Mysteries of the Past

Pine Creek Cemetery in Floyd

Barb showed up just as I finished bunny chores yesterday morning. Lily was SO happy to see her and romped and yipped until we convinced her to come inside with us. Lily sat and gazed in adoration at Barb while she got acquainted with the cockatiel. Barb has a dog and birds as well and told me about a squirrel she rescued.

Then we plunged into genealogy, comparing notes with laptops humming. Barb has done some amazing work on the County of Floyd in Virginia and has done studies of the census information available as well as transcriptions of many documents about Floyd County. Much of her work has been posted to the Internet through USGenWeb and it's fascinating, and useful, to prowl through the pages!

In spite of how interesting it is to get on the computers and try to figure out questions about our ancestors, it's even more interesting to go out and visit historical sites in the area. A branch of the family has developed land connected with an iron smelting furnace into a campground. Although the standing structure is not associated with the family, county records and family history do reveal that the ancestor that came to Floyd County did work with iron ores there. Barb and I had already investigated that site, so we headed to Pine Creek Cemetery, where many of our ancestors are buried. We had lunch on the crumbling steps of the old church, looking out at the weather beaten tables where the congregation once held dinners and at a platform that might have been used for revivals.

Barb was here for a reunion of the Floyd County Internet news list people (I can't find the link yet!) and they had some very interesting projects, apparently. I'm not sure anyone is going to believe this, but I swear it works. At their meeting someone showed them how to "divine" graves. This works like "witching" water, as people call it here. You take two wires and hold them loosely in your hands and walk across the graves. If the buried person is female the wires cross and if the person was male they spring apart. We tried it at the cemetery and it really does work. I looked at the stones while Barb walked across them and she was right every time, even when I had to get down and peer closely at the stone to determine the name. No way she could have known. I tried it but it didn't work for me. I can't witch water, either, but I know lots of people that can! Lily came along but got too hot in the sun, and settled down by the car to wait for us in the shade.

Our main interest was in an ancestor of Barb's. His wife is buried at Pine Creek but there is no record of where he is buried. Barb has an idea that Daniel, called Daniel Jr. to distinguish him from his father, is buried at Pine Creek as well. We searched for the wife's stone but couldn't find it so we headed back to the hotel to look at some other information Barb had. We found a picture of the stone so we went BACK to Pine Creek, just as the clouds opened up. We got drenched but found the wife's stone. There is a plain fieldstone marked grave beside hers and Barb "witched" it and found that this one is male. We think that Daniel Jr. might be there but really can't prove it unless we can find some other record. The rest of the family that lived in the area is right there.

A stop for a visit with another cousin lasted for quite awhile as we discussed common ancestors, Barb's projects, the house filled with family history where this cousin lives, and the future of all our genealogy projects. Lily stayed in the car while we visited because she and Nola's dog were not nice to each other! Then we headed back to Floyd for a much-needed dinner. Finally we headed home to tend to bunny chores and say our farewells. Lily collapsed after her busy day and I wasn't far behind her in heading for bed!

My main interest in genealogy is the story. It's interesting to know who married who and what children they had, but I'm far more involved in trying to find out about the lives of the people. How they lived, what they did, their troubles and joys. I'm particularly interested in the women of the family and there is much less information about them. Often we don't even have a maiden name for women who married into the family in the early years. Surrounded by story as I am here in these mountains, it surprises me how little we know about some people in our backgrounds. But as time goes on and determined researchers like Barb uncover the mysteries, these people are revealed in all their human strengths and frailty.

Another Peaceful Day

It's hard to see in this picture but this old shed had a beautiful border of buttercups in front of it. The shed was once my grandfather's workshop.

Another quiet day yesterday, busy with bunny chores and paper work. I sheared gorgeous Woolybuns Crystal, relieving her of a heavy coat after her days of raising a nice litter of bunnies. She enjoyed her time outside, although I didn't leave any of them out long yesterday. While it didn't rain much it looked as if it might all day. Crystal had pulled a lot of wool for her litter but she had a nice clip and it was clean with very few matts. Such an angel to shear, too!

I walked down to the antique shop, rather than get out the big truck. There is some Queen Anne's Lace blooming along Concord Road, with some other small wildflowers and some coreopsis. I'm not sure if coreopsis is native; there's a lot on the Parkway now. It makes a pretty showing, anyway. The old-style pink roses are blooming now and there is a faint scent that drifts out of the fields of rose and hay. Blackberry vines are covered with tiny berries in graceful arches from the high banks of a neightbor's hedge.

I stopped back by my mom's to visit; they had been out of town for a few days. Sounds like they had a lovely trip. She gave me some sweet notecards with my name on them; have to start corresponding again! A little bird had run into a window at their place yesterday. Very sad but since Wendell and I are both scientific minded, we had to examine the corpse and try to identify the species.

Then Dad and I ran over to check a friend's computer; we think it's a casualty of yesterday's storm. Nice to visit; they have a gorgeous new cat, a Himalayan with orange tiger striped points and the most amazing eyes. When we drove up runner ducks headed for the pond and the horses raised lazy heads from their grazing. The white dogs ran to greet us and Rhode Island Red hens bobbled through the flower beds as the cats paraded across the porch. Such a pleasant place!

Today we're looking forward to a visit from a cousin from Wisconsin. I got her into trouble last night, wanting to make sure she would come out. I called her cell phone number and she was at the library. I'm sure they were not pleased there!

The Tent is UP!

Meadows of Dan Farmer's Market

A quiet day Sunday with lots of rest was just what I wanted. My aunt from Connecticut stopped by for a few minutes and saw the bunnies. Little Lilac Gem was in the mood for lots of attention and was happy to be petted by both my aunts while they visited. My aunt from Connecticut left a book I'd been trying to get for awhile; very glad to have it. Wish she could have stayed a little longer!

Yesterday made up for the quiet day Sunday. We tackled the bunny barn and got floors and trays clean for the week. My chocolate chin buck, Solly, was glad of a haircut in the warmer weather and got to play outside until my yard man showed up. Solly didn't seem alarmed but I was afraid the lawn mower might be more than he could stand!


Getting Started
Just as we finished up working in the bunny house, my brother and a friend from California came over to get pieces of the tent that they're putting up for the new business my sister-in-law is starting. The SO and I went along and helped put the legs under the frame for the roof. We had a lunch date with RJ so we could only help for a little while. But we got the legs under the frame, with the help of some locals that stopped by while we were working.

Lunch with RJ was splendid, with her good company. We visited Mabry's Mill and the restaurant there with their good breakfast menu. When we came back the work crew was gone, so we did some errands. On Sunday we had visited a local shop and discovered some windows that we hope will work perfectly in our building project.


Up and Up!


And UP!

By the time we came back the crew had returned from some work they had to get done on some of the supports. Then they began the big job of getting the canvas roof onto the tall frame. Three men pulled it up and over. It only took two tries; the first attempt was foiled by the wind, which had been still until they started!

Straping Things Down

After lots of fine tuning and putting up the end and sides, the job was finished. A lot of the work focused on making the tent secure in high winds, common here on the mountain. Yesterday cool breezes blew most of the day but I saw some sunburned faces. Everything is ready for the craft show, Crafts in the Meadows, next weekend!

Catching Up

Lovely, busy weekend. I spent Friday doing bunny chores with cool breezes blowing and the sun shining. Angel is happy that her seven little bunnies have left home for a cage of their own. I tried to figure out which were boys and which were girls. I hope I'm wrong; right now it looks like there is only one doe in the litter and I have people wanting three!

After some computer work, my dad and I headed to Floyd for a family reunion. It's not exactly my family, although mountain people claim kin to an extent other folks find amazing. This reunion started with a core group descended from a family of 13 children. Among other things, they purchased an old family property and put together an extensive genealogy. That's where I came in; I did the genealogy data processing and put together a book of family stories. The reason I went to this reunion gathering was to try to get information to update the genealogies.

While I was there I heard that a distant cousin was in town. The minute we got away I headed over to her lodging to find her. I say distant but she should be much closer; we have so many of the same interests and she's a brilliant researcher and just plain fun to knock around with. We met on the Internet years ago while she was researching our common ancestors. When she said she wanted to come here from Wisconsin, I invited her to stay here. We had a wonderful time discovering all the family sites and cemeteries together. Lily was just a puppy then and fell absolutely in love with Barb. Some day we'll have to tell the story about going into the woods with the can of whipped cream! Barb's spending the week in the area so we have to get together again!

Saturday I had planned to go to more reunion, but the SO showed up and really wanted me to go to an auction in North Carolina. I rarely pass up an auction. So we packed up after I worked at the antique shop for a little while and headed down. Things were selling very high, I thought. My method at auctions is to try to figure out what I can sell something for and bid less. Pretty simple, huh? At this auction most things went for the price I thought I could sell them. I did get a neat sewing cabinet with drawers and storage on either side for wool!


Cabinet and spinning chair
from recent auctions

When we got home we had to check out our treasures. I arranged my spinning corner with my little cabinet and the SO took apart the framed pieces he bought and cleaned them. He found a really cool advertising poster in the back of his Civil War print purchase that is worth more than the print he wanted. Really cool and I'm listing it on the web page as soon as I can get pictures.

Hoping to stay home today. It's cool and overcast and seems very quiet outside. Looking forward to a quiet time!

Home Again

Nice day yesterday, quiet at home taking care of chores and catching up with bunny news. All is well in the bunny house. Snickers, the doe that was so angry with me last week about breeding her, is back to her old cheerful self. Baby bunnies are getting lots of new homes in the next few weeks and I'm hoping for more litters soon!

I did have one little bunny drop an ear this year. This happens occasionally; I think partly due to heat. I'm not sure if weak ears are always inherited; I think they could be some of the time. This line has had one other bunny drop an ear when it moved from my cool mountain to a hot environment. The little fellow that dropped his ear this time was holding it up pretty well a couple of days ago; sometimes they come back up!

Dawn asked about a black rabbit with shorter hair than angora that she has seen kept as pets. There are so many pet rabbit breeds; some are also used as meat rabbits. I saw a charming little rex rabbit at one rabbitry; he nearly purred when you petted him. My sister-in-law used to raise satins as a meat rabbit when she lived in Connecticut. They're pretty enough for pets!

Chocolate mint has a wonderful scent! Mrs. Cooke suggested a couple of uses for it: she puts it into her brownies and said it would be wonderful added to hot chocolate. So the minty flavor comes out in cooking, apparently. I'm looking forward to using it. And the way it spreads, I'll probably have lots to give away next year! I love the Gladys Tabor books, Maggie Ann; she and May Sarton have been major influences on my lifestyle!

While I was away my sister-in-law and helpers put together part of her tent and did some other work. So hopefully everything will be ready by next weekend. I keep reminding her of the countdown I have at the top of this page!

In the evening yesterday I walked with Lily down Concord Road to take care of my mom's dog and cat. I took a book along so that I could sit on the porch while Ginger ran around the yard checking on things. Lily sat at my feet and kept poor Ginger from getting too close. It was lovely sitting there; cars pass in the distance and breezes blow in the big hemlocks planted long ago by my grandfather. I watered a few plants in containers and fed the animals. Lily paddled in the creek on the way home to cool her feet!

The moon has been looking into my window at night, rising above the low hill covered in trees at the edge of the farm. The big hay bales dotted across the field cast strange shadows in the moonlight and sometimes seem to move stealthily like great, slow beasts. When I woke up this morning Malachi was lying in the window, watching the starlings with evil in his eye.

Ladies' Days

Heritage Herbs, near Hickory, North Carolina

I've had a lovely couple of days of being with special women and enjoying some wonderful times with them. Tuesday I had planned a trip for bunny feed with my cousin RJ, and we were thrilled when friend Kym could come along. A rare treat, as her work schedule doesn't allow for many times together during the day. We headed out for town under a lovely sky with cool breezes blowing. Wildflowers are blooming along the roadways now, some in a profusion. Farmers are cutting their hay, birds were singing wildly and it was a perfect morning to be heading out with congenial people.

Lunch at our favorite seafood restaurant after picking up two bags of pellets for the rabbits was fun, with lots of conversation. With these brilliant ladies there is rarely a lull in interesting talk. At least, until they bring the food! We do have our priorities. Then we headed for some shopping. I have been the model of restraint lately because I DO NOT NEED CLOTHES! The closet is overflowing with lovely things given to me by cousins and good clothes I have purchased myself that just last forever. But there was a sale, ya'll. So I came home with two purple and pink skirts. Blame Sandra over at Thistle Cove Farm! We had to go to the big store so I could buy an ink cartridge for the computer. RJ sat that one out; content with her crosswords in the car while cool breezes blew through the open windows. I found lots of cheap DVDs for Dad to enjoy in the evenings. And, just so you know how simple mountain people are, RJ and I were thrilled when I found little cups of our favorite Ben and Jerry's ice cream, complete with tiny spoons! We enjoyed those while Kym ventured into another store to find a bag for her festival adventures.


Mrs. Cooke begins the tour

Yesterday I got up early to do bunny chores as the sun rose in a brilliant blue sky. The grass was wet with dew and my old rubber boots were welcome once again. Still early, I headed over to the community building to meet a group of ladies, special friends of my aunt's, for a delightful day at Heritage Herbs, down near Hickory, North Carolina. I was greeted with enthusiasm by women that I knew and didn't know, except by name, and it was nice to get reacquainted. We headed off in two cars, because one member of the group had to head home for Charlotte. Our car was a new deluxe model with all the latest gadgets and safety features. It had a computer named Roxanne that gave us directions on how to get to our destination. We had a lot of fun with that, particularly when it 'forgot' to tell us a turn and when we disobeyed instructions!


Herbs behind the 150 year old house

Wilma Cooke, the owner of Heritage Herbs, greeted us with Southern hospitality and charm. The house and gardens, down a narrow dirt road, has been her home all her life and five generations of her family lived there. She was 72 years old when she started the business ten years ago and is carrying on the traditions and lessons she learned from her mother. Her knowledge is extensive and there was a bewildering collection of herbs to admire, smell and taste.


Admiring the many varieties

The herbs were planted in charming beds, along with flowers for color and variety and interesting bits of whimsey that reflected the delightful personality of our guide. Mrs. Cooke had a story for every plant and variety and kept us busy taking notes of the many uses of the herbs and what variety was best for what purpose. There was another group with ours, celebrating a birthday, but everyone was intent on catching every word and scent that Mrs. Cooke shared.


Comparing notes

The morning flew by with so many interesting things to think about and then it was time for a wonderful luncheon served in the lovely old house. We crossed a narrow porch, surrrounded by the scents of rosemary and pine, and found ourselves in a cool, lovely room, decorated with family heirlooms and handsome antique furniture. Mrs. Cooke showed us the room where she was born nearly 82 years before, papered in charming old-fashioned wallpaper and graced with a handsome iron bedstead.

Lunch was indescribable. The food was amazing, each dish flavored with herbs and looking almost too good to eat. The company was as good as the food, as the ladies, all of them from different areas but united in their love of their homes in the mountains, shared stories of their adventures. Norma, Mrs. Cooke's daughter and dilligent helper, sat down with us and shared her knowledge of the herbs. She is an artist and showed us some of her wonderful work.


At the shop

Replete with good things, we all headed to the herb shop to inquire about the many preparations on the shelves. I bought a bottle of calendula oil, which lovely Norma and Mrs. Cooke use daily. Surrounded by wonderful scents and books filled with knowedge of herbs, we asked about the many preparations and Mrs. Cooke shared more delightful stories.


Hard at work

Norma was in the back, putting up a herb that was requested by one of our party. She sat surrounded by the dozens of herbs grown and prepared by the herbalist. More talk and learning when she came out, until we finally realized that we had to tear ourselves away to make the long trip home. A generous gift of chocolate mint for each of us accompanied us, along with advice on how to use it to best advantage.


Under the trees in the park

We made our way home, safely guided by the computer and driver. After a visit to my mom's house to tend her critters, I settled in here to spin and dream of herbs and traditions. Today I'll set out my little clump of chocolate mint, in memory of good times with special ladies in a beautiful garden.

More Bunny Questions

Mary Ellen also had some questions about angoras this weekend. She asked about guard hair in the coat and about wool production. When we speak of guard hair in the angora, we're not really talking about a stiff textured hair like you see in some other animals. The guard hair of my angoras carries more color than the wool and it also springs out from the yarn to create the halo effect that angora is known for. When I spin the angora, I really can't tell by touch which are wool and which are guard hair. But you can see it in the finished product as the yarn blooms with handling. Sometime the guard hairs seem a little longer than the wool.

Production of wool varied with the lines and genetics. Most of my lines produce between nine and twelve ounces per quarterly shearing. The amount they are producing has improved over the years here at Greenberry House and I hope it will continue to improve. For me that's about one vest per clipping, since my vests average about eight ounces each. Blending with wool makes it go further, of course, and is often wise since angora is a very warm fiber. So one rabbit, even one of my lines that produces less wool, would give you enough wool to produce lots of skeins of yarn. I don't know much about the production of other breeds, only my Germans and German crosses.

Busy Weekend

Hay in the fields

I don't usually notice whether a day is Monday or Saturday. When you work for yourself you pretty much do things as they come and there's not much worry about what day it is. Kind of nice. But this weekend there were things because of Father's Day, so it was actually like the weekend of a normal person. Mostly!

Friday was gorgeous; worked at the antique shop in the morning and took care of some computer chores in the afternoon. Late afternoon I went down to my mom's for dinner to celebrate Father's Day with them. Wendell's sister and brother-in-law were there and we had fun discussing rabbits and spinning. Also a friend of Mom's with her new pomeranian darling puppy. There's a naming contest going on: I prefer Gypsy!

The farmer stirred the hay on Friday; I guess it makes it dry faster. Kills me with allergies, though. I was glad to get down to Mom's to breathe a little!

Saturday we went to an auction on Stuart. I knew the lady who owned the estate, which always makes me a little sad. Things that she treasured and family heirlooms going to strangers. But there isn't much family left and I can see that they would have trouble keeping so many things. I bought a few things I hope to put up for sale on the web site this week and we bought an old sofa for my livingroom. Also a nice Brunswick phonograph, if anyone is in the market for one!

Heard a nice story while I was there. I bought a mink stole and a lady in the crowd said she remembered wearing it and a pair of high heel shoes loaned by Mrs. Leach in a beauty contest when she was in high school. She was the only girl in the contest that had high heels that fit, because she and Mrs. Leach were both small.

Came home to find that the hay was all rolled. I love the way it looks sitting out in the field, like the old-fashioned haystacks farmers made so long ago. Still gave me fits with allergies. We were late getting in so Dad and I had to dash to get to a summer solstice party. We were just in time for the solstice ceremony, always sweet with some lovely, deep-thinking people. Dad didn't want to stay long but we got to talk to some old friends.

Sunday was busier still. The SO was here and his son and daughter-in-law came to see him for Father's Day. I had a couple coming for two bunnies, and I was delighted with how charming and caring both young people were. The rabbits, a junior black doe that is almost eight months old and a younger chocolate chin, seemed quite happy with their new friends!


Dad's Day

Furniture moving, house cleaning and testing out the new phonograph took up most of the rest of the day. The SO's young folks gave him some useful things for Father's Day and we all went to dinner with my brother's family to a seafood place below the mountain. My dad had frog's legs!

I actually got in some spinning, getting out the shetland/mohair roving from Friendship Farm that I dyed for my colorful shawl. Nice green that is spinning up fast; didn't spin for very long and filled half a bobbin. We picked up two nice little chairs that are perfect for spinning at the auction. I may keep one for myself!

This morning it was raining but it seems to be clearing now. Lots of computer work today to get ready for a meeting about the folk festival this afternoon!

Bunny Colors

Dawn made a very good point when she asked why Snickers is called a chocolate doe, because Snickers is silvery on the back and only chocolate on the face and ears (and feet, but you couldn't see those).

Angora wool, which grows on the body of the rabbit, comes in much lighter than the shorter hair on the face, ears and feet. So we go by the faces when we're talking about the colors of the rabbits. The color seems lighter on the body because of the wool. The guard hair, which is sprinkled in the wool, has a lot of the color that the face does.

So, if you have a chocolate bunny that is born looking like this:


She will grow up into a beautiful doe that looks like this:

One of my goals in raising the colored Germans is to deepen the color in the wool. My black rabbits have a black face and a gorgeous pewter wool when they mature that is my favorite angora to spin. Chocolate is lovely too; I've been spinning some chocolate angora, some angora blended with wool and silk and I have some Jacob roving. I hope to put it all together into a natural color vest someday.

Secrets

Secrets
Originally uploaded by Greenberry House.

Yesterday morning was bright and cool, with lovely breezes waving the long grass in the fields. Malachi tore past me as I walked down to the bunny house, wild and dangerous. He teased Lily all morning, knowing just where to be to stay out of her reach. He likes to climb into the Rose of Sharon while I fill bunny bottles.

A little work at the antique shop, laundry snapping on the line, and computer work filled my day, with a few bunny chores. In the afternoon I went to my aunt's lovely house on the hill. The view in every direction is lovely there. You can look out across a neighbor's brilliant and well-kept garden, or down into the beautiful greens of my aunt's lovely herb bed. Across the hills the light danced, sunshine and shadow as clouds drifted by, sweeping a dozen different colors of green.

When I got home the farmer was here, cutting the grass that has grown higher than my head. He will have a wonderful hay crop this year. I dashed to rescue my electric cords that run from the house to the rabbitry. The grass is so thick I had quite a time finding the cords and getting them out! It was beautifully cool last night so the bunnies were fine without them.

My sister-in-law and brother stopped by, admiring their handsome tent and planning for the placement of it. She has been working hard on her grand opening and has some interesting crafters and other people lined up. Should be fun!

Then Dad and I headed down to the Reynolds Homestead to watch an old movie that I had been wanting to see. From way back when I was in high school, 1776, a sort of musical history. Fun to see some people from below the mountain and a neighbor that is a postcard dealer.

And finally home, and rest. This morning I can look out at the hay drying in the sun. Patterns of lines and little hummocks, gray and brown and green, with blackbirds soaring and crows pacing.

Green Times

a lily
Originally uploaded by Greenberry House.

There's not much blooming in the garden right now. The rain beat the flowers off the weigelia and the spirea. Peonies are shabby, with a few blooms coming back out now with the sun. An errant red runner rose from a bush that died back to the rootstock arches behind the perennial sunflowers which are shooting up now. And this lily is blooming. I had forgotten about it; it has been so long since I have been home in the spring!

Wonder Bun

This is a terrible picture of a gorgeous chocolate doe. Woolybuns Snickers is a little over eight months old and at nine pounds rivals my largest pure doe, Mary, for size. But she is absolutely unsurpassed here for wool production. Yesterday I sheared her and peeled off 383 grams of gorgeous wool. That's thirteen and a half ounces. Not bad for a German cross! Snickers is 81.75% German from solid, old line stock and her color is wonderful, which is even more important to me than production in the crosses.

Snickers is a big girl, about as big as I want a doe to be to fit into my lap comfortably. She was a little cranky yesterday; I wasn't feeling well either and it took a long time to shear her. But when I popped her in with Chocolat, hoping to breed her, she got REALLY annoyed! Poor Chocolat. He's such a pretty fellow but both of his girls lately have rejected him. I tried them three times yesterday and there was no obvious result. I may have to consult a certain bunny charmer for her secrets!

Since Snickers is so big, she may just not be mature yet. I've noticed in some of my pure does that they just aren't ready to be mothers as early as some of the crosses. So I'll try to wait patiently until Snickers decides she wants to be a mom!

It was nice shearing Snickers, despite her little bit of restlessness, down in the barn. It was cooler with a lovely breeze. The babies played or slept, with the usual careless ease of the young. It's amazing how totally they relax, going limp in random piles of fluff or stretching out across the wire in luxurious elegance. I'm watching Mary's bunnies now, to see which little doe I'll be keeping. One bunny keeps catching my eye!

The rest of the day was spent on the computer. I'm trying to finish up the All Seasons web pages and I put some jewelry on Greenberry House. Had an interesting discussion with Kim over at The Woolen Rabbit about genetics. She wants the darling lynx doe I posted the picture of yesteday! I'm thrilled to have such a sweet bunny go to such a great home!

Bunny Day

GH502
Originally uploaded by Greenberry House.

Exciting day yesterday! The sun actually stayed out all day and it didn't rain. Amazing. Then my sister-in-law's tent came in. The boxes are stacked out by the driveway until they can get it put up. So soon there will be a farmer's and crafter's market in Meadows of Dan! I did some photos of some old-timey things to see if they will work for a banner for the tent.

I spent the day working with the little bunnies. Each one of the first two litters now has a picture and description on my sales web page, www.greenberryhouse.com. The little doe above, a lynx, posed in an especially fetching way! It's fun to get the little ones out and show them off. My brother's son was here; he is so good with animals.

I decided on keeping two bunnies so far from these litters, a lilac doe from Joy's litter with Quenten and a torte buck from Crystal's litter with Raphael. I wanted a doe from Crystal but it looks like all her bunnies were bucks. I'll double check later; I get it wrong sometimes!

The rest of the day was spent with other bunny chores, getting the moms settled into cages away from the babies, and letting rabbits exercise in the cool breezes outside. It's a little crowded in the bunny house right now; I had to bring in two extra little cages for the does. But bunnies will be leaving soon!

I was filling water bottles yesterday morning with Lily roaming outside when she suddenly barked. I looked up to see a large bird soaring up from the pond. At first I thought it was the blue heron; it was so big. But the red-winged blackbirds started attacking it, and from the way it flew I knew it was some kind of hawk. It was so large we figure it was an osprey, interested in the fish instead of the little birds. Unusual to see here.

The rest of the day was spent on computer work. My chocolate doe needs shearing and I had planned to do it in the cool of the evening. But Dale came to mow the yard, and that is too noisy for it to be comfortable to shear. So she's the first thing on the agenda this morning. I'll breed her to my chocolate buck; chocolates seem to be popular this year!

It's the Sun!

I almost didn't realize it at first, when I woke up this morning to bright sunshine. It's been foggy for so long every morning. The birds are singing wildly outside, greeting the new day, and the cockatiel is shrieking happily in return!

Yesterday greeted us with more rain and fog. Or maybe it was an insult. Anyway, since it was too dark to do any bunny pictures (or much of anything else), I tackled some computer work I've been setting aside for awhile while the rains came again. And I packed up an order of angora for a customer in Georgia and mailed that out. I went out to check the bunnies at one point and the grass was flattened by rain and wind across my path. Red-winged blackbirds out in the field were calling wildly; I wondered if the rain had disturbed their nests.

The barn swallows finished their nest up in the eaves of the bunny house barn. Every time I go in they fly out and soar around calling. I'm afraid my presence will disturb them too much and they'll leave. I was hoping they would continue to use the lower shed of the barn; we rarely go in there. The new nest is well away from the bunny house door, however, so things might work out.

In the evening friend Kym called and we went to town for some things she needed and some bunny feed. Fun to walk around in the stores, looking at beautiful clothes and things. I resisted mightily until we went to the craft supply store. Then I lost my head. I went in to just pick up some waste canvas to try cross-stitch designs for these little crazy quilt squares. But of course right beside that were some gorgeous glass seed beads. I've been thinking about a design with colors of the fields outside.... Then I found the $1.00 bins, so had to pick up some ribbon, just in case it worked with some design, and some notepads and some notebooks and then they had these wine boxes really cheap that you could do SOMETHING with...oops!

Chris over at Woolybuns showed much more willpower at the Fiber Frolic in Maine. And at Out of Hand Elaine just described her fun time at a spinning seminar. I'm looking forward to some quality fiber folk time with Sandra of Thistle Cove Farm and Lura of Friendship Farm during the 4th of July weekend. So then maybe I won't be so envious of all the good times I'm missing with the fiber gatherings! And I want to welcome Dawn to the world of blogging: she's just joined in with Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost from Nova Scotia. It will be fun to get to know her better!

Today I'm hoping to get some bunny pictures up on the www.greenberryhouse.com web pages. It's time to take the babies away from the mothers and try to figure out which are boys and which are girls. Also to start thinking about which ones I'll keep. That's always fun!

There was a crescent moon last night when I walked Lily in the wet grass. A few scattered stars between the clouds that were finally breaking up twinkled in a sky that looked almost textured in shades of gray, blue and black. I turned off the light in my bedroom and sat in my little chair to watch the fireflies rise from the long grass in the fields. They stayed low above the grass, signaling against the light mist that rose with them in random flashes. A soft breeze rustled the sweet shrub below the window and the faint scents of wild roses and fresh greenery drifted to me on the wind.

Not About Bunnies...Much

Fog again yesterday, with rain at times. I had a delightful visit from Diane, who came from Roanoke to chose her bunny. She left with Autumn Joy's handsome chocolate agouti buck, christened 'Sandy'. Terrific name. We had a nice visit and I know Sandy is going to be a happy bunny.

Quick meeting with my sister-in-law about her plans for the farmer's and crafter's market. Everything is shaping up. Then she went off to check on crafters from the Cherry Festival for both her show and the Meadows of Dan one. I worked on getting some more information for that show in the afternoon and took some pictures for the web page. It was such a dull, gray day that I didn't feel inspired to do bunny chores! And damp angora isn't any fun to shear off a rabbit!

Big event of the day. I went with a group of friends to a contra dance at a neighboring town. As near as I can find out, contra dancing is a traditional country dance form, sort of like a square dance or Virginia reel. Sort of. Years ago I did a little of it, but I'm still pretty confused about where to be when and how to get there most of the time! The music is old-time, sort of Celtic in flavor and repetitive so that it sets the count for the dance. This is where we were and there are lots of links about contra dancing. It's a tremendous amount of fun and most of the dancers are either as inexperienced as I am, or very nice about mistakes!

Contra dancing reminds me of English romances, when they gathered for similar dances and there was so much more formality. The women last night almost all wore long skirts and when I sat out it was pretty to watch the movement of the dance and the swirling fabric during swings and turns. It would be lovely to see a dance in Victorian or Edwardian costume.

Back not so late, but oh, I was tired this morning! Got the bunny chores done and then did some more running for the festival information and picked up some bunny feed. Then Dad and I went down to visit a favorite cousin and his wife that don't live very far away. We had a terrific visit talking family and looking at old pictures. The trip down was very foggy, but the weather seemed to clear on the way home. Now it's raining. Surprise.

Problem Bunny

Greenberry's Misty Dream

Isn't this an amazing creature? Misty is a gorgeous purebred German Angora doe, from a wonderful line that includes rabbits from Spinning Bunny and ISeeSpots, along with totally new genetics from Samson lines on the father's side. She hasn't always been this wonderful, however. Misty was born in my old bunny barn, a converted chicken house that had long been vacant. Her mother, Living Water Farms Angel, is a sweet, gentle rabbit from gentle, purebred lines that I am familiar with. Angel is also a wonderful fiber producer and has a terrific, non-matting coat. This was my first litter with the father, a nice fellow that isn't an astonishing wool producer but has a good temperament. There were six bunnies in the litter and Angel raised them all with ease. Misty was my pick and the rest of the bunnies went fast.

Then the roof fell in. In the barn, of course. A poorly constructed leaking section of the roof finally collapsed and I had to shift the rabbits around to keep them dry. For a little while the rabbits lived in a very dark area in the old shed while we converted a section of the old barn on the farm into a bunny house. I moved the rabbits late one night after putting the floor down because I couldn't stand for them to be there one more minute. The other rabbits seemed to love the new, airy barn with all the light coming in. Not Misty. She never stopped eating, but her personality changed and she became very timid and nervous. She only weighed 5 pounds when she was a year and a half old. Of course I didn't try to breed her, worried about her condition and not wanting to pass on bad traits. When I checked with buyers of her siblings, however, they reported fine healthy rabbits that they were enjoying. One sister had successfully raised a litter of seven healthy bunnies!

As you can see from the picture, Misty has come out of her shell in the past four months and has gained up to seven pounds. She is as cheerful and friendly as any of the other rabbits and when sheared gave me a nice 12 ounces of wool this time. No matting to speak of. Good qualities, of course, but the tale will be told if she produces a litter. I put her in with Greenberry's Chocolat after shearing her, and she was NOT happy about it. At nearly two it's time she settled down into motherhood, so we'll see. She'll get the same three chances to produce a healthy litter as the rest of my rabbits.


Sheared Misty

Just to prove that there was a rabbit under all that wool! Misty was grumpy in the evening after her trying day, but this morning she was back to being cheerful and hungry! I also sheared her mother, Angel, who has been tending a nice litter of seven bunnies. Mom was a little grumpy herself when I started shearing, but settled down nicely after I let her rest. Turned out she needed a potty break! In spite of tending the litter, Angel's wool was gorgeous and not matted. She had striped belly, legs and bib of wool for her nest so there wasn't a huge amount but it was all nice.

Another nice day then, yesterday, of shearing bunnies, with barn swallows calling outside and the flash of a passing bluebird over the grass. In the afternoon, after a nap because of allergies, I met with one of the merchants about the folk fair. Then, so much fun, I went with Kym down to town for dinner and a movie. Loved Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants! Chick flics don't get much better. I hadn't gotten around to reading the book, but can't imagine it could be better than the movie. Wonderful scenery in Greece and a charming story. Hard to ask for more! Wonderful to see my young friend and hear of her adventures as she travels to wine festivals. Hard work but rewarding, I think, in many ways.

And it rained! Of course. There were some fierce storms south of here and the roads were washed with mud and rivulets of water rushed everywhere. Today has been overcast all day with some drizzle. The cool weather is good for the bunnies. Or so I comfort myself!


My little roses

And here's Lily, posing beside the yellow rose and watching for dangerous kitties and other perils. Her fur is growing back a little and she is starting to look more like my little darling!

Angora and lace

GH426
Originally uploaded by Greenberry House.

This coy little doe received her second haircut yesterday and delivered piles of gorgeous dark pewter wool. She's a real sweetheart and the only problem with shearing was that she wanted to flirt with the boy in the cage near us!

Yesterday was a beautiful day, clear and warm with a gentle breeze. More fun bunny playtime outside! I sheared Maple; she was fussy at first. Probably because she was worried about leaving the babies. But she soon settled down as I removed her overgrown coat. Maple was overdue for shearing because I didn't want to disturb her while the bunnies were little. So, what with that and bunnies crawling all over her, her wool was a bit of a mess. Nice for blending with something for felting batts, though. She'll be comfortable for the summer.

The barn swallows are starting a nest in the shed roof right outside the bunny house door. I usually shear there, so I took my project inside the bunny house to try to keep from disturbing them. My presence may be enough to bother them anyway; I'm in the bunny house a lot. There's another open side to the barn that they used earlier in the year; I don't know why they are beginning again.

It was nice to sit shearing a quiet doe, while the barn swallows soared and called just outside the door, and I could watch the grass ruffled by the breeze. Rabbits munched hay and bunnies played, with 'look at me' binkies to make me laugh. One of Mary's bunnies fell asleep flat on her back, with all four feet up in the air. Another pair dropped across each other after playing. With all the fur they have now I couldn't tell which legs went with which head.

The doe I sheared yesterday is the one I decided to sell as a wooler. She has a couple of small faults; a white toenail and she's a bit small at 6 1/4 pounds. Her sister weighs about 8, so since I need size right now in my rabbitry the sister is a better choice for me. This doe is a lovely girl and produced lots of wool; she will be a wonderful companion and wooler for someone!

In the afternoon I had a wonderful time checking out the crazy quilt web sites that you all have provided. What wonderful work, some absolutely awesome, all beautiful and some subjects and themes hilarious! My sad little efforts have a long way to go. I had started a square a few days ago and I realized I don't care for embroidery any more now than I ever did. Sad, when you can get such beautiful results! But beadwork looks very interesting; I've never tried it before. A trip to the craft store is in order. I love laying out the designs and embellishing with lace and trim and sewing on buttons and things. But I wonder if substituting cross stitch for embroidery would work!

Last night another storm attempted to blow up but it wandered away. Looks like there was more rain during the night. It's a gray morning with a haze across the hills. Today I hope to shear a couple more rabbits and straighten up the house a little. Visitor tomorrow looking for a bunny, and then I want to check out a local craft show and work on scheduling for the folk fair in August.

Bunnies and Good Friends

Got up yesterday morning determined to accomplish some bunny chores. The sun was glorious and there was a lovely breeze, so the first thing I did while it was cool was sweep up the floors and tidy some trays. Then beautiful Woolybuns Raphael came out for his scheduled shearing. He's always a sweetheart, lying patiently across my lap while I cut away all that wool. For me it's gorgeous soft wool to be spun; to him it's probably a hot annoyance and he's glad to be rid of it! He and some other rabbits (in separate shifts) spent the day during the hours I was home playing outside under the spruce trees in their pen. Raphael, a fellow of personality, runs laps, digs a bit, nibbles on grass, and threatens the cats. Once he was in the pen when I walked my brother's dog past and he attacked the dog! When I brought him back to the barn I put him in a different cage. He's such a handsome fellow and company is coming. This way he will be admired!

Lunch with friends RJ and Trinity was fun yesterday. Trinity came to get me and we met RJ at Mabry's Mill, the local tourist attraction. The food is good and we know almost everyone that works there. Lots of talk on so many subjects; Trinity is interested in glassware and RJ is interested in everything!

I took Lily down Concord Road to visit Mom in the evening. The season has moved along and there's not much wild blooming along the road. A few rhododendron are still pretty and the blackberry canes are covered in bloom. I saw a rose with buds; it might be the pink rather than the white that has about taken over the country. Mom's borders are beautiful; lots of lovely columbine and sweet spreads of hens and chicks. We had a good visit; Lily showed off her new haircut and calmer personality as a friend of my mother's brought her new baby Pomeranian to show off. Lily was curious at first then decided not to look at it!

Late evening ushered in another thunderstorm, but not before I walked around the yard looking at my shabby flower beds. I weeded the window bed a little to let the Johnny Jump Ups breathe and try to protect an unknown plant from the weed eater when it comes. As much as I love bearded iris, I have to confess that Siberian Iris are my favorites. I couldn't get a good picture to show the true color, though. Both the iris and the pink peonies will have to be moved when we start the store building. The siberian iris has long needed transplanting to revive it, but I'm hoping the peonies survive the move. They don't like change!

Only one of my rose bushes has survived the years of neglect here. It's a yellow climber that lives close to the south wall of the house. I'm hoping to work on some beds there someday and plant more roses. The hedge of forsythia and spirea also needs some work; the more vigorous forsythia is overwhelming the space. My grandmother had this variety of spirea in her yard; the old plant is still growing at the edge of the lawn. If you look closely at the picture above you'll see the white church that graces the hill in town, and also find my black cat peeping out from under the spirea.

Every man that comes here comments that I should pull the Virginia creeper off the house. It probably would be best, but I really like the fact that vines cover my cottage and the starlings likely do more damage!

And with late evening came the storm. I curled up in my bed with Lily sleeping at my feet, as I indulged in rereading an Edwardian romance while lightning flashed and thunder rumbled outside.

New Venture

GBH-Z-16
Originally uploaded by Greenberry House.

Cathy over at Catena Expressions is stretching her wings into knitting lace, a new experience for her. I've been admiring the gorgeous embellishments that people have been making with crazy quilt squares, and this is my first attempt at a "square". There's not a lot of sewing in this one because it's a remake of a previous project. I would appreciate your opinions!

Uh....

congratulations. you are the kiss my ass happy
bunny. You don't care about anyone or anything.
You must be so proud


which happy bunny are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Mountain Nights

Last night I stood on a lonely mountain. In the distance, just above the trees, lightning flashed a constant warning as a storm battered a neighboring town. On my mountain the only sound was the wild clatter of insects in the long grass and crickets near the stones on the ridge. All around me fireflies were rising from the wet grass, flashing their own signals in a dance that seemed to answer the savage storm.

Tonight I am home, listening to thunder rumble above after another storm here and rain most of the afternoon. Cozy to sit and spin in my quiet house while the rain falls on the fields outside. A few peonies have opened, however, and will be drooping against the grass in the morning. And it is rain, again. I prefer a stormy day to a dull soggy one, but it is still--rain!

Busy weekend. Another day at the flea market with the sun shining was much more successful than last weekend. I packed up because we are really working on getting this building up now. We went to Stuart and started the process with permits. My sister-in-law is getting her project geared up and things should be hopping here on the farm soon! Another meeting of the Merchants Association about the folk fair was also encouraging with some exciting activities planned. I wrote up a press release for it, which I copied to the web site.

Yesterday I sheared two rabbits, one a gorgeous fawn doe that I immediately bred to my German buck. I also sheared a handsome black rabbit that I have left from one of the fall litters. I've been eyeing this one because of the gorgeous color and density of his coat, but I also have Tommy, also gorgeous, from the same litter and a beautiful doe, Eliza, that is their sister. You just can't keep them all! Anyway, I sheared this rabbit off, admiring the pewter color and crimp in his wool in this second shearing from him. He was an absolute angel, another reason to like him. But when I turned him over to do his belly I realized that he was a doe! This can get so embarassing, especially with a rabbit that you've sheared before!

So I don't know which of these two gorgeous does will be staying, but one of them will be for sale. I may chose the "buck" because she is a tiny bit larger. They come from a line of fantastic mothers and both have wonderful, richly colored wool. A hard decision to make!


Fall Glory and Spruce Green

A little spinning tonight, working on more samples of my dyed roving. I like the resulting yarn. It's soft with some bloom and has a nice sheen from the mohair. I also tried working on some patchwork ideas for some silk wall hangings. I've discovered that I don't know much about patchwork! I think a visit to the library or on-line used book store might be in order!

Almost A Whole Day Without Rain

Bunny chores were so nice yesterday morning, with the sun shining and Lily sniffing around in the dew-wet yard. Everyone was eager for their breakfast of hay and fresh greens from the yard and surrounding fields. I like to make dandelion bouquets for them!

The sun didn't last long. By the time I finished at the antique store, ready to uncover my flea market tables, a black cloud had rolled over the sky. My dad showed up with a cute little 4-wheel-drive SUV sort of car that he bought yesterday morning. So I went with him to pick up his old truck from the dealership. Along the way the rain spattered the windshield but never got serious.

I've been meaning to mention how gorgeous the phlox is along the roadsides. I think it's a wild species; not sure if it's native. But I've never seen it bloom like this. Shades from white to lilac to lavender to deep blue-purple in long stretches of hill and ditch along the roads. The rhodoedendron bloom has been battered to pieces by wind and rain, but the mountain laurel is gracing the edges of the woods with a more subtle beauty. Flame azalea is still glowing among the darker trees.

In the evening, to try out the new vehicle, we went to pick up bunny feed and have dinner. On the way back we paused by a beaver dam along the Parkway. This structure fascinates both of us. There have been no beaver in this area for generations, and it's amazing to see how they can build a pond on a small stream. We actually saw a beaver last night. He was swimming peacefully in his pond, a sleek brown animal that looked to be as long as my spaniel.

And last night I managed to get in some spinning. I have a little roving left over from each of the blends that I dyed awhile back, and want to spin up some yarn as samples to show how the variegated rovings will turn out. I worked on the tunis that I dyed with variegated oranges last night. The colors turned out very vibrant, from red to orange. It didn't take long to spin the roving, about half an ounce, and ply it.

Finally, a little spinning!

tunisyarn
Originally uploaded by Greenberry House.

Last night I finally got to the spinning wheel. It seems like there is so much to do in the spring and summer that my wheel and dye pots get set aside. I wanted to make some sample skeins from the dyed rovings I have up for sale. This is the tunis roving. They resulting yarn has a nice loft, although it's not as soft as my angora or Lura's mohair blends.

Of Cats, Story and Bunnies

Chris over at Woolybuns has her hands full with a litter of kittens rescued from a shopping mall, while my own cats, tired of the rains, have been begging for attention. I led a parade down through the wet grass to the bunny house this morning. Missy, the grand old girl, picked her way carefully down the path behind me, trying to keep her feet dry. Mani, the plump tabby, dodged through the seedheads that dangled into the path, beaten down by wind and rain. But Malachi, the black cat that is little more than a kitten, bolted out from the long grass, his fur soaked and his eyes witch-cat bright, with a tail fuzzed bottle brush full. He scampered before me leading the parade, dislodging showers of water as he ran.

All of my cats for years have come here after being abandoned by other people. Missy was a barn cat in New Jersey, so pretty that she was rescued before being maimed by a careless horse or treated cruelly by a stable boy. Mani showed up as a kitten at the store where I worked, squalling in pain and fear with one eye matted shut. It turned out that the eye was punctured, by accident or design I never knew. With care the eye healed completely. Malachi was another kitten abandoned at the store. My cousin caught him and brought him down to me. The frightened kitten spent three days behind the dryer in the bathroom before I finally went in and got him out. He was so happy to see me and he's been a joy since.

These three are some of the lucky ones. There have been cats abandoned here that are too wild to make friends, and eventually they are killed by cars or die of sickness or starvation. So many kittens are born that they cannot find enough food to feed themselves. We can only feed so many, and when there are too many unvaccinated cats in an area they seem to fall prey to disease. I've heard people justify abandoning cats (they call it dropping them here) by saying that a cat is independent and can take care of itself. I wonder what those same people say to themselves when they drop unwanted dogs.

On a brighter note, Sandra at Thistle Cove Farm shared an interesting family tale on her blog, carrying on the mountain tradition of story in fine style. Cathy is also thinking of family and stories with the coming of Memorial Day, and I've seen others write of memories as they spin, weave and create during this week of remembering. Jan and Valerie wrote wonderful answers to the interview questions, which by their nature kindled memory.

As for the future, cheerful bunnies are bouncing around the cages, crowding to the front when I come in. I like to flatter myself that it is petting that they want and they don't seem to mind my attentions. But really they are far more interested in the rustle of hay and the clatter of the feed bucket! Mom patiently endures games of king-of-the-mountain across her head and back and acts as home base for hide and seek. I tend my bunnies and wonder about the future of the German angora breed. Disturbing incidents (see Elaine's blog for an example) recently have led me to think that some people are putting their egos before the good of their own rabbits as well as failing to have an appreciation of the many wonderful qualities of the German Angora breed. Sad to see.

But it is still raining. The viburnum sags under the weight of wind and wet, with shattered flower heads tumbled across the lawn. Rhododendron has shed trumpets of pink across the broad green leaves to drop into deep puddles by the front door. The iris are making a brave stand, and I'm happy that the peonies remain tightly shut so that this rain will not drive the heavy flowers into the mud. A day of sunshine is promised for the weekend, with more rain following.

It's Your Turn for the Interview

Rainy day. Another one. Very wet. Cold. Gray. Dark.

For the brave Jan, who immediately sent in a request to be interviewed, here are your questions. Looking forward to reading the answers!

1. Springers are wonderful things. How did you wind up with Banjo and where did he get his name?
2. Why did you choose angoras as a fiber animal to breed, and why did you choose the breed you have?
3. Do you live in the area where you were born, and if not, what brought you to the place you live now?
4. Are your interests lasting ones or do you enjoy getting involved in new activities, leaving the old ones behind?
5. What's your favorite activity on a rainy day?

And for Vi, to see if she dares!

1. Are you normally a planner or is this a new idea for you?

2. How did you get interested in fiber pursuits and what is your favorite?

3. What do you like about the area where you live? What do you dislike?

4. Do any animals share your life? If so, who are they? If not, why not?

5. What do you find more enjoyable about blogging? Most challenging?