Are We There Yet?

Winter and I have a love/hate relationship. I detest the cold and love the fact that I can finally spin and knit to my hearts content because it's too cold to do much else outside. I still try to knock out a few miles a day with JennietheDog but there are days when the wind chill makes that risky so we just stay home. And we have wolves down here by us currently and a dog is a wolf magnet ... so I have to be careful when it is just the two of us out.

So, in the last month, I went to Rhinebeck, New York for their Sheep and Wool festival. I met tons of people who knit with my yarn and that was fun and exciting! I saw some Wensleydales that were cute and I met my daughter's boyfriend ... he was cute too ... and very nice. I did not take the camera as I packed the night before in a total frenzy and forgot it. I will email the Daughter and see if she has any ... I do have a gratuitous photo of some wonderful socks knit in my Rainy Day Colourway that Marty sent me. Marty also writes that : "The Ravelry group is “2-at-a-time socks”, and we work with Melissa Morgan-Oakes’ book of that title" Amazing! And maybe I would not have such a problem with knitting the second sock ... LOL. I finished my Rainy Day socks finally and will try to get some pictures taken as soon as I write up the pattern. Also in October I had the shearer come and shear the sheep so they have gone from large and fluffy to slim and slick. Check out the Feb 27,2007 entry for before and after photos. The ram is in with most of them now but the shearer thinks that at least one of them might already be pregnant (he escaped twice this summer ... the ram not the shearer LOL) so I may be having January lambs ... yuck! This is Gabriella and Walker in their new shorter coats. Now, the mountains are covered with snow but it was still decent weather back in October. I have started my Christmas knitting but most of it is still a secret so for now ... I guess that is all the news that is fit to print! No haiku today as I cannot get Blogger to make paragraphs now ... geesh!

This years maple leaves

Fall, still green, no reds to warm

The snow laden wind.

Hah! I, SO tricked it!

I'll Bet You've Been Wondering ...

"Now why don't she write?"
The flight back home from Japan at the peak of summer with two cats and the teenage Son was hellish. Flying is not what it used to be. I feel safer flying overseas than I do here in the U.S. in spite of all of the yelling, partial disrobing and general chaos. None of this goes on in Japan. But I am home! And so thrilled to be here.
There has been so much to do that I haven't had time to do much writing.
One of the first things that had to be done was I had to have my friend Danny come and "take care of" the 13 roosters that we had running about the place. My hens were hating life and as the "boys" started up at 0'dark thirty every morning I'm sure my neighbors were hating me.
Oddly enough I had this one poor little naked chicken ... and she had been naked for a while mind you. Suddenly she has feathers again! I suspect that one of the boys" was plucking her bald ... poor thing.
The sheep are off on their yearly "conjugal visit" with my friend Ray's rams. They should be home in a week or so. I am a fair weather shepherd for sure! None of this lambing in February stuff for me ... oh no ... I lamb at the end of March.
In knitting ... I am spinning up a black fleece from 2 years ago (oh yea ... I am that far behind) to knit the Cobblestone sweater from the Fall IK for the Son. I have no idea if he will actually wear it ... but I am hopeful. I am also working on a pair of socks for the Husband and a pair of House Socks for the Daughter. Pics soon.
Hmm tried to put a picture here ... blogger not so cooperative. Maybe next time.

Down from the mountain

The nightingales last visit

Brings with it the snow.