Wool and Sunshine

I woke up this morning to the sunshine illuminating my bedroom. Even though I'm still trying to get over this cold, and even though I'm still coughing like an asthmatic ready to pass out, nothing could extinguish the joy I had as I walked outside! It's a rare site to behold here, folks! And certainly nothing to be taken advantage of in these parts. Apparently the chickens thought so too, because the all but plowed me over as I opened their door to give them fresh water. It was a stampede of 11 chickes; if chickens even can stampede. I was glad to see them want to get out, flap their wings and forage the farmyard. They've preferred to stay close to or inside their coop for a few weeks now. A little sunshine will do us all a lot of good.

So above is the newest addition to my fiber arts life! I'm so excited! I've been dreaming of a spinning wheel since I started spinning last winter! Don't get me wrong, I got pretty darn good and fast at spinning on a drop spindle. But nothing compares to this! It's like a luxury! Now she might not been all that much to look at, but she's mine, and for all I can tell, spins like a dream. I've been spinning up a storm since I got her over Christmas break. I'll make sure to post some pictures of the results.

In the Icy Grasp of Winter

Well, Old Man Winter has definitely wrapped his icy fingers around the landscape here on the farm. It's barely gotten into the teens these past few days. We ran all our errands on Friday, bought groceries for enough meals to get us well through the weekend then hunkered down at home for the rest of it. I don't mind the snow, really. But what I do miss is the sunshine. We got a little break from all the snow showers yesterday when I snapped this picture looking out across the fields and pasture. Sure was nice to see the sunset and the blue sky. The lack of cloudy insulation made the night especially cold though, but I'll trade it for the view! Talk around here is that it's supposed to warm up over the next few days.....I think that only means upper 20s! It's nights like these I'm certainly glad I'm not a chicken! They seem to be fairing the weather okay though. Well....all but Rose; we lost her last week. I think she was older than I realized.

Tomorrow I start back to work officially. Where did the break go? I've gotten a lot accomplished however. I purchased a second hand spinning wheel and have been spinning up a storm, and I just learned how to knit this past week (compliments of YouTube)! I didn't get to do much sewing, but I'm hoping to finish up a bag for my laptop this evening. And on that note, I will bid you goodnight and wish you warmth and good rest.