SHEEPLESS IN LEWES (Delaware)

Without sheep again for two days.

When we booked this lovely cottage by the ocean, it was September and fine weather.  How were we to know that a hurricane and a nor'easter were planning to be in DE at the same time?  Actually, Sandy was here one week before we came, but we shared the time with Athena.  John stayed home with the sheep and chickens while I went off to meet my sisters for a few days get together.

I was really excited about the cottage I was able to find for us; two bedrooms, closed in porch, full kitchen,  wood stove.  We were told there was no heat but that didn't matter to me since there was a wood stove, which I pictured to be similar to ours (it was, minus the catalytic converter).  I began to worry when Sandy made her visit before ours, but then I got the word from the owner of the cottage that all was fine.

The convening date was to coincide with election day, with a split in opinion (amongst sisters) of who would be the best choice for President for the next four years.  All voted before meeting up and then the time came.

John had reminded me that it was going to take a bit to heat up the cottage furnishings before we would begin to feel real warmth.  We arrived at the cottage, just after dark, with not too much trouble but as we turned off the key in the van, I wondered when we would next feel warm.

The fire was started, the pizza delivered, the TV turned on to the election results, and then things started to heat up.  Unfortunately, the cottage was still cold.

The rain and wind started to pick up as we finally crawled between cool sheets. Sleeping was warm enough but our cozy little cottage was not quite cozy when we woke the next morning.  I thought about the sheep and how even they would not like the day we were heading into.  The rain was on and off throughout the day but the wind did not subside and the water rose.  By evening, there were a few comments suggesting that it seemed a little warmer.   We four were together and some were celebrating a presidential victory so what did the weather matter?

After a better nights sleep, we woke up to blue sky, diminished wind, and a definite feeling that we would be comfortably warm again.

The best day for last but I always enjoy the dramatic days like yesterday at the ocean (as long as they only last for a day, or maybe two at a time).

But now it is time to sleep so we can get an early start home tomorrow to our "home sweet homes" that are warm and in my case have sheep.

Trick or Treat

Living way out where we do, we seldom have trick-or-treaters, unless the kids from across the pasture come.  I really miss it, but I guess it is better than the other extreme.  All the stories you hear about people having thousands of kids come by on Halloween, is unbelievable.

Regardless of who comes up the drive, I can alway count on  my special trick-or-treaters.  They come in a tricky way; in an envelope.  This year they were dressed, appropriately, as a pirate and a shark and their pictures have once again been placed in our esteemed gallery.

At least I can go downtown on Halloween and watch the parade of all common and bizarre costumes.  The kids who came the other day to the NO SCHOOL FALL FIBER DAY part 2, told me they were a haunted house, a platypus, a princess with a special name I can't remember, and I forget the other 2.

I was thinking today, that I might have some kind of special event here next year on Halloween.  I have almost a year to plan and if anyone wants to help with the plans that would be wonderful.

What's wonderful now is looking at the pictures of a spooky shark and a scary pirate.

Cabin Spring Farm Website Returns

The New and Improved Cabin Spring Farm WEBSITE is finally functional.  Needs a few tweaks but O.K. for now.  www.cabinspringfarm.com  .

Got it up just in time for the Fields of Gold jubilee festival.  Fields of Gold is an agritourism venture in the Shenandoah Valley region.  FOG just finished the first year of promoting agritourism by finishing a listing and map of 130 sites in the area, one being Cabin Spring Farm.

We celebrated at one of the vineyards, with some great local food, some good networking and socializing, a few speakers, and a few displays.  I was going to set up a display but we were delayed getting there (more on that later) and the display space was taken up.  John and I were both glad because that meant we could eat and mingle instead of sitting at a display.

I made a contact that wants 4 pounds of fleece for stuffing dolls.  All in all a very pleasant evening.

On the way home, I remembered I have to be up early tomorrow morning  to greet 5 or 6 kids that don't have school again.   I am excited.  It is too cold to meet in the fiber shed, so we will go down to the cabin, at least for the morning.  I actually met the grandfather of one of the summer fiber campers at the function.

Yesterday, was the last session of the fall after school workshops at the MRMS middle school.  Being Halloween, there were only 2 students.  Much more relaxing than 13.

A good week fiber wise, and storm wise as well.  We did get snow flurries on and off all day, but nothing stuck.  High areas of WV, not that far away, got MUCH snow.

I hope many people will visit the Cabin Spring Farm website to keep it in a good position and some feedback would be good too.

Blue Eggs Again

I went out to check for eggs a few days ago and look what I found; blue eggs again.  I haven't seen a blue egg here for over 6 months.

I don't know if the arracana has been laying elsewhere or not laying for quite awhile.  I haven't found brown eggs for a few days so I still think about uncovering 100s of eggs somewhere.  Maybe I will go in search again today, since the after school workshop I do has been cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy.

  Maybe if the winds do come there will be 100s of eggs flying through the air.  Wouldn't that be a sight.  Scrambled eggs for all.

Amelia Bedelia's Parasite

Today was "No School Fall Fiber Day".  Since there was no school today, for whatever reason, I decided to do a fiber workshop.  I had four enthusiastic students.  We had a blast.  First we made a plan  of what we wanted to do.  It was decided we should card and spin some wool, pick pokeweed berries to dye the yarn in the microwave, and of course hang out with the sheep.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures this time.  Next time I will have the kids remind me.  The girls who have been here a few times are getting better at spinning.  It is so great, when you ask kids if it is important to take something home, or just learn more, they say, "just learn more".

The pokeweed had mostly gone by, but there was a large plant next to the compost pile big enough to dye our five small balls of homespun.  It came out beautiful!  The yarn was different shades of red and pink instead of the fushia color I am more used to.  Not sure what that was about.

The two new students wove bracelets on some cardboard box looms we made.  It is nice when we can be doing different things and the kids are always complimenting each other on a job well done.  I am spoiled with this group; they are all sweethearts.

As we were sitting in the sun making our plan and laughing, one of the students said,  "Amelia Bedelia must live here, this is Amelia Bedelia's home, this is Amelia Bedelia's parasite."  I hope she meant paradise.

Giant Steps Forward

John's mom was here a few days last week and she helped me with a prototype I have been working on.  Footwear for little ones.  Now, I have two little moccasin type shoes; one brown and the other white.  Still no pair, but alas, my brother and sister-in-law are coming in a few days and maybe Cathy will help me continue where Gramma and I left off.  I have three different ideas and need to develop them a little further to see which design is the best to go with.

Saturday is the Farm Day at a local farm where they are shearing sheep and showing off old tractors and farm machinery.  Suppose to be a tailgate sale of small animals too so maybe I can find a few more chickens.  I told Keith I would do a demonstration of some kind so I am thinking I might take a couple of spinning wheels with me.  Should be fun and a good thing to do with guests from out of town.

The farm website is coming together again and I am hoping that it will be operational before November 1st which is the Harvest Jubilee; a celebration of the first phase of "Fields of Gold" ( the agritourism project of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia).  That is a run on sentence, whew.  Anyway, lots coming together and very exciting to be sure.

A week and a half until the Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival (SAFF).  I haven't been for a couple of years and I am excited about going this year.  Taking a workshop entitled Homespun meets Nuno felting.  Should be a good one.

A couple of giant steps forward lately, and another is that I successfully trimmed 6 or 7 hooves on my own yesterday.  I have to go back and check Amelia's because she wanted to quit before I did and I am not sure how the last ones ended up.  I do know that  since we put in the water trough with the gravel around it, the sheep don't need their hooves trimmed as often. Yay.

Must go out with the camera tomorrow and document whats going on in the barnyard and it is time to rotate to the next pasture.  Always an exciting day for the sheep.  I will try to catch a few smiles.

October

A week into October, just got back from another few days away.  All seems good on the farm.  The sheep are out grazing more of the day.  Unfortunately, they found something that let loose a bunch of seed all over their faces.  Oh well what can I do, they don't seem to mind?

I should start halter training but keep putting it off.  One day it will be just the right day and I will begin.  I need to trim hooves too and can't put that off too long.  Most of the sheep are getting more trusting (most of the time) so jobs are easier.  But, they still seem to know when I am just giving out treats and scratches or when I have something else in mind.

I have been more in the fiber faze and trying to finish scraping the ceiling of the cabin faze lately.  I will be very happy when the ceiling is done.  It shouldn't take long to paint everything and then we plan to begin the farm stays part of the farm operation.

John went to the lumber mill today, to get the rest of what he needs for the fiber shed, among other things.  It will be nice to have more windows letting sun in the fiber shed, as the days get cooler.

What LOVELY weather we have been having.  The perfect weather to follow the hot summer we had and it started before it was officially fall.

I am really enjoying the balance in my schedule these days.  Just a little more time with the sheep and a few more hikes and I will be completely content.