Monthly Archives: June 2013

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Flowers!

Sweetie had to have an injection in his spine yesterday. We had to travel to the VA hospital in Portland (about a 4-5 hour drive in one direction). I took the day off yesterday to drive him and I took today off, to help him if needed. Thankfully, he was doing okay today, so I had time to do some stuff that I needed to get done.

On our way home, we stopped at our favorite nursery and picked up some plants. Sweetie got some tomatoes, cabbage and lovage. I got one medicinal plant – Echinacea, some strawberries (everyone within a 50-mile radius from us is out of them – yes, everyone) and some flowers. It really was a lot of fun. I just love shopping for flowers!

Black Eyed Susans

I got this Black Eyed Susan vine. Those little black-eyed flowers were so charming, I couldn’t resist! I have a little metal, four-sided trellis that will be perfect for these.

DaisiesThese pretty yellow daisies caught my eye. We have several wild Shasta daisies already and I think these yellow ones will look very nice mixed in with them.

GaillardiaI think these Gaillardia are just so pretty! Such colorful, happy flowers!

Watering Can 1This watering can arrangement was a complete impulse buy. But it was so cute, I couldn’t help myself! I love geraniums and wish they would grow here. Actually, nothing in this planter will survive. But, it has holes in the bottom and everything, so I’ll be able to use it again and again.

In addition to the above, I got two rosebushes and four lavender plants. The lavender is a working plant. In addition to being somewhat medicinal, its main purpose is to draw pollinators. So, they will live near the greenhouse.

Speaking of the greenhouse… I thought you might like to see a couple of pictures.

GreenhouseIt is an old carport that has been repurposed. Sweetie took corrugated polycarbonate panels and screwed them onto lats. Then, he took those panels and secured them to the metal carport frame using U-bolts. Having the panels hung on the lats will make them easy to remove for storage, at the end of the season. Using the U-bolts gives them a sort of hinge system so they can be propped open, when the weather turns hot. This is MUCH better than the plastic sheeting he has used in years past and will last much longer.

Greenhouse 2This is the inside of the greenhouse. There are tomatoes, peppers, a watermelon and the lavender. Himself wants to get some winter squashes, beans and a pie pumpkin to put in here, too. We aren’t doing corn this year. That back wall will be a set of bat-wing doors made from the polycarb panels.

He has done a terrific job on getting it put together. It took him several days, because of his pain issues. But it really looks nice. I’m quite proud of him.

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Picking Wool… Er, Mohair…

I had a lovely evening tonight…

I came home and finished reading a book. I enjoyed relaxing on the sofa for a little while.

Then, sweetie and I went and looked at his progress on the greenhouse. It’s coming along great – if it is a bit late in the season. He is using clear, corrugated polycarbonate panels that are rated for greenhouses. It will be very nice when he’s finished. So much better than the sheet plastic!

When I got home from work, I noticed that Ray was a lot skinnier than he had been. Then, I looked across the yard and saw a big pile of fleece laying on the ground. Darling sweetie had removed Ray’s fleece!

I picked up the fleeces and brought them to the porch to examine them and begin removing the vm (vegetable matter). I praised J on the great job that he did in cutting the fleece off Ray. He said that he didn’t cut it, it just pulled right off! He also thought it was terribly felted – but it isn’t.

I have a fairly sizable amount of fleece to go through and he still needs to get Frank’s coat off! The fleece is just lovely and I can’t wait to see how it washes up. Sweetie wants me to send it out for processing, because he thinks it’s a project that I’ll start and never finish… Yes, yes, I have second-sock syndrome, it’s true. But I am determined to process this mohair myself.

That reminds me… I need to get some hand carders!

This is going to be so much fun!!!

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Finally posting!

I realize that I’ve really let this blog go the last several months… We’ve been dealing with losses, ill health, and other changes. I’m going to try to get back to updating a little more often.

My niece and her boyfriend got their own place, so they aren’t with us anymore. Now, we’ve begun the process of getting settled in and figuring out our own routines.

I’ve started taking over the other bedroom and getting the office cleaned up. Now, the only stuff that’s in the office, is stuff that was originally intended to be in there! Yay! That room was absolutely crammed with boxes! I have a set of shelves that I am going to bring in – it will house the yarn/fiber/spinning stash.

Now that winter seems to be a thing of the past, I also got all the empty cardboard boxes out of the house. I didn’t realize how much space they were taking up!

I recently discovered the Knook (a tool for knitting with a crochet hook) and I really like it! I’ve started on my first knooking project – the Lichen Kerchief. I’m knooking it in a lovely, emerald green, superwash merino wool. It’s soft and luscious and will look great with my red hair! It’s going slower than if I’d crocheted it, but I’m making less mistakes than when I knit with needles. Not exactly sure why that is. Maybe because it’s such a familiar motion that I can focus on the pattern and not so much on what I’m doing..?

I’m trying to grow out my hair and it’s at that awkward stage where it’s making me crazy because I can’t do much with it. Its only saving grace is that it is JUST long enough to put back into a tiny little ponytail. I thought that making a pretty, feminine, lacy kerchief would be just the thing to help me ignore my hair while it grows out.

Speaking of hair… The goats are just about to get their yearly shearing. I don’t know how on earth we are going to catch the girls to get them done. They are still sooooo skittish. But, they need to be done, desperately! They are completely felted! The boys’ fleece is beautiful this year and I really need to acquire some hand carders. We won’t have the llama shorn this year, as she was done last year.

And speaking of the llama… Dolly has taken Tanker under her wing and has been such a good llama mama! She protects him from the girls when they are being mean to him. And she lets him get away with murder! He stands on her back when she’s laying down; she allows him to eat her food; she is so sweet to him!

Well, I guess that’s all I have to report for today. I hope this finds everyone well!