The Universe Loves Expansion

I think one of the first things I learned as child is that when you let anything out of a confined space it grows to fit the space it is in.



 This works with crayons, closets, cooking, kitchen counters and sinks and now, looms.





What fit snugly and elegantly into the back of a fairly small station wagon has now grown to fill a room.



Not only that, but as it all came in I thought, "OMG!! How will I ever get it all back together properly?"



 The only answer to that is, one piece at a time and a lot of trial and error.



 But this weekend I have sewing gifts to finish up and a schedule to clear and a room to make ready before I can start in on the assembly process.



Let's just say, the perfect mixture of anticipation and terror! ;)

In other news, Bob needs a new battery. The cold 5 degree weather finally did his old one in. Diesel engines are cranky and slow in the cold, the battery needs a fair amount of juice and even in mildly chilly weather Bobs was struggling this past fall. Gene picked a new one up yesterday and he'll install it today or tomorrow. I count blessings these days that I am only taking care of two horses and two goats. Bringing hay and feed up to five horses and five goats for a number of years has made two of each seem easy and quite manageable in less than ideal conditions, like the foot plus of snow we got over night and the dead tractor. I can handle it all without a tractor if I have to.

Goats, for all their cleverness, can be quite stupid. We had a snug little igloo in their stall. Did they ever use it? NO! So on one of the coldest afternoons (15F), Gene and I took it out and got the bigger calf hutch down from their summer enclosure, removed the side netting to the stall next to theirs, heaved it over, positioned it, put a pallet in and covered it with plywood, bedded it down with shavings and retrofitted their feeding area inside. Reattached the side netting and left the little buggers to their own devices. That is the best I can do short of bringing them into the house. And no, one or two full grown goats in the house is not an option, and even if it was, the only room available has my AVL loom in it right now and a bed. They are not getting a double bed!

So, winter has arrived, we are officially working on our snow pack for the 2013-2014 season. The shovels are out, the plow will be running, the fire trucks are chained and the wood shed filled. Welcome winter, welcome!

Parting shots: Oh NO! Timmy is trapped in the bookshelf. Come quick, he might die!

 

 

 For those unfamiliar with "Timmy", he is actually a rubber ball. This one was blue Timmy. He was rescued promptly after these pictures were taken and only a little dehydrated. A good dose of Stella slobber fixed him up just right.