Cool Morning in the Country

{play this while reading}

It's been raining A LOT lately. And I mean we've been lucky to get one sunny day out of seven. Not only has it been rainy, but also hot and muggy; the kind where you crawl into bed and feel like you just made it with sheets straight out of the washing machine. Wet. Sticky. Yuck. However, this last slew of storms brought in not only a bit of sunshine, but also cooler weather. The last two nights I slept like a baby!

This morning it was cool enough to need a sweater to go take care of the morning farm chores. I like days like this. The sun was shining bright, and that cool breeze....oh the cool breeze. Nothing could be better. As I drove off to work I plugged in my iPhone and turned on my Nickel Creek station in Pandora. On came a song called "Big Country" done by Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer (posted above). There couldn't have been a more perfect song to describe how I was feeling. It was like the soundtrack to my life at that moment in time. I drove slowly and deliberately down off the hill this morning. Looking over the fields, watching the farmers already at work, breathing in the sweet summer air. This was one of those small glimpses into heaven, I think. For one short moment all the rest of the world melts away and you are just at peace. Everything is as it should be. Like God opens up the sky and what shines down is a reflection of what is to come. A window into another dimension. A place where time no longer exists. No deadlines. No timelines or places we have to be. We just exist. We are all connected somehow to the earth and the light. We work the land together and share in the profits. There's not more sadness or regret, only peace and joy. Sounds like a place where I'd like to stay forever.

Creature No. 1 - The Aubergine (Eggplant)

The finished product! I was pretty happy about how it turned out considering all the new knitting techniques I had to learn to complete it. The artist/author does a pretty good job and describing each technique, accompanied by illustrations for visualization. When I encountered one I still couldn't quite get, I headed over to good ole YouTube for video clarification.

Now on to the tomato!

The Eggplant and the Orphaned Chicks

'Creature' No. 1: The Eggplant. Actually it's not an eggplant, it's an Aubergine. But it looks more like an eggplant to me; short, plump, and purple. Either way, it is almost complete and with fairly little trouble. I'm happy about that. I learned some new techniques along the way, which I suspect are going to make the tomato (creature no. 2) quick and simple. Before long I'll be out of the garden and into the deep blue sea.

Here are our poor orphaned chicks. Their Bantam 'mom', Ginger decided last week that she would rather rejoin the rest of the flock and start laying eggs again. She wants nothing to do with them and pecks at them if they come near. I was worried at first. They're only about a month old. But they seem to be getting along well for themselves. We keep an eye on them throughout the day and put them in the bucket nest at night. So far, so good. Cute little buggers. Everyone else seems to be doing well too. Our Silkie hen, Delilah, by far wins the 'best brooder award' for this hatching season. Her chicks are now about as big as she is. She still tends to them when they need to be mothered, but they are starting to venture off on their own now. You should see them when we come out with bread. They are starting to be the first ones to feast. Ah, chicken life. What could be better?!

An Amigurumi Adventure

This past winter I taught my self how to knit (with a little help from all the wonderful videos on YouTube), for one reason, and one reason only....the book pictured above. I can't even remember how I stumbled upon this artist on Etsy, but being a fellow 'creature' lover, I was absolutely captivated by her designs. At the time I was an avid crocheter, but none of the crocheted amigurumi patterns came close to the uniqueness of these. So I set out on a journey to begin learning some basic techniques and honing in on my skills as a knitter. A few days ago, I decided to purchase Amigurumi Knits by Hansi Singh and give it a go. She has cleverly organized the creatures in to related sections; starting with vegetables, then moving on to under water creatures, backyard critters, and finally mythical creatures. There are 20 patterns in all. I can't wait to start! I had to order my needles online as I couldn't find the right size and length at any of the nearby stores. I've decided that I am going to start at the beginning of the book and knit my way to the end! There are a few that I absolutely can't wait to knit, but I won't give away any details. Stay tuned for 'creature' number 1...

Alpaca Shearing

"Don't we look nice with our new haircuts?"

Today was one of the big shearing days at Highland Alpaca. We were fortunate to be able to take part in the event, as the one thing we've been wanting was more interaction with the animals. We got it! Thirty two alpacas shorn in eight hours! We may be exhausted and sore, but happy to have gained this experience. Other than the owners of Highland, there were five of us plus the two shearers. We were hopping!

On deck to be shorn; wondering if he really wants any part of this.

Working well as a team helped things to move very smoothly. Below is an action shot. The goal in the operation is to make the shearing as quick and stress-free for the alpaca as possible. Perhaps "stress-less" would be a better term to use as the process is definitely not stress-free for them. While it is being shorn, the alpaca is stretched between ropes that are connected to their legs on two opposite ends. This isn't being cruel folks, but actually helps to calm the animal down while stretching the skin to make shearing quicker and safer. Because of all the helping hands present today, we were able to get one alpaca ready whilst another was being shorn. The less time on the mat, the less stress endured.

Most of the fleece will be sent to a mill be be processed into yarn or roving. But some of the blankets (around the chest and back of the alpaca) are shorn in one big piece, spread out, then wrapped up to be judged at a show.

Laying out the fleece, cut side up.

The first time we visited Highland Alpaca it was raining, and I don't think that we fully got the scope of the number of animals residing there. At least I know I didn't. Today I gained a much greater appreciation of all the hard work that Fay and Jenny, the owners of Highland, have put into building their farm. I can't wait to start my own. I don't think it will be long now. These animals have stolen my heart!

If you have never met an alpaca (or even if you have and want to see them again), Highland will be having an Open Barn Day on Saturday June 19th from 11am to 4pm. Come on out! I'll be there spinning. It's great fun for both adults and kids! Click here to get directions! Hope to see you there!

Alpacas vs. Llamas

So let me catch you up on our alpaca adventures: We have visited four alpaca farms to date and have met some really amazing people along the way. Every one has been so kind and generous with their time and experience. Each visit has been unique, allowing us to build on previous knowledge we've gained. You are already familiar with Bully Hollow Alpacas, this was our first farm visit. The following weekend we visited Highland Alpacas in Grove City, PA, which is an alpaca farm on a much larger scale (100+ alpacas!). Where our previous weekend's visit to Bully Hollow gave us a great introduction to the alpaca world, our visit with Highland allowed us to get an idea of the business aspects of raising a herd of alpacas. And let me tell you, these two ladies know their stuff! I spent a couple days afterward with my head still processing all their wonderful information. Not to mention that their farm is AMAZING! That's really been one of the most beneficial things about all of our different farm visits is seeing where/how people started, how far they've come, and all the various set-ups for the farms. The general information is the same, but everyone tweaks it to make it work for them. There's no "set-in-stone" way to do things. I like that.

This past Saturday we visited two farms, and we found that the second farm put a whole new twist on what we thought we knew and were looking for. Let me explain why. The first farm was Lippencott Alpacas in Waynesburg, PA, home to 20+ alpacas. After taking some time to talk to and get to know the owners of the farm, we headed out to get our feet wet (literally...it was pouring) and get some hands on experience with the alpacas. Perfect! Another visit that was completely new from the rest. We helped give vaccines, dewormer, and even clip some toenails. Up until now we hadn't really worked with any of the animals. It was a new experience and well worth the visit. A bit after noon we traveled to Temple Ridge Llamas. Yes you read that right; I said llamas. Llamas and alpacas are both related. Alpacas are smaller than llamas and for the most part have a fiber that is more sought after. So here's were the 'twist' came in. We couldn't get over how friendly and inquisitive the llamas were. Sure, we've met some inquisitive alpacas, but they always seem to want to keep you at arms length. Not so with the llamas. They came right up to us, stuck their noses right up to ours, gave us a couple sniffs, and decided we were okay. I couldn't keep my hands off of them! "Why" you might ask, were we visiting a llama farm? The answer is simple, llamas make good guard animals for your alpacas (sheep and other animals too). We met the owner of the farm last weekend at the fiber festival and he invited us to meet his herd. So we came, and I'm so glad we did. What does this mean for us now? I think we want both, and at the very least we want a guard llama. We were absolutely smitten by their personalities. You can also shear them for fiber as well. But guarding and fiber are not the only uses for the llama. They are great pack animals and companions, can be trained to drive (pull) a cart, and are very smart.

I dreamt about llamas that night....

The Worms Have Arrived!

(more to come later)