Everything is just about packed. Teapot came home with two heaping bales of hay from the family that we are buying the 12 bales from. So we are set for hay. The food is packed. The tent is packed. The sleeping bags are almost packed..... I was up till quite late last night repairing a rip in one of the Daughters bags, so that will get packed this morning. The life jackets are ready as are the paddles and the two canoes just need to be loaded....
This is my first time paddling solo.... well not completely solo.... but in the steering seat. While Daughter #2 paddles in the front, I will be in the back keeping the canoe on the straight and narrow. The first camp spot is not far so I won't have to worry about anything out of the ordinary.... I will just have to make sure that when Teapot pulls into a bay for a landing in his canoe with Daughter #1, that I am right behind him. the first camping spot is only 20 mins down river...so not too far. We will even still get cell coverage there. We will be staying in that camp site for two nights. then after that it gets a little hairier!
Teapot and I have decided to camp at another site for the next two nights that is about 3 hours or 25 km away. We have to pass through a place called the gates. This scares the heck out of me because I know that there can be, depending on how much water is running, a fearsome roll in the water. It is certainly not white water but if you don't hit it right you can get quite wet with the bow plowing under some pretty good rolling waves. We've taken on water there before and it means a good soaking and having to stop and unload the canoe and turning the canoe over and dumping out any water that we have taken on. I really hate that. Once we get past that it is pretty much smooth sailing except for a few spots where there are sand bars that protrude out into the river and if you don't hit the deeper water going around them you can bottom out pretty bad.
Ok... all hell has just broken loose.... we can't find Jiggs......
Later:
Ok... Jiggs came back but not without Teapot having to drive around our area looking for her.... it took a while but she is back... just goes to show that when your back is turned and you're not watching her she will take off. Argh!
Right have managed to finish the other sleeping bag and we are just having a quick lunch and then we are off.... I think we have pack ed everything and all is ready... except for the corn on the cob... which is sitting on the couch... now where in the h--- am I going to put that?!!!
We're off.... see ya!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Conversations Come To An End
Too much of a good thing can get.... well.... let's just say too much of a good thing! While I've had a hoot writing the last few blog posts, there comes a time when having conversations like that is one step away from a straight jacket and I just don't want to go there. : )
Ok so all summer I was desperate for rain..... we didn't get much... at all. This week we were planning a trip camping down river... and we are still going to go... but it really ticks me off that the weather is not co-operating. It is raining every day.... not much but enough that it is making going camping.... well not so desirable. Teapot is off today to haul hay for the animals and then we are going to pack for a trip down river with the girls. We have two canoes we have our list of gear and we are starting to gather everything and prepare... we were supposed to leave today but we are having a hard time finding hay to tide us through till our big shipment arrives. We have 12 bales ordered from a family who live not too far away from here and another 12 bales ordered from a farm that is a three hour drive away. We are down to 14 sheep now which means that we have rid ourselves of ten.... which also means that they are eating a whole lot less. Still, we are down to the last little bit of hay, and if we want to go away for a few days then we need to have enough to get the people who are going to feed our animals through till we get back. Meanwhile it is threatening rain. I just had a look on the forecast and it is calling for rain right through the next week. This is the last little bit of summer vacation and we are down to the wire for a trip down river so we really want to go... after this it just won't happen.
Teapot and the girls go back to school on the 7th. I can't believe that summer has come and gone, yet when I look out the window and see the trees turning yellow and orange then it hits me that the North wind is coming and all those frozen days of winter. The fall birds are back and they are telling us to prepare for those long days of winter too. the sheep are starting to look fluffy again. The dog has stopped shedding. I wore pants the other day and I actually considered socks! In the evening I'm sitting outside still but with a warm poncho thrown around my shoulders. Yep winter isn't far away. When I think that it is only 4 months till Christmas eve... oooh, that's a scary thought.
I have been busily working on my level 3 homework and have made some good inroads into it. I have just finished the 12 t.p.i. question and am hoping that I can get it into the book today. Mind you I slept in till 10 a.m. which is virtually unheard of and that makes for a very short day. I only have one week to meat my deadline.... well it is my deadline... nobody gave me a solid deadline but I did want to be finished by the 1st of September. I don't think that is going to happen but it is so close I can almost taste it. I never thought it would take me so long to get those t.p.i. questions done and done right.
I have one t.p.i. question left to do and two sections... one on count and the other on commercial yarns and then I'm finished.... not much left to do but enough that I'm chomping at the bit....and now I am going away... that will seriously cut into my time remaining to get this finished. Oh well.... when do I ever meat deadlines on time..... rarely..... as the Big j.c. was an indication!
Just so you know... I will be off line for the next few days as we travel with our girls.... wish us luck... the river is drawing us to it.... as it always does. Canoeing and exploring the water world of this beautiful valley.
Ok so all summer I was desperate for rain..... we didn't get much... at all. This week we were planning a trip camping down river... and we are still going to go... but it really ticks me off that the weather is not co-operating. It is raining every day.... not much but enough that it is making going camping.... well not so desirable. Teapot is off today to haul hay for the animals and then we are going to pack for a trip down river with the girls. We have two canoes we have our list of gear and we are starting to gather everything and prepare... we were supposed to leave today but we are having a hard time finding hay to tide us through till our big shipment arrives. We have 12 bales ordered from a family who live not too far away from here and another 12 bales ordered from a farm that is a three hour drive away. We are down to 14 sheep now which means that we have rid ourselves of ten.... which also means that they are eating a whole lot less. Still, we are down to the last little bit of hay, and if we want to go away for a few days then we need to have enough to get the people who are going to feed our animals through till we get back. Meanwhile it is threatening rain. I just had a look on the forecast and it is calling for rain right through the next week. This is the last little bit of summer vacation and we are down to the wire for a trip down river so we really want to go... after this it just won't happen.
Teapot and the girls go back to school on the 7th. I can't believe that summer has come and gone, yet when I look out the window and see the trees turning yellow and orange then it hits me that the North wind is coming and all those frozen days of winter. The fall birds are back and they are telling us to prepare for those long days of winter too. the sheep are starting to look fluffy again. The dog has stopped shedding. I wore pants the other day and I actually considered socks! In the evening I'm sitting outside still but with a warm poncho thrown around my shoulders. Yep winter isn't far away. When I think that it is only 4 months till Christmas eve... oooh, that's a scary thought.
I have been busily working on my level 3 homework and have made some good inroads into it. I have just finished the 12 t.p.i. question and am hoping that I can get it into the book today. Mind you I slept in till 10 a.m. which is virtually unheard of and that makes for a very short day. I only have one week to meat my deadline.... well it is my deadline... nobody gave me a solid deadline but I did want to be finished by the 1st of September. I don't think that is going to happen but it is so close I can almost taste it. I never thought it would take me so long to get those t.p.i. questions done and done right.
I have one t.p.i. question left to do and two sections... one on count and the other on commercial yarns and then I'm finished.... not much left to do but enough that I'm chomping at the bit....and now I am going away... that will seriously cut into my time remaining to get this finished. Oh well.... when do I ever meat deadlines on time..... rarely..... as the Big j.c. was an indication!
Just so you know... I will be off line for the next few days as we travel with our girls.... wish us luck... the river is drawing us to it.... as it always does. Canoeing and exploring the water world of this beautiful valley.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Further Conversations (It Get's Quite Interesting Around here Sometimes)
Toes (left foot): Brrr it is sooo cold....
Toes (right foot): Yeah I'm frozen too. I wouldn't mind a pair of socks you know....
Toes: (lf): Yep, it's that time of the year when she freezes us out... it's cold in the morning and she just refuses to wear socks....
Brain (both sides!): What's that?! Did I hear the dreaded word..... Did I hear the S word?!
Toes (all together): Oh no no no we didn't say anything.....
Toes (lf): How did she hear that.... I only whispered!
Toes (rf): Yeah but she hears everything especially when it comes to socks. You know socks are her nemesis.
Brain (bs): I heaaarrr you! Shut up about the d-mn socks.... it's only August for God's sake.... I will not go find socks yet.....
Toes (all together): But we're coooollllddddd! How can you do this to us.... we carry you around all the time and you never treat us properly..... you just let us freeze to death.... it's not faaaaiiiiirrr!
Brain (bs): Stop whining.... you'll get socks in time... when the weather gets cold.... it's still only summer and we don't even open the (beep) drawer until October.... you have a full month and a half to go yet... besides.... it's all in your imagination....
Toes (all together): but you are our imagination!....
Brain (bs): Oh yeah....
Brain (left side): They do have a point you know....
Brain (right side): Whose side are you on anyway.....
Brain (all together): Look quit whining... it won't do you any good... you know how we feel about socks and we will not go and look for socks until October.... so it is no good to whine.
Toes (all together): WE WANT SOCKS! WE WANT SOCKS! WE WANT SOC....
Brain (all together): Ohhhh now you're chanting at me... like that will get you anywhere... I REFUSE TO FIND SOCKS!!!
Toes: You are such a meany.... Look we are soo cold and you are not taking good care of us...
Brain: Well we could negotiate something..... how about flip flops.... would that be ok?
Toes: Anything at this point....
Later.
Brain: How does that feel?
Toes: Much better!
Toes (left side): Are you really feeling better?
Toes (right side): No I'm still frozen.... look I'm even turning BLUE!!!!
Toes (right foot): Yeah I'm frozen too. I wouldn't mind a pair of socks you know....
Toes: (lf): Yep, it's that time of the year when she freezes us out... it's cold in the morning and she just refuses to wear socks....
Brain (both sides!): What's that?! Did I hear the dreaded word..... Did I hear the S word?!
Toes (all together): Oh no no no we didn't say anything.....
Toes (lf): How did she hear that.... I only whispered!
Toes (rf): Yeah but she hears everything especially when it comes to socks. You know socks are her nemesis.
Brain (bs): I heaaarrr you! Shut up about the d-mn socks.... it's only August for God's sake.... I will not go find socks yet.....
Toes (all together): But we're coooollllddddd! How can you do this to us.... we carry you around all the time and you never treat us properly..... you just let us freeze to death.... it's not faaaaiiiiirrr!
Brain (bs): Stop whining.... you'll get socks in time... when the weather gets cold.... it's still only summer and we don't even open the (beep) drawer until October.... you have a full month and a half to go yet... besides.... it's all in your imagination....
Toes (all together): but you are our imagination!....
Brain (bs): Oh yeah....
Brain (left side): They do have a point you know....
Brain (right side): Whose side are you on anyway.....
Brain (all together): Look quit whining... it won't do you any good... you know how we feel about socks and we will not go and look for socks until October.... so it is no good to whine.
Toes (all together): WE WANT SOCKS! WE WANT SOCKS! WE WANT SOC....
Brain (all together): Ohhhh now you're chanting at me... like that will get you anywhere... I REFUSE TO FIND SOCKS!!!
Toes: You are such a meany.... Look we are soo cold and you are not taking good care of us...
Brain: Well we could negotiate something..... how about flip flops.... would that be ok?
Toes: Anything at this point....
Later.
Brain: How does that feel?
Toes: Much better!
Toes (left side): Are you really feeling better?
Toes (right side): No I'm still frozen.... look I'm even turning BLUE!!!!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Conversation To Myself (I told you I live inside my own head)
Me (left brain): la tee da tee da.... oh this is good writing for the blog.....
Me (right brain): No it is not you imbecile......
Me (lb): What.... who's that talking back.....
Me (rb): It's me you nut case..... you think you are so smart and you are soooo totally NOT!
Me (lb): I am not stupid and what is wrong with this writing?!
Me (rb): It sucks.... who wants to hear about all this sh-- that you are writing about.... you might as well write about your bathroom habits.... it would be more interesting....
Me ( lb): Waaaaaa!
Me (rb): Oh stop sniveling.... I'm giving you a helping hand here.....
Me (lb): (sniff, sniff) well what do you think I should write about?
Me (rb): I think you should write about the huge fire and how the house burned down and how life will never be the same again now that the insurance company won't give you insurance money because the house burned down in a wild forest fire and it was an act of God and they don't cover that kind of thing.....
Me (lb): but that is so NOT TRUE! You can't talk about stuff that is not true......
Me (rb): Well I suppose you want to write some insipid poem..... get over yourself.... who cares if it is NOT TRUE... just write it.... it's interesting.... well at least more interesting than writing about what you did today and what you plan on doing and the weather and cra- like that!!!!!
Me (lb): But the leaves are so pretty now that they are turning and I was going to talk about how nice it is to get up early and look out at the fog with the sun burning through and the beautiful colours now that the trees are turning yellow and orange...
Me (rb): Sh--! If anyone wanted to know about that all they would have to do is go on some stupid tour of the Maritimes in October.... or look out their own window....
Me (lb): Well I could talk about all the cool things I have been spinning and the nice 12 t.p.i. yarn I spun....
Me (rb): Look nobody wants to hear about that.... why don't you talk about how the dam burst and the whole valley was flooded and you are so miserable because you can never paddle the Peace again! Yeah and you could say that the neighbour's dog drowned and they had to taken out on a helicopter..... Yeah... that would be cool....
Me (lb); Listen here, you.... I told you I am not writing things that are not true! I will write about Daughter #1 riding her horse and how she is teaching Daughter #2 to ride and maybe I'll even post some pictures.....
Me (rb): For God's sake!! You'll have everyone snoring if you write about that cra-! At least say that Daughter #1 was thrown from her horse and she can't ride for the next 6 weeks and she is teaching her sister how not to fall off a horse and she is not looking forward to going back to school because the bullies will push her around and make her life miserable and she might rebreak her leg and therefore she should be home schooled....and....
Me (lb): ONLY TRUE STUFF I SAID!
Me (rb): Oh all right...... but just remember... I told you so.....
Me (lb): they will love it because I have such an interesting life!
Me (rb): snore (yeah right like your life is so awesomely interesting.... you belong on Oprah!)
Me (left brain): la tee da tee da.... oh this is good writing for the blog.....
Me (right brain): No it is not you imbecile......
Me (lb): What.... who's that talking back.....
Me (rb): It's me you nut case..... you think you are so smart and you are soooo totally NOT!
Me (lb): I am not stupid and what is wrong with this writing?!
Me (rb): It sucks.... who wants to hear about all this sh-- that you are writing about.... you might as well write about your bathroom habits.... it would be more interesting....
Me ( lb): Waaaaaa!
Me (rb): Oh stop sniveling.... I'm giving you a helping hand here.....
Me (lb): (sniff, sniff) well what do you think I should write about?
Me (rb): I think you should write about the huge fire and how the house burned down and how life will never be the same again now that the insurance company won't give you insurance money because the house burned down in a wild forest fire and it was an act of God and they don't cover that kind of thing.....
Me (lb): but that is so NOT TRUE! You can't talk about stuff that is not true......
Me (rb): Well I suppose you want to write some insipid poem..... get over yourself.... who cares if it is NOT TRUE... just write it.... it's interesting.... well at least more interesting than writing about what you did today and what you plan on doing and the weather and cra- like that!!!!!
Me (lb): But the leaves are so pretty now that they are turning and I was going to talk about how nice it is to get up early and look out at the fog with the sun burning through and the beautiful colours now that the trees are turning yellow and orange...
Me (rb): Sh--! If anyone wanted to know about that all they would have to do is go on some stupid tour of the Maritimes in October.... or look out their own window....
Me (lb): Well I could talk about all the cool things I have been spinning and the nice 12 t.p.i. yarn I spun....
Me (rb): Look nobody wants to hear about that.... why don't you talk about how the dam burst and the whole valley was flooded and you are so miserable because you can never paddle the Peace again! Yeah and you could say that the neighbour's dog drowned and they had to taken out on a helicopter..... Yeah... that would be cool....
Me (lb); Listen here, you.... I told you I am not writing things that are not true! I will write about Daughter #1 riding her horse and how she is teaching Daughter #2 to ride and maybe I'll even post some pictures.....
Me (rb): For God's sake!! You'll have everyone snoring if you write about that cra-! At least say that Daughter #1 was thrown from her horse and she can't ride for the next 6 weeks and she is teaching her sister how not to fall off a horse and she is not looking forward to going back to school because the bullies will push her around and make her life miserable and she might rebreak her leg and therefore she should be home schooled....and....
Me (lb): ONLY TRUE STUFF I SAID!
Me (rb): Oh all right...... but just remember... I told you so.....
Me (lb): they will love it because I have such an interesting life!
Me (rb): snore (yeah right like your life is so awesomely interesting.... you belong on Oprah!)
Me (left brain): la tee da tee da.... oh this is good writing for the blog.....
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Conversations Between Teapot And The-Lost-In-Computerland
Teapot: Hi Love.
Me: (click, click, click)
Teapot: Hmmm.... :(
Later.
Teapot: I'm going to watch a movie.... do you want to join me?
Me: (click, click, click)..... I'm typing......
Teapot: I see that......
Me:
Later.
Teapot: I'm going to bed....
Me: (click, click, click)
Later.
Me: What did you say dear?
Teapot: zzzzzzzz (upstairs)
Me: Dear????
Next morning....
Me: I'm getting up... my back is killing me.....
Teapot: zzzzzzz......
Later.
Teapot: Good morning..... I'm going to make pancakes..... do you want some.....
Me: (click, click, click)
Teapot: Hmmm.... :(
Later.
Me: I didn't know you were making pancakes.......
Teapot: Hmmm..... :(
Me: I think we should shear Fanny and Greigg today...... Greigg is going next week and I would like to get his fleece off before he goes....... it's a nice cool day..... let's get that done.....
Teapot: Hmmmm.....! :(
If you want to see what I was working on while in computerland you can have a look at the above links under the picture of me in the canoe......
Me: (click, click, click)
Teapot: Hmmm.... :(
Later.
Teapot: I'm going to watch a movie.... do you want to join me?
Me: (click, click, click)..... I'm typing......
Teapot: I see that......
Me:
Later.
Teapot: I'm going to bed....
Me: (click, click, click)
Later.
Me: What did you say dear?
Teapot: zzzzzzzz (upstairs)
Me: Dear????
Next morning....
Me: I'm getting up... my back is killing me.....
Teapot: zzzzzzz......
Later.
Teapot: Good morning..... I'm going to make pancakes..... do you want some.....
Me: (click, click, click)
Teapot: Hmmm.... :(
Later.
Me: I didn't know you were making pancakes.......
Teapot: Hmmm..... :(
Me: I think we should shear Fanny and Greigg today...... Greigg is going next week and I would like to get his fleece off before he goes....... it's a nice cool day..... let's get that done.....
Teapot: Hmmmm.....! :(
If you want to see what I was working on while in computerland you can have a look at the above links under the picture of me in the canoe......
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Snore..... That's What I should Be Doing
I've had a few things on my mind and I haven't really had time to get back to this blog and write the way I've wanted. When I look back on this summer it feels like I have been really busy but then I feel like I haven't got much to show for it. I'm stuck in a bit of a rut with my homework books and I've been busily working on that all summer and recently in the last few days I have been busy getting the blog/newsletter ready for the PCSW. So really I haven't been sitting doing nothing and when I think back to that dyeing weekend retreat there in July.... well, lets just say that I made huge inroads into my level 4 homework.... but for all intents and purposes it really doesn't feel like I've been working or doing anything, probably because I haven't got anything to show for my work.... well, anything useable that is. Still the newsletter is out for another season. If you would like to view it you can go to Threads Along The Peace for a little look at what I have been doing for the last week.
I took on the newsletter as a volunteer position for the PCSW about a year ago and convinced everyone in the guild that we should modernize and stop sending out a paper newsletter (also sent as an attachment for those with a computer) and start sending out an online newsletter instead. It has been no small task to do that. Convincing people that our guild won't suffer because we publish online has not necessarily been easy. There is an issue with privacy.... so once again I don't put any personal information on the blog/newsletter about anyone who writes or is written about. Everyone can view it online and they can do so with anonymity. It can be viewed in colour and we can now see pictures... which I'm still not sure that people have figured out yet, since I hardly ever get pictures for the reports and articles that people send to me to be published. Anyway, I'm working on these ladies to get the newsletter to be something more than just a sheaf of papers that get sent out three times a year with a cheery report from each guild involved, to a newsletter that informs, and captures attention, and makes a difference in the lives of the spinners, weavers and dyers who read it. At first, the newsletter was closed to only members but at our last meeting in the spring, there was a vote to open it to the general public... it is now ok for me to talk about it here and give a link.... which I think is great because it can only further our influence and knowledge. I'm hoping it will be received well but that is not necessarily the case since some of the ladies in the guild are a little on the technical spaz side of things.... : ) but they're learning.
Meanwhile, while I was waiting for the reports to be completed and the articles to be sent in and then in between typing up the things that I received last week, I would spin. I am working on two questions at once for the level 3 homework. I am still working on the cotton summer question, though I have two spools of cotton spun and am now working on the third, and I have one spool of wool/cotton/silk blend for the baby sweater done. They are both coming along fine and the break from treadling there a week ago has helped my back... (yeah!) So now I work on the regular spinning wheel for a few hours, and then I give myself a break and read.... and then I work on the charkha for a few hours, and then give myself a break and blog/write for the newsletter for a while. It's working quite well except that it feels like I'm making no progress.... I guess I am though. I'm seeing slow and steady progress but no great leaps forward. It will probably all come at one time when I get a whole bunch of stuff finished all in one fell swoop!
Actually it is the wee small hours of the morning right now and it is raining. I know it seems like it is raining all the time here because I keep announcing the rain when it comes... still though everything around here is dreadfully dry. The rain, when it comes, is in very small amounts.... like 3 mm.... and doesn't last long and is usually followed by two days of dry southern wind which whisks away all the moisture and makes it so that it really wasn't any good at all..... the grass, which turned brown ages ago is now that grey/white of dead beyond all reckoning. The trees are turning full yellow, and now that we are getting cooler nights the leaves are starting to fall off the trees that survived the drought.... the trees that didn't survive the drought don't have leaves to turn. Daughter #1 takes her horse out for exercise and the dust kicks up from her walking feet in small little poofs. It would take two weeks of solid rain to make the water table come back up at all and even then we would have to have regular rain after that for a month to bring this place back to life.... mind you it is Aug 17th and I expect that everything will just die off for the season now.
Teapot has been culling the flock. We still have the lambs and we have Fanny, Nellie, and Xavier, which we will keep, with Krunch, Palmer, and Ipwitch next up on the chopping block... the lambs will go in the early fall. Winnie, Lulu, and Griegg are going to a friend's place to be cared for there.
Wow, the rain is really coming down right now and I think I see lightning every now and again!
I do have one bad thing to say.... Oozle the cat has gone missing and hasn't been seen for a week... we checked with the animal control guy, (who's not entirely trustworthy) and he has been away vacationing for a few weeks... his wife told us that there have been no cats brought in...the day Oozle went missing we found a dead rabbit by the hay stack.... hmm... We haven't entirely given up on finding him.... but chances are slim.... Daughter #1 is taking it well considering that it was her cat. Actually everyone is..... well, except me... which is weird since I have a real love/hate relationship with the cats. But for some dumb reason.... well, I miss the little guy. I hate that he might have been eaten or died a nasty death or is stuck somewhere starving in a slow death... it's just dreadful... I hate getting attached to cats!..... I did tell Daughter #1 though, that there would be no more cats because my allergies to them is, while not bad, has been a whole lot worse lately. So for now we will wait and wonder and hope that he returns.... (the stupid blighter.... I only just spent a fortune on him in the spring getting him neutered and getting his shots).
I just heard a clap of thunder off in the distance.... hmm... I think there is a storm on the way... I love night time electrical storms. I love to sit/lie in the dark and watch the lightning play on the walls around me.... and if I can be out in it.... well, even better.
So, while I've been sitting here writing this, time has been marching on... it is 1:45 a.m. and Teapot and the Daughters have been in bed for hours. All is quiet.... except for the in-the-distance thunder. It's actually quite pleasant sitting here working away....but I think it is time to climb the stairs, turn out the lights, crawl into my soft, warm, safe bed, and toss and turn for a few more hours before falling into an exhausted sleep just before dawn.... maybe waiting for the storm will put me to sleep.... usually if I want to stay awake for a reason that's when I fall asleep like a baby..... you know... Murphy's Law!
I'm all about Murphy's Law..... so yeah I'm off to snore or at least try..... good night.
I took on the newsletter as a volunteer position for the PCSW about a year ago and convinced everyone in the guild that we should modernize and stop sending out a paper newsletter (also sent as an attachment for those with a computer) and start sending out an online newsletter instead. It has been no small task to do that. Convincing people that our guild won't suffer because we publish online has not necessarily been easy. There is an issue with privacy.... so once again I don't put any personal information on the blog/newsletter about anyone who writes or is written about. Everyone can view it online and they can do so with anonymity. It can be viewed in colour and we can now see pictures... which I'm still not sure that people have figured out yet, since I hardly ever get pictures for the reports and articles that people send to me to be published. Anyway, I'm working on these ladies to get the newsletter to be something more than just a sheaf of papers that get sent out three times a year with a cheery report from each guild involved, to a newsletter that informs, and captures attention, and makes a difference in the lives of the spinners, weavers and dyers who read it. At first, the newsletter was closed to only members but at our last meeting in the spring, there was a vote to open it to the general public... it is now ok for me to talk about it here and give a link.... which I think is great because it can only further our influence and knowledge. I'm hoping it will be received well but that is not necessarily the case since some of the ladies in the guild are a little on the technical spaz side of things.... : ) but they're learning.
Meanwhile, while I was waiting for the reports to be completed and the articles to be sent in and then in between typing up the things that I received last week, I would spin. I am working on two questions at once for the level 3 homework. I am still working on the cotton summer question, though I have two spools of cotton spun and am now working on the third, and I have one spool of wool/cotton/silk blend for the baby sweater done. They are both coming along fine and the break from treadling there a week ago has helped my back... (yeah!) So now I work on the regular spinning wheel for a few hours, and then I give myself a break and read.... and then I work on the charkha for a few hours, and then give myself a break and blog/write for the newsletter for a while. It's working quite well except that it feels like I'm making no progress.... I guess I am though. I'm seeing slow and steady progress but no great leaps forward. It will probably all come at one time when I get a whole bunch of stuff finished all in one fell swoop!
Actually it is the wee small hours of the morning right now and it is raining. I know it seems like it is raining all the time here because I keep announcing the rain when it comes... still though everything around here is dreadfully dry. The rain, when it comes, is in very small amounts.... like 3 mm.... and doesn't last long and is usually followed by two days of dry southern wind which whisks away all the moisture and makes it so that it really wasn't any good at all..... the grass, which turned brown ages ago is now that grey/white of dead beyond all reckoning. The trees are turning full yellow, and now that we are getting cooler nights the leaves are starting to fall off the trees that survived the drought.... the trees that didn't survive the drought don't have leaves to turn. Daughter #1 takes her horse out for exercise and the dust kicks up from her walking feet in small little poofs. It would take two weeks of solid rain to make the water table come back up at all and even then we would have to have regular rain after that for a month to bring this place back to life.... mind you it is Aug 17th and I expect that everything will just die off for the season now.
Teapot has been culling the flock. We still have the lambs and we have Fanny, Nellie, and Xavier, which we will keep, with Krunch, Palmer, and Ipwitch next up on the chopping block... the lambs will go in the early fall. Winnie, Lulu, and Griegg are going to a friend's place to be cared for there.
Wow, the rain is really coming down right now and I think I see lightning every now and again!
I do have one bad thing to say.... Oozle the cat has gone missing and hasn't been seen for a week... we checked with the animal control guy, (who's not entirely trustworthy) and he has been away vacationing for a few weeks... his wife told us that there have been no cats brought in...the day Oozle went missing we found a dead rabbit by the hay stack.... hmm... We haven't entirely given up on finding him.... but chances are slim.... Daughter #1 is taking it well considering that it was her cat. Actually everyone is..... well, except me... which is weird since I have a real love/hate relationship with the cats. But for some dumb reason.... well, I miss the little guy. I hate that he might have been eaten or died a nasty death or is stuck somewhere starving in a slow death... it's just dreadful... I hate getting attached to cats!..... I did tell Daughter #1 though, that there would be no more cats because my allergies to them is, while not bad, has been a whole lot worse lately. So for now we will wait and wonder and hope that he returns.... (the stupid blighter.... I only just spent a fortune on him in the spring getting him neutered and getting his shots).
I just heard a clap of thunder off in the distance.... hmm... I think there is a storm on the way... I love night time electrical storms. I love to sit/lie in the dark and watch the lightning play on the walls around me.... and if I can be out in it.... well, even better.
So, while I've been sitting here writing this, time has been marching on... it is 1:45 a.m. and Teapot and the Daughters have been in bed for hours. All is quiet.... except for the in-the-distance thunder. It's actually quite pleasant sitting here working away....but I think it is time to climb the stairs, turn out the lights, crawl into my soft, warm, safe bed, and toss and turn for a few more hours before falling into an exhausted sleep just before dawn.... maybe waiting for the storm will put me to sleep.... usually if I want to stay awake for a reason that's when I fall asleep like a baby..... you know... Murphy's Law!
I'm all about Murphy's Law..... so yeah I'm off to snore or at least try..... good night.
Friday, August 13, 2010
The Home Where I live....
This valley never ceases to amaze me. It is a wonderful place to live and I love the river in all its glory, be it summer, fall, winter or spring. Teapot has been loading pictures from the old computer to the new computer and so we have been looking at the pictures more than we would normally. I have taken many pictures of the valley and the river but I thought that today I would show you this valley in all its splendor by posting my favorite pictures of the river and the valley which I call home.
There is always an abundance of wildlife on the river... of course, birds of all kinds flock there for their very survival. I love canoeing on the river because there are always interesting birds to look at, from Kingfishers diving for their lunch, to Eagles patrolling the waters for any sign of things they can eat, be it fish or a baby beaver. There are no small number of wading shore birds like this little sand piper.
Or this flock of geese.....
I love the way the sun sparkles on the water on beautiful sunny days as the water rolls along under the bow of the canoe drifting lazily along and always carrying us forward.
Sparkling water always makes me feel happy....
And we are not the only ones who love the river when it sparkles.....
It makes for an awesome day of rich, bright, soul renewing light.....
The water has many different faces and colours that often evoke similar feelings in me.
There is a rich blue....of energy....
An azure..... of tranquility....
and sometimes even a somber green....
And sandy or rocky cliffs tower over you as you drift silently past. I find myself wondering if those cliffs are watching as they did when the Voyageurs passed this way... these cliffs are covered in hoodoos...
I have drifted past cliffs of shale rock that have made me wonder if they would slide into the river. Once, just as we got past, a little slide occurred and we hurried away from the slopes that somehow seemed formidable.
The water swirls and eddies under the canoe sometimes as the river rolls along over boulders that have been there for thousands of years.... it is quite a thrill when the river lifts you and pushes you around when you drift across one if its many eddies.
Islands dot it's waters where ecosystems of ancient times thrive and provide sanctuary for who knows how many species. They are awesome to explore and you find ferns as high as 6 or 7 feet and mushrooms that are so delicate in their growth that they look like something out of an alien world.
My favorite time to paddle the river is autumn, when the colours of the trees are reflected in the water and the mist plays havoc with your senses.
It is a beautiful valley... a place of peace....
It's water often lies hidden in the mist... as are the homes of the many people who love this valley as I do...
It is the place I call home..... a real jewel that gives me peace of mind and a sanctuary too...
There is always an abundance of wildlife on the river... of course, birds of all kinds flock there for their very survival. I love canoeing on the river because there are always interesting birds to look at, from Kingfishers diving for their lunch, to Eagles patrolling the waters for any sign of things they can eat, be it fish or a baby beaver. There are no small number of wading shore birds like this little sand piper.
Or this flock of geese.....
I love the way the sun sparkles on the water on beautiful sunny days as the water rolls along under the bow of the canoe drifting lazily along and always carrying us forward.
Sparkling water always makes me feel happy....
And we are not the only ones who love the river when it sparkles.....
It makes for an awesome day of rich, bright, soul renewing light.....
The water has many different faces and colours that often evoke similar feelings in me.
There is a rich blue....of energy....
An azure..... of tranquility....
and sometimes even a somber green....
And sandy or rocky cliffs tower over you as you drift silently past. I find myself wondering if those cliffs are watching as they did when the Voyageurs passed this way... these cliffs are covered in hoodoos...
I have drifted past cliffs of shale rock that have made me wonder if they would slide into the river. Once, just as we got past, a little slide occurred and we hurried away from the slopes that somehow seemed formidable.
The water swirls and eddies under the canoe sometimes as the river rolls along over boulders that have been there for thousands of years.... it is quite a thrill when the river lifts you and pushes you around when you drift across one if its many eddies.
Islands dot it's waters where ecosystems of ancient times thrive and provide sanctuary for who knows how many species. They are awesome to explore and you find ferns as high as 6 or 7 feet and mushrooms that are so delicate in their growth that they look like something out of an alien world.
My favorite time to paddle the river is autumn, when the colours of the trees are reflected in the water and the mist plays havoc with your senses.
It is a beautiful valley... a place of peace....
It's water often lies hidden in the mist... as are the homes of the many people who love this valley as I do...
It is the place I call home..... a real jewel that gives me peace of mind and a sanctuary too...
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