December First

December has finally arrived!! As much as I am not looking forward to the holiday season, November had me pinned to the mat. I've been ill and many of my plans have fallen apart and I must think up new ways to achieve my goals.

A good thing that will happen shortly is the arrival of my roving and wool. Many dollars later...more than I thought...I will need to calculate if I can even cover the expense of sending processing and having it mailed back. A prime reason why it's important to support your small producers, not just at Christmas but year round.

It has finally warmed up and it is snowing again ever so lightly. After posting, I need to drag the hose from the basement window and fill the horses' trough and the sheep buckets. I may as well do it while it's warmer! Lugging water the past few days has been a royal pain in the ---. Heated buckets could eliminate some of the issue but there is not enough power to the barn and with Hydro costing what it does, well I refuse to give them another penny of my hard earned money.

So the countdown has started. I must finish the gift knitting as in knit the 2nd sock and mitts to make pairs! Shawls and scarves need to be blocked and that will be that!

A couple of Sundays ago, I learned to make Artisan bread. A bit different from your traditional white loaves. I will be baking some today. While driving there, www.heritageharvestfarm.ca I really was amazed at how many little villages are still occupied. What I mean is, it's more difficult even with all the technology to live in these small places as we must really on vehicles and fuel to get around usually for employment and services that are no longer available in the small centers. Many places don't have a shuttle service etc.....I still enjoyed the sights of mature trees, old architecture and amazing churches with ancient grave markers.

Here are a few photos of the big snowfall- you would think the world can only be seen in black and white!

Experimentation

Remember how I said I was going to "experiment" with bread making? I did, in the basic white bread format and the results were not the best but far better than previous attempts. Yes folks, there is hope. The yeast packet had an expiry date of October 2013 so, maybe that was what prevented a fully risen loaf?? The loaf consistency was more like sourdough and still edible and quite tasty if I might say.

Yesterday, I decided to take another stab at this bread making challenge. Well, this time it worked!! Two loaves of nicely risen white bread. Now, I am looking forward to adding fruit, perhaps some herb bread...The sky is the limit.

Now for another experiment... Shortly after Mr. Guinness arrived, Vanessa from Both Boys Barn offered me some eggs to hatch-buff brahma banties they were, and I accepted. They were a bit on the old side but I was up for the challenge. So, plugged in the incubator yet again(now you're thinking, "wow does she ever stop hatching?") Then, she forgot to bring them. Oh! Well the incubator was ready to go, so, while cleaning the barn I found a few eggs and thought, "Who knows?" what the heck. I also chose some of the dark brown eggs from my lavender Marans hen. I even took a few from the fridge.... So hatching day is officially tomorow. The experimentation part here is, old eggs, refrigerated eggs and eggs that were not heated for 7 hours during the power outage: 7 hours of no power, simply a blanket put over the top in order for the heat to not escape so quickly.

Today, there are 3 eggs chirping and pipping. At least one is from the fridge as I marked it with a "F" so that I would know... Goes to show you, don't give up even when you think all is lost. The mother hen who hatched the chicks under the porch still has 2 of the 3.. They are getting quite big now and she has decided to stay in the barn while the nights are quite cold now. Their survival also shows me that despite all the hoopla about feed, they are getting by on what mother hen shows them to eat and me throwing a few handfuls of whatever feed I have the most of onto the barn floor. No doubt attracting mice which are sometimes found floating in the water bucket of the ram pen. Who needs a barn cat??

So, we wait and see what comes from these experiments. This time, I feel it is a good thing.

November News

Halloween is over and a new month has begun. We've already experienced a wicked wind storm that left us without power for 7 hours. We have bottled water on hand but watering the critters can be a creative endeavor when there's no power to the water supply! A generator is now top place on my list of "things" to get if I ever get ahead once again.

On the Sunday before Halloween, Tina Connolly from Fat Duck Acres and myself went out to Clayton On to learn how to make our own goat milk soap! Tina will be getting some sheep this Fall, in fact they should arrive soon. She hopes that they will be bred in order for her to milk  after the babies arrive.

A very scenic and winding drive led us to Anita Dworschak of Wildrose Country Homestead. There were a few varieties of goats to greet us along with the tell tale odor of male goats on site. Not my cup of tea that smell. I am grateful that sheep just smell like wool!

I decided to try my hand at cold press lavender scented soap. Well, I think next time I will reduce the amount of fragrance as I find it to be a bit much as it cures in my studio...now moved to staircase to basement. It's doing well there fending off any cat litter smell etc... So soap making takes time. Like many things, so don't think that you can just whip up a batch and then use it-Oh no, it takes 6-8 weeks to cure!! Good to know if you are contemplating making some for an occasion or for sale...

I am still awaiting my processed wool. I am eager to see the quality...2 ladies are being bred this Fall and I figure 3 lambs for April which will bring us up to 15 sheep!! Wow! It's almost like chicken math: you get a few and the next thing you know they're everywhere. I just hope I can continue with my sheep as our financial scenario has changed drastically and continues to do so...that's for another post.

Tomorrow will be the one month anniversary of "Guinness"s arrival. I adore his personality. He has filled in a bit, not so ribby and his spine isn't quite as sharp. I do believe he needs his teeth floated. That should be a great help as we head into the grass-less months. Once his teeth are filed, he will be better able to chew hay and the supplement he will need to get him back to being fit. A good sign is that he is growing a winter coat!

Now I'm off to experiment with bread making. I love fresh baked bread but never seem successful, which is why I say experiment. Who knows? It could turn out today....What are you doing today?

An Up And Down Kind Of Week...

On Monday, we experienced a lot of rainfall. So much so, I had to put extra tarps on the turkey tractors and come evening, discover that water was dripping in my living room!!! It came in not where I expected. So, a couple of calls were placed locally-no success. So, I called my cousin who has taken over from my uncle who passed away a year ago at a large roofing firm in Ottawa. On Wednesday morning, a chap from Ottawa came out to inspect, diagnose and patch a few things...free of charge as I was family!! Wow!

Before the rain came into the house, another surprise had occurred that day.

Say hello to "Mister Guinness" , that's what I'm calling him. He is an emaciated former racing thoroughbred bound for slaughter last Thursday. I took a chance and a friend trailered him here, between downpours. So far, he is a wonderful boy, a mild cribber. I will allow him that given what he's been through. So now, I hand graze him in the afternoons and let him eat as he needs it. I will be looking for a rainsheet for him as I think he will need it. I warned my neighbour of his condition as he is so thin. If anyone driving by complains, I will gladly explain that he is now eating, thank you very much. The sad thing is, I could fill my paddock with horses in the same situation. This guy was sold at auction and bought by a meat dealer. I had to peel off his auction sticker. I will need some help reading the tattoo on his lip to correctly identify him and his age.

On Tuesday, we brought the truck in for a diagnostic- we knew it wasn't going to be good.On Wednesday, while the chap is checking my roof, I'm out in the barn watching Clover deliver a lamb!! Oops! I told hubby that worms don't cause udders to grow! Fat belly yes, but not like that! So, a single ewe lamb named Octavio was born while I'm running to the house then the barn and then deal with the phone call from the garage. Did you know a brand new transfer case costs $2000! The truck is still at the garage as we ponder what to do. Luckily a friend lent us her car. Sadly, her daughter was involved in a school bus accident. Seriously, a strange week for many of us!!

This is Octavia!

Mom Clover and baby are doing well!

Tessa arrived yesterday from the museum. Boy, is she in for a surprise. Someway, somehow she will be going for training as she gets away with far too much. No more, or you will be sold!! And last but not least, a broody hen has found her way under the verandah and this morning, I could hear scratching but no cat, chicken anything around. So I looked through the lattice and found hen and a few chicks!! Poop! It's getting cold and how will I get them out?? So for now, I slip some chick starter and some water under there- I hope they can find it as there is only the one spot where I can slide things under....Never a dull moment here!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Notice Anything Different?

Cats !

Pretty in pink.

The last of the Nasturtiums...the only flowers left in the front garden. Don't the leaves remind you of lily pads?

Lola, the buff Silkie eagerly brooding no eggs in the box of straw.

Horse Chestnuts, which are poisonous to horses

Well, the thing is, a friend has lent me her camera!! Much better photos and lovely colors to boot! It is Fall here and you wouldn't know it as the weather is spectacular! I am cleaning out the sheep pens. Slow progress as helpers are few and far between and my back and hip are telling me " only a few loads please!"

Fall Has Arrived!

Yes indeed, Fall has arrived. It's 9 degrees Celsius here not factoring a windchill and yes, it's windy. We received a huge amount of rain last night. Monday, I will be figuring out how many bundles of shingles to buy for a certain section of roof.... I swear, it;s one catastrophe after another here.

However, the good things are the fleeces have been sent off to be spun !! Expensive parcels to send but I did not have a car to bring them in. (second item on Monday's list)

 This is some of the weird and wonderful stuff you can find in a fleece!! If you zoom in, you will see some cat kibble! This fleece  fallout belongs to Andy, a wether from Booth Boys Barn! I also found hay cubes in this fleece, which after questioning Vanessa, must have found their way into the fleece while being stored in the feed room. Let's just say, I know why spinners like to purchase roving. Hours and hours of skirting... dirty sheep.

Seraphina has found herself a comfy spot!

The leaves are turning some vibrant colors here. A few days ago and this morning, I heard and then saw the Canada geese flying overhead. I love early Fall and all the colors and wonderful smells it provides... wet leaves and smoke from nearby backyard fires, a faint sniff of wet wool and a sniff of very fresh cool air. Soon Tessa will be back home as the museum prepares to close down for the winter and I prepare my barn for the oncoming breeding season and then winter. It is important to get things organized before they happen as weather often interferes with progress. Picture mucking out sheep pens with a snowstorm and you must wheel it all out to a pile, and the snow gets deeper. Not, I choose to be the ant, not the grasshopper.

Now, off I go to finish designing a sock pattern. It's a wonderful day to knit!

Neglect...

Well, where does the time go? It's September 13th, a Friday at that! Almost half way through the month and....I have Christmas knitting on the brain.- don't hate me, learn from the experience here.

However, put all the knitting on hold because guess what I've been doing??

I've been skirting and washing fleece; so much of it I smell like sheep. I can assure you that each and every one has their own distinct"aroma". So, I can truly believe that is how they identify one another. A friend dropped her 3 fleeces off here sot hat I can send them with mine to be commercially turned into hanks and roving. I have polled some spinning friends and they prefer roving as, let's face it, with roving, the work has been done. I can assure you that skirting is very labor intensive. The lesson here is don't wait so long to do them all. But, in my defense, I had some done and then it was too hot to even consider touching so much wool!

I'm looking forward to trying some of my own wool to knit something... Recently, before the skirting and washing fleeces took hold of my life, I have discovered some really interesting and lovely shawl patterns designed by Judy Marples. I found her patterns on Ravelry and you can also find them  at www.purlbump.wordpress.com They are simple to follow and very stylish. I've certaily put a dent in my fingering weight stash to knit up a few. Yes, they are that straightforward and I am happy with my results. i started with Amberwell and I had to read the book by D. E. Stevenson after that; what a prolific author!

I apologize for the font changes..it would seem that the blog pages don't see eye to eye with my computer...

So, a couple of fleeces to go and I'm no longer neglecting the "Christmas" list of knits. Happy knitting!