Spin in Public Day

Yesterday was World Wide Spin in Public Day. Rueben took me to Allyn (a very small town South West of Port Orchard) where they were having a Spin in Public Day in the Gazebo at the waterfront park. The weather was kind of cool, especially when the wind blew, so I wore the shawl Michelle made for me from her sheep (handspun yarn and hand woven) over my t-shirt, kept closed with the shawl pin I bought in Colorado Springs.

I thought it would be cool to take my Great Wheel to spin on. I made that decision for a few reasons. That was the wheel I'd been working on lately to spin the yarn I received in a yarn swap and I want to use that yarn to make a hat for Rueben. Also, I thought there probably wouldn't be another Great Wheel there. I was right, there was not another Great Wheel. Also, it didn't seem like anyone there had even seen a Great Wheel in person. I was told more than once that it was good to see the Great Wheel and even more so, that it was good to see that someone was actually spinning on one.

This is me and my friend Renate with the Great Wheel.

At one point, someone asked me if it was true what they'd heard; that the wheel was in my family for a hundred years and that I had just learned to spin on it. I told them, no, actually, this was my greatest ebay find.

It wasn't until this morning that I realized that it was my friend Renate they were talking about. She was using the wheel she got from her husband's uncle. It was last used by her husband's grandmother or great-grandmother and was in her family for at least 100 years. At one point, she blamed me for her new hobby obsession. I told her, all I did was tell her it could work.

This is Renate and her 100 year old wheel (to the right of center).

I was also interviewed by a reporter from North Mason Life. I haven't seen any article or picture, yet, but maybe tomorrow!

Micaela visits Villa de Micaela

Micaela got here on Tuesday for her summer visit at Villa de Micaela. Villa de Micaela means Micaela's country house.

Since she got here, Micaela has been helping feed the animals. After her second day, she can already feed the llamas and the dogs all by herself. She's a natural. And when the llamas tried to mug her for the food, she seemed to know exactly how to keep them out of it until she was ready to put it down. That is...except when I wanted to get a picture of her feeding them. Then she did that perfectly, too.

Last night while she waited outside the sheep pen for me, she picked daisies. Then she posed for lots of pictures with her bouquet.

Today, she went on several errands with Grandpa. One took them to a hardware store where they saw a pink mini-bike. When I got home, I wasn't sure if she or Grandpa was more excited to have seen a pink mini-bike. The guy at the hardware store loved her t-shirt - a black shirt with a pink skull and cross bones and a pink princess crown.

They also went to Horseshoe lake park. It wasn't quite warm enough to swim (Grandpa didn't want her in the water without me there, anyway). They had a wonderful time. Micaela got to show Grandpa what a monkey bar champ she is. When they got home, it was time to mow the lawn. Grandpa moved the seat all the way back and had to use his tippy toes to run the lawn mower just so Micaela could stand up in front of him and help him mow.

Joy comes to Villa de Micaela

Last Wednesday evening, I went down the hill to feed the sheep. Bella didn't come to eat. She stayed in the small sheep shed, just lying there. She was quiet and not moving anything more than her head. She tried to stand, but couldn't seem to get her legs under her. She just didn't seem strong enough.

I brought her some hay and she began eating, so I knew she wasn't too bad off. Later on, Rueben helped me get her on the sled and drag her up the hill to the shop where we made her a bed in the kennel. We thought she might be in labor, but she was so quiet. She looked great except that she couldn't get up by herself and couldn't stand.

On Friday, Rueben called the vet since Bella still had not gotten up. She was eating and drinking and was also peeing and pooping just fine, but she couldn't get up. The vet came and told Rueben that Bella was definitely not in labor, but she couldn't tell us if Bella was pregnant or not. She took blood and a fecal sample and told Rueben she would get back to him on Saturday.

Rueben had to run some errands and when he got back, he heard a ruckus down the hill with the other sheep. Corina was making all kinds of noise like she was really hurt. Rueben rushed down the hill and realized at once that Corina was in labor. He got the camera and took lots of pictures and videos. At one point, Corina was lying on the ground, not moving, not making a sound. Rueben went a little closer and saw that the lamb was half born. It was breach. The back legs were out, but the shoulders, head, and front legs were still inside. He had to help. He pulled the lamb out and cleared its face of the placenta and it took a breath! Then, he backed off and began filming again.

After I got home from work (yes, I missed it ALL!), we brought Corina and the lamb up the hill also to the kennel in the shop. It got down to freezing (or lower) Friday night and we didn't want the new baby to freeze. Though Corina is a new mother, she has turned out to be a great mother. She seems to know all the right things to do. It's amazing how God made mothers know just what to do!

We tossed around several names for the new lamb including Sunshine, Spring, and Blossom. We decided on Joy since she has brought Joy to Villa de Micaella!

On Saturday, the vet called about Bella. She is very weak, has a low white blood count and bands in the white blood cells. She has some kind of infection going on so the vet gave us some antibiotics to give her for seven days. Hopefully, this will make her well.

Sampson

A couple of weeks ago, Rueben went down the hill to feed the sheep. When he got there, he saw that Sam was inside the feed trough. Apparantly, he had been there all night. I guess he had been trying to nibble up the very last morsel of food in the trough when stretching his neck was just not enough. He must've put one front foot inside, then the other. As he was reaching for the very last morsels, he must've walked inside and then, just didn't know how to get out. I didn't see it first hand, but it must've been so funny. Rueben ran back up to the house to get the camera. The sheep had to wait to eat. Then, Rueben had to turn the trough on its side so Sam could get his feet between the slats. Once Rueben put it all the way down, Sam could walk out. He hasn't gotten stuck in there since. Maybe he learned his lesson?

It's almost Spring, but snow AGAIN!

Next Friday it will be Spring! But I was so surprised this morning when I woke up and there was about 3 or 4 inches of snow on the ground! It continued to snow for another 3 or 4 hours. It was so beautiful. Even the animals look good in the snow. By late this afternoon, most of the snow in the drive and in front of the shop was gone. Everywhere else is still white, though.

Sewing Expo

On Thursday and Friday, Mom and I went to the Sewing Expo in Puyallup. Michelle was able to join us on Friday. We had a great time. We all saw lots of things we would love to have and got a lot of new ideas looking at all the great exhibits.

I got a book on felting. It gives a lot of instruction on different methods. I never realized how many methods there are. I will experiment since I have many fleeces that I can work with. Now, I need to learn how to dye the fleeces so I can have colors to work with. Another thing I bought was a CD of machine embroidery patterns. Mom helped me with a sample I sewed out on a piece of scrap fabric. It turned out so well, I think I'll make it into a pillow cover. Mom went home yesterday morning and last night, I decided to practice with the embroidery patterns some more. So, I sewed out a few of the patterns on the corner of my table cloth. It turned out very nice. I think I'm going to like this. Next, I want to use the pattern in a manner similar to the table cloth on the front of a skirt that wraps around the front. I will put the corner piece on the botom of the skirt and embroider up the edge and across the bottom. I'm not sure yet if I will embroider all the way around or only as much as I did on the table cloth. We'll see how I like it.

Scary Moment

Yesterday morning, I had a scary moment. Actually, it lasted longer than a moment. I went out to feed the animals. I saw Cousin waiting for his morning hay and hoping for some grain. I didn't see Guy. He must've been under the overhang and staying out of sight. I prepared the hay for all the animals and passed by the overhang. My heart just about stopped when I saw Guy's rope on the ground next to the open clasp that is supposed to hold the rope to his collar.

I knew I needed to feed the other animals and I could just see having to search 5 1/2 acres and maybe the whole neighborhood. I woke Rueben and he got up and dressed while I fed the other animals. After I fed the other animals, I happened to look to the side yard while coming back to the shop to put the wheelbarrow away. I saw someting big and brown in the side yard. I looked closely, and sure enough, it was Guy, grazing away in peace with no idea that anyone missed him. He had been tied in the side yard the day before and must've remembered that the grass was greener than the grass by the shop where he had already grazed almost down to the dirt.

I told Rueben, who was on the phone trying already to reach the Humane Society. He hung up the phone and gave me one of the horses' lead rope and I got a bucket of grain. I walked over to Guy and shook the bucket. He lost all thought of yummy, green, fresh grass and immediately came close enough for me to grab him and put the lead rope on his collar.

I was so thankful and so relieved that he had only gone as far as the side yard. I think the llamas are used to us now and actually like living here. Apparently, Guy never even thought of leaving. He was just interested in greener grass.

Drying fabric

During the Super Bowl, I decided that I would wash some fabric I had purchased that needed washing. I washed and dried the fabric. I pulled out one piece of fabric and took it to the kitchen to fold. It took awhile, it was a slippery fabric and I have about four yards. Finally, I got it folded and went back for another piece of fabric (I had four pieces in the dryer). This, too was about three or four yards and took a few minutes to fold (especially since the game was exciting and the commercials were good, too). When I went back to the dryer, I was shocked. There was Simon looking up at me. I had left the dryer door open and Simon was inside, wrapped up in the nice, warm, fabric with dogs and kitties all over it. He was so comfy, he stayed there, through my yelling at him and, even more surprising, while Rueben got the camera for me and I took half a dozen pictures or so. Here is the best picture.

Mom's Felted Hat

After Thanksgiving, I took Mom to the yarn store to pick out the yarn she wanted me to make her a hat out of. I knitted and felted it for Christmas. She said she forgot I was going to make it, so she was surprised. It fit her perfectly and looks so good on her. I forgot to take a picture of the slippers I knitted and felted for her. I took a few pictures of her in her hat before she left for Michelle's house. Here is the best one.

Baking Christmas Cookies

While we had Micaela and April here these past two weeks, we decided to bake cookies with them. So, on January 1st, the girls and I baked sugar cookies and they decorated them. The girls learned how to measure (flour, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, etc.) and pour into the mixer. They also learned how to raise and lower the mixer bowl and turn on the mixer and turn it off, too. They only sprayed us all with flour once or twice! :o)

April's plate of cookies turned out so beautiful! So did Micaela's!

On January 2nd, Papa Rueben baked cookies with Micaela.