Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Springtime Hodge and Podge

The choir trip with my son's school to Orlando was a lot better than I thought it might be and (with the help of a little Tylenol PM) I actually was able to sleep on the bus! Universal Studios was really nice (minus the super-loud music and sound effects and commercialism), and it was fun to see the kids perform, but I was predictably thrilled to return to the tranquility of Seldom Scene Farm. Hogwarts was by far my favorite part, but there's tons of magic going on right here with spring on the rise.
We're waiting on our first alpaca crias to arrive any time, very exciting! Also, our daughter's ewe is due to lamb soon but since we're going to be gone we've left her at our friend Dianne's place to deliver (thanks again, Dianne!). We are completely addicted to her new Lamb Cam (live barn views via the internet), and will be anxious to pick out our own lambs "on TV" when they get here and watch them bounce around on the screen before we can see them in person.
The other babies on the farm are these chicks which are being added to our egg-laying flock. We had the sweetest group of girl scouts come for a llama trek recently; they enjoyed playing with the chicks almost as much as they liked the llamas.
Fiber activity has been scarce, although I have continued to pick up the needles and work on my Tea Leaves Cardigan which I'm hoping to complete while there's still some cool weather around. I've made more felted birdhouses, but forgot to photograph them before they were shipped to Wyoming and taken to Damselfly Gallery in Midway.
Another piece of news is that we have decided to sell one of our premier alpaca studs, El Nino's Accoyo Michelangelo, at the AOBA National Auction in Denver in May. We had fun doing some photography and video with him the other day (of course the dogs wanted to get in on the action). He's a very cooperative, charismatic and photogenic alpaca, so it made the process a lot of fun!
We have a dusting of snow on the daffodils today after near record high temperatures this week. That is the epitome of March in Kentucky, it's definitely going out like a lion. I hope that you're enjoying at least some signs of spring where you are!
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Friday, April 23, 2010

Cheep Thrills

I love spring on the farm when I can take the time to smell the flowers and admire the babies (and I'm trying hard to ignore the knee-high grass in places!). The other day I picked up 4 Aracauna chicks at a feed store to add to our thriving little flock of laying hens. Aracaunas are one of a few types that lay blue eggs, and I've always wanted some!
Of course, Mirian needed to get acquainted with them and give them all names.We're enjoying Mirian's sheep- her ewe is Pepper and the lambs are Shelby and Pepe. Pepe apparently got stepped on by his mother and has had a bum leg, but the vet ruled out a break and he finally seems a little better today.We had a beautiful cria (full Accoyo fawn male) born while I was gone to the Futurity Alpaca Show and Auction in Oklahoma City (read about it here), and Paul and the kids did a fabulous job with the extra care he required due to being a little small and weak and a few weeks early. Mirian even tube-fed him before he was strong enough to nurse on his own. He's doing fine now, and has tentatively been named San Francisco.In other news, our horse Gringo has foundered. This is my first time to learn first-hand about this somewhat common but serious equine ailment, and all indications are that he'll be okay but will need lots of TLC, stall rest, vet care and a set of $275 shoes which he got today...... um, yeah.

Tomorrow is one of the best days of the year to live in Kentucky, Cross Country Day at the Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event! Can't wait and will report back with pictures. Pin It Now!

Friday, March 12, 2010

Cheerful

Some random things have me feeling full of cheer on this Friday, such as....
Finding time to dye fiber and try new things with felting. This is a pillow that I hand-felted from merino and then added some stitching (you can find more photos in my Etsy shop).A healthy new cria born yesterday to Accoyo Princess, a beautiful light fawn male.
The fact that the woodpecker that had been beating it's beak on our house and studio has found new places to put his pecker!
New artwork that arrived from an Etsy artist I recently discovered, Valentina. (I've added her blog to my favorites list, too!)
The first daffodil to bloom on the farm....And knowing that it will soon be joined by hundreds of friends. Pin It Now!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Basking

.... in the sunshine and promise of spring, that is!We hadn't experienced more than a very rare single day of sunshine for a while, and the past few days of warmth and brightness seem to be making everyone feel great.
All over the farm, the creatures were soaking it up. Even our koi came out of the depths of their pond for the first time in months to see the sun.
And today I saw the first crocuses of the year. (Their purple color reminds me of the 3 champion banners we brought home from the show this past weekend... I'm basking in our farm's success, too! Check it out here). Pin It Now!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Mushroom Madness

Paul and I both LOVE morel mushrooms, and the appearance of trillium (above), mayapple (below) and rainy conditions is our signal to start looking. Although I was raised in town, our suburb had an awesome, woodsy park area in which I have a fond recollection of finding my first morels while tromping around with my parents and brothers. Walking around looking at the ground may sound boring, but if you're a nature lover like us there's always something to observe and signs of spring everywhere.
Once the first mushroom (or 4-leaf clover, or whatever you're trying to identify) is found, one's eyes seem to focus more clearly for finding more. I can recall filling an entire grocery bag full! Mom would slice and then roll them in flour and sautee them in butter with a tad of salt, and nothing in the world would taste better!
These are definitely NOT morels, but I figured it's a good sign to see other mushrooms popping up.
On one of the first years we lived on our farm, we decided to see if our land could support any morels. After probably an hour of hunting, I came upon a small patch of the coveted fungi and we found more there in many subsequent springs, as well as a few other random patches. The past several Aprils, we have come up empty-handed- probably just not looking at exactly the right time. I am determined to look every few days this spring so that we don't miss them!
It was a cold and dank afternoon, with the temperature having dropped nearly 40 degrees from the day before when Mirian and I rode the horses in t-shirts (us, not the horses). Ya gotta love Kentucky this time of year for it's fickleness. I enjoyed hiking in my new, stylish Dubarry boots, just had to show them off!
My foray yesterday didn't produce any morels, but I did enjoy the hunt, as well as the wildflowers (and domesticated ones in our yard). These daffodils, which bloom later than the others, are my favorites to bring inside as they are fancy AND fragrant.

I hope wherever you are, you're getting a taste of the outdoors! Pin It Now!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Spring has sprung!





I love this time of year, and have been a bit busy for much blogging! We had our first show of the weekend in Columbus- it was a big success for us and a lot of fun as well! As always, I came home really, really tired am just now getting back on track. It's an A+++ day outside and I'm getting ready to go ride, so here are a few quick pictures:
Big Brown and Jenny by our farm display.




The blush of green that absolutely nourishes my soul this time of year!

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Sunday, March 8, 2009

Like a bee to a bloom?

I have been drawn to bright colors lately, the same way the honeybees were in a frenzy around the crocuses that had popped up in our yard. (Can you see the pollen on the one bee's back- I wonder how far the hive is to which he'll carry it?). We all seem to need a little extra color this time of year. The brightness of the purple against brown soil and dull leaves truly warmed the cockles of my heart, and it soared even higher when I spotted a few daffodils actually blooming this morning! One of the best investments I ever made in time (and money) was planting hundreds of daffodil bulbs around our property, beginning many years ago. They spread a little every year, and give me immeasurable joy.
The crocuses were planted by a woman who lived here and "nannied" for Robert for a short while about 14 years ago, when he was a baby (I couldn't handle that for long, and finally found a way to quit work and stay at home with Robert). She put out just a few bulbs one fall, and every spring I am reminded of her as the crocuses have spread to completely new areas of the yard. I always imagine that many decades will pass and someone may wonder about who planted my daffodils? Hopefully, someone will still be enjoying them into the next century! Perhaps it will even be grandchildren or great-grandchildren. Whomever it may be, I hope that they treasure this piece of heaven as much as we do!
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Monday, February 23, 2009

Wanted: Sure Signs of Spring

We have been teased with a few nice days here and there lately but this past weekend, winter slammed us again with very strong, cold winds, followed by rain, snow and plummeting temperatures. I hate to complain about the long winter when it is still February (okay, maybe I don't mind complaining!) as I know that lots of places have much worse weather. I am simply craving spring!
There are signs of it around, though, and every little glimpse makes me feel so good! We have daffodils popping up everywhere....
... and a vigorous alpaca cria was born the other day, a true black male that I think I'll name "Raven."

Cheering me most of all are the seed trays with broccoli and tomatoes sprouting in my studio. More about our big garden plans later this week. I hope that wherever you are, you capture at least a glimpse of sunshine today.





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