girl.


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## Kasota

Woodpecker, now I will always remember how old you are! Maybe this girl will be every bit as sweet and courageous and talented as you are. 

I confess to looking forward to the day when I have a daughter-in-law. I just cannot wait to love her bunches. Whoever she is..wherever she is...I know there is someone out there who will really make my son's heart sing and be a true partner. And I will love her bunches and spoil her rotten.


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## Marchwind

Belu us home and happy for it. We have had two amazing walks today with him actually walking with me rather than pulling me along . We even saw a deer on our last walk and I was on the phone (my mother called) and he just sat there. Before this I would have been fighting him to stay on the path. He is an extremely powerful dog, solid muscle. He will always be a work in progress. I was very pleased when she said he could pass the CGC certification no problem. He only needs help with his wiggle butt when someone comes to greet him and his recall needs to be a bit faster. I'm excited as that is a major goal for me with him. Being the breed he is I want him to be the best ambassador possible for such a villainized breed if dog.

WP happy birthday month! I hope it is a sunny one for you and your chickies.

My sons, 28 and 24, are both taller than me. My avatar is me with my youngest son at a beach up in the UP. He isn't just tall but VERY muscular. He used to sit in my lap until he was about 12, even at school and other public events . I miss that. I suppose now I could sit in his lap . Kasota daughters in love are wonderful. I'm hoping to be gaining another one soon


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## Woodpecker

Thank you for the kind words Kas and Marchie. You just made my night! I should have time to embroider this weekend. Hurray!


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## Taylor R.

Welp..I bawled. I knew it was going to happen and tried to emotionally prepare myself, but it didn't work. They wrote Mom books, and he wrote how much he loves our cuddles and how his mommy is the most beautiful mommy in the world when she wears a dress...and I cried and cried. My sweet little man is growing so fast.

WP, I'm 28, too..well..29 this summer!


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## Pigeon Lady

Hi all! I'm sorry I pop in and out of here so haphazardly. I hope everyone is well and energized now that spring is just about here. It's sure been a cold winter in this neck of the woods.

Woodpecker, Happy Birthday! I'm so glad that you are doing well. I think of you all the time and keep you in my prayers. You're also on the prayer list at our little church. I hope your garden does well. Would love to grow some madder but I don't think we are allowed to grow it in this state. 

We are living a new normal here after our 18 y/o son suddenly started having seizures in December and was diagnosed with epilepsy! Really threw us all for a loop. He fell out of his chair in math class onto the tiled floor and was really beat up and in the hospital for a couple of days. I was a wreck seeing him so sick and how the meds were affecting him. He was a zombie. Anyway, long story short we took him up to the adult epilepsy clinic at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. They're the world leaders in treating epilepsy with ketogenic (high fat, very low carb ) diet therapy. It's working great for him. He's been seizure free for about 5 months now and isn't having to take any meds at all. His EEG just came back normal so we are thrilled to pieces. It's a bit time consuming measuring and calculating everything that he eats but well worth it to see him back to his normal self. He graduates in a couple of weeks. I'm shedding a few tears with you guys. Doesn't seem two minutes since I was rocking him in the chair and now he's headed for college.

Nothing fibery going on. Waiting for the sheep to lamb. We had one little ram born two weeks ago. His mom wouldn't have anything to do with him so he's a bottle baby. The others are due any time.

My Dad's coming over from England in a couple of weeks. This next week is going to be devoted to cleaning and de-cluttering. His room is also my art room and nowhere near ready!

Happy May everyone!

Pauline


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## lambs.are.cute

It is totally not fair. It can't be May already. I promised myself that this year I'd be on top of things this year but I'm only doing better than last year :gaptooth:. Being so busy sure makes the time fly and my nights sleep better. 

My morning started off with finding my moms favorite lamb dead. She'd named him and even convinced me to keep him as a friend for my ram. Oh well. 

As of today I am half done with shearing my flock. I have 3 ewes left, a truely mad wither, and my sweet ram. I have started washing a fleece so when it is dry I'll post photos. It is starting to get painful to decide on which fleeces are mine and which to sell.


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## MullersLaneFarm

Kasota said:


> I confess to looking forward to the day when I have a daughter-in-law. I just cannot wait to love her bunches. Whoever she is..wherever she is...I know there is someone out there who will really make my son's heart sing and be a true partner. And I will love her bunches and spoil her rotten.


I am there.

My daughter-in-love who married my oldest son 3 years ago come June.

Her parents are nothing like me (they're a 35+ year military family ... full-bird colonel ... dining with international dignitaries and such) ... she's down-to-earth loving that my son supports her backyard gardening & cooking.

She has to delicately balance her 'career life' (for her Mom) with her desire to have children. They have decided that they will (1) Buy a house (closed a couple weeks ago) (2) Go on a Cruise (planned for 2015) (3) Start a family (could happen during the cruise!!!)

Her father (the full-bird) is much more down to earth than her mother (uptight and regimented ... and doesn't really like children!)

More and more I'm thinking that we need to move to IA.


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## Marchwind

PigeonLady how horribly scary for you and your family. Any thing like that involving our children has the potential to be devistating. I'm glad to hear you have everything under control. Will he be going to college close to home so you can help him with his diet?

Today is the annual Humane Society Dog Walk. I'll be there with the group I volunteer with and we will have several dogs from the pound to promote. It is cold and rainy, I'm not really looking forward to this. But it is usually fun with hundreds of people attending and vendors, they also have Dock Dog competitions, and Frisby dog events.


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## hercsmama

Hey all. I'm just wore out.
Spent all morning unloading 4600 pounds of manure, by myself!
Still have 400 to go, but I'm going to be 800 short, so I came in to take a break, and rinse off, as dh and I are going to run to town, with the other trailer, to pick that up, and all the fence posts, and such, to wrap up the construction phase of my new 6500 sq.ft. garden.
I hope I don't peter out by the time we get back, I really need to get all this manure spread today, so that it can be tilled again tomorrow. I've got to get everything in the ground starting next week, and if this isn't totally done this weekend, I'm screwed.
My shoulder is holding out so far, as is my knee, hopefully they will both hang in there until tomorrow night.....naturally my RA is acting up a bit, but nothing I can't handle with a couple Motrin.
This getting old stuff is for the birds, I'll be 49 in June, and am feeling every bit of it right now...:ashamed:
Enough whining!!
Speaking of whining, I changed Miss Ezmeralda's name to Emmy Lou Harris. Another famous whiner LOL!!:hysterical: She cries and cries if she loses sight of me, so the name seemed to fit a bit better,ound:


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## Kasota

Pauline, I'm so sorry to hear of the troubles you have been going through! That must have been so frightening for your son. It's great you've found a way to address the seizures! I hope he can keep up that diet when he goes off to college! What fun to have a visit from your father! 

LAC, that is such sad news about the lamb. (((hugs))) I know it's part of raising critters, but it's never easy. Hope the rest of the shearing goes well! 

Cyndi, that's a bummer that your DIL has a mom who is so uptight. Poor thing. I'll bet it really puts a lot of stress on her. Would you really move to IA?

Marchie, I hope you have fun on the walk! 

Mom is having an iffy day today. She was going to get her hair permed today and is now all anxious about going. My sister was going to take her. She has a bruise on her leg that she is scared about. She is on a blood thinner so she bruises really easily but she was reading through her slips the other day on her medications and they said to "call your doctor right away" if you have a particular kind of bruising. 

Debi, I hope you can find some time later for a nice soak with epsom salts. You are one hard-working woman! Lol @ Emmy Lou Harris! She sounds like such a delight! 

I am drooling over these garden fence panels: http://www.gardendefender.com/html/feedback.htm

I would so love to have them around my garden!!


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## Pigeon Lady

Marchie, yes, he's planning to attend a local college for two years to get an Associate of Science in Engineering. After that he hopes to transfer to a private college; The Web Institute. It's up there near Woodpecker on Long Island. They specialize in Marine Engineering/Naval Architecture. 

He should be able to get off the diet in two years but the nutritionist said most patients decide to stay on it as they feel so good. It's a modified Atkins diet. They have one guy who's been on it for 40 years! I'm so thankful that I found out about it through the internet. Most neurologists won't tell you about it , or they'll say it's too difficult. They just want to push the drugs. I think it's criminal. So many people suffering needlessly who could be helped or even cured.

At the risk of coming across as a crusader ... There's a really good movie about it based on a true story, starring Meryl Streep that'll have you on the edge of your seat: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyeC9IiFKpw"]First Do No Harm[/ame]

Those are nice fence panels Kasota! I've seen the pics of your beautiful house and garden!!!

Be careful Hercmama! Sounds lake you need a long hot bubble bath!

I was able to shear a sheep and half today! The ram and the wether. They just stood quietly while I clipped away with the hand shears. Then the wether suddenly got fed up and walked off half finished  I'll have to get son to hold him tomorrow while I finish up.


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## SvenskaFlicka

I am just beat. This was my third day at the Festival of Nations. Tomorrow is our last day. 
Thursday, I did tablet weaving with the Vikings all day. And ate in like four different countries. 
Yesterday, we had all the Scandinavian dancing-- Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish. I had three costumes in like two hours-- and I wore a corset the whole time because my dress I wore for Danish fits best over the corset I made to go with it. (Not size-wise, shape wise. And yes, it's the 1830's dress. 
Today, I sat in the Viking exhibit from 9 AM to 10 PM and got like 8-10 feet of tablet weaving done. (I did take a few breaks. Honest.) I love talking to people, but after tomorrow I WILL be done demoing for a while. Of course, I do have a lecture on Viking women on Monday evening. Whee!!!
I'm gonna add a picture of the Danish dance group in another post here shortly. It has my new 1830's dress, tricked out to look like a Danish Costume. (I added an apron and a neckerchief.) 
Then it is BEDTIME.


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## SvenskaFlicka

View attachment 28384


Here's the Danish Dance group. Philip and I are near the middle.


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## bjackmom

Hi, I'm fairly new here. Spent the last week & 1/2 moving my mom into an assisted living center. She has dementia so it's been a challenge. I'm blessed that my brother has been exceptionally helpful with all the arrangements. But it leaves me with an unfinished pair of socks on the needles. And it didn't help that I picked a difficult pattern. I fall into bed to tired to even think.


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## Marchwind

Welcome to the fold BJackmom! I'm glad you have joined us.

It sounds like we all had busy days. The Dog Walk was cold, very cold and windy. I didn't actually get to participate in the walk as I was there with my volunteer group and dogs from the pound. This is a huge fund raiser for the Humane Society and our county animal services. They work together in many ways and are partnering to build a new shelter. So we all huddled to get her with out dogs, encouraging the dogs to snuggle up t us to keep us warm. I was thankful I brought a couple of blankets and wrapped up in those. Our tent collapsed at the end of the day, one of the poles buckler. These weren't flimsy little tents either these were large commercial ones. A couple of people got very slightly injured but it was scary all the same.

Hercsmama, take care of your body, I know mine takes a few days before the aches and pains set in. Kasota sorry your mom was having a bad day. SvenskaFlicka would sounds busy but happy . BJackmom I suppose it is a mixed blessing to have your mom in an assisted living set up. At least you know she will be safe.


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## Marchwind

Welcome to the fold BJackmom! I'm glad you have joined us.

It sounds like we all had busy days. The Dog Walk was cold, very cold and windy. I didn't actually get to participate in the walk as I was there with my volunteer group and dogs from the pound. This is a huge fund raiser for the Humane Society and our county animal services. They work together in many ways and are partnering to build a new shelter. So we all huddled to get her with out dogs, encouraging the dogs to snuggle up t us to keep us warm. I was thankful I brought a couple of blankets and wrapped up in those. Our tent collapsed at the end of the day, one of the poles buckler. These weren't flimsy little tents either these were large commercial ones. A couple of people got very slightly injured but it was scary all the same.

Hercsmama, take care of your body, I know mine takes a few days before the aches and pains set in. Kasota sorry your mom was having a bad day. SvenskaFlicka would sounds busy but happy . BJackmom I suppose it is a mixed blessing to have your mom in an assisted living set up. At least you know she will be safe.


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## Kasota

Hello, everyone! 

Welcome, Bjackmom! I'm glad you started posting! Putting someone in assisted living is a big step. I hope she settles in easily and that you have some peace mind! I take care of my elderly mom who lives with me so I understand the challenges. Remember to take care of YOU! 

Svenska - you must be flat worn out! Your costume is lovely as ever. Hope you can get some rest! 

Marchie - the tent collapsing is just scary! Glad no one was seriously hurt. Hope you raised bunches of money and that some people adopted shelter dogs as a result of the exposure. 

I was so busy yesterday! I got all the driveway gravel shoveled and raked back into place. Then I raked 1/2 the front yard which is a lot because my yard is huge. I cleaned the raised bed that has roses and three other gardens that are in the front and then cleaned the long garden that runs the length of the house on the west side. Fell into bed as tired as can be, but it was a good tired. I'm sore this morning but it will work out once I start moving. I am painfully reminded that these days I work in a cubicle and have not used some of those muscles in a good long while. 

Today and tomorrow are going to be warm and sunny! I'm going to tackle the largest of the front gardens. It runs the width of the second lot and has "dog legs" on either end and it's very deep. Once that is done I just have three smaller ones around the back and I will be done with the flower beds. 

Home Depot has mulch on sale 5 bags for 10. YAY!! I will be hauling a bunch home because I need to mulch the areas between the raised beds I built last fall. I put in 8 more raised beds so it will take a bunch of mulch...


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## Woodpecker

Everyone is so busy. BlueberryChick I hope this weekend wasn't to hard on you.

Kas why wouldn't you be able to grow Madder. This is the herb I'm trying this year and don't know much about it.


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## Kasota

WP, you gave me the giggles. I thought you were asking why I couldn't grow madder, as in more and more mad. I thought, "I know I'm crazy and I'm quite sure I can grow more and more mad as time goes..." ound:

I had to look that plant up. Apparently it is only hardy to -5 and we get way colder than that up here. Looks like an interesting plant, though, and I read that it is used for making dye, too! 

I got that whole big ol' garden up front all cleaned up! Still have to haul the leaves and such out to the compost bin, but I made good progress. In a little bit I'm going to run out and get some 10-10-10 fertilizer and some of those bags of mulch. I want to get the fertilizer in the veggie beds before I plant (it will still be a few weeks yet) because it seems to work a little better if there is a little time for it to break down a bit. I am SO itching to plant things!! I can't stand it. I really can't. LOL! I'm itching to go look for a Honeycrisp apple tree, too. And I'm thinking of incorporating some blueberry bushes into that front garden...I have space for them. And I want snap dragons. And more dirt. One can never have too much dirt.


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## BlueberryChick

I love hearing about everyone's garden plans! I'm a terrible gardener, but my son has taken over and so far, he's doing really well. We've already been eating radishes and the tomato plants are looking healthy. 

Woodpecker, thanks so much for thinking of me today. The funeral was so sweet. The man who died was a retired pastor and several of his pastor friends spoke. It was fun to hear stories about him, including starting a "church" at a local Bojangles. He did his best to minister to the people who joined him for breakfast. I played the piano for the service, including playing for my sister-in-law to sing. She did a great job.

We spent last week in Florida and had a wonderful time with our children, but it's good to be home. We had a leak in the wall behind out shower (had it looked at in December) and the repair/remodeler guy started working on it while we were gone. The master bathroom has no shower, no tub, no sinks or counters and no toilet. Sigh. We can share with our children for a while longer.


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## Kasota

BBC, as painful as such circumstances are, it's heartwarming to hear how you all pulled together and gave him a lovely send-off. 

The sun is still out and I feel like I should be outside still working but my not-so-youthful body said it was time to quite. I did get some of that mulch, though not near enough. I wish I had a truck. I have to stuff them in the hatch back on my car. I picked up my fertilizer and some grass seed for some bare spots. Forgot to get the landscape cloth for under the mulch on the walkways but I need to go back tomorrow for more mulch anyway. 

It looks like all the fruit trees I planted last year made it through the horrible winter that we had! I planted dwarf cherries, apricot, pears and plums. They are all getting buds on them!!! 

 Today...life is good. And I still have tomorrow before I have to go back to work! I get quite a bit of vacation and I've worked it out so that I get a three day weekend all summer and fall and I still have enough time to take a trip to Ohio in the fall if mom is well enough for me to be gone.


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## Miz Mary

I got all my raised beds done ! Planted some herbs , tomatoes ...then it started raining again ! 

Kasota, that red mulch is beautiful from Home Depot ! We got some last month -- it was 5/$10 !!! Of course we didnt get enough ....

I'm going to get a yard of playground mulch for between my beds ..... 

2 years ago I planted 2 Honeycrisp trees ..LOVE thoes apples !!!


About a year 1/2 ago my FIL co signed for my sister in law and her dh to buy a house .... she didnt show up at the signing , just the husband did.... ( we didnt know this ) Now they are getting divorced, and the guy isnt paying the mortgage .... its a crazy confusing situation .... I am learning patience and trusting God in all this mess .......


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## Taylor R.

The music festival went swimmingly. The weather was absolutely gorgeous (so gorgeous that I'm a little sun burned on one arm despite wearing sunscreen). I got to see family I haven't seen since the music festival last year, and I got the chance to fondly remember my cousin, who was an amazing man and father. There were literally thousands of people there. Great turn-out, great bands, great food (and uh-hum..spirits), and all the proceeds went to a great cause in honor of a great man. We also won 7 prizes in the raffle (granted, we bought $40 worth of tickets).

On the fiber front, I had a fleece waiting on my doorstep when I got home. I also stopped by the farmer's market on the way out of town Saturday because I noticed in the ad in the paper that there was a lady selling fiber there. I bought some gorgeous angora from her, and I think we may get together some time to share our spinning.

Sounds to me like everyone else was far more productive than I this weekend!!


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## Woodpecker

so much yard work! There were periods of rain too. Both my rain barrels are full, so I have 110 gallons. I transplanted a bunch of flowers this weekend and started two new beds. Were does the time go?

Kas you gave me the giggles too!


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## Kasota

MizMary, that's great you were able to get the raised beds done! Whooo Hooooo! Pictures, please!!! I'm glad you like that mulch. I'm going back tomorrow for more!  Honeycrisp are my favorite apples. Mom thinks I should plant two instead of just one. What a mess with the mortgage. UGH! Prayers, indeed! 

Taylor, sounds like you had a grand time at the music festival and that you had time to remember your cousin. What did you win for prizes? 
Congrats on the fleece! What kind is it? 

WP, I have some big plastic barrels I am going to convert to rain barrels. They are food grade. I had them when I had my farm and would store water in them in case the well pump died. I had bunches of them but took just 6 from the farm. I gave two to my brother and I'll give two to my sister and I'll have two for here.


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## hercsmama

We sure are a batch of busy people lately, holy moly!:hobbyhors

Well, It's finished!! The huge new garden is done, well the soil is ready, but not planted, and the t posts are in, but not the corners, but I can still start planting as of tomorrow!!
My biceps are killing me, and my back is throbbing, and I'm exhausted, but I'm happy, happy,happy!!ound:
Soaked in the hot tub for about an hour tonight, fixing to head to bed soon. Dawn gets here fast, and I need to be up and getting my seedlings ready to go......:happy:


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## Mrs. Jo

Definitely looking forward to SH here! I'm going to take the beginners knitting class on Saturday. It will be a little break in the middle of chaos for us. In addition to the usual homeschooling we started spring clean up projects...

and then last week my mom called to inform us that my dad has cancer. He had a tumor on his face resting on his salivary gland that was removed and tested. Then several days later they had to see another doctor who had to clean up the wound, and then discovered that the first doctor had not removed all of the cancer. Now the new doctor wants to have half his face removed, part of his neck tissues-down to the lymph nodes, and then reconstructed with arm tissue, and it will be a massive 8 + hour surgery. We are all in a little bit of shock...anyway, if you pray- please pray for him. They want to operate by the 12'th-if the insurance will let them-if it won't then they will do it by the 19'th.


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## SvenskaFlicka

Today was another busy day, but not as long as yesterday. Good gracious. As awesome as it is to be able to walk only 40 yards to get baklava, curries, pita bread and fresh hummus, and other wonderful ethnic foods, I am so glad to be DONE with Festival of Nations! 

Today I was swarmed by a whole group of Tibetan grandmothers. (And a grand-daughter, she was the only one who spoke very good English.) I was just tablet weaving, and suddenly I was surrounded! They were all ooh-ing, and aah-ing, and as I had a very long wool band on my loom they all started passing around the end of the band and exclaiming about it, and then they started pulling up their skirts to show me the old, worn, and tattered woven bands holding up their stockings at the knees. (These were the awesome, genuine, many layered folk costumes, not the cheap and chintzy things you often see at the festival.) Then one lady spied my drop spindle and started spinning away, just a perfect thread, while another grabbed a handful of my wool and started combing it with her fingers and turning it into a rolag all without combs and cards. Then she started spinning perfectly from that! All the while, they were chattering away, while I was showing them how I wove and they were all nodding their heads and smiling and occasionally saying "omigosh" (That seemed to be the most English most of them knew.) They all had to hurry off somewhere, but the granddaughter and one of the oldest ladies lingered for a moment longer while the granddaughter explained that they weave the same way and also have paddles to scrape the wool with before spinning (handcards). Then the old lady took my hand in hers, and bowed and pressed my hand to her forehead, thanking me for being there and weaving. She had tears in her eyes, and I'm pretty sure I did too. 

It was the best moment of the festival. I wish I could spend a day with those ladies. Oh, the things I could learn! And even though we didn't speak the same language, we understood each other perfectly. 

Philip managed to capture the moment with a photo from the background.


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## SvenskaFlicka

Mrs. Jo, I will definitely be praying for you!


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## Woodpecker

Mrs. Jo said:


> Definitely looking forward to SH here! I'm going to take the beginners knitting class on Saturday. It will be a little break in the middle of chaos for us. In addition to the usual homeschooling we started spring clean up projects...
> 
> and then last week my mom called to inform us that my dad has cancer. He had a tumor on his face resting on his salivary gland that was removed and tested. Then several days later they had to see another doctor who had to clean up the wound, and then discovered that the first doctor had not removed all of the cancer. Now the new doctor wants to have half his face removed, part of his neck tissues-down to the lymph nodes, and then reconstructed with arm tissue, and it will be a massive 8 + hour surgery. We are all in a little bit of shock...anyway, if you pray- please pray for him. They want to operate by the 12'th-if the insurance will let them-if it won't then they will do it by the 19'th.


I pray for us all effected with this dreaded disease every night. I will make special note for your dad.


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## Marchwind

Prayers and hugs and all positive thoughts Mrs.Jo. I. Happy you have the SH to look forward to.

SvenskaFlicka I have tears in my eyes reading about your amazing moment. There is a huge Tabentian population in MN. I bet you could reconnect with those women if you wanted to. Think all of what you could teach and learn from each other . What a very special moment.


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## MDKatie

Svenska, what an awesome moment! It's great Philip was able to get a picture! Those women must have gobs of talent (and you too!)!

Mrs. Jo, I'm so sorry about your Dad. I hope the surgery goes well and he's on the mend soon!

bjackmom, I hope your mom adjusts well and likes it in her new place.


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## BlueberryChick

Mrs. Jo said:


> Definitely looking forward to SH here! I'm going to take the beginners knitting class on Saturday. It will be a little break in the middle of chaos for us. In addition to the usual homeschooling we started spring clean up projects...
> 
> and then last week my mom called to inform us that my dad has cancer. He had a tumor on his face resting on his salivary gland that was removed and tested. Then several days later they had to see another doctor who had to clean up the wound, and then discovered that the first doctor had not removed all of the cancer. Now the new doctor wants to have half his face removed, part of his neck tissues-down to the lymph nodes, and then reconstructed with arm tissue, and it will be a massive 8 + hour surgery. We are all in a little bit of shock...anyway, if you pray- please pray for him. They want to operate by the 12'th-if the insurance will let them-if it won't then they will do it by the 19'th.



I can hardly wait for Shepherd's Harvest and the chance to meet so many of my HT friends!

Mrs. Jo, I'm so sorry about your Dad's diagnosis. That's such a world-turned-upside-down event in life. I'll keep you and your father in my prayers.


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## Wind in Her Hair

MrsJo - your father and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers. I have a dear friend that recently underwent that rather drastic surgery - he lost part of his ear, ear canal and along his neck beneath his ear. After an amazing reconstructive surgery, he is doing really well. It is amazing what modern medicine can do these days. Is your dad near the Mayo or a good cancer treatment center? My friend had his surgery at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. 

Kelsey - what a wonderful experience and exchange of cultures you experienced. How cool is that -that fiber is the universal language? :goodjob:

Welcome Bjackmom!

Kasota - I saw on the news this morning reports of snow in Hibbing and Ely - did you get any? 

We spent the weekend cleaning up after the winter - taking down trees and cutting up blown down trees. I am sore - but it had to be done. 

BBC - can't wait to get together at SH - we'll have to see about coordintaing a get together at a time when folks are available. I know Philip and Kelsey won't be able to leave their booth so we might have to plan to go see THEM.


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## SvenskaFlicka

If any of y'all are going to be there on Friday the 16th, I'm sure we could meet up easily then, as Philip and I will just be setting things up. Philip has also said that on Saturday of Shepherd's Harvest, he might let me steal away for a quick lunch with you guys if he gets to go afterwards. lol! 

Also, I learned yesterday at the Festival of Nations from one of the lacemakers that there is another fiber festival at the same fairgrounds as Shepherd's Harvest this weekend. It's called "Llama Magic and Fiber Friends". I am now in full-out panic mode, because in the past Shepherd's Harvest was always Mother's Day weekend, and now it's not, and now there is another festival there Mother's Day weekend, and WHY?!? Do they WANT to confuse people? Is this some politics thing? I'm worried that everyone will show up this weekend and find a fiber fair and not come back the real weekend of Shepherd's Harvest when I am there. 

Now to catch up with everyone: 

Kasota, Hercsmama, and others, wow, you have all been busy with gardens! I miss gardens. I hope you post pictures when everything is growing!

BBChick, I can't wait to meet you too!

Welcome, Bjackmom! I hope you post alot, and post pictures of your projects!


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## Pigeon Lady

Svenska, I loved reading about the Tibetan women! I actually learned to spindle from an old Tibetan woman. I've no idea who she is, or where she is. She doesn't know I exist. Someone, had made a video of her and put it up on youtube. I'd never been able get the concept of spindling before, then I saw this little old lady spindling away on a mountainside and thought "Oh, now I get it!" I made a quick spindle and never looked back. To think, she has no idea that she taught someone half a world away how to use a spindle  Wish I could find her and give her a hug because it's brought me many happy, tranquil hours!

I finally broke down and ordered a Golding spindle the other day. Anxiously waiting for it to arrive!


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## Marchwind

SvenskaFlicka in the past years the two ran at the same time at the same place. I'm not sure why it was split up, maybe politics is involved :shrug: are you scheduled yo gave a booth at both events?


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## Kasota

Debi, that is just awesome that you got all that work done! Did you get some of your seedlings planted? What did you plant? 

Mrs. Jo, I am so sorry to hear about your dad!!! I will for sure keep in in my prayers and I hope he can have the surgery sooner rather than later. It IS amazing what they can do these days! Thank heaven there is an option to do something... 

Svenska - what a terrific story! I can just imagine the fun you had! I'll bet it was a magic moment for them, too!  

WIHH - we for sure cannot miss Svenska's booth!  It will be so much fun to meet people! I will not be down on Friday - just making a day trip for Saturday. 

Pigeon Lady - congratulations on the Golding spindle! Those really are works of art.

I hauled 35 bags of the mulch home. It will probably not be enough, but the sale runs for a week so I can pick some up each day. I think I am going to need about 60 bags for my project. I can fit 10 bags in my car at a time. I'm so grateful the seats fold flat!  But, oh...it will look so nice when it is all done!!! I need a few days of warm weather with no rain so that it dries out a bit more so I can get the landscape cloth down without turning myself into a cold wet mess but it's supposed to rain most of the week. Maybe the weatherman will be wrong...


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## Kasota

Is it wrong to wish you didn't have to dye your hair for the corporate world so that you would have more time for knitting?


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## Taylor R.

Kas, we won a photography package, a Pitt State football jersey autographed by John Brown (who will be entering the draft this year), a bike for my son, two restaurant gift cards, and two tanning salon gift cards (which stayed in Pitt with my cousin who will actually use them). Oh and the fleece is one of Karen's Shetlands. Esme has awesomely fun crimp 

Someday, we'll actually get around to doing all the outside stuff I need to do at my house instead of just doing it all at my dad's! Thankfully my yard it tiny and we can finish ours if we put in a whole day, but I have NO idea when that's going to happen. 

T-ball season has officially commenced at my house. It'll be a busy summer! 

Oh yes, I went to work today and managed to come home with a llama fleece. One of the drivers (and his wife works in the office) knows I'm a spinner, and we had talked about how you would shear an animal if you were aiming at usable fiber. Today he walked in on his day off and plopped a trash bag full of gorgeous red and white llama on my desk. It looked great, pretty clean, very few second cuts, approx. 5 in staple length. I asked him what he wanted for it, and he said telling him what would make it a fiber-worthy fleece meant it was already paid for . The llama's name is Tony. I've went from just a few locks of raw fiber in my house to 3 fleeces in a week :blush:

Mrs.Jo, I'll be thinking of your dad and sending healing vibes.


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## SvenskaFlicka

Yay llama fiber!!! I can't wait to see what you make out of that!

Good luck to all of you who are gardening and landscaping!

We are dyeing roving today. We have three different kinds of wool in 8 different colorways. My bathtub is full of fluffy 4 ounce roving balls! (We are doing one kind of roving at a time so as not to mix them up. The Superwash Merino and the Columbian Ramboillet blend look awfully similar. The test run of all the dyes is running right now. We'll let it dry so we can see the real color shades, then proceed with the roving! Whoo-hooo!!!


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## hercsmama

:Bawling::Bawling::Bawling::Bawling::Bawling:

Tragedy has struck my life, I'm just devastated beyond words.....
The only LYS within 200+ miles of me, is closing in 2 weeks.:Bawling:

The owners husband took a job out in Omaha, so she is moving the shop there. Stupid Omaha already has all the yarn shops in the state, they don't need this one. 
Dh said I should open one out here, but I don't know if the ladies of Kearney would be willing to drive out here to get their fiber fix.......


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## SvenskaFlicka

Which yarn shop is that? Surely not The Plum Nelly?!!


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## hercsmama

Kelsey, it's The Wooly Mammoth, The Plum Nelly is in Hastings, I heard that them and Imageknits, which is also in Hasting are closing too.:Bawling:


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## SvenskaFlicka

Noooo!!!
I need to move back to Nebraska and reopen my shop!!!


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## Marchwind

I'm sorry for you losing your LYS's so sad


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## hotzcatz

No, not Nebraska, SvenskaFlicka! Move to Honokaa and open a shop! We have a lovely little town and we need a yarn shop! No more freezing your okole off during the winter time anymore!


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## Taylor R.

We made tracks on the chicken yard last night. The coop is pretty big, but those poor chickies need to get out and run!! All the posts are dug and set, we'll stretch all the wire tonight providing the weather works in our favor. The yard is HUGE, like 20x80. Dad was already talking about building a sheep pen and a goat pen next :hrm:


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## MDKatie

Aww, I'm sorry your LYS is closing. That's a bummer! 

Taylor, good luck getting all the wire done! I hope the weather cooperates. And yay for a sheep and goat pen!! :bouncy:


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## Taylor R.

Dad doesn't even care what kind of sheep or goats he winds up with, I don't think (as long as they aren't dairy animals that he has to milk..I don't think he'd be down with that). I may have a surrogate fiber flock in no time :bouncy:


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## BlueberryChick

Please be in prayer for my husband. He went to the doctor this morning and was diagnosed with a hernia. It's not serious, but will require surgery in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, no heavy lifting. Fortunately, our 22yo daughter is deceptively strong. She is tiny, but she can toss around a 50 pound sack of chicken feed with ease.

(I am happy to report that the doctor said we can still travel next week to Minnesota! I'll have to haul the bags, but at least we don't have to cancel.)


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## Woodpecker

Prayers sent for you and your husband.


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## hercsmama

Taylor R. said:


> Dad doesn't even care what kind of sheep or goats he winds up with, I don't think (as long as they aren't dairy animals that he has to milk..I don't think he'd be down with that). I may have a surrogate fiber flock in no time :bouncy:


He wouldn't be interested in a couple hair sheep would he?
We were expecting 10 ewes and maybe 15 lambs, but apparently are getting 13 ewes, and 25 lambs!!
I need to sell some of these Mama/lamb pairs, and pronto!

Barbados are super easy keepers, don't get wormy or anything. You don't even need to dock the tails. The meat is very "light" in comparison to other sheep. Just sayin'.........


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## raccoon breath

Taylor - Thanks for the details on your shetland fleece. 

Hope all are well. I started growing barley fodder a couple weeks ago and things are going great with that as far as the animals are concerned. They love it. I even tried some and around day 4/5, it tastes delicious. lol It gets a little bitter to me as it gets older. There is one problem. It's a lot of work how i'm doing it. If I keep it up, I need to invest some money I guess. 

I just realized I haven't posted any pics of my baby bunnies. They are all doing really great and I've had some neat colors show up I'm excited about. 

Those two fleeces I bought a couple weeks ago? I finished combing the BL fleece for my mom to practice with and have been working on the mystery fleece a little bit as time allows. I've been doing a lot of health care on the animals. I switched to a new wormer and everyone is looking so good. 

We are snowing and thundering. Thunder snows. At this point, we have spring weather with spurts of winter then bounce back to spring. I remember when we first moved here, I was used to gardening in May. I planted a garden and it snowed and frosted on and off until the first week of June. I was in line at the grocery store before the snow killed my garden and a local says without looking at me "You're gonna regret planting so early.". He was right. I need to clean up and bleach my little herb hyrdoponics system and then my big system (over 120 plants) so I'm ready to go. This year, I'm going to use aquarium heaters in my hydroponics tanks and see if the squash and tomatoes do better. Squash was stunted, but delicious, and the tomato plants grew big, but the fruit was stunted. Maybe warmer water will give me loads and loads of porch veggies this year!! YEAH!!


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## raccoon breath

hotzcatz said:


> No, not Nebraska, SvenskaFlicka! Move to Honokaa and open a shop! We have a lovely little town and we need a yarn shop! No more freezing your okole off during the winter time anymore!





I opened the front door and was blasted by snow and freezing wind. I'm freezing my "okole" off!!


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## Kasota

Debi, that is so sad you are losing your LYS!  

Taylor, congrats on making progress on the chicken yard!  Sheep and goats, too!? Yay! 

BBC, surely saying prayers for your husband! Those are no fun.  Glad your DD can help! And ever so glad that you can travel to SH! 

RB, glad the fodder is working out for you! How will you ever make enough? Sorry to hear about the weather. Blech! It has been such a slow Spring this year! I wonder if we will get much Summer before the snow starts to fly again. Ugh. 

We have pea-soup thick fog here this morning. Was thundering like crazy yesterday and hail. More storms today. Saturday will be nice but I'm afraid the yard will be so water logged that I won't be able to do much outside. I'm hoping things are a little nicer by the time Memorial Day weekend comes around. That's usually my planting weekend for the veggie garden. I took an extra day off so that I have a 4 day weekend.


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## raccoon breath

Kasota - I don't think I could make enough without investing thousands into a large system. I'm not prepared to do that. I'll keep it more as a supplement or snack for them to enjoy in addition to their regular feed.


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## Taylor R.

Debi, he would actually be VERY interested in hair sheep, but I'm trying desperately to steer him towards fibery animals :lookout: Whether I'll get my wish or not remains to be seen. I'd love to have a few Shetlands as I grew up with them, but I don't know if it'll happen.


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## Marchwind

Taylor, all sheep are fiber animals you would just be limited as to what you could make with the fleece of a hair sheep. Rug, outerwear, if it felts then boot liners etc....


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## Kasota

It is raining buckets here. Buckets and buckets. My back yard is fast turning into a lake. Ack! 

The blacktop guy was out and said he figured it would be around 1500.00 which seems a bit high for me for what I want done and for the fact that he even said there is no excavating to do - really just even it out a bit because it already has a solid gravel base. Ugh. I was hoping for something closer to 1000. He'll give me an official estimate by Monday. Rats. 

At least tomorrow is Friday!


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## Marchwind

Kasota have you looked into the crushed, repurposed concrete instead of blacktop? From what I understand with blacktop your property taxes will skyrocket, but the concrete won't make them go up at all. It is interesting stuff and a lot cheaper. You lay it out where you want it, as time, cars and weather pass over it it compacts and almost becomes concrete again. I know lots of people who have used it to pave driveways, parking pads, etc. and they all are very happy. It is also a great way to reuse a product.

It was 88* here yesterday and I wanted to crawl into a cool dark cave. Way too warm too fast. I finally too my dog for a walk at about 6, it was much cooler. But it was still 80 at 10:00 at night. We had a storm pass through last night and it is a bit cooler today, about 10 degrees cooler.

As I was getting into my car to go for my walk last night several police cars drove by no sirens and stopped at the end of my street. Neighbors were coming out of their houses so I went over to ask what happened. A group of police were walking down the block together. Apparently a police officer was attacked by a dog at a house he was investigating for an aggravation call. He shot the dog 3 times and killed it. I know the dog, I had seen it many times running in the neighborhood, I had also tried to catch it but was unsuccessful. They strung evidence tape across the road blocking off that whole block, alleyway, and the house. I read so many stories of police soothing dogs without cause, dogs laying in their own back yards, thisw as way too close to home and it scared me a lot. But in this case I think the officer had every right to shoot the dog. Supposedly it kept attacking after it was shot too . The police went through the neighborhood afterward to talk to people who were outside to try to defuse the situation. It is a sad, sad story of a dog that was failed by its human and a police officer who was badly hurt. Please DO NOT allow your dog to wander free, and keep them confined when people come to visit or keep them under control.


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## Taylor R.

Marchie, that's just awful. Our animal control officer can't keep up with the dogs running loose in our town, and many of those have owners who let them loose. What really gets my goat is when they act all surprised and upset when their dog that they let loose didn't come back :flame:

I finished getting the rest of the wire on the walls strung yesterday, and got the door built and hung. My poor dad is exhausted from our marathon, so I tried to get him to rest a little yesterday so he can be ready to help me put the wire over the top today and it'll be totally done. I can't do that one by myself, so hopefully he's up for the job! The chickens got to come outside while we were out with them, but it was starting to sprinkle so most of them weren't thinking that was a good idea.

We're supposed to go camping for my husband's birthday this weekend, but we haven't planned ANYTHING! I have no idea what we're eating, haven't gotten all of the stuff together, and it's supposed to storm Saturday to boot. Sometimes, Mother's Day and his birthday being so close is very inconvenient for me...


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## Kasota

Marchie - how horrible! It really is a sad thing when people fail their animals in that way. It's odd how things change, though. When I was growing up (in the same house I am in now) no one ever leashed their dogs. The whole neighborhood let them run around. I don't recall anyone ever being bitten or attacked or having trouble. Probably happened and I just didn't know about it. I was old enough to remember when the city decided to put leash laws into effect. Everyone was so mad. Now it is the other way around. I can't imagine letting my little dog run loose...

Taylor, sounds like you are making great progress! You do realize we need pictures....  

I am so, so glad it's Friday. Can't tell you how glad I am that it's Friday! 

My brother brought over some pallets because I told him I needed some to make a compost bin, but they are waaay bigger than what was thinking. These are industrial pallets lol! Must have been taking steroids. I know it won't last forever, but I'm going to set them next to my garden shed and put some old planking I have over top to make a "deck" where I can set various and sundry like my wheel barrow and other gardening things. 

I have used the crushed/recycled concrete and it really is nice if you are not plowing like my brother plows. Sigh. Bless his heart but he can be a bit of a bull in a china shop and gravel just ends up everywhere. The blacktop is considered temporary and doesn't increase taxes at least where I live. Poured concrete would. Class 5 or recycled concrete would not. I had really hoped for asphalt. I think I will talk with a couple other places. Step by step...

I am getting old. AARP keeps sending me things. I'm not a fan of AARP and I wish they would stop reminding me that I'm a senior citizen. hahahahaha!


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## Woodpecker

I had blood work done for treatment Monday. I have been so busy with the chicks. They have out grown the box so are going into an old dog crate in the garage until they are old enough to be with Loretta. I will post some new pics soon. They have gotten much bigger! I also got rid of the black one. I was pretty sure he was a roo.


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## Marchwind

Last weekend was the first day of the Farmer's Market and I couldn't go. So I'm off to the market this morning. Beautiful sunny day here, mild too  rain all the rest of the week.


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## Kasota

There is sunshine outside today! Wooo hoooo! 

I'm off to take my wee dog to the groomer. She is a shaggy mess. Then it's out to the garden I go....


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## lexierowsell

Today is a shearing day for us, going to try to finish the EF x BFL girls! Their fleeces are gorgeous, but disgustingly dirty. May try the fermented suint on these, I have 3500 gallons of rainwater...

Picture of my hack jobs a little later, maybe. Hahaha!


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## lambs.are.cute

Well I had a shock today. I have TWO grey hairs! and I'm under 30........... I'm not sure if I should be upset or excited that now I may be able to dye my hair cool colors without bleaching it (it is a very dark brown).


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## lexierowsell

Also under 30, many many MANY gray hairs. Haha, I'm blonde though, so the bright silver looks like nice highlights.


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## lambs.are.cute

That would be nice to have light hair. Mine is almost black it is so dark. I saw them before I was fully awake this morning and thought EWWWWWW spider webs in my hair. So I yanked them and ow they were attached. I now know why people keep telling my I have dust/spiderwebs in my hair.......


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## lexierowsell

Ella was quick to forgive, but a monster to shear. 
View attachment 28796


Tina didn't like me to begin with... 
View attachment 28795


That's 2 done, 20 more to go...


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## lexierowsell

Before: 
View attachment 28798


Almost 6" staple:
View attachment 28799


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## Kasota

I hate dying my hair. Once you start you are kinda stuck - at least if you have dark hair. I would never have started but I found once I started dying my hair I got taken more seriously at work - especially when it came to tech related things. hahahaha I will be glad when I don't have to do that anymore!!

My brother is here doing a little plumbing for me and fixing the outside faucet. Some pipe needed to be replaced. Yay! 

It is so soggy wet outside it's hard to do much, but I've been cleaning up in the garden shed a bit and getting out my big pots. I don't think my apricot tree survived the Winter. It was zoned for where I live but it is not showing any signs of life.  

One of my blueberry plants disappeared. I have no idea where it went. It didn't get eaten down - there are no roots. There is not a big hole as if someone dug it up. There is just a slight depression where it used to be and an empty space in the row. All the other ones are there except that one. The little protective fence that I put around it for the winter to keep the deer off had blown across the yard in the last storm. Weird.


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## raccoon breath

lexierowsell - Hack job? Bah!! lol I was all ready to see some seriously bad haircuts like when I first started shearing with cheap shears. Poor goats and sheep were lucky I didn't shear their legs right off with those scary shears and I have some crazy haircut pics! ha ha I upgraded my shears and now, I look like I know what I'm doing (most days..ha ha). Your shearing looks great. What are you gonna make with the fleece? Looks really nice. 

lambs.are.cute - I started finding my first kinky gray hairs when I was 43. I took a picture of them after I pulled 2 out and posted them on Facebook. lol My mother lied to me for years telling me that she never went gray. That year I found mine was when she confessed to coloring her hair for more than 25 years! LOLL I remember I was 43 because that's when my mother finally confessed! LOLLL


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## raccoon breath

Kasota - I thought two apple trees died off over winter a few years back. Suckers started growing but nothing up higher. A nursery guy told me to put ice around the base and hold it there wrapping around with a towel. I started seeing budding half way up the tree. Not sure if it was because of the ice or if it would have happened anyway.


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## Woodpecker

My almost 9 week old babies moved into the garage!


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## Kasota

WP - they have really grown!  

RB that is too funny about your mom finally confessing! It is still very early in spring - nothing is leafed out yet - so I will give it some time. My pear trees are doing really well and one of my cherries is doing well...the other cherry I am less certain about but it is early. 



Lexie, your sheep are beautiful! Congrats on the shearing.  What will you make with all that fiber!?? 

I am so itching to find some gooseberries and I think tomorrow I will run up to my local nursery where I used to work and get more bare root raspberries.


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## MDKatie

Gorgeous shearing job!! 


And Woodpecker, your chooks are so pretty and looking very grown up!


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## raccoon breath

Woodpecker - Beautiful girls! 

Kasota - I grew up with fruit trees all around the house. My sister and I would play outside and not want to come in for lunch because our bellies were full of apricots, plums, peaches and nectarines. So good! 

I've been making some yarn for my mom for Mother's Day. It's mohair/silk with Swarovski crystals. I couldn't catch the sparkly very good with the camera though but it super sparkles!


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## Kasota

RB, that's beautiful!!! I can see the sparklies! Your mom will be thrilled. I know I would be!


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## MDKatie

RB, gorgeous sparkly yarn!! Your mom will love it!


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## Miz Mary

Lexirowsell, that is GORGEOUS fiber ! 

We are supposed to have near 80 degress this week, hopefully I will get this raised bed area done !!!


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## lexierowsell

Thanks so much for the sweet words guys! I'm going to do my two silver ladies today. They are super long fleeces too, with the pearlescent of the BFL. 

Here's a pick of a shorter lock from Tina yesterday, awesome crimp!!

(My phone is possessed and decided to post this before I was finished typing. Can't add photos in the "edit", so pics in the next post)


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## lexierowsell

View attachment 28884


This fleece weighs a ton. It must be at least 12lb, maybe more. It's in a 40gallon yard trash bag, and it's straining hard! 
View attachment 28887


Excited about the silvers this aft. 

As for what I'm gonna do with it all... Well that'll be up for y'all to help me decide once I get it clean!!!


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## Kasota

You could always sell some to people here. Just sayin'


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## lexierowsell

Kasota said:


> You could always sell some to people here. Just sayin'



I'd rather trade! I'll send you double the fiber it'll take to make something, you keep the extra and send me the thing!


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## Kasota

I have 13 people over at my little house. Had to take a 5 minute break. My little house is bursting at the seams. I'm so glad the youngers don't mind sitting on the floor.  

My nephew and his wife brought over their new baby. I got a picture of my mom holding her great grandson. Priceless!


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## BlueberryChick

Kasota, that sounds like a wonderful Mother's Day. 

We've had quite a week! My daughter graduated from college Thursday night and we had a party for her Friday. We took her and some of our famliy to Yamato (Japanese steak house) for dinner. After that, her aunt and uncle had cake and ice cream for her at their house.

I mentioned earlier this week that my husband was diagnosed with a hernia on Wednesday. We meet with the surgeon on Tuesday. The doctor said he could travel to Shepherd's Harvest next weekend, but I think we've decided that it probably isn't a good idea. In that case, I'll either travel alone, or my sister-in-law will come with me, since the tickets and hotel aren't refundable. He's always my first choice for a traveling companion, but I'm pretty sure he'll be more comfortable being waited on by our children (and they will absolutely baby him).

My Mother's Day has been nice. I decided to cook dinner for us, since DH didn't need to be on his feet too long. I put a roast in the crock pot last night and it was falling apart tender by the time we got home from church. The children cleaned the kitchen and I got to spend the afternoon knitting and going for a walk.


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## hercsmama

Hey All!
BC, I think that's probably a good desicion about dh staying home, you don't want to risk any complications..
Kas, sounds like a really nice day at your house today!
My Mother;s day has been a frantic race. But dh and I are in for the rest of the day, and wore out!
Originally, the kids were all coming over, but, our youngest 2 both had to work, and the people we are buying the sheep from are leaving tomorrow for Utah for two weeks.
So, needless to say, at 6 am this morning, dh and I were on the road, going to pick up an entire herd of 13 Ewe's, and 27 lambs!
Holy Sheep Stuff!
We were only planning on getting 7 ewe's, but decided to get them all. The only issue we had was that they are not used to being handled much, and as we were herding them into the trailer, all was going well, until the previous owner;s dog, decided to help.:umno:
They turned around and ran back around us, and one ewe got so freaked out, she jumped a fence and ran off. Then, naturally, her two lambs got out and followed her. Then we managed to get the rest loaded, but another tiny lamb, changed her mind, and went under the ramp, and off she went!
Luckily she found the other ewe. 
So we corralled the loose ones, finally, and thought we had them, nope!
I did manage to get a lamb by the tail, and wrestle it into the trailer, but his sister, mom and the stray were off again!:hobbyhors
We brought home the ones we had, dh of loaded as I banded the boys, and we went to a farm auction.
Then the guy calls and says he has the missing three, off we went again!

Needless to say, we are done for the day, and the kids will all be over next weekend to have Mothers Day.
I'm off to the shower, and maybe a sandwich for supper, I'm tired.


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## Kasota

Oh, Debi! What a day you've had! Hope you can get rested up! Looking forward to pictures once you have time. 

BC, I'm glad you will still be able to make it to SH! Hope your DH is able to rest up a bit and that his surgery will get him all fixed up.


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## hercsmama

Kas, hopefully the weather clears a bit tomorrow, did I forget to mention, this all happened in the rain, with a 25mph north wind? Big fun!

If it dries up a bit tomorrow, I'll get pics of everyone. 
The poor little boys, we have several drama queens, after banding, they ran about for awhile, found their mommas again, and then threw themselves on the ground, as if I had just killed them! I'm sure that pinch hurts, but seriously.:facepalm:


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## Kasota

Debi, I hope the weather clears for you! Not fun doing all that in the rain! I just saw on the news that parts of Nebraska are getting snow? Oh, good grief! I remember when I used to band my lambs and they would do the same thing. It looked for a little while like they were all dying. 

It is cold and rainy and windy today. Blech. At least it is not snow.


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## hercsmama

Yep, snow and rain mixed just to the west of us. 
We aren't expecting anything like that here though. 
It's nasty out right now though, drizzly rain, 35 mph winds, and about 36*, like I said, nasty.
I've got a neighbor delivering a couple round bales for us this morning. We have all the girls, and their asst. children in a large paddock for a few days. So that Maggie and Murphy can adjust, as well as them adjusting to Maggie and Murphy, lol.
I've either caught a head cold, or it's allergies, not sure which yet. Hopefully just allergies, as they will go away by tomorrow....
Hoping to get some sit and knit time today, it's been a busy last few days..


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## Taylor R.

Well, we finished the chicken yard on Friday then headed out to the lake. Camping was fun, boating was even more fun, and my knees are burnt crispy. I put on sun block every three hours, but I apparently missed my knees. OUCH! We came home Saturday night, then had Mother's day at my mom's yesterday. My husband made me homemade waffles for breakfast, and my kids made me all kind of little gifts at Sunday school the last few weeks. My wheel was my real Mother's Day present.

Happy (late) Mother's Day all!!


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## Kasota

Debi, I hope it's just allergies and you feel better soon! 

Taylor, sounds like you had a delightful mother's day!  

It is so cold and windy and rainy today. Thankfully I got most of my mulch down between the raised beds. If the weather clears and it's not raining buckets I'm going to get my peas planted. Maybe on the Sunday I'll see about putting out some cold-weather stuff like broccoli. 

I am so itching for Shepherd's Harvest. I can't believe it's almost here!  I am hoping to find some really pretty shades of blue roving. 

Svenska, will you be bringing any of your wooden crochet hooks to the festival? I could pick some up. Did you ever get any sized G hooks in?


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## SvenskaFlicka

Yes, I will be bringing the wooden crochet hooks, including the G's if they get here by then!


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## Taylor R.

I need to order a couple more, too. My son adopted my H as a magic wand.


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## Kasota

Svenska - I need E, F, G, H and I if you have them! I'm so excited! 

:happy::happy::happy:

Taylor - that is just way too cute! We need pictures!


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## Taylor R.

I am awful with pictures..even when I take them I never move them to the computer :ashamed:...my youngest daughter made me realize I hadn't printed off any pictures since she was 2 (two years ago).


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## Kasota

Kids are way too cute. My son used to pretend to be Inigo Montoya (sp?) from that one movie. He would tie a cape and grab a stick and jump off the couch and say, "Hallo...my name is Inigo Montoya! You killed my father... prepare to diiiiiiie!" 

I would so love to have 5 year old Matt back for just a day.


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## Woodpecker

Treatment knocked me out today. Plus my allergies are bothering me. I wanted to embroider last night but was way too tired.

A belated Happy Mother's Day to all


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## Geoprincess55

Hi everyone. Been popping in to keep up on everyone but haven't had time to post. Every so often we have to go through training at work and then pass an exam to prove we still know what we are doing. So I have been studying like crazy nearly every free minute since mid-March. I probably over-prepare but I am a horrible test-taker with bad test anxiety. Anyway, test was on Wednesday and I passed; so now I can relax and get back to fun stuff.

Kasota - hope your tree comes through. I have 2 baby apple trees planted last fall and I thought they were dead now, but yesterday saw tiny buds starting to green up. Hopefully your apricot is just slow this year, like my apple trees.

Raccoon breath - that yarn is beautiful!

BlueberryChick - hope your DH feels better soon. I am so happy you are still coming to Shepherds Harvest. Hope we get a chance to meet. I will be there all day Friday for a class, and then back on Sunday for a class in the morning and shopping after that.

IowaLez, WIHH, SvenskaFlicka, Kasota, BlueberryChick, Ariesgoat, & anyone else I forgot - are there any plans/times to try to meet up at Shepherds Harvest this this year? Anyone taking the nuno scarf class on Friday or basic plying class Sunday morning?

Woodpecker - thinking and praying for you today.


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## SvenskaFlicka

Well, if anyone wants to hang out with me on Friday, we'll be getting there early afternoon to set up, and I will have homemade chex mix.  I'm not taking any classes. None of the Friday classes really tickled me, and I am freaking out about getting ready for Shepherd's Harvest!
Saturday, I may be able to get away for lunch and leave Philip for half an hour at the booth, depending, but you may all need to just invade. You never know, lol!


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## Marchwind

Usually WIHH starts a thread, I've been waiting to live vicariously through you all. I'm not sure if she is too busy, isn't she on a few committees for the SH? Any one of you is free to begin a thread. If WIHH is busy I'm sure she would appreciate one of you picking up that ball for her


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## BlueberryChick

I can hardly believe it's almost time for SH! We (yes, WE) are flying out on Thursday morning. I am taking the fleece to yarn class on Friday and Saturday is shopping and spin-in day. Woohoo!

DH, aka Andy, and I met with the surgeon this morning about the hernia operation. It will be next Thursday, May 22. He should be able to come home the same day. We asked if Andy could fly this week and the doctor said sure. The plan is for him to spend most of the weekend relaxing in the hotel. I'll have to haul our bags, but they have wheels, so I don't expect to have much trouble.


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## SvenskaFlicka

Marchwind said:


> Usually WIHH starts a thread, I've been waiting to live vicariously through you all. I'm not sure if she is too busy, isn't she on a few committees for the SH? Any one of you is free to begin a thread. If WIHH is busy I'm sure she would appreciate one of you picking up that ball for her


I think WIHH is off in Texas right now, so I started a thread. I do know she'll be around for Shepherd's Harvest, though!


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## Kasota

((((Woodpecker)))) I hope you are feeling a little better! 

The sun came out today! Wooo hoooo! 

I can't wait to meet people at SH! I keep wondering what I will find there to take back with me. WIHH assures me there are many goodies to be drooled over.


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## Taylor R.

Someday I'm going to have to make that trip. Sounds like fiber artist heaven to me!!

Today was my husband's birthday, and my son's birthday party at school. Can you say busy?! I finished my son's Minecraft rice crispy treats this morning and took them in for snack time, then took an ice cream cake to my husband at work (one that I had to sneak through the back yard and into the back freezer so I could surprise him with it).

I'm working overnights the next two nights (bleh), so it's time to rest up. :yawn: My schedule is getting ready to go nuts, working 12 days out of the next two and a half weeks (not bad for a part-timer, eh?). Don't tell my boss, but after everyone goes home when I work overnights, I break out my fibery fun. There's really nothing to do at that point but man the desk anyways.


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## MullersLaneFarm

SvenskaFlicka said:


> , but you may all need to just invade. You never know, lol!



I see a kidnapping in your future!


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## SvenskaFlicka

MullersLaneFarm said:


> I see a kidnapping in your future!


Oh no! 

 eep:


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## Woodpecker

Cyndi feel free to kidnapp me anytime!

ETA: Everyone is so busy! I have been so busy planting that my back hurts. I can't wait for the weekend so I can catch up with my planting and rest. Maybe I'll even get to embroider.


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## Taylor R.

Needed to nap today..couldn't nap..spun instead. I think I've figured out my Scotch tension well enough that I'm not over-spinning anymore!!! Wahoo for balanced yarn!! It's fairly even, too, but that's less important to me at this juncture.


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## Pigeon Lady

*lexierowsell*,

Love the fleece but can we see more of that barn? I so want a brick floor in ours!

*Woodpecker*, I hope you are feeling better. Do you do any cross stitch?


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## Woodpecker

No I do not Pigeon Lady. I would like to learn though. Every time I look at my stone flower beds I think of you and your walk. How is it coming?


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## Miz Mary

SO wishing I was going to SH !! Well, I will enjoy all y'alls pictures ! ( and wait for my new spindle to arrive ! ) 

I made it in the newspaper ! DH & I played music for this Habitat for Humanity shop in town ... ALL proceeds go towards building homes for people in need !! What fun it was ! 



Its been in the 80's & 90 degrees here .... but its going to rain on Saturday with a high in the 60's ..... the day we play at the Farmers Market ! It will still be FUN !!

A Raccoon got one of my favorite chickens yesterday morning :sob: .... but my dog let my hubby know something was wrong in the middle of the night last night ...he went out and found a BIG Raccoon trying to get in the pen !! Raccoon lost that one ! :duel:


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## Kasota

Everyone sure has been busy! 

Debi - I saw the pictures of your new flock on the sheep forum. Very nice set up and such beautiful sheep! 

It did not rain today. I am so grateful! The sun is actually out and things are popping up in the garden. My garlic is even up! Woot! I hope to get to sleep early tonight. I am so tired I could hardly make it through the day. Could not sleep last night to save my life and had nightmares when I did sleep. I hate nightmares. 

I have a robin nesting under my raised deck. She will probably go after my blueberries once they fruit but I can't be mad at her. I should give her a name. This is her third year nesting there.


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## Pigeon Lady

Well, Woodpecker, if it's something you'd like to learn, then I have something for you 

The brick path is done and the wall is much farther along. I'll try to post pics later. Image shack is no longer free and photobucket wont accept my name and password 

It's almost 2am here. I tried to get a hold of my dad in England before he left for the airport but seem to have missed him. He'll get into Atlanta at 2pm est and should be here in Roanoke around 6pm. However, the forecast is for torrential rain/ thunderstorms, flash flooding - We're surrounded by creeks here, and they always flood, and tornadoes!!! All the weather seems to be coming up from the Atlanta area so goodness only knows if the flight up here will take off or not. Dad's in his eighties so please pray for a smooth journey for him. It's an exhausting trip for someone that age even when things run on schedule. He's going to be a bit flustered if he has to put up in a hotel or spend untold hours stuck in the airport.

Kasota. I've had a few nights like that lately. They're no fun! And trying to function the following day is no fun either! Hope you get some good rest tonight.


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## hercsmama

Thanks Kas, they are gorgeous, aren't they? Obviously I can't take any credit for that, I just hope they stay that way, lol.
Pigeon Lady, I'll be keeping your Dad in my thoughts. Poor guy, hopefully it all goes smoothly.
Enjoy your time with him, I sure miss my Daddy.

Well, a restless night for me here, just tossing and turning, and having night sweats, hate those! So I'm up.
The sheep are doing well, we are working on introducing them to the dogs, and vice versa. It'll take some time, as the dogs have really only been with Cattle for a long time, and the sheep have only ever been chased by dogs.:heh:

Hopefully in another few weeks, we'll have it all sorted out.
Planting more lettuce today, and my tomatoes are going in the ground as well! So happy about that!
Off to go get some serious knitting time in before the day starts.


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## Marchwind

So Hercsmama, do we not get to see pictures of your new flock? 

Kasota I wishing you some re estrus sleep

PigeonLady, I'll keep you and your dad in my thoughts. We have had a lot of rain too and now our temps will be dropping into the 30's and 40's for a few days. At least we aren't getting snow. One passenger mentioned a frost warning, I just got my tomatoes planted :sob:


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## hercsmama

:shocked:I thought I posted some over here too, my bad!!

I'll stick them over in the Baby Animal thread....


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## Marchwind

Maybe you did and I missed them  my brain has been in a fuddle lately.


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## Taylor R.

OVERNIGHTS STINK!!! Why in the name of little green apples did I tell them I would do this??!

Pretty sheepies, Debi!


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## Woodpecker

Kas I name all my birds. I hope you are more rested.

Pigeon Lady, I will pray for your dad's safe return. I am always up for learning something new. Especially when it comes to fiber.

Taylor I totally sympathize. I worked overnights for a month and couldn't stand it any longer. They are really rough. 

It rained sometime last night so I didn't have to water today. That saved me s ton of time too. My back is a little better too.

ETA: Marchie I am debating on planting my tomatoes this weekend. Our last frost date is today but it's been really cool then really warm. Oh well I still have to harden them off. I hope you don't get that frost.


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## Kasota

Pigeon Lady, I am sure praying for your dad, too. 

WP - glad your back is a bit better! 

(((Taylor))) I hope the overnight starts to go a little better! 

Marchie - I hope you don't get the frost. We will likely get some. For a while today it was snowing. I kid you not. UGH! At least it didn't stick. 

Debi - I hope you get some decent sleep, too. I am well past the menopausal night sweats. Now I just get old-age nightmares. I worry too much about everything. 

I have tomorrow off so that I can take care of my mom's stuff that I woudl normally take care of on Saturday. That will free me up to have all of Saturday for SH! Woot! 

Tomorrow I have to run out and make up a care package for a friend of mine. Oh, she has had a rough road! Her mom got diagnosed with a really serious illness and is now living with her - has to be tended to 24/7. My friend works from home but the mom goes to my friend's sister's place during the day so that she can work and then in the evening they flip-flop so that the sister can go to her night job. So there is that and then her TV broke and then her water heater broke and then her car battery died and then the covering over her patio collapsed. She needs a pretty box full of things just for her...maybe some bath salts and really nice scented lotion (she loves those) and some good chocolate and something for her garden (which she loves). 

And I gotta clean out my car so that I have room to put stuff in on Saturday.


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## Taylor R.

Last one this week, Kas, plus today was the kids' last day of school so I get to sleep tomorrow instead of jumping right into the next day when I get home from work. I have two more next week, but then hopefully the guy I'm working for will be back from his training in MO. I have this weekend off, too, so good recovery time. Next week is a different story, I'll work Wed and Thurs overnight, then go into work Friday at 4 pm until 10, then back in Sat Sun Mon 5 am-2pm.


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## raccoon breath

One click of a key and my computer goes back a page and my post Im composing is lost. Hi everybody. Thinking about you but too tired to write it all again.


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## MDKatie

I hate when that happens, raccoon breath!!! Makes me so mad! :flame:


Happy Friday everyone! To all those going to SH, have a wonderful time!! :rock:

My back is sore today from working in the yard last night. I had to shovel out the rest of the "pack" in what we call the hog pen. It was built up over a year under the hay feeder where the goats would eat. It was HEAVY but I'm so glad to have it out of there. My goat kid gets her splint off this afternoon, and she and the lambs will go in that outdoor pen and out of my barn! :grin: They'll be happy and I'll be happy. Win-win!

Today is my "baby" brother's 28th birthday! DH and I are driving an hour tonight to go to his gig. He and his gf are in 2 bands, and one of them is playing tonight. Should be a great time!


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## Marchwind

It was 34 degrees when I got up this morning, the high is supposed to be 53. I did bring my tomatoes onto the porch last night. I turned the oven on this morning to help warm the house a bit. I flat out refuse to turn the heat back on :flame: my hot flashes help 

I have my spinning group today.


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## MDKatie

Marchwind said:


> It was 34 degrees when I got up this morning, the high is supposed to be 53. I did bring my tomatoes onto the porch last night. I turned the oven on this morning to help warm the house a bit. I flat out refuse to turn the heat back on :flame: my hot flashes help
> 
> I have my spinning group today.


Brrr!!! I'm all excited because it's supposed to cool down and only get in the 70's these next few days. :grin: I wish I could send some of our heat your way!

Have fun at spinning group! I'm going to have to find out if there's anything like that around here!


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## Woodpecker

Katie tell your brother Happy Birthday from me. My birthday is next Saturday, I will be 28 too.

Happy Friday everyone!


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## Pigeon Lady

Hey, thanks for the prayers, everyone. All Dads flights were on time and it was a smooth trip for him. DH went to pick him up at the airport and they arrived home in torrential rain. It was absolutely lashing down, a river running down the driveway and the pond threatening to overflow. I was afraid the road would be washed out somewhere but they made it ok. It's nice to have Dad back with us. He keeps us in stitches laughing with some of his stories 

It's reall cool here since that storm went through. Dad was surprised at all the snow he saw when flying over the northern states. Hope you guys get some nice spring weather soon.


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## Kasota

PL - glad your dad made it safe and sound!! 

I am back from SH and tuckered out from all the walking. That's what working in pod world will do to a person!! 

What a great time we had!


----------



## Kasota

Just have to share this photo of my mom and her new great grandson! Notice the shawl on the back of the chair? That's the one Cyndi sent! Mom took it off because she didn't want the baby to urp on it. You just never know what can happen! LOL!


----------



## Kasota

Oh, it was such a beautiful day today! Delightfully warm and sunny. I ran out and got some Danish Oil for the Traveller and to also use on my combs and hackle. Then I hit the garden center where I used to work. 

I came home with an enormous blueberry to replace one of mine that just flat disappeared. (how does that happen?) and I got some foxglove, pansies, geraniums, marigolds (like I need those I have seeds everywhere) and moss roses. I also picked up 10 bare root raspberries. Spent a little time putting down more mulch between the raised beds. I need another 30 bags to go around the perimeter of the garden. It was nice to be outside. I think one of my pear trees may not have made it through the winter...but I haven't given up hope yet. 

I've been looking for some gooseberries and have not been able to find them, but I found a place on-line called Starks that has had pretty good reviews. So I have a checkout cart filled with two varieties of gooseberries, American cranberries, two types of Honeyberries, 15 more raspberries, a Honeycrisp apple tree and a Kindercrisp apple tree. I am debating on lingon berries and some pink currents. And more blueberries....

It felt good to slide into a hot bath and put my jammies on early so that I can knit. I think maybe just one or two more inches on my scarf and then I will bind it off and add some fringe.


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## Miz Mary

WOW Kasota , you've had a BUSY weekend !!! Your garden sounds amazing !!

Starks is a VERY good company ... Its where I got my Honeycrisp trees ! They also have a 1 year guarantee I believe ! 

Your Mama is a beautiful Lady !


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## raccoon breath

Kasota, great pic! 

Can anyone recommend a good shetland fleece seller? I bought some here a few weeks back, but it never arrived. Seller has been awesome. I still need some to replace that if anyone could recommend a seller? If you have a recommendation, please let me know. I need 2 raw fleeces. Thx


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## Kasota

MizMary, that's good to know that Starks is a good company!! 

It's hard to believe that mom will be 88 in mid-June!


----------



## MDKatie

Raccoon Breath, there is a farm near us that raises shetlands and may possibly sell fleeces. I know they do sell yarn, so not sure if they've sent all of this year's fleeces away or not. Here's their Facebook page, and here's their website, though it doesn't look like they do much online. They go to our local farmers market every week. 


Kasota, your mom looks like a wonderful lady! Her eyes sure are lit up, holding that precious great grandson!


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## hercsmama

Kas, love the pic!!

Another fast and furious weekend here.
We had Colton for most of it, too much fun! I always feel so bad though when we have him and it's time for him to go home. He just cries and cries. He's always happy to see Mom and Dad, but when they all have to get in the car, he loses it.
Here he gets to drive tractors, and Pawpaws big truck in the pasture, he chases the sheep, gets to play in LaLas garden, and with all the dogs. We just let him pretty much run amok, outside. It's a lot of freedom for him, compared to at home, were he has to wait to go to the park, and it's only for a few hours a day. We do try to take him at least one weekend a month, a lot of the time we take him for two, but he really wants more....
He helped me get my peas, and beans planted this weekend, and he managed to herd the entire flock into their pen both nights, all by himself! Not really hard, as they are mostly wild and terrified of him.ound: 
I haven't managed to get anything fibery done at all in the last week, need to try to get something done this week for sure.:thumb:


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## Taylor R.

RB, there are three Shetland wethers for sale near me for very cheap...I keep telling myself it would be wrong to tie them out in the yard at my dad's until we get a pen built, but I keep checking to see if they're sold or not. :heh:


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## MullersLaneFarm

Unfortunately Kas, the fibula isn't healing well. Good thing I have a plate & 6 screws holding me together!

Love, love the picture of Granny Annie! Please let her know that the towel she made me is most used towel because it is always at eye height hanging from my cup rack.


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## Woodpecker

I got a lot of planting done this weekend and only got to embroider a little. Boy was I tired. I did get a lot done though. It went by way too fast!

Kas your momma looks so sweet.


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## raccoon breath

MD Katie - Thx. I contacted them. 

Taylor - Are you sure they wont fit in the backyard or bathroom? LOL Not all shetlands are really nice so go stick your hands in the fleece before raising them in the bath tub. lol There's a seller on FB that has BEAUTIFUL fleece, coated..I love it but the seller shears and isn't very good. There's thin slices of second cuts on all of the ends. Seller backs the shears up then re-shears. AHHHH! Drove me crazy! Its perfect for spinning in the grease except for all of the little balls all through the super fine fleece. I had to run the cut ends over combs to remove it and still would have the balls show up. It turned into more work cleaning the seconds up first. :hair It still bugs me because that fleece was SOOOOO nice!! Next year, I'll buy a small bit from that seller again and see if the problem has been corrected. If it has, I'm filling my bedroom with that seller's fleece. We'll have to sleep on the porch!


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## Kasota

Debi, what a gift you give Colton! I can well imagine he loves staying where he can be more free and do all kinds of cool stuff! I forget - how old is he? 

Cyndi - I'm so sorry to hear that fibula isn't healing up so well. Rats! Is there a game plan? Mom was so happy to hear that you liked her towel! 

Taylor. Get them! Get them!! (what else did you expect to hear from this place?)  Maybe talk to the seller and see if they would hold them until the pen is built. 


WP - glad you got some time to embroider! My eyes are not good enough for that anymore but I used to do a fair bit of it when I was young. 

Thank you all for the kind words about my mom. She was so happy to hold that little one! 

It is pea-soup fog here and rain for a couple days - but then Thurs - Sat are supposed to be sunny! Sunday will rain but Mon and Tues look good. I have Mon and Tues off work so I am happy as a fiberaholic in a pile of fleece. I'll be able to be outside quite a bit and Sunday being rainy I can stay in and play with fiber. I need to organize my yarn so that I can better store my fleece and have spots to put it when it gets washed. 

I can't wait to get the garden planted! Good thing Friday is payday. Methinks I will be spending a bit of time dragging things home from the garden center! :happy:


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## raccoon breath

A couple months ago, I bought a lb of silk. Great price but I would have to wait a month or more to get it as it was a group order with a supplier out of country. It came!! Horay!! I'm so excited. But you know..the USPS opened the package. I suppose the bags looked like bundles of pot when xrayed. Weeeeeee!! Silk!

Here's some crochet thread I made for a friend...well, really for him for his mom. He's in the hospital recovering from a stroke, so I made it for him to give to his mom as a late Mother's day gift. She makes lots and lots of doilies so I made her some special crochet thread. I have some extra silk .. oh wait..I have a ton of black now. But I have extra white and will make a nice little seed bead, decorative yarn for trim or just to play with. This was kinda tough to make but fun.


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## hercsmama

RB, that's gorgeous!! Truly Squeeeeeeeeee worthy!

Kas, he'll be 2 on the 27th, which also happens to be mine and dh's 25th wedding anniversary. Ds and Ddil claim they never have to get us an anniversary gift again, as they gave us Colton, :umno:, LOL!!!:happy2:


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## raccoon breath

My gosh!! Hercsmama, did you just SQUEEEEEEE over my yarn? Yes you did. YaY!!! Thank you


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## PKBoo

Hi everyone - I haven't posted in so long - there's been so much going on! 

Best news of all - WE ARE NOT MOVING!!!! I had posted months ago that DH got transferred out of state (6 hrs away), and we had made the decision to move. We found a farm there and everything!

But he got an interview a few weeks ago, was offered the position, and he accepted! It's a good thing, because the company he currently works for has just gone downhill in the last few months, and things are not looking very well now. Perfect timing! 

We were able to terminate the agreement on the property there, so we are now free and clear of any ties there. Thankfully we can stay here - family and friends are so happy, as we are!

DH has been travelling, and has been gone for a few weeks for work. I'm milking a cow, milking a goat, bottle feeding kids, and feeding lambs and sheep! It's been crazy!!! But he is home now, and has the next two weeks to get the garden planted before he starts his new job. 

We are downsizing animals though. We just don't have enough pasture space, and DH won't be home as much, so we need to get rid of some. I was able to sell the alpacas and a few goats already - they are getting picked up on Saturday. And I sold all the lambs for fiber animals woohoo! 

So busy busy times here, but good good news! Will try to catch up with the many posts I've missed! Happy fibering, gardening, and living everyone!


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## SvenskaFlicka

I would appreciate prayers and well-wishes for tomorrow morning. SÃ¤terglÃ¤ntan Folk School in Swedish is calling us via Skype to see if we will be a good fit for their one-year program. Weaving for me, Blacksmithing for Philip. I am terrified they will want to only interview us in Swedish-- mine is not great, and Philip doesn't speak any.


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## Marchwind

Thoughts and prayers SvenskaFlicka, all finger and toes crossed . You can do it!

PKBoo that is so exciting. I am so happy that you don't have to move. The though of you moving or haveing to part with all your animals was breaking my heart. Moving is hard enough but moving with animals is really difficult and complicated. Woo Hoo!!!!


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## Kasota

RB - how utterly scrumptious!!!!! And your yarn!! I need to grab a napkin...I'm drooling all over my keyboard! 

PKBoo, it's so good to see you post! I'm so glad things are working out better for you and that you do not have to move! Wooooot!!!! 

Svenska, many prayers and well wishes! You will do just great!!! What an adventure that would be for you!!!


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## MDKatie

Good luck to Kelsey and Philip this morning!!! Knock 'em dead!! :viking:


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## hercsmama

Thinking about you today Kelsey!! Katie, that is the perfect emoticon, :viking::viking::viking:

Gorgeous here this morning, sunny, temp is perfect at 63 right now, although the wind is picking up a bit . It's Nebraska, it's always windy...:indif:

Need to send in a huge order to a parts supplier this morning. We submitted a bid for a Memory Care Facility out in Broken Bow yesterday. It was accepted last night! Woohoo!
Construction commences the second week of June, so I need to get a rather ridiculous amount of materials delivered to the job site. Also a Conex to store everything in.
This one job should cover us for the rest of the year, so excited!!
Also need to get more peppers planted today, and scatter lettuce seeds everywhere. The lettuce works as a great weed deterrent.
As far as fiber, I managed to spend an hour on another shawl last night. I will make time this afternoon to work on it some more...need to schedule my fiber time any more right now. Just so much else going on...


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## IowaLez

Wishing you all the luck in the world Kelsey!

I haven't been on here much due to some pretty bad family stuff that has been going on.

My side of my son's family has cut him off, due to carp happening to him due to his crazy gf. They have a toxic relationship, and we are all tired of her carp. We had a spontaneous family intervention, and it was very emotional, and in the end he chose her over all of us (my family is small, just me and Stan, my son, and daughter and her family, and my 92yo Mom). 

My daughter has cried so many times, and it has sent me into fits of intense anger, weeping, sobbing, and thankfully my psychiatrist has made almost weekly appts with me the next 4 weeks, and enough drugs to keep me from totally going over the cliff.

His dad called me last night, and it is getting ugly. His dad is at least partly responsible for this situation, and doesn't seem to want to realize that or be held accountable. The last time on the phone, he couldn't remember how long they had been together!!!! He thought it was 3-4 years, when it has been almost 8!!!! What planet has he been on all this time???!!! 

It has made me so mad that he would be so casual and my daughter is furious with him, and so am I. I hope we get thru this without imploding, so if you guys could send positive energy our way, it would do a lot of good for us all. It's gonna drag out for a while and I am already exhausted.

On the good side, the garden soil/site looks super good. I have a "real" farmer rip and disk it each Fall, and it has more clay in it than most soils around here, so when the soil moisture is just right, the big tiller on our tractor really makes it fine and nice. And yesterday morning, it was perfect for doing it. I'm planting mostly melons, pole beans and cucumbers, I just couldn't get my act together to start all my 35 heirloom tomato varieties, so got plants at Heritage Farm, (SSE's headquarters in Decorah), for herbs and stuff. Gonna get my hydroponic units set up this week, and that will grow lots of lettuce, mesclun and basil, and watercress.

My body is sending out more messages that it is going down hill some more, so am calling the orthopedic guy today for an appt. I don't know if it's more bursitis in these new places/joints, so need to check it out, and stop the pain.


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## MDKatie

I'm so sorry about all of the family drama, IowaLez. Gosh, that has got to be hard to deal with!! I'm glad you're seeing a counselor, hopefully that will help you deal with all of the range of emotions you are feeling or will feel. Do you think your daughter or even your son's father will go with you? That might really help him see what is going on, or at least give you a chance to say what you need to say in a neutral setting with a 3rd party to sort of act as a "referee" if needed? 

Hopefully one day your son will see what his GF has been doing, and what sort of person she is, and realize you all were right about her. I hope he is getting counseling too, and maybe even invite him to go with you guys as a family. I'm a huge advocate for counseling!! 


Speaking of family drama, my sister has not spoken to my dad in about 2 years, because of stuff he said/did during the divorce and resulting court battles with my mom. We are all going to see each other this weekend, for my aunt's wedding reception. It'll be the first time my sister and dad have been in the same room, and I'm so nervous about how it'll go. 

I love them both, and I hate seeing my family split apart. So wish me luck at what may turn out to be a very awkward family gathering!


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## Taylor R.

Kas and RB, the sheep are actually tied out in HER yard right now, but I just can't imagine how that'd work out at my dad's. One of their fleeces doesn't look too hot, but the other two look nice (though feeling is a must!). Honestly, my back yard is so overgrown right now that the sheep could eat back there for a while, but I have a feeling the city would be pretty angry with me. I don't think the new inspector would buy that they're sheep dogs and not sheep.

Lez and Katie, I hope all the family stuff gets better. It's tough to be stuck in the middle like that.

Kelsey, I hope the interview goes awesome!!


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## SvenskaFlicka

Just got off of Skype with the interview people. The ladies who teach weaving seemed very nice, it seems they may be a little bit strict about which projects you do, though-- :viking: For instance, if they say to weave something that is striped and dyed with natural dyes, you can weave anything you like so long as it is striped with natural dyes!  

I hope they liked me. They said they will be able to let us know if we have been accepted in about two weeks-- that is just too darn far away. Too much time to wait! 

:viking: 

Oh well, I'm sure the time will fly. For now, I have to finish inventorying all of the yarn left over from Shepherd's Harvest...


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## Wind in Her Hair

Kasota- your mom looks practically regal and so perfectly comfortable holding that precious new baby. 

L&#9829;ve the pic. 

Good luck to Kelsey and Philip this morning -I am really really really hoping and praying this works out for you two!


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## Kasota

IowaLez, I'm so sorry to hear of all the family troubles. That can so break hearts and wear a person down and it sounds like you have full plate of it. Glad to hear you are getting some counseling. BTDT and it can be enormously helpful. Sometimes it helps to remember that the way things are now are not how they will be forever. I've run into similar things and while it can take time - people often come back. The emotional roller coaster can be so destructive. Sometimes it helps to give yourself mental breaks...even if it is only for 5 or 10 minutes. "I'm not going to think about this right now. I'm going to go plant something in the garden and that is all I am going to think about." I will sure be keeping you in my prayers. Your fiber family is here for you! 

MDKatie - I hope all goes well with your family at the wedding, too! Prayers for sure. I try to go in to those situations expecting nothing. That way I'm not tortured if it doesn't work out the way I might hope...and often enough things turn out okay. 

Kelsey, Oh it is going to be hard to wait for TWO WEEKS!!! Arrrgh!! We will all be waiting right with you and hoping for a positive and exciting outcome! 

I am thinking of taking Friday off work as well as Tuesday next week. That would give me 5 glorious days in a row to get all the gardens planted and tended to!


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## raccoon breath

Taylor - three little itsy, bitsy sheep wouldn't make noise. They would just clean that back yard right up for you without making a peep. I had chickens and goats when I lived in the city. We were getting ready to move and it turned into 6 months in city limits with livestock in my backyard! I don't think the neighbors new until one of the chickens started crowing early one morning. Whoops!! A rooster was crowing even with my hand over it's beak! lol The neighbors had yowling cats..every night YOWWWWL, YOWWWWL, YOOWWWWL! So, what's the big deal about a cock a doodle doo? lol


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## Kasota

RB, I so agree! When I drive around Ohio - some of the small towns are so pretty and so very "mixed use." You'll see many small properties with livestock in the back. Makes sense to me!


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## Kasota

Five days off in a row! Five days off in a row!!! Then I work 3 days and the weekend is already back again. That's working just 3 days out of the next 10!!! Whooo hoooo! 

:banana::banana::banana:​


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## hercsmama

Yeah Kas!! Enjoy your time off!:happy2:

PKBoo, so happy for you that the move is off!:nanner:
Taylor, get the stinkin' sheep!! :hobbyhors
Katie, good luck this weekend, maybe they are ready to patch things up.:goodjob:

Well let's see, Miss Emmy spent her first whole night outside, she's such a big girl now! Very busy bossing around the other bottle babies, and just generally see's herself as the "Pasture Princess".
I've been hard at it in the Market Garden all week. I'm attempting to "pretty" things up a bit, by planting a perennial flower border around it. Just tossing seeds about the place, hopefully it will take on a bit of a cottage garden look when they grow in.
My apple trees are blooming nicely, and my peas are coming in fast.
I managed to get a bit of fiber time in yesterday, I really need to spend some time spinning though. It's been ages to be honest, and my poor wheel is feeling very sadly neglected.:bored:
But there is just so much else that "must" be done! 
I think I need to clone myself, maybe if there were two of me.
Ahh well, that's not going to happen, so I best get back to it.
Take care all!


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## Kasota

Debi, I would love to see pictures of your market garden! 

I have been so busy today! I went garden center hopping.  I bought more geraniums, some hanging strawberry baskets, some hanging flower baskets (they were only 5.00 at Home Depot!). I got some gooseberries, some currants, another cherry, another blueberry, some strange vine thing that I can't remember the name of but it gets orange berries on it, some onion sets, more moss roses, more snapdragons, a couple trellis's for beans, some food special for the blueberries since they are acid lovers, a huge dahlia for a big decorative pot I have and some pansies to go around the edge, some lawn fertilizer and some deer netting. 

I got a couple little "gardens" planted - they are just small circular ones around the light post and around a little lilac that I saved from the alley - put geraniums and moss roses in those. Red White and "Blue" (purple) petunia baskets went on the shepherd's hooks in the front yard. I have a bunch of Sweet William to plant around the border of a raised rose bed... 

I am soooo happy digging in the dirt... I am so happy I could just dance! 

I think I will!


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## Taylor R.

Thank goodness I'm officially done with those stupid overnights. I mean, I still have to work all weekend, but I might get a little meaningful family time in at least. Or maybe at least plant the jalapeno plants that have been riding around in my car for a week :ashamed:

Have a wonderful weekend, y'all!!


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## Kasota

Taylor, I'm so glad you are done with the overnights! Happy planting! 

I just got back from yet another garden center with another car load of stuff: tomatoes (6 varieties), cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, several kinds of squash, boc choi, romaine, head lettuce, peppers, cucumbers, seed potatoes, onion sets, more raspberry (bare root), shallots bought some leek seeds and kohlrabi seeds and leaf lettuce seeds, 

Back to the dirt I go.....


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## Woodpecker

Glad everyone got to dig in the dirt. I didn't get to do so as much as I wanted today. I slipped on my wet floor at work and went down. I sprained my ankle and have to take it easy this weekend. Ah it can try but it won't stop me. I have been waiting for spring through the worst winter of my life. I plan to do more planting tomorrow. I took off today and I had my aunt over for lunch to celebrate my birthday tomorrow. Happy digging and living everyone.


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## Marchwind

Today was Civil War days in Vicksburg, MI. Some of my guild members and I went and participated in their historical village. The 8th grade from the school came over and they did 30 min. rotations at various stations, they have black powder guns, cannons, marching, Cricket, spinning, black smithing, candle making, and a pair of actors reading about the abolition movement, and Mr. And Mrs. Lincoln were there too. The weather was beautiful, about 70 degrees and sunny. Lots of kids stopped back at out tent to say ours was the best of all the stations they worked at. We made drop spindles ahead of time, carded wool, and printed off instructions to provide little kits for each of the kids, about 60 total. There were also parents and grandparents too. It was fun to see so many kids really get into spinning, boys and girls in equal numbers.

Here is as picture of us after everything was finished. I have the hat on


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## Miz Mary

I want to eat supper @ Kasotas !!! Holy cow, sounds like you will up to your eyeballs in good food !!


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## Kasota

Marchwind - what a lovely photo! Looks like you had a great time! 

MizMary, come on over!  I am hoping it will be a good gardening year, despite the slow start. I'm excited that I was able to find some of the berry bushes I've been looking for, too! I just need to get some more gooseberries and some honeyberries and cranberries and such from Starks and I'll be in pretty good shape. 

Turns out I am not the only "urban homesteader" in my neighborhood! There was a tiny rather run down house a block away - and elderly couple lived there and they were not able to keep up on it. They sold it last summer and the young couple that bought it have been busy as bees building raised beds, planting berries and they even put in a chicken coop! You can have a small flock of hens here in the city. I am going to bake some cookies and bring them over so that we can meet up!


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## Pigeon Lady

That is a beautiful photo! You're so pretty! Looks like you have a really nice group of ladies. 

Cindi, I'm sorry your leg isn't healing very well. Will keep you in my prayers. 

Kasota, I don't know how you manage to tend to so much garden! I have a hard time keeping a couple of hanging baskets and a tomato plant alive! 

Woodpecker, what a bummer! Healing thoughts for you ankle. Try not to over do it and make it worse.


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## Wind in Her Hair

reading and catching up- but with only one eye opened. oil of Peppermint is working on my temples and sinuses since I seem to have picked up a cold or someting. so i am squinting and peeking to see with only one eye opened as the peppermint does its "burn" thing. 

I am finally back home to stay! :bouncy: :dance::nanner:
Graduation/family reunion/Mother's Day trip to Texas- check.
Shepherd's Harvest- check.
Spinal specialist consultation- check.
JazzTurtle Esther Rodgers amazing spinning classes at Steven Be's- check.

whew

I am exhausted, inspired, my heart is full, and I am ready to dig in the dirt and sit by my campfire ring and watch springtime burst forth. 

The spinal specialists in Minneapolis say they have done spinal fusions on people with much better MRIs than mine  - it looks pretty bad for my L4 and L5- and that we are likely looking at injections to control the pain and surgery eventually. But for now, thankfully, I am in NO pain. zero. and I have permission to get out there and go for it.

No more bull riding or bronk riding, though. And sky diving would be a bad idea, too. I can live with all that. 

Woodpecker, here's wishing you a GLORIOUS birthday with all the fixins'!

Have a great day, everyone.


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## Kasota

Woodpecker, prayers for fast healing and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

PL, my veggie gardens are all in raised beds. They are a lot easier to tend to, at least for me. 

WIHH, we could give you a secondary nick and call you Wings On Her Feet. Oh, my...you must be glad to be home, indeed! Prayers that your cold disappears fast! Will you go ahead with the surgery, then? I am glad you are not in any pain from it...

It is another beautiful day here... going to be in the 70's and sunny. As soon as the coffee hits my system and I can work the kinks out of this old body from yesterday's planting I will be out planting my seeds. And I need to go buy more mulch...


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## Wind in Her Hair

Kas, no surgery I hope for a very long time (the GoodLordwilling)
I am waiting for the second cup of coffee to kick in, myself. 

Sleeping in my very own bed was HEAVEN. (sigh)

and waking to the serenade of our birds is just glorious

These past several weeks on the road once again remind me of what I am NOT- I am NOT a fancy motel/restaurant/shiny jewelry/expensive shoes and handbags/ crowded city streets/noisy city/pretentious people/late nights and neon lights/city traffic/high dollar cars sort of gal. 

I am quiet country mornings and woodland reveries. I am rich soil and dewdrops on blades of grass. With coffee in my hand in my favorite old cup and my holey old fuzzy bathrobe, I am rich beyond belief and blessed and loved and adored and nurtured beyond my wildest expectation- and I am happy. 

Happy to be home, happy to be among like-minded friends, and happy to be alive.


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## Miz Mary

Glad your in no pain WIHH !!! I agree with ya ..... I'd rather be home than in any city !!

Kasota, when you find time, pictures of your gardens would be fun to see ! I'm still working on my new raised bed area .... hubby is working on a concrete path , then I can put in edging and mulch ..and Im done ! Our fruit trees are LOADED this year ! Peaches, plums, apples ,blueberries and pears ....I have my first FIG this year --- Im so excited !


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## hotzcatz

Try putting the peppermint oil or Vick's Menth-o-latum on your feet to clear out your sinuses. I have no idea why it works, but it does. Plus if you get the right person to put in on for you, you can get a foot rub out of it, too!

Wow, everyone has been so busy lately! I feel like a slacker. Seems like Spring is springing up all over for the mainland now finally? 

Lots of gardening is good! 
Sheeps and critters is good!
Misbehaving relatives is bad. (Move to Hawaii, 2,500 miles away will fix loads of relative difficulties)
Fiber festivals are very good! Can SH have an "away game" and do one here?
Colds are bad! Get well soon!

Finally finished up two drafting jobs and got them sent off for review. One came back, of course. Sigh! At least the other one stayed gone. Trying to stay out of trouble and NO*NEW*PROJECTS didn't work at quilting group. One person showed up with two clocks that needed repair and someone else brought in one. Several days before, someone else brought in a cuckoo. Of course, most of these folks are friends so I can't really charge them much. Arrgh! One broken spring, two dirty, one needs bushings. Better get a parts order in or the broken spring and new bushings won't be fixed until after vacation.

Ack! Vacation! House sitters! OMG! Gotta clean up and clear out the living room or the house sitter just sticks everything she doesn't like in boxes and puts it in my sewing room. Which still has a layer of boxes in it from last year's "house sitter clearing action". We really liked the cleared and clean living room when we got home from vacation, but we promptly cluttered it back up again _without bringing out the boxes of clutter she'd hidden away._ That was a mistake. This is the same house sitter that organized my linen closet by color - as if everything is in matched sets. Arrgh! I've still not been able to find everything since then. Last year we were gone for six weeks, I think she got bored going to the beach too much or something.

Oh, and I think there's wild turkeys eating my newly sprouted lettuce. I'd been blaming slugs and put out slug pellets but the baby lettuces were still disappearing. Then yesterday while I was out picking beans, a momma turkey and a half dozen three quarters grown offspring came up to graze the raised beds like some sort of salad buffet! Hmpf! Roast turkey is pretty tasty, they'd better watch out!


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## SvenskaFlicka

I am in Nebraska for the weekend! Yay!!! I'm a happy girl. Went to one of my best friend's wedding this afternoon. They played the Star Wars theme for walking out of the church. 

I have sheep and kitties and a new puppy here. I <3 Nebraska.


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## SvenskaFlicka

This happened today too:
View attachment 29784


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## Marchwind

Awwww wat a fantastic arm full of fuzzies


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## Wind in Her Hair

love those kitties, Kelsey. is there anything sweeter?

I am listening to the amazing chorus of birds his morning- trumpeter swans honking from the "Lost Rice Lake" just through the woods, Robins, Orioles, Oven birds, Hermit Thrush, Goldfinches, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, chicikadees, Bluejays, Crows, and even a Bluebird!

We're off the an outdoor Memorial Day church service this morning and we are driving the Willy's military Jeep. The service is held at an old outdoor drive-in movie theatre and the service comes through your car radio when you turn to a certain channel. Instead of clapping or saying "amen", you honk your horn. The "outdoor church" caters to the needs of the folks staying at the many area resorts and campgrounds, so pets are welcome. They always give a head count that goes like this: "Today we have 215 people, 16 dogs, 4 cats, and a cockatiel!"

Then it is back for a quick bite to eat and then we will be hitting the garden pretty hard. 

I have all my seedlings ready to go and seeds all set out. The garden will need a "haircut" before we lay down the landscape cloth, though. We tilled it last fall and the spring weed seeds are germinating and jumping up right before our eyes. The scarecrow needs some primping and I have him a new shirt ready to go. Now if I could only find that stupid birdbath I misfiled somewhere in this house...

Hopefully, by evening, the majority of the garden will be in the ground and ready to go. Nice warm temps expected all week long so hopefully, we are out of the woods when it comes to low nighttime temps. I usually don't plant until June 1 and even then I have to cover the garden once or twice. 

Tomorrow we will attend a Memorial Day service at a nearby cemetery and then it is back home to finish up the garden (we need to build a new gate) and perhaps I will have time to mow the yard for the first time this year. Or maybe I will just wait and do that next weekend.

I also bought some flowers and herb to plant as well. 

I am really anxious to get back to my wheel(s) but this is the garden season. There will be plenty of warm "inside" days ahead.


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## raccoon breath

Kitties!! I love kitties and bunnies! Here's Pippi and Pearl. lol They are both trouble maker escape artists. Another bunny was running loose through the house yesterday along the corners and I now don't have to dust the baseboards. She's my little dust bunny! ha ha

I've had a bug of some sort the last week and am finally starting to feel myself again minus coughing from all the smoke. Same ol' same ol' for this time of year, but did start early since our winter was dry. 4th of July plans are being made here in my small town. Big news is a chilly cook-off this year and maybe a bake-off too. One of my angora goats has been named the official mascot of our local feed store. lol Her cute picture is blown up to 18"x24" and framed with her new title. Yay!! Here's the picture used. She had a big milk squirt on her face, then fell asleep inside a white 50 lb pickle barrel with her sister.


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## Kasota

Oh, the pictures are so precious!! I wish I could snuggle with the kitties and bunnies! and that little goat! I want the bunny in the second photo and the goat.  

MDKatie, I will try to get some pictures today.  Oh, to have such fruit trees!!! My fruit trees (excepting for one apple tree) are all small - just planted in the last year or two. I'll bet you are really excited at how the raised beds are coming along! How are your tomatoes? Do they still have those spots? 

Kelsey, sounds like you are having a wonderful time! 

Hotzcatz, I cannot imagine someone organizing my stuff. That would about drive me nuts. Bummer about the turkeys eating your stuff...but turn about is fair play.  

WIHH - Oh, I'll bet you are happy to simply be home. Sounds like an awesome church service.  Pictures of the garden, please!! Maybe I should make a scarecrow, too. 

RB - I hope you are feeling better soon! (((hugs)))

I am going to try to not overdo things today. Slow and steady is the pace for me, with maybe a few more breaks than I took the last couple days. After today I still have two additional glorious days off and don't have to be back to work until Wednesday. Yay! 

Today I will plant the seeds I didn't get to plant yesterday. I ended up doing some transplanting that mom wanted done and that chewed up a bit of time. Might run back to the garden center and pick up a few more things, but it won't be the car loads I did the last few days. Just bits and pieces, maybe some herbs....


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## Wind in Her Hair

Forgot to say how much I enjoyed my classes with JazzTurtle (Esther Rodgers) at Steven Be's! 

I, uhm, SOMEHOW managed to combine my trip to see the spinal specialists with 2 wonderful classes (I could never justify driving and staying in the Twin Cities JUST for classes) :teehee:

Esther is a wonderful, generous teacher and is so energetic and inspiring.

She brought some delicious fiber for us to dive into and we all took advantage of these fun fibers from far away. 

My first class was "Carding Wild Batts" and it was WILD to say the least. Esther explained the difference in drum carders - it is NOT just all anout teeth spacing and teeth length! :shocked:

(sorry for the awful pictures- light was streaming into the studio and the glare and fadeout was terrible)

I was frankyly horrified by what Esther was about to do- stuffing this layered "sandwich" into a Louet drum carder- but ya know what, that is exactly what THAT drum carder is intended to do! 

Esther also taught us the practical and modern approaches to hackles, combs, and blending boards! What fun. 

She also covered that whole confusing issue of the color wheel and how it relates to making divine batts. I REALLY had to stretch myself to throw in that "ugly color" that I NEVER use but that comes up in the color wheel as a complentary color to the base color.


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## Kasota

WOW!!!!! Look at all that fiber!!!!! What utterly glorious bunches of irrepressible color! I'll bet you had a blast. I am not, however, buying you not being able to justify a trip "just" for classes! However, if you ever do encounter difficulties with that I'm sure there are some enablers here who would help you. Still, I don't think you would have any trouble on your own. I listened to you talking about making that wheel purchase at Shepherd's Harvest. You are a master.


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## Wind in Her Hair

My second class with esther was "Tailspinning: The Long and Short of It".

we learned how to spin "lockspun yarns" with short locks like cotwold, BFL, etc and then we learned how to spin long "tailspun yarns" with teeswater, wensleydale etc.

Steven Be even came in and modeled some of our finished yarns! He also served us his sognature "Glitter tea".  With Steven, it is all about the glitter! 

it was a blast!


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## Pigeon Lady

Oh, The kittens and Bunnies!!! Love, love, love!

Everyone is so busy and productive. I decided not to have any major outside projects going on while my Dad is here. A good thing because he's come down sick with a really bad cold/belly problems. 

Kasota, yes, raised beds are the way to go! DS is the one doing the gardening this year. He took horticulture this semester and has really become passionate about gardening. My problem isn't so much the work, but the heat. Once the temps get into the 80's I'm like a limp lettuce. No energy at all. Can't seem to get out there when it's cool as there's all the other farm work to do "while it's cool" I'm glad DS has taken over this year. 

WIHH, didn't know your back was so bad. I'm glad you're not in pain and hope you can go a long time before needing the surgery. Your fiber classes sound like a lot of fun!

I have all the sheep sheared but one. They look a bit rough as DH wasn't around to help, but at least they're done. I'm slowly learning how best to process the fleeces. They're so unique. I'm just concentrating on the softer parts of it because, let's just say, I have all the baling twine I ever need, without spinning more!


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## Kasota

PL, congrats on getting the rest of the sheep sheared excepting the one.  It's always nice when you can scratch shearing off the to-do list. 

I did not get pictures taken of the gardens. By the time I was kinda sorta done the sky had clouded over and the pictures will look so much nicer in the sunshine that I decided to wait until tomorrow. I did get a slew of stuff done, though. Most of the seeds are planted - just a few more rows of carrots and radishes and leaf lettuce to do. If all the squash plants survive and thrive I am going to have squash coming out my ears. I really really like squash...but I "might" have overdone it. lol! I have a couple hanging baskets yet to fill but for the most part things are in good shape. Planted more broccoli. Planted more peppers and I tucked a muskmelon in the big tub where I planted the watermelon. Got a couple more trellises and planted more peas. Planted some celeriac, too. I've not grown that before so it will be fun to see what it does. Planted more cucumbers. Need to plant more dill for pickling. 

Tomorrow I have to clean my upstairs. It is a disaster zone. I have stuff strewn everywhere...mostly fiber and yarn. I gotta re-organize.


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## Wind in Her Hair

We're exhausted but feeling good about what we have accomplished. The garden is about 85% planted. Tomatoes are planted, fertilized, watered in, staked, and protected from cut worms.

whew

My back is sore, my feet are sore, and I am exhausted. Too tired to eat (and you know how I LOVE to eat ) 

So, I am off to bed.

See you in the morning! Sweet dreams.


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## hercsmama

Got nothing done today any of you would want to know about.
I'm either on the backend of a case of food poisoning, or some sort of 24 hour stomach bug..
Not a good day at all, and last night was worse.


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## Wind in Her Hair

This morning, we enjoyed a very moving Sunday service at the Crosslake outdoor church.

Today we honored our veterans with a flag raising and rifle salute by our local American Legion, a fly over which included the very moving "Missing Man" formation, 
veterans were asked to come to the front (which included 6 WWII vets), and a inspring message by Colonel Scott St. Sauvers. 

Col. Sauvers is the commander of Camp Ripley here in Minnesota and he honored us with this photo in front of our Willys M38 A1 US Army Jeep.

May God bless our servicemen and women and may God bless America,


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## Taylor R.

One more day...just one more day of work before I get a break. I have been a stay-at-home mom with teensy part time jobs for almost 7 years now, and I am SO not cut out for the 60 hour grinds that so many Americans put themselves through on a regular basis. I enjoy my job, but it doesn't feel very meaningful. It makes it very difficult to leave my husband and kids so often just for a little extra money. I'm hoping everyone spreads their vacations out a little more from here on out so that I don't have to do this often. Granted, I can't do this too often or my weekly average will get too high to be classified as part time.

It looks like everyone is having a wonderful (and busy!) Memorial Day weekend. 

Debi, get better soon!


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## Woodpecker

Everyone is so busy! I got the garden all planted finally. What a big job. I had to hand till it. I also made another bed. I'm so sleepy.

Hercsmama feel better soon.


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## Pigeon Lady

Hope you feel better Debi! That's just how my Dad is, except it's been going on for a few days. He thinks he might have picked it up on the plane. 

Dad enjoyed seeing your Jeep WIHH. He used to drive one of those back in the early 50's while stationed in Germany with the British Army. He said he loved that Jeep.


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## Marchwind

I got my lawn mowed . I've been working on my container gardening. I need to drill drain holes but my little cordless drill isn't powerful enough I don't think . I was hoping to get everything planted by today.


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## Kasota

Good morning, everyone! Happy Memorial Day! Many thanks to all who serve and have served, their families and loved ones. 

I have my flag out. She's shining in the sun and waving in the breeze. 

Debi, I sure hope you feel better soon! That is just rotten. 

PL - hope your dad is feeling better, too! 

Woodpecker I hope you got a good night's sleep. 

Marchie, if you need to you can melt drain holes in the bottom of the containers. I've done it (carefully) by holding whatever metal object I'm using to melt the hole with a pair of pliers or a vice grip and heating it up on the stove and then melting my way through a plastic pot. Sometimes I will take a plastic bottle or jug and melt a couple holes in the bottom to make a watering reservoir. A couple small nail holes in the bottom of an old water bottle will just drip drip drip and keep a hanging basket happy on a very hot day while I am away at work. 

Taylor, I hope you get some breaks and can be home where your heart is for a bit!

It's another glorious day - so sunny and bright. The Kestrels that have been nesting in my neighbor's tree the last few years have not returned. I don't know where they are but I'm sure happy to see them gone. They had decimated the small birds in the area. Probably why they moved on. This year I have songbirds again! It's nice to be able to sit outside and hear them singing.


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## Woodpecker

Thanks for the well wishes Kas but no such luck. Just knowing I need to be at work for 2 hours kept me up, but the money's worth it! Today I need to put cages around my newly planted tomatoes and since I forgot to add egg shells in the planting hole put some around them, fertilize and then water everything else. Not to mention I got up early to get Alice and Abagail a drink and Alice pecked me again. She's fresh so far. I will get out to the garage with my camera today and get some close up pics. I hope we all stay busy, this winter was dreadful.


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## Miz Mary

I hope everybody gets to feeling better ...no fun being under the weather !!! 

WIHH, your classes looked scary !! Its hard for me not to be all Matchy Matchy with colors ..... looked like fun learning though ! 

I'd love pics of everybody's garden stuff ..... gardening is _almost_ as fun as fiber stuff ! 
_ALMOST_.......


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## Kasota

I think gardening and fiber-play is the perfect combination. In Winter I'm busy with fiber as the focus. By the time Spring comes around I'm tired of being indoors and want outside, sunshine and gardening. By the time late Fall early Winter rolls around I'm tired from all the garden and yard work and ready for restful things.


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## Kasota

I gave in. 

I put the AC in my bedroom window. I hate losing the option to just have the window open but egads it's hot!


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## Falls-Acre

I don't know where else to turn. I don't mean to dump on ya'll. I recently found out my father has been hospitalized with kidney failure. I don't really know much about what's going on because many years ago, he and I had a falling out and never really got over it. I haven't actually spoken to him in over 4 years. I don't know how I feel right now. I don't know how I should be feeling right now. I'm lost. I always knew some day this would happen, probably sooner than later. he had never been the healthiest person, medical issues since his 30's or maybe earlier, I don't really remember. He's only 61 years old. huh, I never really thought about how old he was before. From what I understand, with the kidney failure, there are options: dialysis, transplant, etc. and this isn't the first time this has happened. maybe 10 years ago his doctor inadvertently put him on conflicting medications, which caused kidney failure and zeroed out his BP. He actually died in the ambulance for a minute before they were able to revive him.

On top of all this, I have 4 kids who don't have a clue. The younger 2 of them have only ever met the man once in their lives. What do I tell them?! Sadly, I don't really have anyone I can talk to here that would understand, or at least listen without judgement. So thanks for that.


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## lambs.are.cute

I got the coats on my ewe, well three of them. I'm testing coating so I am starting at three. I put two on white and one on my new black ewe. And now my black ewe is completely confused and included in the group of whites, and since she's the only black ewe it's all for the better but she's really confused. Who knew a white coat would make a ewes life better. I wonder what they'll think when I break out the pink coats?


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## Wind in Her Hair

*Falls-Acre*, my heart goes out to you. This must be terribly painful and confusing. 

What you do is entirely up to you. There is a REASON you haven't talked to him in 4 years. 

Review that issue very very carefully - you may be surprised to find that while it MAY have seemed like a huge issue "back then"- it isn't really all that big a deal now. :shrug:

You also may still feel angry about it- but ask yourself if THAT issue is bigger than the bond that ties you together
and then ask yourself if that old hurt and disagreement is still SO BIG that it will stand between you and your dad in what could be his final days.

As to what to tell your children? Tell them the truth. 

Believe me, children are far more understanding and accepting and more forgiving than most adults - fewer scars, fewer shields - and since they aren't "directly involved" with the issue that caused your separation-they'll be fine. 

Just to say that we are here for you and we care about you and your situation- so never feel as if you cannot come and lay it all out here. We're here for you- thats what friends are for. :grouphug:


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## Kasota

(((Falls Acre))) Oh, what a rough road! I will sure be keeping you in thoughts and prayers. There is no way that you should or should not be feeling. There simply is no right or wrong to any of it. As for the kids, they will understand "enough" for whatever their age is. How old are your kids? That will make a big difference in what you tell them and what you don't. Even little ones understand being sad. Kidney failure is sometimes permanent and sometimes reversable. Is there someone else in the family that knows more that can fill you in? As far as being judged - you'll get none from me. I've btdt with my bio father. Just know that you are cared for here and that whatever you decide to do will be okay. ((((hugs))))


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## Kasota

Miz Mary, here are the promised pictures of the raised beds. I still have some mulch to put down between some of the rows so that it all matches and is chocolate brown. I really cram a lot of things in the beds...make use of every inch. Kind of like square foot gardening, only linear. LOL! I'll plant leaf lettuce and radishes among the tomatoes because I will harvest them before the tomatoes get so big they shade them out. I have peas and beans on the trellises at the ends of the rows. The big pots on the side have taters in them. I'll layer in more compost as the plant grows and I usually get three layers of taters by doing it that way. I have onion sets tucked everywhere. In the beds where I planted more raspberries - because they are bareroot and will take a while to grow I made use of the space for this year anyway by planting broccoli, celeriac, etc. It's going to be fun to see what it all looks like a few weeks from now when all the seeds are up and the plants are getting bigger. I also make use of my garden space by growing things in hanging baskets on shepherd's hooks..usually cherry tomatoes, strawberries, etc.


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## Wind in Her Hair

WOW, Kasota!!!! That garden is amazing!!!! I am trying hard not to be jealous- but- wow! Such a neat and tidy place!!!


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## Kasota

WIHH - thank you so much! It really has been a labor of love. The lower end of the yard tends toward wet so I had a couple loads of dirt/sand hauled in to raise it up a bit. Of course it's also softer there...so the landscaper's dump truck could only get 1/2 way back into the yard. I used my wheel barrow to move it into that back corner. Last fall I built the last of the raised beds and had more truckloads of dirt which also had to be hauled back with my wheel barrow. Then it was hauling in all the mulch. 

I love how tidy the mulched walkways are. Even after a good rain I can walk among the beds and not get my feet wet. No mowing between the rows. No tilling needed. It's really meant to be a lazy person's garden.


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## MDKatie

I'm sorry to hear that, Falls-Acre. I mentioned earlier in the thread that my sis and Dad have had a falling out, and it's her decision to not speak to him again. He just turned 60 on Sunday, so I worry that this will be an issue some day for my sister. I don't know what to tell you, other than go with what feels right to you. My mother hadn't spoken to her father in years and years, but had a very nice visit with him in his final days. They made up and I know she is so glad she had that time with him. Only you can decide if you want to visit him or "make up" with him, and I know that has got to be a hard decision for you. I agree with WIHH about the kids. I think being open and honest is the way to go. Maybe offer them a chance to see him (if you think that would be ok). I wish I had visited with my granfather before he passed, even though I hadn't had a very close relationship at all with him). Please feel free to unload, vent, talk, etc with us as much as you like...it helps to get it all out!



I've been crazy busy these past 4 days. I tried to catch up on everyone's happenings. Woodpecker, I hope you're ok from your fall and I hope you had a great birthday! 

Kas, great work on the gardening!

lambs.-keep us updated on the coats! I've been thinking of coating my ewes.

Cyndi, I'm sending you positive thoughts and vibes of good healing for your leg!!

WIHH, what great pictures and such vibrant, beautiful fibers!!!!

Taylor, I hope you enjoy your much deserved time off!

hercs, I hope you are feeling better!

Marchie, what a lovely picture! You look very pretty and have such kind eyes! Love the hat, too. 

raccoon breath, such cute bunnies!! And Svenska, such cute kitties!!


Gosh, I'm sorry if I missed anyone!


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## MDKatie

OH! And we went to the wedding this weekend. My aunt married her partner in October, and they had the reception this weekend in VA. The trip down was nice, and the reception was beautiful. Good food, good people, and a room full of love. Can't get better than that! 

I was nervous because my mother, father, and sister would all be there...and my parents are divorced and my sister no longer talks with my father. I was nervous and felt torn at first, but made sure to have a great time and spend time with all of my family. I asked my Dad to dance with me, and I know he appreciated it. It wasn't nearly as awkward of a situation as I first thought it would be. My brother was there, and he is always so mellow and laid back, so I knew he wouldn't have a hard time. He and his gf did the music and MCing, and they did a great job.


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## Miz Mary

Falls-Acre, we're here for you ! Only YOU can know what to do .... I have only what I have learned in this life to offer you ....

... I usually make more of a deal of something that really is ... thats just my personality...
... try to think ahead 20 years ..... what you do now will affect you then ....
...figure out what you want out of the situation, then make that your goal ....
...PRAY..it is always a good thing ! I'll be praying for you !


Kasota..... THAT is a beautiful garden !! It's what Im working towards !! Only I used cinder blocks , and mine is smaller ..... but almost done !! What did you used for the path mulch ?? I found a place you can get playground mulch , think I'll try that over weed guard ! 

I hear ya on the pack it out plan ! The bottom left box has 6 zucchini plants .... top left is full of summer/winter squash .... herbs in the bottom right ..... tomatoes in the green walls of water ( and under plastic ) and in middle left ...brussle sprouts/tomatillos, jalapeno, in the top right is the carrots/radishes /beets ....


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## Taylor R.

I haven't even managed to clean out the big garden this year. I'm hoping to get to it this week and get my tomatoes and peppers put in. They've been hanging out in pots in the green house at my dad's for a while. Good news is I have a bunch of volunteer lettuce coming up in my little greens bed, bad news is I didn't intend to use that bed because the poison oak that grows up the neighbor's house tends to grow into that bed if I'm not constantly fighting it back. The whole not working this week thing isn't going to work out for them :hair , so I've got a lot to do in a little bit of time. My house needs really cleaned desperately, so I'll do that today and hope I've got enough gas in the tank to get the garden done this evening. Off to hang the laundry!!


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## Wind in Her Hair

this is picture from a couple of years ago (?) but it shows you what I am dealing with out here in the woods. 

The first couple of years I planted the garden, the deer took no notice. I was able to plant peas, pumpkins and climbing beans and squashes ON the fence - even OUTSIDE the fence. 

Then one day, some brave deer took a nibble and then another and another and before you knew it, nothing was safe. 

We have even had the rare occasion to find that a deer (or two) had jumped the fence and had lunch.  :sob: :sob: :sob: 

That year we RAISED the fence by adding lattice tied with Walmart bags and streamers.

Now I don't plant anything that climbs near the fence.


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## Kasota

Miz Mary, I love your garden! I think you're doing great - especially since this is the first year with those raised beds out of block. You've got a great variety planted already! Six zucchini?? Egads you are going to be up to your eyeballs in them! You can play "stuff your neighbor's car with zucchini" when they are not looking.  The block worked out nicely for you on the hill! 

My beds are 4x8 because I can stuff an 8 foot board in my car if I lay the back of the seats flat.  Three boards make a bed and I can butt them short end together for longer rows. I have a friend with cinder block beds and really like hers but I think my yard is too squishy and the blocks might be level one year and not the next. My yard re-shapes itself every Spring when things thaw out. 

I used Scott's mulch that I got on sale from Home Depot 5 bags for 10.00. That's a good price. However, my game plan (and I've done it on one row) is to top the wood mulch with rubber mulch. I put down a good landscape fabric and then add the mulch..but wood mulch has to be replenished frequently. I used the wood mulch to simply get 'er done and leveled out. When I need to replenish a row I'm adding rubber mulch on top. It's expensive or I would have simply done it all to start with. It's worked out really nicely in the areas where I topped with rubber mulch and it's soooo squishy to walk on. Kind of bouncy. I don't want to have to be hauling mulch when I am old - that is why I'm topping things with rubber mulch as I can afford to.


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## Kasota

WIHH - I love your scare crow! I keep dreaming of a fence but the area has some "challenges" in terms of laying one out. I resort to Liquid Fence which actually works really good if I am diligent about it. I have so many deer here it drives me CRAZY sometimes. Rats on stilts. hahahaha You would think being in the city there would not be many deer but we are over run with them. 

How high is your fence?


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## Wind in Her Hair

the fence is only 5" tall but if we add lattice and those fluttery bags, that really deters them. 

One year we lost nearly the whole garden in one night to a woodchuck. I used to love those adorable little fellows - but no more. 

We had to build a NEW gate this weekend because he ate through the old one. He went to woodchuck heaven so he won't be giving us any more problems this year. 

I &#9829; my scarecrow, too. I made at least a hundred of those when I had a craft booth back in Texas. Tore down an old barn for the barnwood and painted those scarecrows on sawhorses out under the trees. I raided every Goodwill store for miles searching for XL plaid shirts. 

My scarecrow is named "Greanbeanman" - after a dear cyber friend that befriended me pre Y-2K on the Old Farmer's Almanac web forum. 

He helped me with so many gardening issues that I decided to name my scarecrow after him. Greanbeanman also told me about a homesteading website that was just getting going and together we mosied on over there. That was where I ran headlong into my destiny - Cabin Fever. :kiss:

Many years ago, we met Greanbeanman in real life on a trip through Kansas and we have always considered him our "Virtual Best Man" - he was truly instrumental in bringing us together and I will forever be in his debt.









(hey, THERE's my *waist*- :shocked: I was wondering where it went to! :hysterical: )

Greanbeanman was known as "Wendy in Kansas" here on HT and sadly, he passed away very unexpectedly about 18 months ago. 

I do have to restore Greanbeanman's raffia stuffing every year because the birds love him so much that they pull it out and line their nests with it. 

Here is a closeup of him so that you can see his "friends" - the crow and the bluebird.

He makes me smile - as did the real life Greanbeanman.


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## Taylor R.

WIHH, your Greenbeanman looks very familiar. Was he from around my neck of the woods?? I was scrolling down, saw the picture and thought, "Whoa, he looks familiar but I'm not sure from where," then I read and saw he was in KS. ETA, was he perhaps an extension agent or worked for a conservation district, noxious weed dept?

I'm still hanging out on my couch because I can't get my dang blood sugar up this morning. My mystery metabolic/hormonal issue rears it's ugly head every once in a while (in a form other than the inability to gain weight or maintain a 'normal' BMI). Today seems to be one of those days. I've had to stick myself 3 times this morning and my sugar levels still aren't over 60 despite the jelly beans (and the peanut butter that I eat with them in an effort to help maintain my levels) every half hour. I SO don't have time for this right now!!


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## Kasota

I used to have a waist, too. LOL! I don't know what happened to it but it's been missing for years....

I so want to make one of those scarecrows!!! I have some wood in the shed I can use and I'm quite sure I can find a shirt at the Goodwill or Savers. Does it stick in the ground or does it have some kind of a base that you weigh down with sandbags or ? 

That is so sad that GreenBean Man is gone.  But how wonderful for you to be able to remember him each year!

Taylor - I sure hope you can get your blood sugar up! Egads that's low!


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## Marchwind

Hugs to you Fallsacres, you will make the right decision for you and your children. I think you have great advice here. Kids are resilient, and very understanding, and generally a lot smarter than we think.

I remember Greenbeanman 

Kasota your garden is beautiful! MizMary nice job on gardening on a hill. I like how you did your raised beds.

We have has beautiful weather over the long weekend. It rained today, a lot and it is hot and sticky, yuck :yuck: not my kind of weather. My friend and I went to one of the zillion greenhouses garden centers today. I love walking through those places but if I have to chose my brain just goes, phitzzzzz, total over load, in a good way. I can't remember if I told you but the drill bits have round ends and I need drill bits with hex ends :facepalm: stupid man sold me the wrong bits and it was probably too long ago to return them . But I borrowed one that does fit from my friend and got one drilled. I will fill it with dirt and plants when the rain stops.

Last night there was a 13 yr old boy who was shot and killed 2 blocks from my house :shocked: I heard the sirens . They have someone in custody. It's sad that anyone would shoot a child intentionally. I'm sad for his family and friends and for all his neighbors.


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## hercsmama

March, that's just horrible! Not to mention scarey that it was so close to your house.:shocked:

Taylor, I hope you get that BS under control, not good numbers at all!
Gorgeous gardens ladies!! Love all the pics.

Fallsacres, Bless your heart. Only you can answer your questions about how to handle your Daddies illness. I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this.
On a personal note, my Daddy and I didn't always see eye to eye, but I'd give my right seat in you know where to have him here today to argue with. Just saying, sometimes what we perceive as a big deal, really isn't in the grand scheme of things.


Well, I'm back on the road to normal, at least normal for me.
Yesterday was mine and dh's 25th wedding anniversary, we've actually been together 30 years, but only married for the 25. 
We pulled the Harley's out of the garage and went for a ride, had a great time, and found the best burger place ever!!
It's a little bar n Burwell NE. called Northside, the onion rings were amazing!!!
Today it is back to the grindstone for both of us. I have another 42 tomato seedlings to get in the ground, and will be direct seeding my squashes and beets. 

Kas, I think we have officially found a name for our place, and I thought you particularly might enjoy it.
I thik, we are going to call it Bah-Berry Farm.
The simple explanation is that we have Barbados, rather a Piratey looking sheep, and we will have a lot of focus on Strawberries in our high tunnel.

The reason I think this would appeal to you is this, We are going to use a "cartooned" up picture of little Miss Emmylou as our mascot. She will be dressed up as a pirate, and sailing in a strawberry basket!

If you can't write a childrens book about that, I have no idea what else you could write about! LOL!!:dance:


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## Marchwind

Hercsmama I love the name and the logo sounds like it will be perfect . I can't wait to see pictures. Happy Anniversary too! Glad you had a nice day with your DH.

Taylor I've had blood sugar issues all my life but I've never been diagnosed with anything, I've just dealt with it on my own. Feel better soon, it's a yucky feeling.

The neighborhood I live in isn't the best but it sure isn't the worst either. My particular block is very peaceful with good people and most of the houses are owned. I guess there was a fight and the police had just been there to break up the fight when the shooting happened. the person they have in custody is 18 yrs old. No word on if the boy who was shot was the intended target or an innocent bystander.


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## Wind in Her Hair

Kasota, the scarecrow is three pieces. One longish plank for his head to the bottom of his jeans, then one plank for his arms, and a small wooden "hatband" scewed down over his raffia hair. 

I have made them where I cut a "wedged point" so that you could just "drive " him into the ground like any gardening stake. Mine actually mounts to a Tpost that I drive into the ground in the garden. I drilled a hole in his midsection and I then bolt him to the T post. 

If you need more detailed info, I can take measurements and closeup pics!

And yes, Taylor R- Greenbeanman was Keith Peters and he was a market gardener there outside of Wichita - Sterling? Hutchinson? He was also a part-time security guard at a public library.


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## Kasota

Marchie, that is just horrible about that boy being shot.  

Debi, Happy Anniversary!! And I LOVE Bah-Berry Farm!!! I can imagine all the fun you can have with Emmylou as your mascot! I can hardly wait to see your logo! There could be a whole SERIES of Emmylou books! 

WIHH - thank you for the description. No need for close up photos. TPost sounds like the ticket! 

I have to head back to work today. My 5 glorious days off are over. I'm glad that I have a job but I would rather play in the garden. 

Hope everyone has a delightful day!


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## Taylor R.

WIHH- I figured out who I thought it was (I think my impaired mental facilities from the low blood sugar had me stumped, because I worked with the man I thought it was for 2 years), and it isn't him. The resemblance really is uncanny, though.

Happy anniversary, Debi!!

I managed to get my blood sugar up to normal-ish by bed time last night and I feel much better this morning still. The only reason I ever even test is when it gets low enough that I'm feeling it and eating doesn't help. I have emergency glucagon injections (that don't do much good if there's not someone there to inject it if I pass out...come to think of it, maybe I should show the neighbor how to do it in case my husband isn't home) that I hope to never have to use.


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## Marchwind

Glad you're feeling better this morning Taylor 

I'm so excited. I found some landscapers cloth at the farm store, it was actually really inexpensive for a big roll. I lined the big planter so the dirt doesn't wash out of the bottom. I mixed my soil last night and covered the whole mess with plastic so the cats won't get into it. Hopefully I'll get the other one done today and get them both planted this weekend. WooHoo!!!!!! My neighbor said I could putouts up against her new fence and grow my squash vertically on the fence. I tell you, learning to grow things not only in pots but in a zone 6 is way different than growing things in the ground in a zone 2a. I could grow just about anything in the ground and was pretty goto at growing things in 2a zone area. We will see how I do here this all these new things.


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## hercsmama

March you just gave me a great idea!

I have a rabbit issue in the big garden, but putting up enough chicken wire to keep them out would be crazy expensive!
But...if I get the landscape cloth, and put it on the inside of my fencing.....it just might work! Certainly a lot cheaper, and would also help with some wind issues....:thumb: Worth trying anyway!
Now to figure out how to attach it.......


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## Kasota

Marchie - you can grow just about anything in containers.  I LOVE container gardening. I've grown squash vertically for many years. You can do it!! 

Debi - you can get a big roll of plastic netting deer fence for around 10.00. It cuts with a scissors and you can attach them with zip ties or twine.


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## Marchwind

Kasota I know it is possible I've just never done it before. Before this it didn't occure to me that the soil had to be different, sheesh I should know that right? Anyway, I've read and read and now we'll see how it turns out. Soil amendment is one thing but creating soil from scratch is another. I feel empowered now. The hard part is that all my tools, garden and otherwise are still in MN and I hate to buy something if I already own it, it's just not here. So I borrow when I can.


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## Wind in Her Hair

Called in SICK from work today ( haven't done that in YEARS)

terrible sinus/cold/ears/chest congestion/coughing

can't breathe

fluffy robe, wool socks, herbal remedies

when I feel a little better I will make myself a pot of chicken soup

if I felt better I could appreciate the GLORIOUS morning it is out there

windows are wide open, the birdies are singing so beautifully just 59ÂºF

Have a wonderful day, everyone.


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## Miz Mary

Awwww WIHH, so sorry your ill ...put your feet up and REST ......


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## hercsmama

WIHH, summer colds are the worst! Feel better soon.


:banana::banana:My watermelons are up!!!!:banana::banana:


Soooo happy!! I planted 12 hills of Crimson Sweet seeds, and they are all up!! That's 48 watermelon plants!! Woohoo!!!!

I just got back from TSC, and this fancy garden store, had to go get Kas's Deer netting (awesome idea!), and 4 dozen feeder fish and 4 Playcosomuses(sp) ,I butchered that one, for the stock tanks.
When I went to go dump the fish in the tanks, I looked over at the garden, and there they were!!!
I thought they were weeds at first, I just put those seeds in maybe a week ago. 
I also picked myself up a Confederate Jasmine at the fancy garden store, couldn't resist. The one at my old house grew so big it ate one whole outside wall of the house. I doubt they grow that well here, but They're one of my favorite bushes, smell so amazing when they bloom....the sales guy called it a Star Jasmine, I told him I'm from the south so we call it a Confederate Jasmine :gaptooth:. He just laughed and asked if I also referred to it as the War of Northern Aggression, I said of course.:grin: Too funny!

Off to go play with a Pineapple Upside down cake, then some spinning time.


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## Kasota

Marchwind, it must be kind of like torture to be seperated from your tools. What are you going to plant in your containers? 

WIHH, oh I am so sorry you are sick. That is just rotten. Wish I were closer - I would bring you some chicken soup! 

Debi - congrats on the watermelons!!! Whooo hoooo! You are going to have watermelons coming out your ears.  I have never heard of a Confederate Jasmine. Had to google it. I love things that smell heavenly but it would never survive this far north. Rats! 

My radishes are up! My radishes are up! Not as exciting as watermelon, but I'm tickled pink even so. Somehow the first seeds sprouting are just especially wonderful and full of promise! The bareroot raspberries I planted are getting leaves, too! 

Tomorrow is Friday! Yay! It is supposed to rain in the afternoon, which will give me time to work on the Traveller. I got some Danish Oil and tried it on the combs and hackle. It is ok, but was just the natural finish and I think I want something with a little more color in it for the wheel. I will have to see what they have on my way home from work tomorrow. My neighbor came out while I was sitting on the patio working on the combs and hackle. He gave me a strange look and then smiled and said, "That's a nice set. My wife used to work with those." I did not know his wife was a spinner. She passed away about 10 years ago. Then he told me that he gave her wheel to his niece and that she raises sheep and spins. It's a small world.


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## lambs.are.cute

WIHH get better soon. It is miserable being sick but in he spring? A tragity. 

Here is bluebell with her coat that makes her popular with the rest of the flock.


The weather I'm keeping who doesn't have a name yet. His wool is soooooooo soft I just want to hug him but he's too shy.



One of the white ones with a blanket (no names mama is peeking in hue corner)


My garden which I just finished planting. Most of it is in dye plants this year. 


One of our rose bushes 


This one is called 4th of July. It just started blooming but in a week it will be so covered in blooms that you can barely see green.


And here is chicken county correctional for hens who won't stay off weed (aka garden). So far it is inmates 3, warden 0. I have had them put away for a grand 3 hours. Bah more bars are needed.


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## Wind in Her Hair

lambs.are.cute said:


> chicken county correctional for hens who won't stay off weed (aka garden).


:hysterical:

that just made me burst out laughing which got me to coughing and wheezing which led to me rushing to the potty which resulted in...:hysterical: :grin:

that was hilarious


the sheep are adorable- now help me- I get all those curly-faced sheep breeds all mixed up

Babydoll Southdown? 

the roses are divine- they truly look like fireworks. 

And your dyers garden will be lots of fun- too bad you can't grow the bugs that make cochineal. 

I may harvest some Lobster mushrooms _Hypomyces lactifluorum _this fall and use their skin for trying to get a saturated fuschia. 

I heard that it is possible but have never tried it. I know the gal that wrote this blog- she is a felter from near me and is a talented artist

http://lilfishstudios.blogspot.com/2011/09/dyeing-with-lobster-mushrooms-part-iii.html

I talked with "Mydaughterthedoctor" this morning and she says that if I have the resporatory thing thats making the rounds, I better just settle back and get ready to enjoy about 3-4 weeks of coughing.  :sob: :sob: :sob:

She said that she coughed so hard when she had it that she dislocated a floating rib or two and had to have them manipulated back in place. Oh joy. 

I have made a pot of my Chinese Corn Cowder Chicken soup- so I am good for a couple of days. 

Any home remedies for congestion and coughing would be appreciated.


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## Kasota

LAC - the pictures are wonderful! I so love those lambs! Those roses are awesome, too! Odd that the chickens on weed keep escaping. Usually they just kick back, get the munchies and watch tv. Maybe if you installed cable for them? 

WIHH, I hope you don't have the 3-4 weeks of coughing. UGH! Maybe some echinacea tincture? Elderberry? A good dark red wine (Resveratrol) ?


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## Taylor R.

We managed to get the garden at dad's weeded..only took 5 hours!! I keep forgetting to take pictures of the chickens and the new coop while we're out there. My oldest let two of the roos out last night, but dad's mini schnauzer is thankfully a chicken herding expert and helped me get them back in. Our living room-raised hens still seem to be much friendlier than the rest, thank goodness. Little Charlotte, who had to come home and stay at our house by herself for a week, will still run up and jump on my lap.

I'm starting to feel like I'll never get time to sit at my wheel while the weather is nice. There's so much going on. Just this weekend we've got a t-ball game, my son's 6th birthday party, work, my sister-in-law's graduation party/brother and SIL's going away party (they're moving to Baltimore for my SIL's internship and grad school at Johns Hopkins), and who knows what else we'll cram in there.


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## MDKatie

Love those sheep, LAC! That wether is such a cutie pie!!! Where did you get your sheep coats?


Hope everyone has a great weekend!!


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## Marchwind

We'll I think your little wether should be named Woolfred . He's a cutie! Love all the pictures.

WIHH sorry you feel crummy. When I get like that I drink this mixture as a tea. In a quart size jar add, one lemon juiced into the jar and add the whole lemon (Vit. C), about a quarter teaspoon of turmeric (eases swelling), a shake or two of ceyanne pepper or to taste, hot water, and as much honey as needed to taste. I drink many of these throughout the day. It seems to help and it just tastes good too. Be warned that the lemons may give you loose stools . Hope you feel better soon. Oh, and I use organic lemons if possible.

Kasota, right now I only have tomatoes and herbs planted. Most of my seeds are old so I'm checking their viability now. What I want to plant are; green beans, peas, lettuce/salad greens, radishes, zucchini, winter squash, cucumbers, eggplant. I'm going to ask if local friends have extra seedlings.


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## Miz Mary

WIHH, don't forget to put Vicks on the bottom of your feet for the cough ! 
Elderberry is really good for helping rid a cold .... and drink lots of water /tea to keep hydrated , slight dehydration can make you feel worse ! 

LAC, that weather IS adorable !!! Your place is looking great too !!


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## SvenskaFlicka

Sooo... this morning, I went to do my daily load of laundry, and all the laundry machines were torn apart. That's odd, there's no maintenance notice on the door. Then I noticed that all the coin boxes were torn off and that the garbage can was gone and the laundry sink was full of shoes, lint, and dryer sheets. So I brought my laundry back to my apartment, and went and knocked on my apartment manager's door and told her what happened. She was immediately shaken, and we tore down the hall to see the laundry room, then checked the laundry room upstairs. Only one machine and one dryer up there, out of two each, was intact. So she told me to start my laundry right away because everyone would soon figure out there was only one working set in the building and rushed off to call people about things. 

The laundry rooms have locks with keys to get in, and we have a secured building, so it would almost have to be an inside job. I know she empties the coin trays in the machines fairly regularly, so I'm sure they went to all the work and trouble and destruction for just a few dollars in quarters. Someone is either really desperate or really stupid. 

Sigh.

On a different note, I met with my yarn sales rep yesterday, and I want to know what you guys think of really whacky chunky bright colored yarn that looks like felted roving? I love it, but I'm not sure I want to order it or not. 

Also, I mentioned Forerunner's Sweaters to him, and he said he knows just the shop in NYC where Forerunner could get top dollar for them if he felt so inclined to sell them. I showed him one picture of one of those sweaters and he was just blown away! (See?)


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## lambs.are.cute

Glad you enjoyed county correctional. It is starting to annoy me that I am being out smarted by chickens. Really it is just the three commercial leghorns (note to anybody thinking of getting them: run. Just run) who refuse to be locked up no matter how comfortable with food and treats and toys I make the pen. They also love digging up my strawberries, eating my lettuce, tomatoes, blackberries, and trying pretty much anything they want to. It is beyond disgusting to have a single peck hole in your entire crop. So either I fence them in a pen or out if my garden........ 

These are Romneys. Well the ones with the blankets and the wether I do have a couple of milk sheep and a meat sheep but the rest of my flock is Romney. The wither is three months old and about 60 lbs right now. I like the name woolfred. It would fit right in with the rest Shaun (pronounced the English way as shorn) the wither that is being replaced, and Ranger (as in short, dark, quiet, handsome guy from the books). 

MDKate I made them. I couldn't justify spending $45/blanket and needing at least 4 (they say 4 I measured before shorn and I say 5) blankets for each sheep. I was getting over my heart failure at totaling up the cost plus shipping for my whole flock when my mom reminded me I can sew! It takes about 1 1/2 hours from cutting the fabric to putting on her sheep. It would be a bit faster if you didn't make your own straps but they are basically free since they are cut from the scrap material. I modified he pattern to have adjustable leg straps and that took a bit longer too, but is worth it to be able to buckle the strap around the leg instead of fighting to put the leg through the hole. This way I can do it with just me and not need to tie them up so I can catch them in the middle of the pasture to change or fix a coat. There is a big difference already with he coats. They have been laying in the dirt under the tree so I can see where the blanket has been already. It also seems to keep the wool neater but that may just be because I'm comparing body to neck. If you want I can send you the link to the pattern I used.


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## lambs.are.cute

WIHH I take musenx (sp?) when I have a cough. I've coughed hard enough that I threw up. Several times that day. I had pneumonia. THe musenx has a cough suppressant with an expectorant so it stops the little useless coughs and makes what coughs left bring up the gunk in your lungs. I go from coughing constantly and barely being able to breath to coughing like a normal person with a slight cold. It is so lovely to be able to sleep a full night with just a few coughs.


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## MDKatie

lambs.are.cute said:


> and Ranger (as in short, dark, quiet, handsome guy from the books).
> 
> MDKate I made them. ... If you want I can send you the link to the pattern I used.


Ranger! "Babe." *swoon* Love me some Ranger!!


Wow, great job making them! Yes please, I'd love to see the patterns! What's the material? That would be a great project for me.


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## hercsmama

Lambs are cute, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like that link also...

I'll be getting my fiber critters this fall, and will for sure be covering them.


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## Kris in MI

May has been a frustrating month for me. Didn't get anywhere with the plan to put in fences and stalls to be able to bring my horses home in June. Both my daughters got sick, I got sick (and I _never_ get sick; after spending 7 hours puking every 20 minutes :yuck: I realized the last time I vomited was in 1997 while pregnant with the youngest daughter!), DH was out of state for 8 days with his job (and he got sick on day 2, but very mild compared to what I had). During DH's out of state trip, and the day after I spent all day commuting from the bed to the toilet and back, the eldest dd had a tonsillectomy. To say I had a miserable few weeks is an understatement! DD's words of wisdom now that she is recovered: "Any adult who gets their tonsils out should request to be put into a coma for two weeks afterward; that way they can just wake up healed and skip all the pain and hunger". I'd like to add to that thought, a coma would definitely make it possible for the caregiver(s) to avoid all the drug induced rage, sensitivity and nausea of the tonsillectomy patient during the recovery period. After the third day we decided to disobey the dr's orders, take her off the oxycodone he had prescribed, and treat the pain with ibuprofen (which increased the risk of bleeding, but did not make her belligerent when it didn't have her knocked out sleeping like the oxy did).

On the positive side, I did get 80% of my garden planted, and I got more knitting time in that I had thought I would (the one good thing about being sick in bed, well maybe the second good thing--first one is that I lost 2.5 pounds in 24 hours!). I have almost completed a pair of socks this month, and I got a baby quilt made too. 

Now if I could just get the fences and stalls done in June, so I can bring my horses home in July, which will allow me to quit working at the horse farm (which has become a major pain in the rear and huge stress in my life).


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## hercsmama

Kris, bless your heart!
So glad your all feeling better at your house.


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## Wind in Her Hair

This just in. I have pneumonia :sob: -the doctor said "I'm not going to admit you quite yet." 

I have 102.2ÂºF fever, I am using a nebulizer, am taking breathing treatments, and am being well cared for- thanks to my nurse. :kiss:

However, my nurse is now having to do MY chores and today that includes the first mowing of the season. My nurse ain't too happy- poor thing. 

The doctor quizzed me quite a but about our flights back and forth to Texas. Apparently there is some new virus out there that we are watching out for- called MERS- sounds like you do NOT want this one! 

Hopefully this is just a garden variety "pneumonia" and a few days of taking my meds, laying back and resting, following DR's orders will have me right as rain in no time.


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## Taylor R.

I'm a Ranger fan, too. The movie did not do justice to what my mind had come up with.

WIHH- Ohno! I hope you get to feeling better quick! Breathing treatments are not fun, but they sure do help.

Are we planning on doing TDF this year? I'm trying to plan ahead...


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## lambs.are.cute

Here's Ranger at four months.


I'll get a new photo on Sunday when he gets shorn. 

I'll start a new thread with photos of what I've done with the blankets in a min.


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## Pigeon Lady

Get well soon WIHH!!! 

I was pretty worried when my Dad started getting sick after flying in from England, last week ( He's doing better now) The virus your doctor mentioned is from the middle east and apparently originated in camels. 

Hope you feel better soon. Those long tubes of frozen juice are good to suck on when having a coughing fit. They seem to calm things down quickly.


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## Kasota

WIHH - I am glad you are getting some medical treatment! Hopefully you don't have MERS - that is nothing to play around with! Even "run of the mill" pneumonia is bad enough! I hope you can stay out of the hospital! 

LAC - Ranger is just way too cute! Your place looks so lovely! I want to snuggle all your sheep. What is it about sheep faces, anyway? 

Svenska, that is just flat scarey about the laundry. Ugh. Do you have pictures of the funky yarn? 

Oh, Kris! You sure have been going through the wringer! Egads! I hope everyone is feeling better! Glad to hear you got most of your garden planted. Hope you can get your horses home soon! (Pictures, please!) Horse boarding places can be great or horrible and it seems there is not a lot of in-between. For some reason they seem to attract a lot of drama. I know I was so glad to get my own horses home back in those days...and I LOVED the place I had them boarded. There's just no place like home...

Taylor, what is TDF? Summer is so crazy busy when you have kids. And yet...blink and you miss it. I still think my son was just 5 or 10 yesterday... sigh... Take lots of pictures. A day will come when you are sitting home alone working on some wonderful fibery project ... and yet wishing you could have just one of those crazy hectic days with little ones again.  

PL - how is your dad feeling now? Is he better? 

IowaLez - thinking of you and saying prayers. Hope all is going okay or as okay as it gets. PM me if you need someone to talk to and I'll give you my phone number. (((hugs)))

It's another beautiful sunny day here. I'm glad it's Friday. My garden is looking good and so far the Liquid Fence is keeping the deer and rabbits at bay. I think I have a skunk living under my shed, though. My neighbor, Claire, tells me so anyway. Usually we have a family of them around here somewhere. I tell them to go live under her porch. She tells them to go live under my shed. I guess you could say we have joint custody. hahaha! For some reason they don't trouble me much, but then I haven't been sprayed by one in a good long while.


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## hercsmama

WIHH :kiss::kiss::kiss:, get to getting better girl! Give one of those smooches to CF for taking such good care of you.

Kas, TDF is the Tour D'Fleece! it coincides wit the Tour d'France, but is all about spinning! A group of us participates as a team every year. You can check out last years here, http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/co...3-***tdf-2013-official-theme-schedule***.html


Can't wait for this years!!:rock:


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## Kasota

WOW! That looks like fun.


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## SvenskaFlicka

The Tour de Fleece is always a lot of fun! I'm not very good at it, but I enjoy it!

Here are some pics of the crazy yarn! 

Yarn:
View attachment 30140


Knitted into a cowl:
View attachment 30141


The colorways:
View attachment 30142


I think we are going to get some, but what colors?


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## SvenskaFlicka

Also, WIHH, get better soon! That is an order!


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## raccoon breath

Check these lambs out. lol Lamb Choir -

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmejo2uyNlI[/ame]


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## hercsmama

Too cute!


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## Kasota

LOL!!!! Oh, that was priceless!!!!


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## Taylor R.

Kelsey, how do you EVER decide which colorways to choose???

Yes, Kas, I totally look forward to all the fun summer stuff with the kiddos. Unfortunately it tends to be my busiest time of the year at work, which means I'm constantly squeezing little mini-shifts in before and after our summer activities. I'm just grateful to have a job where that's an option so I don't have to miss out on everything. And TDF is a blast! I got so much done last year, even if I spent a lot of time on porch with my spindles in the dark because I'm too dang busy during the day to get my fibery stuff done. I was trying to come up with prize ideas, and I think I found a fun one from one of my favorite etsy sellers.


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## SvenskaFlicka

Taylor R. said:


> Kelsey, how do you EVER decide which colorways to choose???



I dunno. Usually I'm sitting across from my sales rep and have to pick in like 30-45 seconds. I usually go with my gut and/or pick wildly. :teehee:


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## Marchwind

WIHH get well soon! I just saw the post on FB, so glad CF is a good nurse even if he doesn't like doing your chores as well. If he complains too much remind him of how many times those rolls were reversed. I'm going to guess that you probably shouldn't be sitting around a campfire breathing smoke. Definitely don't want MERS. First case was just south of me in Indiana. There was a second case in Fla. Most of the people who have caught it have worked in the medical field. Do what you can and rest as much as possible.

TdF is sneaking up on us, I have to admit I haven't even thought of it until just now :teehee:

I was asked to work this morning for a very special thing. We had an honor flight going out with 160 people on board. It was approx. 80 WWII vets and their guardians. It was so much fun to see these guys and one woman. Most of them actually walked on their own and they were excited and spunky. It was fun to watch them all chatting and flirting, you could almost see the young men they once were. It will be a very long day for all of them. They were flown to Washington, DC to the WWII memorial and I'm not sure what else was planned for them. When they come home they have a big welcome for them at the local hockey stadium. Loads of volunteers from every walk of life helped make this possible. Apparently there is one donor here in Kalamazoo who donated all the money for these. There is another one planned for October. If any of you have WWII vets in you rife you might want to look into this, I believe it's a national program.

I've been planting lots of planters and mixing lots of soil. Fun, fun!!


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## Kasota

Marchwind - what an awesome day! I have heard of the Honor Flights. Sounds like you had a good group come through and what a wonderful thing the person did to fund it. 

It rained, rained and rained some more today. No gardening for me. I decided to take advantage of an inside day and pull poor little Hope out of her box. I have all the pieces parts to put her together, thanks to our Svenska. I bought some Danish Wood Oil and spent the day getting her all stained. I chose a very light cherry color that I think turned out really nice. I could almost hear her sighing in relief to get out of the box and be on her way to becoming the spinning wheel she is meant to be. I have not decided whether to leave just the wood oil as it is or if I should put poly on it. The directions said I could poly it after 72 hours. I'm kind of inclined to, even though it means more waiting before I can put her together. 

I need to get some glue to put 3 of the 4 bobbins back together. I am inclined toward a tiny bit of Gorilla Glue even though you have to be so careful with it because it expands.


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## Woodpecker

WIHH get well soon!:kiss:

I didn't get much done today. I went to my local Agway to get shavings for the chickens. While I was there I got some sunflower seeds and pumpkin. I also got some potatoes. This will be my first time growing them. I have a laundry list of things to catch up on tomorrow. I also think I have a hole in my rain barrel. I love being outside this time of year and my neck is already sun burned.

Mom's surgery is In two weeks and we are busy getting ready. This is going to be difficult for us as she won't be able to get up and down the stairs for a while. In the long run though it's worth it. We will be able to go for walks again, I miss that.

:grouphug:


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## Marchwind

I'm not sure if I would put poly on a wheel. I know people do, but I'm not sure it is necessary. Isn't the "Danish" finish an oil based finish? Well, either way I can't wait to see what Hope looks like once you get her together.

As for bobbins and having to glue them back. I think that's an Ashford thing. My Ashford bobbins come apart after awhile, I just glue them, it's easy enough. I was thinking of Gorilla glue too next time. Let me know how it works.


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## Kasota

Marchwind, yes the Danish stuff is an oil finish. I was thinking of the poly for extra protection and to give it a shinier look. I can't wait to get her all put together! 

Pea soup fog here today. I think I could just go back to bed.

I wonder how WIHH is feeling...

WP - prayers for successful surgery for your mom and many long walks together in the future! Have fun with the taters and other yummy things you are growing!


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## BlueberryChick

WIHH, how are you feeling today? I've been thinking about you and hoping you are resting well.

Woodpecker, I'm praying that your mom's surgery goes well and keeping you close in my thoughts.

IowaLez, I'm so sorry that you are facing such a rough road. I've watched other women face similar situations and have been in awe of the strength they found, not just to survive, but to build a new life and find great joy again.


(Waves to shopping buddy Kasota!)


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## lambs.are.cute

I went and toured the new local hospital yesterday. It was awesome! The tour was 1/4 mile long, including 3 flights of stairs. Got to see everything except the morgue which I really didn't want to anyways. The thought that has gone into his hospital to make it a more streamlined patient friendly hospital is incredible. All the rooms have a view, instead of all the labs and nursing stations having a view. The last hospital didn't even have windows in half their patient rooms. There are benches that double as a family bed in every room and a family member is welcome to stay. There is a closet that opens both to the room and the hall so linens can be changed with out waking the patient. The whole hospital is open and airy feeling which is totally unlike the last one, and it is built with explanation in mind so as the community grows it can too. Oh and it has an actual restaurant that you can come and eat at even if you aren't a patient. As in a normal restaurant with normal food but hey are in a hospital and will be sending meals up to he rooms. Yucky hospital food is a thing of the past. We also got to tour a fire truck, ambulance, and medstar helicopter. I'm pretty sure that was just for the kids but I'm a kid at heart right? And I couldn't resist. 

This evening my ram is getting shorn. No idea how kuch wool is on him but lat time it was 8 inches and that was his yearling clip....... I will have before and after and depending on how troublesome he is maybe during photos.


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## Marchwind

The new June FAC is up now, please pst there from now on. Here's the direct link http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/co...-arts/517134-fac-june-2014-a.html#post7101656


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