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February 3, 2012 Yesterday the rain was just a few sprinkles and we were able to get the 75-80 feet of fence the flood flattened back up.
 Today its raining hard again. It rained all night, and its still raining. Sometimes its really hard, and other times just spinkles, but its really really wet and already this morning we have 2 inches in the rain gauge! We haven't had so much rain in the past two years. Hopefully this will break the drought and we will be back to normal rainfalls and our pastures will be lush and green again. We still do not have any lambs or kids yet, but it could happen any time now. Since the electric fence monitor was showing that the fence was good but needed checking right after breakfast we started walking the fence. Everything was good except for some small twigs on the fence and I got those off while Lloyd made sure that the leaves and pineneedles were not against the fence and stopping the flow of water out of the pastures. We both were soaked before we finished. Lloyd went on to the barn to start the fence checking and I went out the back to see about the nets over the Koi pools, as I went on to the barn to walk the fences. That trifolia had already dumped a lot of those sour oranges on the ground again from the rain,
 The sheep didn't seem to mind the showers, but when it begin to really come down they went into the barn! I don't blame them either.
 As I walked the fence I took some more pictures of the branch, its so full and in flood stage! Awesome.
      since today is so very wet, and there is not much we can do outside other than monitor the fence and sheep, I have been using my Hansen Mini-spinner that Cheryl Dunworth sent me. That is one fine little machine, and I can get into a wonderful couch potatoe position and just spin away.
 I have spun about 5 pounds on it so far and its just so nice to use. It plys as well as it spins too!
  Lloyd seems to be enjoying his book!
February 1, 2012 The rains started about midnight last night, and by morning we had 4 inches of rain. It came down in sheets off and on all night. So--this morning we got to the barn and it was so wet!! I took some pictures of the branch that runs through our farm, since its been 2 years since it flooded where it came up to the lower fences, and was it a sight.
      The pond is full for the first time in 2 years! We have a lot of leaves and trash to get off the fence too.
 It is so wet, and so welcome!
January 31, 2012 The last day of January, and it was a beautiful day. Off and on all day lots of sunshine, and warm too. We got going early too. After chores, and breakfast Lloyd went to the barn to work on the part of the roof that Raymond did so much on, and just ran out of time to finish.
  He worked on it all day, and finished up right at chore time. I went to the garden and pulled carrots and beets. They are not quite big enough to really can, but I got enough for a canner anyway.
    By early evening I got 7 pints, 2 of beets and 5 of carrots!
 Then I cut the last of the broccoli
 We are enjoying the new gate across the maternity ward hay feeder too. We moved a new bale of hay into the feeder and that gate was so easy to use!
 The little chicks are all but hens now. Won't be long until they are!
 Its getting closer and closer to lambs and kids. All the girls are so big, earliest due date is Feb 4, and goes until the 15th, then its pins and needles!!!
 
January 23, 2012 Its a beautiful day! Warm, sunny and just they type of day you want to go outside and do things. Since it was such a pretty day, just right to transfer the little chickens from the greenhouse to the henhouse! So we got started right after breakfast and begin the move.
   They were so happy to be moved! Then I begin to separate the 4 ewes that are to have lambs this coming month. Of course it was not hard, but just took time to get it done and then they were not too sure they wanted to be separated from the others in the flock, but they settled down quickly.
 Aponi and Ashlyn,
Altogether they are a fine bunch of ewes, and of course the rooster has already been chased all over the place, but he just doesn't seem to learn!
 Part of the ewe flock got into the pen nearest the maternity ward paddock and wanted in, but they didn't get there!
 Lloyd spent a good part of the day cleaning the roof of the hen house and trimming the mulberry tree that hands over it. I was so glad when he finished and got down off the top of the roof!
January 20, 2012 we have been working in that Ceramic building again trying to get the molds all into shelves, numbered and inventoried. It seems we have been at it a long time, but finally we finished today. I was so glad to be done with that for sure!! We have all but just a few on shelves now in the main room we built for the molds:
     The middle room has some shelving, and a small bunch at the door to the new room, just no room for them in the new room!
   It has opened up a large area for Hannah's potter's wheel and bench.
 
January 16, 2012 Its been really busy here! Missy Bolen and her son Raymond got here late Thursday night, and its been high speed ever since!!! Friday Raymond and Lloyd started doing repairs that Lloyd needed help with, replacing some metal roofing on that high old hiproof barn, fastening loose sheets that the storms had bloon loose. Sweeping off roofs, hanging a pasture gate, just lots of things that we needed help with. Friday was 2nd Friday of the month, and Albion got here about 10 am, so Missy, Albion and I headed for the Studio to weave. About noon Linda Nightengale came and stayed for a while. We missed Charlene so much too, but she didn't get to come this month because of Roc Day. Our weather has been beautiful, altho some mornings were really cool. A few pictures, I wish I more, but we have been doing so much that I get side tracked!!
            While Raymond was here he designed me the cutiest little curser of Jesse, running no less! I am so excited, I wish I could show it too you!
January 1, 2012 Another year has passed. I have to admit, that 2011 left a lot to be desired and we don't feel badly it is gone. 2012 seems to be starting out with lots of promises in rain and sunshine. After such a horrible dry year and such high temperatures its so welcome. We are praying that this year will make up for all the short comings of last year and that we will see lots of blessing not only for our family, but the rest of the country too. We started this year off by doing roof maintenance that was very badly needed. The drought had dried up everything, and with the freeze the week before last leaves dropped like they all had to get away at once and of course a good many of them landed on roofs. Then Christmas week we got a good 4 inches of rain, which made all that dry building materials swell and take on humidity so much, and with the build up of leaves the valleys just overflowed on the roofs. So, Lloyd was up on the studio sweeping and cleaning valleys, resetting metal screws that needed it and replacing metal roofing nails with metal screws.
 I spent a good part of last week working on the Studio getting the new room sit up for finished goods. We mostly use the studio to work in and store our online products that we list in the catalog for sale. We are hoping and looking into bringing the Studio into maybe opening more towards some local business this coming year. Hoping to supply fine finished goods, yarns and fibers to local and surrounding areas as well as on-line. So we have been exploring this possibility. The new room is just getting organized, and we still have a good bit to do, but its looking really nice so far.
    Also some changes have been done in the main Studio room so that things are easier to see and get around. Its been really fun, but lots of work too. Most of the changes were in the room where the yarns are. The main room looks much like it did except for a few changes,
      The room with the yarns has more changes and lots of new handspun yarns and some nice commercial yarns too!
     We did some moving around in the Weaving room before Christmas, and finished up after. It really looks nice too, and we have found its really nice to work in!
    The Chicks are growing so fast, its almost time for them to go out to the chicken house with the big hens. Its looking like there may be a rooster in the bunch, but I am not positive. Its a Wyndotte if it is, and I am hoping its just a hen with more waddles than normal, but the tail is beginning to have a little curl, so----------!
  The one I think is a rooster is the one in the middle, in the second picture, close up. Sure looks like a rooster, acts like one too!
December 29, 2011 Sometimes time gets away so fast I don't realize its gone until its way gone! This month has been so different, with weather and other things, it seems we never catch up! Anyway, the garden is just gorgeous. We have the nicest Kale, Curley Mustard, Beets and Carrots in the main garden. In the small garden where we had the tomatoes during the summer the Broccoli is just blooming and looking so fantastic!
  
 I have been doing a lot of spinning and the last lot I am working on is a Gulf Coast and Mohair yarn. One plyed skein of Gulf Coast in a beautiful dark aqua, and 1 plyed skein of dark blue grass dyed mohair. The resulting 2ply worsted weight yarn is just so very nice! The violet next to it is Mohair (of course from our Angora Goats).
 This morning we got over to the Studio and started to work on that re-organization. It seemed like such a mess when we started and I didn't know if we could finish before the day was done or not,
  Even the main studio room was a mess!
 Slowly it came together and begin to look nice!
      The main yarns room looks so open and inviting too!
 There is still some work, but its looking good now and I feel lots better!
December 3, 2011 I am so excited! We finally finished the brooder in the greenhouse and were able to move the little chicks into it this morning! hahhaaha, I am not so sure they were excited at first. They acted like they were not sure they wanted to go out into the run for the longest so I shoved them through the curtain, and they would run back in. Finally they discovered that there was feed, water and lots of greens in the run so they begin to play and run around so happy. It was so funny, and we watched for a long time.
       they love the hay in their "warm place" and they go in and out and peek under the curtain. Its so funny to watch them.
December 1, 2011 Time sure gets away from a person! We have been so busy, and it seems we don't get very far either. We have been working at moving the molds from the old room into the new room. Now the old room looks pretty bare, but there is still so many to move----------awwwwwkkkk!
 The new room is looking so small and I don't know where we are going to put all that are left! HELP!!
   We have been working on the brooder in the greenhouse too, but its sure slow because we have to keep doing other things.
 I have been spinning a lot too. Mostly mohair which I don't think is nearly as much fun as the beautiful Gulf Coast!
  The mohair has such a gorgeous shine to it, and it will be beautiful in a weft for weaving.
November 14, 2011 We have been steadily working on the ceramic building extention getting it ready to move the molds over into that room. It seems like an overwhelming job too as you can see by the pile of molds to move!
   Still we have 3 walls of shelves up and I am starting inventory and moving molds into the shelves! Its very slow work.
   Lloyd is making progress on the new bench design, and I am really eager for it to come together so I can try it out!
    I am still spinning fingerling singles, and here I am skeining off with the clock reel. Such a pretty color too!
November 6, 2011 yesterday and today Danny and Lloyd worked on the Ceramic building extention project. The roof is on, and all four walls now.
          Now we just have the inside to work on, but that's another project and will be lots slower, but the hardest part is now finished!
October 29, 2011 Its turned cold again, and it was 36 degrees last night, so we decided it was time to get the orchard mulched for winter. So--we spent the better part of the day after doing our chores moving old rotted bales of hay and mulching citrus, blueberries, figs, and fruit trees. I need a bath!
     We are still working on the area along the west side of the garden, but we did get a lot done there too.
   We had gotten the multipling onion bed replanted and put a large iron grate over it where the armadillo couldn't dig it up.
 It looks silly but it works! Of course the two lambs, Connie and Theresa had to be right there watching and getting into anything they could!
  They are growing so big!
October 21, 2011 One way to trim a goat's feet is to wait till he sticks his head in the fence and can't get it out! hahahahaha, works, and he was happy to get his head out too! Ginger is so funny!
 We got the rafters and lathe up on the Ceramic extention today,
     The flock is so beautiful when they are out grazing, and we can see them from where we are working. Makes it so neat to see them as the day goes by!
 The greens are really up in the garden too! Beets, Curly Mustard and Kale are biggest, and the carrots are just beginning to come up--very exciting!
 Jesse is growing so big too! Such a show off!
 
October 17, 2011 We worked on framing of the Ceramic building extention today and got all three wall frames up.
       took us all day, but it looks good.
October15, 2011 Today was another long day. After chores, Danny came and the work on the Ceramic building extention floor began. They worked till a little after noon but they had the floor installed. It really looks nice too!
                 They got the tin off the end of the building so the framing can begin. Seems like everything takes so long to do, but they really worked at making sure everything was measured, leveled, squared and such. Making sure the water would not stand under the building and I wish that we had that to worry about since its so very dry right now. We need rain so badly----still! We have 3 more limbs to trim off the Ginko tree too. After we finished, Lloyd and I got the truck out and went on to town and got the framing timber. It took us the rest of the afternoon, and we were so happy to be home, but its all here ready to start now.
 Its a good thing we have just about all the firewood up now. We need a little more cook stove wood, but its a really nice looking stack of firewood!
 
October 14, 2011 2nd Friday of the month! Albion, Charlene and I wove a good part of the day,
       Charlene's project, is nearly finished, and Albion is still experimenting with colors and yarn textures. I am working along on my loom with the Overshot, and about half way with the first stole. We had a very productive and fun day at the looms. But we still did some other things too. Charlene had a fleece she needed to put through the picker, so she worked on that some,
  she says she will finish it next 2nd Friday! hahaha, that picker will work you over! Albion and I got the big carder going and carded up some nice batts for her,
  Lloyd worked along side the garden most of the day, trimming out those suckers that grow out from fruit trees, and the volunteer stuff that wasn't desirable in the beds!
 It was a wonderful day full of fun and we got a lot done!
October 12, 2011 day before yesterday Hannah's father Danny came and he and Lloyd begin on the addition to the ceramic building. We need this to move all the ceramic molds out of the bigger room in the ceramic building so we can get all Hannah's equipment and work tables set up for her to work with. So---the work begin on getting the area cleared and ready for piers and pads. They got three of them done day before yesterday, and 5 done today. There are lots and lots of roots around that big old Ginko tree, and its just to beautiful an old tree to loose, so it was a lot of work! Today they got 5 more piers and pads down, and hopefully tomorrow the other 4 will get done. Its beginning to look like a project!!
         Hannah at work!
October 7, 2011 We have been trying to get our firewood in for the winter. We need heater and cook stove wood so we have been getting both in. We have enough cook stove wood now we think, but we are still working on heater wood. There is an old house place at the SouthWest corner of the farm, and we are cutting our firewood out of that area to start clearing it up.
         Its slow work, but its looking better. It seems we are always getting into a thicket to work! There is a Chestnut tree in that thicket too, and its just loaded with Chestnuts, they are so pretty.
 The wood pile is begining to look business like now!
  Of course we can't get out without the whole flock coming to see what is going on. They love the leaves and pig out on them until they are tired of that and go out to graze in the field. They are so beautiful!
        We have gotten the fall garden in now too. We planted 2 rows of carrots, 1 row of beets, 1 row of curly mustard and 1 row of Kale. The mustard and kale are already up, which is exciting. We planted 15 broccoli plants where we had the tomatoes this summer too. They seem to be doing nicely, but I have had to water them all once so far. We are still in a drought and the state is still in a burn ban. I wish we would get back to normal.
 
September 17, 2011 We were busy all day. First Chores, then unloading the piers and pads for the new project, and on to tilling the garden and working in the greenhouse! The new project is going very slow, its still too hot to tackle a building project, but we do have all the piers and pads now. Lloyd unloaded them near where we will be needing to put them for the extention to the ceramic building.
 Then Lloyd got the tractor out and started getting the garden tilled for fall.
   Its still dry, and so dusty! All that is left of that big 2 trunked oak tree is a stump, the rest is piled up by the splitter or stacked in the wood pile!
   Lloyd is working in the greenhouse now trying to get it ready for me to put the fall tender greens in it, like tomatoes and such for winter. The citrus in there are just loaded! Guess the heat didn't bother them.
   I just had to get pictures of the spider lilies. We have red and white/yellow and they are just beautiful!
     
September 10, 2011 Today we decided we needed to get that oak tree out of the edge of the garden before we tilled for the fall planting, so we started after chores. It was a fairly big tree too, and 2 trunks. When Lloyd fell the biggest trunk it fell nearly on the fence, but thankfully didn't hurt anything but his feelings! It was a good sized base too.
  It was just slow going and work on it from there
   
    Of course Connie and Theresa were very vocal and wanted to go to!
September 9, 2011 It was 2nd Friday of the month today, so we spent most of the day at the studio. Charlene came in yesterday for Guild Meeting, and Albion got here around 10 am, so we started in the Weaving room and spent all but the lunch hour weaving! It was a fun and very rewarding day. Albion got the Colonial warped and begin weaving before the day was over with, and Charlene's project is coming along nicely, and so beautiful. I even got to work on my Overshot a good bit!
                        Lloyd worked most of the day in the front greenhouse getting it ready for fall. I am excited about that!
September 3, 2011 Tropical Storm Lee is just now reaching us. About 7 am this morning we begin to get showers and some small gusts of wind. By the time that we got back from milking at the barn we had 3/4 inch of rain. So very welcome and wonderful! I even had to drop the shade at the barn to keep from getting rain on the milk stand, it was so fantastic!! Its cooled off so much, we have the house wide open and the attic fan on. It feels so good. Lee is not supposed to make landfall until tonight or early in the morning, and we are just on the outer edges of it, but its a wet storm and dumping lots of water. Our poor dry farm needs it so very badly and its so welcome! Normally our pastures are so green and beautiful, grass as high as the sheep and lush, but we have just burned up. We still have some pasture, more than most but its dry and like standing hay where there is any at all with the trees dropping their leaves and even dyeing.
  pitiful, and we really needed the rain so much. At least the pastures will green up and maybe recover some before fall and winter. We would like to plant winter pastures, but with the water situation like it is, it wouldn't do any good at all. Some have tried, and they have nothing but dry, tilled ground. The water is already beginning to puddle, and it felt so wonderful for the water to splash around my rubber boots on the way to the barn to milk this morning.
  The wind kicks up in gusts, but they are not bad and the cool is so refreshing with the overcast keeping it nice!
  Its supposed to continue through Monday, and I hope it continues to rain gentle rains like we have been getting, and that the wind remains in gentle gusts. Its so cool after such a long hot hot summer with such a terrible drought!
September 1, 2011 It wasn't as hot today as its been, although its still so very dry. They tell us that its supposed to rain, but it remains to be seen! All the trees are loosing their leaves, or they are dry looking, it is really awful!
  We are working on getting the winter's fire wood up, and its slow work its so hot. We did get a nice oak down and have it up in the wood shed splitting it up into nice firewood. We spent the morning at that today!
   The next project, when it cools off an we can will be extending the ceramic building. I don't know whether I look forward to it or not, but we have started!
August 27, 2011 day before yesterday we had to pull a tree off the fence from the thunderstorm we had, so while Lloyd had the bucket on the tractor he put some dirt on the culvert in the drive way. Its so nice to have that big pipe where I don't have to worry about the mower blade hitting it! There is lots of dirt around the stump from that beautiful old oak that Rita destroyed so he got the dirt from there. We had thought that 6 years later the stump would be rotten enough he could push it up and out so we could remove most of it, but that wasn't the case at all!
      We had to go in and get an inspection sticker on Lloyd's truck, and pick a few items up at the feed store. While we were at the feed store we found they were beginning to get in their fall plants, so I picked up 5 tomatoes and a mint plant. I have no idea about the one called "Solar Fire" but thought it would be fun to try, so I got 3 of them.
 I want to get my greenhouse ready for fall and winter, but not yet, its still too hot in there to do anything, but hopefully soon! Its the time of year we need to get in firewood too. So we have been getting a little in at a time, in the mornings before it gets so terribly hot. Mostly small trees up on the corner trying to clear out that old house place that has grown up in small stuff, but today we did get a nice pin oak tree. Its splitting wood too!
   Its really slow hot work.
August 19, 2011 Today is the last day of the weaving class. Albion Norman came and started warping the Colonial Countermarche while Marilyn Smith worked on her class with Charlene Quinilty. We had so much fun, and it was sad when the day was overwith.
                  Charlene went home today. Marilyn and Danny leave in the morning. Albion left not long after Charlene but will be working on the Colonial on her project. What a wonderful time we had!
August 18, 2011 Today they started threading the loom,
    and proceeded to winding on,
   and we stopped for lunch with pork chops and corn on the cob that Danny grilled for us!
 and because it was so hard, Danny had to take a break!!!!!! hahahahahaha,
 Charlene did get to work on rewarping her loom,
 I never did get to work on my overshot!
August 17, 2011 Today Charlene Quinilty started a weaving class in the studio with Marilyn Smith! It was hot, so it was a very good day to be inside! First she started out with instructionals:
  first Marilyn had to weave off the warp that was on her little table loom, and Charlene showed her a very pretty twill patterning that worked really well.
 Once the loom was cleared they begin to measure the warp with the warping board:
   Next they brought the warp to the loom and started threading
   And the winding of the bobbins,
  Then Marilyn was instructed on the weaving, and she was off!
  Charlene used the warping reel to start a new warp for the loom she uses,
 Lloyd worked in the wood shop most all day, while I was back and forth!
August 6, 2011 Its so hot its hard to do anything right now! Pears are coming in, so I am trying to get them done, juicing and then doing the slices but its slow!
  We did get our winter hay in yesterday, which is such a relief since its been so dry no one seems to be getting much hay in. It was as usual, the most gorgeous and sweet smelling ever! We get our hay from Galen Nightengale, and are so thankful for it!
  Its so beautiful all secured in the barns, and such a relief when its done!
    I am putting up peppers today, and making cheese!
  Of course the clean-up crew is still at it!
  Lloyd spent a good part of the morning tilling in the garden. Even though its so dry I am having to irrigate and the grass grows anywhere it can get a drop of water! Its dusty and hot work, but he still works at it.
    Its so terribly hot that for the first time ever we have a box fan in the barn! Its so funny to watch the sheep, they go out and graze, then come up in the barn and lay in front of the fan! Then repeat the same thing over again. It looks like the fan is not going, but its on high and they love it!
 We come in and stay in front of the fans and airconditioning off and on all day, so why shouldn't they? hahahaha!
August 3, 2011 We are back into our extreme heat/heat index no rain situation again. Its so hot! I can't ever remember it being so hot and so dry for so long! I think the only thing not affected by the weather is that beautiful water lotus in the patio. We've had it a long time, and if I remember right it was called Chawan Basu, and I thought it came from Lilypons. It is so beautiful and blooms constantly.
    The Aspargus doesn't seem to mind the heat either!
 I headed out to the barn since Lloyd was trimming goat feet, and found that the sheep were in the barn where it was cooler, so I took some pictures while there, Lloyd had already finished, so I just got sheep, and the feed/milking room!
     The ewes are already thinking about lambs, and here Russel and two of his beautiful daughters are showing how beautiful they are!
   We still need rain so badly!
July 30, 2011 It was cloudy and rainy all day yesterday, not so hot and such a nice day! I wouldn't mind more days like that at all. Today is hot and humid, but not like its been and everything has dew on it making it so nice. The ground for a change is damp, if not wet but of course wilty with the sun and humidity. Still the squash and cucumbers are blooming, coming along nicely--
 The garden needs tilling, but its too wet--isn't that just fantastic? Lloyd has been working in the patio area trying to catch up now that the grass is growing. I did mow what I could yesterday before the rain, but its needing clipping badly. While he was weed eating, I fed the Koi and noticed a beautiful yellow water lilie in bloom!
 
 Theresa and Connie are weaned now. Theresa being older than Connie is bigger, but they hang together all the time.
  Theresa was born Feb 26, and is a faded red, with lots of red out of Chana GCA 1549 and Chicote GCA 0833.
 Connie was born April 16, and is a blue, very beautiful color and out of Carmon GCA 1546 and Jacque GCA 0552.
 we are very excited about these two young ewes! Jesse is growing and looking like he is going to be a beautiful ram, and addition to the farm for sure. He is from Welcome Home Farm and out of Josette GCA 1047, and sired by RMF Midnight Blue GCA 1632HC, a son of Daijon GCA 1545HC, and Faralee GCA 0554. Born January 20, 2011 he is just beginning to bloom. I am eager to see his first fleece.
 
July 27, 2011 We have been so busy on fence, and just normal farm stuff that I have not had time to get pictures! I am trying to make up some now. We have had it so dry for so long that now that we have begin to have some showers the pastures and yard are making up and beginning to need attention!
  The sheep love it, and keep their heads down to make up time! Lloyd stays busy weed eating and I mow!
  Little groups of mushrooms pop up all over the place and they are so beautiful!
  I am still milking April and Lottie, so every morning and evening you can find me at the milking stand!
   I am so thankful for that Surge bucket milker too!
July 7, 2011 We have finally got all the fencing done, and the electric on it. So glad that its done, we have began to really be tired of building fence! We still need rain so badly, but have had enough that the grass is still fairly good, but its rapidly needing rain or it will not be good. The sheep still find plenty to graze and are happy.
 We did start working on the fall garden. Lloyd got it tilled up except for the 2 rows of potatoes we still need to dig, and I planted a row of squashes and a row of cucumbers. If it doesn't rain they may not come up, so I have been thinking about the sprinkler.
 Its still so hot, and I caught the ducks in one of the water troughs, and so funny that it was so full and one was not able to get into it with the others,
 Belle is growing so much, she almost looks like a big goat now, and she is getting so pretty!
 Connie, (blue) and Theresa (faded red) are growing so much. Theresa is as big as her mother and has such funny coloring on her legs, and Connie is just stunning with her blue coloring. Her legs are so black too!
  We are still feeding some hay, its been so dry, but they much prefer going out to graze!
  I had to take the riding mower to town the other day for some work on it, and we decided that loading it up in the back of the truck by pure muscle was dumb, so we got a set of those ramp things, and here Lloyd is trying to work his way through putting them together, I thought it was so funny!!
 I think my spinning wheels are lonely, they don't like being in competition with the fencing, but hopefully that is going to change.
June 26, 2011 Today was so beautiful! The rain we have had has made the grass just pop! We are still so under rainfall amounts that we need more desperately, but what we have had has really counted. I followed the sheep out this morning early and took some picture that I though would be enjoyable since the pastures look so nice!
                The rainfall has been so welcome and such a blessing, but now we are back to mowing and weed eating! hahahaha, time to start a new garden too!
June 21, 2011 The weather people told us to expect rain today, but we didn't really believe them! It started trying to sprinkle yesterday evening, heavy overcast but still so very hot and humid beyond words. Well, we got up to some sprinkles during the night, not much, but by 9 am it had started!! Oh, what joy!
  We just can't seem to get enough of it, and its cooled off too. With our rainfall amounts for the year over 11 inches below and total over 30 inches below its just a blessing. We need the rain so very much! Lloyd decided to work in the wood shop today, so he had lots of company!
 
     Its supposed to rain today, tomorrow and maybe the day after tomorrow. We hope so. It will take a lot of rain to catch us up! Hopefully it will cool it off enough for it not to be so hot and draining to work on the fencing. The pastures will catch up and turn green again and we will hope that the summer will not be so dry. That we will continue to recieve the showers we normally get. Its 3 pm now, and we have gotten 4 inches of rain since about 9 am. It is so fantastic, everything is wet!
    I have the hay feeder open for the main flock because its been such a downpour most of the day. They are so silly, and they still think they should be able to go out and "wade" in the pastures! hahahaha!
June 15, 2011 Time does fly! Last Thursday through Sunday was the SWIC Retreat, so I was back and forth most of the week with Charlene to Retreat. It was so much fun, and I have pictures up now at Retreat. We are still building fence, and in this heat it really takes a lot out of us, but we keep going. Its so hot that by 1 or 2 pm we have to quit until around 4 pm. I can't remember it ever being so hot or so very dry, and we all hope it will begin to rain soon. The gardens are all just burned up, and the pastures too. I did get 17 pints of tomatoes/peppers/onions/celery/mushrooms canned up for soup salsa yesterday.
 We are back to fencing today.
June 5, 2011 today is my sister's birthday so as I was sitting watching the flock I begin to think about it so I went and got my camera to take some pictures so she could see too! They were so beautiful out in the pasture, so I am sharing with you the pleasures I had!
                When Melissa Bolen came last week she took the English blue ram out of Jacque GCA 0552 and Aponi GCA 1548 home with her and brought a young blue from Midnight Blue GCA 1632HC and Josette GCA 1047 for me. An exchange if you would:
  Jesse is a Grandson of Chicote GCA 0833 and Daijon GCA 1545HC, so I am very excited. Of course he has just been shorn so you can't see what a beautiful fleece he has, but it will come!
June 2, 2011 We have been so busy that I haven't had time to do the News Page, but I am trying to catch up now. Missy Bolen and her two sons, Raymond, 15, and Justin, 13, were here this past week. They arrived about midnight on Thursday night ( 5/26/2011) and stayed until tuesday morning (5/31/2011). It was a whirlwind week and so much fun! They brought our new little ram, Jesse with them. He is a beautiful English Blue and I will try and get pictures. They took home with them the English Blue out of Aponi, and Jacque, naming him Joseph, Olive and her twins, Blossum and Lotty's litte boy. We did most of our classes at the house since it was easier to set everything up there and still do the cheese making, meals and such. Its been so hot and dry that our air conditioners just seem to stagger!! Of course we are still building fence. We have the fence on the north side of the field next to the house finished except for the electric, and that is still going to take some time. Its so hot we are slow. First we did the cheese making--Colby,
 We put Raymond on a table in the living room with Missy's brother knitting machine. Thanks to Liz Arthur we had it sit up and going right away. Raymond made all kinds of things and experimented big time with the machine. It was so fantastic how he learned and used the machine. I just know that machine will get lots of work!!!
 Justin and Missy took the weaving class, but Justin is already a good beginning weaver so he was able to do most of it by himself while Missy took a spinning class and made cheese. We got that going and Missy wove a good bit in twill. I think she is hooked!!!!!
 We also tagged, cleaned, washed and dyed one of Missy's fleeces (Gulf Coast of course) while they were here. It was a gorgeous blue and so very fine!! I wish I had taken more pictures, but we were just so busy I kept forgetting. I did get a good picture of the boys helping Lloyd put a hay core over for the goats!
 Now everyone is gone its back to fence building and normal farm stuff. SWIC Retreat is next, and I am looking forward to that!
May 21, 2011 It seems that we are always building fence. Its hot, dry, humid and not the best weather for fence building either, but here we go. We have all the corner posts, & line posts in, and the fencing is now up and stretched.
   Lloyd is doing the fence clips now, and then we will tackel the electric wire. Its sure takes a long time to do fencing that is good enough for sheep, but it has to be done. It seems we just never have enough time!!! The little goats are growing so much, and they are so cute! They pile up around each other, and seem to stay together with their siblings more than anything.
 
May 1, 2011 It seems if I am not milking I am making cheese, which is great!
 Today we started picking beans, and what a bumper crop it is going to be! We picked 2 short rows, and I snapped 7 1/2 zip lock gallon bags of beans ready to start canning!
     The squash, cucumbers and tomatoes are next, and they really look good!
     The lambs are really growing! The little blues are so much alike its something else. The little ram is a real show off!
 The two blues look so much alike that they look like twins, but are instead out of twin sisters and by Jacque! All three babies are so beautiful. The little cream is out of Bianca and by Chicote.
  I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Bianca's little ram stealing milk from Aponi along with Aponi's little boy!
 The lambs all play together and stay fairly close to each other! The ducks seem to want to stay close to them also, hahahaha,
 
April 21, 2011 Its been really hot and dry, very humid and unpleasant. Still, we have the same things to do that happen all the time. I am milking 3 does, so I get a lot of milk, even with 5 kids to feed, and they are growing so fast! I make cheese every 2 or 3 days,
    The garden is blooming and little beans are everywhere! Soon we will be picking beans and I will be canning. The potatoes are close to digging too!
 The amarylis are just blooming all over and are so beautiful, the magnolia is beginning to bloom, and some iris still left!
        And of course there are the lambs. I could spend all day watching them, they are so cute!
           They grow so fast, its hard to keep up. The blues, out of full sisters, Carmon GCA 1546 (a little girl), and Aponi GCA 1548 (a little boy) look so much alike I have a hard time telling them apart until I get close. Bianca GCA 0831 has a little boy and of Course Chana GCA 1549 had twins, but the little boy has been weaned and is as big as his sister.
April 16, 2011 We have been so busy!!! All of the lambs are here now. Yesterday Aponi GCA 1548 had the most gorgeous English Blue ram lamb from Jacque GCA 0552!
   Then this morning Carmon GCA 1546 had her little girl, another English Blue from Jacque GCA 0552!
     That pairing of those two girls from Russel GCA 1037 and Fionna GCA 0642 is fantastic! I was so excited when I saw both ewes, faded red twins, bred to Jacque GCA 0552 would produce such gorgeous color. Fantastic!!! Bianca GCA 0831 produced a very beautiful little ram lamb from Chicote GCA 0833 who will be for sale and is growing so well.
 Chana's little girl continues to grow and will be a beautiful faded red
 and of course we still have the ducks in the middle of everything! hahaha, here they are just ahead of Carmon and her little girl heading out to pasture.
April 8, 2011 the flowers are so beautiful right now, and of course its just so hard to keep up the mowing, trimming and tilling, but still, its so nice to see how wonderful everything is right now!
           I have weaned the two little ram lambs born in February, just too big to stay with their mama's anymore, and don't want them in the maternity ward with new babies due any day now. They are gorgeous and will be for sale. The oldest one is an English Blue, but grade and not registrable. Sired by RMF Daijon GCA1545HC  The other one is a faded red from the foundation ram RM Chicote GCA 0833 (Perkins foundation) an out of the faded red ewe RMF Chana (RMF Russel GCA 1037 {Perkins foundation} x Faralee GCA 0554 {Perkins foundation}). He will be really nice and very desirable for a herd sire.
    All the sheep seem so happy to be rid of their fleeces!!
 and of course the ducks still try to share chore time in the barn, its just too funny! They are the "clean up crew"
  The baby goats are growing like weeds! And April's little boy is as big as the full blooded Alpines, but still such a little baby!
  
April 4, 2011 The weather is looking bad today, but I did get the last nine fleeces prepared. I am so glad I am finished. The Creams; Dyani, Clara, Larisa, Jacque, & Masika:      The silver/greys; Marmionee, Brandy, Antoniya, & Chocolate:     One Faded Red: Carmon  The closit looks good too!
April 3, 2011 After lunch we got started and worked on fleeces. The faded reds; Faralee, Chana, Russel, Aponi, & Ashlyn:      The creams; Fawcette, Annabelle, Easter, Linda Lou, Alyssa, Felicia, & Bianca:        and one Silver; Melanie:  nine more and I am done, but the weather is supposed to be bad, I pray its only rain!
April 2, 2011 After chores this morning I made cheese, then about 1 pm, started on the fleeces. I didn't get very far, but I have gotten started. Its a job and a slow one at that!
 First I got set up and then on with the first fleece. I got 7 processed, bagged and labeled. I most likely will not start posting them into the catalog until they are all finished, but here is a preview:
The cream fleeces; Adelinda, Cicely, & Allison:   
The silver/grey fleeces; Linette, Mirla, & Merlene:   
and Lilianne, a very dark lamb fleece:  I have a ways to go before I am finished, but at least I am started. I had to quit at 4 pm to go start the milking, and I am tired, ready for a bath.
March 31, 2011 Emily's Weaving class finished up today, and what a neat day it was!
     Teacher & Student, and Emily with her beautiful Runner/Scarf!
 
March 30, 2011 We are having a weaving class at the studio this week, and Emily Crum is taking a class with Charlene Quinilty. Its been fun, and still has a couple days to go, but Emily is learning lots, and her piece is looking better and better. She is weaving on one of the Artistat's in the Studio.
  Start in with the warping, and onto the weaving, Emily is working and learning!
           Of course the cats both think its neat that someone new is here!
 Tomorrow Emily gets to concentrate on weaving and is past the preparation of the loom!
March 28, 2011 I'm still tired! But, chores were waiting and I had to milk April this morning too, since she had her little boy yesterday, along with my normal milking chores, then finish cleaning up the barn. Next after breakfast its on to the studio to get all the fleeces shelved in the fleece closit.
 what a beautiful sight they are for sure. Still the most tedious part is yet to come, where I have to put them on the prep table, check them over, remove all that needs to be removed that I missed at the tagging table. Since we had to shear in the barn this year because of the weather (rain) it was not my normal open table for skirting. All I could do mostly was tag, remove belly, neck and leg wool if there was any and any spots I could see that had other undesirables in it. At the prep table I will beat all the dirt I can out and rebag, weight and label.
 They all look like they feel so much better with all that fleece off. I did get a picture of two of the girls that went into the maternity pasture. There were 5 that went in with Chana to wait for April lambs.
 I hope to be posting fleeces in the catalog in the next few days. You can check back towards the end of the week to see what I have ready at raw fleece.
March 27, 2011 Today it was raining as we got ready to go to the barn to do our chores so we shut the sheep up in the big barn since Danny was supposed to get here to shear. They all looked so funny standing around in the barn waiting!
 April had her little boy about noon, and then around 3 pm Danny made it here from Lafayette where he sheared Dorman's flock, after shearing for Bonnie in North Louisiana.
 Then it was down to business!
      We were all so glad when it was done, and it was late, after chore time, so all the animals wanted us to do the chores so they could bed down for the night. We were ready too!
March 21, 2011 Up and at it, its garden work and so spring here!
   Everything is just out doing itself! The flowers are still so beautiful too!
   We stay outside in the yard or the garden, working at the barn and around the farm. Its so nice, and warm, beautiful weather!
March 20, 2011 today was a lazy day. Other than chores we just relaxed and did not do much of anything except I did go and take some pictures Lotey's twins are beautiful, as you can see!
  The little buck is very nice indeed,
 and the little doe is a keeper
 They play a lot now too, and are as cute as Olive's twins!
 Chana's twins are growing so fast! We will keep the little ewe since she is one of Chicote's (GCA 0833) last lambs, but we will let the little ram go to a good home,
  both are faded reds as their grandsire, Chana (GCA 1549)'s sire was Russel (GCA 1037) and Chana's mother was Faralee (GCA0554), both faded reds! Olive's twins just continue to grow and become more beautiful and cuter by the day!
      we are still having beautiful weather, hopeful that it will be the same for shearing next weekend!
March 17, 2011 we stayed busy all day, fixing hay feeders, and mowing, trimming in the yard. I did get some pictures of the new twins, and they are so beautiful!
 Now there are four, with Olive's little girls and Lottie's boy and girl. They all are so pretty, and marked so much alike!
 Of course I came across Peggy while I was taking pictures of the kids, and she was so funny!
  It was a beautiful day, so very nice!
March 16, 2011 Finally they are here! Lottie had twins, a boy and a girl today just after noon. Day 156, and we are so happy that they and mama are doing well. Its was an all day afair too!
March 14, 2011 Spring is diffinately here! The flowers are just gorgeous, and I can't get enough of them,
             We are still waiting on Lottie, she just gets bigger and bigger! hahahahaha,
 Of course there is nothing that is cuter than little goats! Olive's babies are precious!
    
March 12, 2011 We have been so busy! Gardens, lambs, kids, and such beautiful weather mostly. Couple of intense storms that were a little nerve wracking, but no damage thankfully! 2nd Fridays are always so much fun and this one was no different. Charlene is weaving, and Albion Spinning. I am measuring warp with the reel. It comes to an end too soon!
 Lottie is mama in waiting, just anytime now,
 Chana's Twins are growing like weeds!
  I got eggplant and peppers planted in amoung the Collards, Swiss Chard, Cabbage, and the last of the Broccoli
  Got the tomatoes planted over by the main garden, which has 6 rows of snap beans and 2 rows of potatoes up now,
  Even the greenhouse looks really good with new stuff in there, peppers, eggplants and some tomatoes along with the marigolds, petunias and some other small flowers!
  All the yard is just covered with blooms, and the Almond bush in the patio is just loaded with pink blossoms
March 2, 2011 We had lots of excitement today! Olive had her kids, twin girls and are they cute!!
We worked in the garden, fixed fence and just kept busy all day, but with Olives Twins coming we just had to keep going back to see them. They are just so beautiful! I did get some new pictures of Chana's twins, and they are just so sweet, and very beautiful!
  The little girl is really red! Of course I had to get the rooster too!
March 1, 2011 I can barely keep from planting my tomatoes! Its so warm and nice. The sun is just unbelievable, and flowers everywhere. We finally finished up the fence along the east and north sides of the garden. All that little stuff that grew up, briers, sweet gums and hedges are gone now. It looks so nice! Lloyd used his Christmas present, the Mantis in the garden too, and does he like it. Such a nice little machine!!
  I have been spinning in the evenings, and getting some beautiful yarn too. The blue and wine is a 3 ply and so very soft too! The green is soft too, and I love the color, its just so nice!
 I caught Ginger playing with his barrel this afternoon while we were doing chores. He is so silly, hahaha!
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