WINTER-KNITTING PROJECT-EGGS-.OWEN

GREETINGS

Last night was a beautiful but cold night.  Today was warmer.  All kinds of birds are flocking to the feeders,  I just love watching them. Cindy and I had a wonderful time at Chandlers for Thanksgiving, the food was excellent.  We stayed the night at The Deerfield Inn which was delightful. 

KNITTING PROJECT

I saw this wonderful sheep ornament on the Shetland Wool page.  I found some directions and this is how it looks so far.  There are some mistakes which will be fixed when I do the next one.  It called for styrofoam  balls but I don’t have any and I would have to drive 20 miles to get them.  I don’t know just what size I would need so ordering them isn’t a way to go.  I thought I would stuff them with cotton and put some balsam in them.  WHen I am done I will post the picture.  They are fun to make.

EGGS

I have had chickens for over 10 years and have enjoyed every part of having them.  What is especially nice is the eggs.  Never knowing when a off size will happen or a different color.  Its a surprise every day.  The hens are laying a little more now.  Yea and no lights so far.  I am going to get a light in the big coop and there is a light in the rooster coop, on cold days it does add some warmth.

OWEN

Owen is a wonderful cat.  Why people get rid of older animals is a mystery to me.  They are quiet, and so grateful.  He is a dear.

Many thanks for reading my blog on this beautiful night.  Hope your day was wonderful.  Carole

 

 

 

SHELBURNE FALLS FARMERS MARKET-MAINE ORGANIC FARMER AND GARDENER-TWICE 55

GREETINGS

The woods are shrouded in fog this morning and a gentle rain has been falling all night.  I redug the trench and no water in the barn.  I cleaned the barn yesterday and one to get on a once a week schedule of barn cleaning again.  It sure makes things easier and only takes an hour and a half.  I am off to the cemetery to plant spring bulbs this morning.

SHELBURNE FALLS FARMERS MARKET

Saturday was a perfect day for the Autumn market.  It was brisk and windy and the day ended with a few snow flurries.  The crowds weren’t there  like last year but it was an enjoyable day.

MY TABLE AT THE MARKET

 More and more fairs are held that weekend so the competition is brisk.  I made a lot of contacts and met  Eliza.  Eliza writes a beautiful blog with many wonderful pictures and she is only a few towns away.

ELIZA

It was wonderful to finally meet her.  Her blog is elizawaters.wordpress.com.  Check it out.

LOTS OF VEGGIES

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS AND PEARS

 

MAINE ORGANIC FARMER AND GARDNER

Lots of interesting news.  I particularly liked the article on the comeback of Granges in Maine.  With the encouragement of farming, Granges in Maine are making a comeback.  What good news. The Grange was an important part of my family life and I hope that our state can start to encourage small farming.  This newspaper is very reasonable and if you are a farmer, gardener or folks that are interested in your food I encourage you to join this wonderful organization.

TWICE 55

Since I got my Piano back I have been looking for these wonderful song books.  They were found in some books that I brought back from my old homestead.  I am delighted.  Twice 55 was first published with a collection of 18 songs in 1913.  It soon went to 55 songs and when World War One came along it went to 120 and was named Twice 55.   These song books came from my Dad’s homestead where there was a large family steeped in the arts of singing and playacting.  

My Dad and I would often have sing-a-longs on car trips.  One of my favorite songs was Loch Lomond.  I once was in Scotland and on the way back to the airport from The Highlands I saw a small sign Loch Lomond.  I quickly stopped the car, it’s a beautiful loch and it brought back those sweet times of my Dad and I signing that song.  I am not a great piano player but will enjoy playing some of these songs again.

The chickadee’s have been out in full force getting as any sunflower seeds as they can.  I hope you have a wonderful day its starting to clear up now.  Many thanks for reading my blog.   Carole and my helper Owen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MORE SNOW-CHRIS LEAVES-WORKING ON WEBSITE

HAPPY NEW YEAR

A good way to start off the New Year with a good cuppa Lyons tea.

The pellet stove got cleaned and its going and the wood stove is going..  It’s a cold day with colder temps, below zero on Friday.  We are expecting 12-18 inches of snow over the next 36 hours.  Lots of snow to get rid of.  The bird feeders are full and they are stocking up and the sheep must feel the storm coming as they are eating more hay.

 We are ready for it and tomorrow when the winds pick up I will close them in the barn.  With the  high winds during the storm I don’t need a barn full of snow!

NEW WEBSITE

Chris left today with Lilly Pad,  and we started a new website before he left, it won’t be up and running till February when he comes up again.  It will be called Whispering Pines Farm Old Thyme Shope, where I be selling all my products online.  I am working on some primitive things and of course the old stand bys, soap, wool and salve.   This winter I will be making primitive signs to sell too.  I am very excited about this, My old website was so difficult, most times I couldn’t even get on it to make changes.  A new adventure for 2014.

This old house

The masonry people left their sta ging up and it causes ice problems.  I had asked them to take it down but no luck so far.   Now with the snow I am very concerned.  I will give them another call tomorrow and let them know that at least the wood  planks should be removed.

Seed catalogs are coming in fast and furious, I really don’t need to buy too many seeds this year, what I am looking for is  pasture seeds to improve the land in back and for the chicken area.  I am also going to order some oat straw and plant an area of that for chicken nests.

Hope you have a wonderful day and many thanks for reading my blog.    Carole

MAKING BUTTERMINTS-FEEDING THE BIRDS-THE WEATHER

Hello

Buttermints

This year I wanted to do something different and heard  The Splended Table on NPR give the recipe for these mints so I thought I would try to make some.  It sounds fairly simple.  

And it was simple, they came out really well now I have to pack them I am also making more Hot Chocolate Mix and adding mini chocolate chip to the simple mix. And last but not least I plan to make some CHristmas cookies to send out to my Mom.  I hope I can get it  all done and packages sent today. There is never enough time around the holidays

THE WEATHER

It was warm today suppose to get up in the 50’s don’t know if it made it to that but we are supposed to have rain, sleet, freezing rain and snow starting tomorrow over the weekend.  I hope the bad weather holds off as I do have to bring Hazel back to Dr. Connor tomorrow, I am bringing Mrs. Brown too, no need for her to be upset.

FEEDING THE BIRDS

I have been watching the birds and the first birds to the feeders in the morning are the Blue Jays.

 I am noticing that they are the only ones eating the tiny crab apples on the tree in front of the kitchen.  There are plenty crab apples on it this year.

Many thanks for reading my blog and I hope you have a wonderful day.  Carole and Minnie

PERMACULTURE – RUG HOOKING -SNOW

HELLO

A lone Snowbird eating a sunflower seed.

This morning I was reading one of my favorite blogs on permaculture from Ireland.  She is always on the mark about how global warming is going.   She is always urging people to plant more food, more bushes and trees.  Today and since this bitter cold snap came through Robins have been in my crabapple tree.  Those poor little mites get confused when we have temps in January are near 50 for a few days, then they fly up here and its below zero.  I have put lots of food out for them and there are places for them to get shelter from the blistering winds, but its a gentle reminder to me how things are going.  We all need to do our part in keeping this planet going.  Buying local, using what we have and providing food and shelter for our fellow creatures.

RUG HOOKING and SHEEP

As I have told you before its hard for me to throw away any part of my Sheep fleeces.  From Colette I have learned where to put the worst part to help my apple trees grow.  I usually spin all of the fleece and there are some parts of it that are very rough.  I have been going through the boxes of handspun and have used up a lot of the scratchy yarn in the rug I am doing.  When I am finished it will be a work of art but hold many memories  for me.  I spun up some gold wool that I bought from Kerry Woolen Mill, there is a little bit from every sheep that I have ever owned in that rug and of course the coarse wool from Elliott.  The rug should stand the test of time.  Other rugs hold bits and pieces of my Dad’s, Uncle’s and Grandfather’s ties, my Mom’s skirt from her late teen years.  Old woolen skirts, shirts , and scarves from my youth .  A skirt picked up at Frenchies in Nova Scotia when I took the class from Deanne.  And many thrift shop finds.  This doesn’t mean that I  don’t buy woolen cloth when I need to, but lots of what goes into my rugs  have meaning to me.  I am hoping to sew a cloth description of things that went into the rug on every rug I make,  so that when I am not here my family will know what has gone into them.

I hope the 2013 looks better when everything else is filled in.

MORE SNOW

I just finished my grocery shopping in time, the snow is falling at a pretty good pace.  I am home before the roads get bad and have all stoves started up.  The lower valley’s are supposed to get sleet tonight but  we may get more snow.  Its suppose to be warmer tomorrow.

The mountain on the other side of the valley is hardly visible.

Hope you have a wonderful day and many thanks for reading my blog.     Carole