PPPS

Puddle Pond post script=  I forgot to include a picture of the puddle pond after I finished it.
It is hard to tell how well it is working because it has been raining quite a bit since I completed the work.  Some of the straw is coming up and the geese don't seem to like it as much as they used to so guess we will have to wait to see how things go.

"In The Loop"

When I sent an email to my "Virginia Fiber Enthusiasts" list, last night, to see if anyone wanted to come dye with natural dyes this weekend, I was not expecting the responses that I got.  There were the regular "if I don't have to work" or "in a crunch time, call me next time" that you expect to get but also many others as well.

  I usually expect to here from a couple who can come and a few regrets from people I see frequently that feel like they should let me know why they can't make it.  What I didn't expect was responses from people I haven't seen in a looooooong time who thanked me for keeping them in the loop.  People told me of the good memories that came up from getting my email; from special times here at Cabin Spring Farm to memories of dyeing wool with someone special in the past.  Some offered up their favorite plant material for dyeing and even where I might find some woad.  A friend who moved back to New England said she missed me and there was loads of golden rod there now.

Every time I send an email, I wonder who is getting it that is no longer interested and periodically I ask if anyone wants off the list.  Rarely does anyone ask to be removed and there are over eighty residences that receive these emails.  I guess part of the reason they don't ask to be removed is that I send out emails to this group very infrequently.

One response asked about the critters and how were they doing and was the pasture getting enough rain.

The best part though, is that for some it reminds them of something they once did (that they really enjoyed) and may do again some day.

I hesitated to send out the invite to this whole list instead of just asking a few people,  but now I am glad that I did.  It is important to Keep People in the Loop.

Tiny House Update (mid August 2015)

O.K., Lyndy officially said I could share pictures of her sweet tiny house.  Lyndy brought another crew over Saturday to work on the tiny house and the theme this time was roofing and decorative shingles.  Lyndy also worked on her painted window.  Here are a few of the most recent pictures.

Lyndy can stand up in her tiny house bedroom. There is actually plenty of room up there (unless you want a bed and dresser set).  Certainly lots of light and view!


Roof is done on one side.  The other side has a small skylight to go around and then the roof will be done.  You can also see a sample of the clapboard sitting on the wheel well.  That will probably be the next crew event.

Not many decorative shingles on the front with the window up top.

When they are up they will look like this.

I love this view.  The front of the tiny house with its 22 inch front door and nice front porch.

So you can see the outside is mostly done, and then on to all the interior details that makes the tiny house bigger.  

The animals love the build because it means more visitors which sometimes leads to treats or at least a little more attention.  They can't really see the tiny house very well from the barnyard so they probably wonder what is going on over where all the noise comes from.  When they do get a good look this fall, they will probably say, "That is just the right size for Lyndy".

For anyone wondering how Lyndy is going to get her refrigerator and stove into the house, that is what the side door is for.

Sometimes Feet, Sometimes Hands

Sometimes I create with my feet (previous blog) sometimes I create with my hands.

A couple of weeks ago, Beverly and I took a felting workshop called "Felting for Painters".  Most of the students in the class were painters, few had felted before.  The workshop combined wet and dry felting techniques.  The good thing about felting is you can put light over dark.  That is pretty hard to do with a painting, especially a watercolor.

The lower sky needs to be much lighter and the pastures defined more, but I can still do that.

This is not the right light but I was too lazy to find a better picture, I have only taken this picture a thousand times.

I have been wanting to do some landscapes for awhile, so it is nice to finely do one.  It is actually fun.

My sister Judy has been wanting me to do something for a room in her house (not sure what she calls the room) where she has some original art from most or all of her siblings.  I keep promising her something, so maybe it will be a felting or maybe some mud art.  I wonder which she would rather have.

Working with the Nature Spirits

Last weekend I decided it was time to patch the puddle pond.  I wasn't really sure how to approach it so I called in the nature spirits for guidance.  It was an interesting process they had me go through but it seems like the repair is working pretty well.

First I had to hoe out the squishy mud and put it in 2 places.  Then I put the straw into the mud and tamped it in.

My quality control supervisor is pretty lenient, good thing.

Good excuse to buy new sandals- now these can be farm use only.

This video will make you feel a part of the process.  Enjoy!  Make sure to put it in full screen.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

It rained 2 inches yesterday after a somewhat dry spell.  I alway find it interesting that no matter what the weather, I can always find a reason not to do something.  Too hot, too dry, too wet, too humid, too windy, too cold.

The puddle pond has sprung a leak.  It has no liner but the clay has been holding the water fine with a little evaporation which was filled by the next rain.  I filled it at the beginning of the week and then found it almost empty the next day, SOME evaporation.  I tried it again with the same results and decided to wait and let it drain more and see what was going on.  It was getting close but then it rained the 2" and now it is full again.  I should have been weed whacking over by the fence when it was dry but it was too hot, now it is too wet?  That's what I told myself.  This morning, the air was also too heavy besides the weeds being too wet.  So, I did what all good farmers do; I went to town to the farmer's market and to run some errands that are not so weather related.

I just love the fact that I can have a general plan for the week and then decide in the morning what to do that day.  Even with all of my putting off of chores, due to weather, I manage to get a fair amount of work done.  Another thing I find amusing is, when there is something I enjoy doing, but it is sunny and HOT, I just go do it and tell myself how healthy it is to sweat.  And then I take 2 or even 3 showers to keep resetting my energy.  I have sweat a lot building Lyndy's tiny house and I can get pretty sweaty in my fiber studio.  On the other hand, the bookwork I am so far behind with, doesn't ever seem to get done (even when it is hot and I could sit in an air-conditioned house).

Last week John and I took 3 days off and went to the Monongahela  National Forest where the weather was Delightful.  We sat on the screened porch of the lodge in rocking chairs reading magazines and painting the river.  I had to put a long sleeve shirt on a couple of times but I didn't mind that.  We took drives through the forest and hiked to a waterfall.  We ate good food and slept well.

I have turned the fan on for the sheep the last few days because there hasn't been much breeze.  They graze in the heavy rain and snow but still heat is what seems frightful to them.

Shelters from the Storms

I think most living beings, really would like to spend most of their time outside, if they could.  But, sometimes we need a shelter and here are some examples.

 This is Lyndy's new house that we were building last week.  John, his brother Chuck, Lyndy, and I worked long, hard hours to get it out of the garage/barn and tight to the weather.  Many decisions to be made, but those can wait a bit while we all take a breather and look for new ideas and inspiration.

It seems funny that the sheep have a larger shelter than Lyndy will have but there are 9 of them so I guess they need a little more space.