Blog Neglect after Great Weekend

What a really super weekend I had. Youngest granddaughter, Elizabeth, age 6 was here for an overnight. We played games, made yarn, petted alpacas, and went to dinner with Aunt Terre. The picture above is of her very first skein of yarn. EeeHaw! Maybe I'll have another fiber kid. My own girls aren't interested but both granddaughters are now. Elizabeth says that she wants to start knitting on her next visit.
When I took her home, I ran over to Frankenmuth to Zeilinger's to pick up some fiber that I had left. Oh, my! I have some really, really beautiful black and some white roving - about 5 pounds of each. Per usual they did a lovely job cleaning and processing it. Was Sunday afternoon and very quiet so I got to spend some time visiting with Kathy. She says the mill is processing lots of alpaca now. I have already spun a skein of the black and am working on the white now. It's incredibly easy to spin.

Remember how I mentioned that hauling buckets of water to the animals is tough in the winter because the hose freezes so I have to take it down? Look what Jim, Billie, and their grandson built for me. It's insulated and has a light bulb to keep the faucet from freezing. I am so fortunate to have friends who care....... Isn't it just the greatest?!?

Changes:

17. Even though I have an electric blanket, I wear socks to bed - usually the ones that Chris made for me.

18. With a little help from Billie, I refilled the windshield wiper fluid. Heh, heh, was easy to find because it had a picture of a windshield on it. I bought the kind that won't freeze up.

19. I find that I'm more assertive with service people because I think they may take advantage of me. I seem to have more guts to stand up for myself now.

Corn Harvest

This is Cord, Beth's horse. I put him in the front of the barn today so that he can watch the corn being harvested. He's a curious kind of guy and will enjoy it. Do you see the big combine in the back ground. It has pulled up to the road and is unloading the corn in to huge semi trucks.

And here is the combine behind the barn. The alpacas are all a little nervous with the activity but they too are very curious and sometimes get a little brave and walk toward the fence. It's ok, girls, they will be done in about 3 more hours.

Couldn't resist getting a few extra pictures while I was out there. This is Lyra, born last spring. And there's little Libra behind her. Is 60 degrees and sunny, absolutely beautiful so I took Libra's coat off.

Don't you just want to rub your hands and face in that awesome fleece?

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Changes

15. I am getting much better at accepting help from friends and neighbors. Billie reminded me just the other day that I don't have to pay for everything. Sometimes, folks just want to help.

16. I'm learning how the faucet in the barn works. It was bubbling water up around the base. When I called Garrett, the well digging man, he said that it's probably ok, but he will stop over and check it. Apparently when the faucet handle goes down, the water drains out in to the ground. Maybe because the ground is wet and we have clay soil, it's bubbling up. Hope that it won't be a costly thing.

Happy Halloween from Spot and Beth and John and Maple

Do you remember this little guy, Spot, who was born last spring and had no clue that he could get milk from his mom. I bottle fed him for three weeks and then his light must have come on 'cause I caught him nursing from his mom, Ariana. From then on he would have nothing to do with the cow's milk. He is now huge, bigger than the yearlings and the happiest little guy imaginable. Handling him did not cause "berserk alpaca syndrome" for you folks who worried about that. He is willing to do just about anything we ask of him but is very respectful of the two-leggeds.
And here he is wishing all of you a Happy Halloween:
(Photos by Beth)

Changes:

14. In the past when the weather got cold enough to freeze the barn hose, we would disconnect it and haul water pails to the horses and alpacas. I can't easily carry a full bucket so I would fill two half pails. My good neighbor across the street, Jim, is going to make an insulated box with a door to go around the hose reel. He is going to put a light bulb inside to keep the hose from freezing. EEEHAW! no bucket hauling.

Watercolor Painting

Beth and I decided that it was time to get the watercolors activated so we had a paint date on Tuesday. Chris had send us some lovely Vermont pictures and I asked permission to use them for painting. Above is my interpretation of his picture on the left. To thank him for letting us use them, I sent him a little 5X7 of birches along a road.

My work in progress at the bottom is from the sheep photo that Chris sent. Of course, I am changing the sheep to alpacas. They are white here because I masqued them out to paint my background.

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Changes

13. I can leave my watercolors and stuff all over the kitchen while I am working/playing/creating. For days, if I want.

Alpaca Training 101

When I got home from my monthly fiber group meeting, Beth and John had been here and left some pictures. A favorite trick of a cria just learning to lead is to cush down. These pictures of John and Mira tell the story.

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Changes -

11. I need to call the furnace folks to come and teach me how to program the furnace because I will be needing heat soon. Son Rob mentioned something about needing filters also.

12. I really miss going out to eat at least weekly. My at home diet consists mainly of cereral, soup, salads, sandwiches, and string cheese.

Little Libra

I've had several folks ask how little Libra, Sonata's cria, is doing. Remember, he was born 28 days ago on September 19th, and hasn't been growing very rapidly because Sonata isn't producing much milk. His birth weight was 13.6 pounds and he dropped down to 13. Yesterday he weighed in at 16.9 pounds so I'm breathing much easier. I stopped trying to supplement him two days ago because it was a really, really big battle. We were both miserable.
A week ago I started adding Xango juice to Sonata's twice a day feeding. Xango is a mangosteen juice. Friends, I think that it's working and she is producing more milk. Yesterday I started adding Dr. Pollard's Lactation Stimulator which is a blend of herbs that will hopefully also increase her milk production. This isn't very scientific because I'm not sure what will be helping. I just want that little darling to start growing.
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Changes since August 21
7. I leave my bedroom radio on night and day. It's tuned to MSUs Public Radio Station so is mostly classical. Even though both dogs and Riley sleep in my room, it's comforting to wake up in the middle of the night to music.
8. I don't spend as much time browsing online and visiting others' blogs.
9. I miss my kids more than I used to.
10. A major irritation - some folks will ask me how I'm doing and I usually say OK or Good, but then they say "No, how are you REALLY?" Makes me want to scream. I don't lie! Should I be better at this grieving widow thing?

Appreciation of Handmade

Deborah from Fort Worth, Texas contacted me a month or so ago and asked me to knit a matching hat and scarf to be given as a Christmas present. (Wish that I had asked who it was for.) Anyway, this is what I came up with. The white is alpaca and merino, some of my mill spun, and the pink is dyed mohair and a little angora.

I finished it this a.m. and emailed Deb with pictures to tell her they were done and asked if $60 would be ok. Oh, my, she mailed me back and practically scolded me and said that she wouldn't take it unless I charged at least $85.

Isn't that amazing???? Thank you so much, Deb, from all of us fiber folks enjoying our craft. It is so nice to be appreciated.

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Opps, I almost forgot - I'm listing my life changes....

4. I can drive that big old John Deere riding lawn mower in the garage. In fact, I "almost" enjoy it.

5. Riley, my cat, can go outside whenever he wants. Smitty always worried that something bad would happen to him because he has no front claws. I trust that he can take care of himself.

6. Money! I have a new appreciation for the green stuff because my income has been cut into half and I have no savings. Since the kids graduated from college, I have pretty much spent whatever I wanted with little thought involved. I'm glad that I already have the important things like my Majacraft Spinning Wheel and my carder.