Off The Loom and Gifted

I haven't said much about the scarf since it was decided that it would be the perfect gift for a wonderful friend that is moving far away. I was hoping if I took forever weaving it, they would just have to wait to leave. As we all know, that is never the case. It came off the loom Saturday and was finished and drying two hours later.

The Mountain Colors Winter Lace yarn is another I would use in a heartbeat. Wonderful to weave with. I wish I could do a blanket or coverlet using it, but it would terribly expensive. The novelty yarn provided a little challenge but I like the way it defined the squares and gave the overall piece a window pane texture.

It was stretchy and slippery and could have really been a problem once off the loom. In any event, I was sorry to see it go and my friend with it. Good luck Carol and Anyu on all the new adventures waiting for you in Idaho!

On farm news, nothing much to report. Some riding, some training, getting ready to shop for the years hay supply. With all the wet weather it has taken longer for first cutting to come in, but it looked like last week most of the fields have been cut and I'll bet baling is happening around the valley this week. The boys are getting rotated out one at a time to graze some of our over grown areas. I learned a very important lesson yesterday. NEVER put out Nick and Boo together. The two took off, through the woods and up the road. I could hear their hooves running up and down looking for our driveway. A slow moving logging truck spooked them enough to head back towards our driveway where they ducked in and met me as I was heading down with treats. Nick and Boo came running up like two long lost puppies. Snorting and hot and not realizing the disaster they had avoided. Needless to say, one went back in the paddock.

I was exhausted by 6:00 am yesterday after that self inflicted fiasco.

Lastly, some Stella contraband photos.

I did get my slipper back right after these pics were snapped. I couldn't tell if any real damage has been done. This pair is on its last legs as it is. The cat bed was rediscovered after it was put away since Rodger is too big for it. Fits Stella perfectly. She had a grand time dragging it outside and then someone, I don't know who other than male, peed on it ( fair game once in the pen proper). So it's in the wash at the moment.

Stella in the Grass

Face it, it's good to be Stella!

The Reading Post-June 2010

Well summer has officially started and it's even getting hot here in the mountains. Almost up to 80 yesterday and likely very hot in the valley. So it's time for a post about what's been read and what's on the plate for summer reading.

I've been on a mystery kick for a while now. I've read through every one of C.J. Sansom Matthew Shardlake mysteries, set in Tudor England. I love historical fiction and especially of this general Middle Ages period. This series did not disappoint one bit. I am waiting for the next one to come out with baited breath.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was an engrossing read and worth all the hype it's getting.

Another worthy non-fiction read that was consumed was The Devil's Rooming House: The True Story of America's Deadliest Female Serial Killer. You'll never look at Arsenic and Old Lace again in quite the same way!

Rounding out the already digested selections are mysteries by David Liss, all good but I have to say his stand alone Whiskey Rebels was my favorite.

So, what's on the Kindle pile now.

Country Driving: A Journey Through China from Farm to Factor

Dark Star Safari, the only travel book by Paul Theroux I haven't read, sadly not available as a Kindle edition.

Rosa

Speak Ill of the Living

And finally, the beginning of the Joliffe mysteries by Margaret Frazer.

So, what's on everyone else's night stand? Hmmmmmmm

June Colors-Cascade-Siskiyou Mountains

Finally something other than mud (or Stella)! This is a very picture heavy post all taken over the last couple days around the property. We've had some pretty wild looking moths around. The horse is Boo, the goat Dolly and no snow in the long range view! There is still snow on Mt. Ashland but Gene tells me they are officially calling the start of fire season on July 1st.

Step Away from the TOY!

Princess Stella isn't all sweetness and light and please, don't tell her she's got less than dainty feet...

In fact she's every bit a confident terrier puppy and has more than her share of staying power when it comes to a game of tug.

Uncle Smoochie, as always, is very tolerant of the puppy games ( and puppy teeth). He'll hold the other end of the tug toy for as long as it takes to tire the Princess out.

We pay him in biscuits and cheese. We pay generously.

Stella, Queen of the Jungle,

or at least the sofa and Pogo.

And yes, I have been doing fibery things. The scarf has 6 more inches of weaving to be ready to come off the loom, the Julia has the prayer flag warp wound on and there are notes scattered around for a silk pinwheel scarf.

By Leaps and Bounds

So not only does time fly by but so too do small puppies. This last week has seen Stella make some milestones. She gained a 1 lb 4 ounces in two weeks, that's a quarter of her body weight. She conquered stairs.

She outgrew her puppy collar and now has a second puppy collar. This one is vastly more adjustable so she got her own name and number tag on it too!

She learned that Jack does NOT like to be bothered in the morning after he eats. She has started taking herself out the back door to potty. I swear my older dogs do a better job of house training than I ever could. She also has joined the paw watching tribe for meals. Stella gets two little "mini meals" along with her two regular sized meals. The last one is at about 5:30 p.m. I was late yesterday, only a few minutes mind you and I had a Stella puppy sitting in front of me staring. When I got up she ran for her eating crate and then came back. The meaning was quite clear, even for this not so swift caretaker. Stella is going to be a punctual girl! I also looked up her birth date. Stella was born on a Blue Moon, March 30th of this year. She also likes my hummed rendition of Stella by Starlight, a jazz classic from one of my favorite old movies, The Uninvited. I had been saving her name for a long time and it was so worth the wait.

In other news, Greensprings Fire & Rescue had the annual wildfire training at our house yesterday. ODF (Oregon Department of Forestry) conducts this wild land fire training every year but it's an unusual year when they actually get to set a fire to train with.

We had a big old pile of slash on our property from clearing the arena area a few years ago and it has been a wet long late spring to say the very least. A perfect opportunity for a burn and learn event. We had flames and trucks ( including my favorite tender, I just love this truck)

and sirens and smoke,

guys working on trenches and setting up water lines and all sorts of fun stuff going on. The horses raced to the rear east corner of their paddock and watched as smoke billowed and the crew worked. It entertained them for about an hour, which was 45 minutes longer than I watched. ;)

In fiber news, the scarf is almost done, there is a new prayer flag warp waiting to be put on the Julia loom, the pillowcases thread on as does the spinning and knitting. A little progress has made on all fronts.

Finally, don't forget to give that special Father you know a hug, or a call today! I think both Mom's and Dad's should get a whole week. ;-)

You've Got To Have Friends

For just hanging out with.

For lending a paw.

For lying in the sun.

And for sharing a snuggle

To The Victor Go The Spoils

And if you don't like it, talk to the paw..

The Perfect Time Sink

That's what a puppy is in my humble opinion. And I seem to have much less time on my hands than before. But puppy time is so fast and fleeting, I am a happy slave to it.

In two weeks Stella has made great strides. She is perfectly lovely about crate time and

even has her own eating crate in the laundry room with all the other dogs. She loads herself in to wait for her meal too, just like they do ( and gives me a little bark when I'm not serving fast enough, JUST like they do). She's going out with the big dogs (under watchful eyes), and has mastered the back porch steps. She's on a schedule and while at 10 weeks still has a bladder the size of a large kidney bean it would seem, she is seeking out her little puppy pads and hitting them about 75% of the time. I simply don't stress over house training too much and at 10 weeks old I'm happy she is going a 6 hour overnight dry. My floors have seen worse. She's eating her puppy kibble instead of me grinding it up in the blender, and she's becoming one of the pack.

I have seen everyone play with her except Dennett, who simply doesn't play any more. He's happy when she just passes him by, which she has learned to do.

She's growing by leaps and bounds, so much so I wish I could slow it down but I know I'll love dog Stella just as much as I love puppy Stella. Jack likes her a lot better too now that she has her own bed instead of stealing his.

I have just about a whole bobbin of lovely wool spun. Cindie over at Eweniquely Ewe dyed this for me last year and the color is just perfect. It spins beautifully too.

The scarf warp moves slowly, mostly because I ran out of weft, but I know where there is more! ;-)

The pillow case warp is still being threaded, but I'm darn close to being finished and on to getting sleyed and starting in on the weaving.

Maybe this weekend, although, the weather (which has been awful), is supposed to magically turn to late spring and I've got a few dates lined up with some special equines if that is so.

Gene who has warmed up to the puppy addition quite nicely has volunteered for morning puppy duties today through Sunday. Who wouldn't want to become one with the puppy I ask? No one here.