Spinning in the Storm

Lily and the mohair singles on the bobbin

Yesterday morning was lovely, cool breezes and sunshine. I got out and did some necessary bunny chores; should have done more but just didn't feel up to that much. But I got the floors swept up and the worst trays shoveled out so everyone is comfortable.

Then my young friend Kym stopped by with car problems; I think the muffler or something is rusted out. The tame Buick is making noise like a race car. She went on to work but had more trouble with it last night. Poor girl!

Since the sun was shining I headed up to the craft tent and we set up for the day. A talented lady that I know a little stopped by to investigate and showed us a beautiful woven shawl she had made of some wonderfully colored bulky handspun yarn. It was fun to visit with her and her little dog, the most self-possessed and courtly little Pomeranian I've ever known.


Mohair painted singles yarn

We had a quiet day yesterday; not many people discovered us but it was nice to talk to the few that did come down. I spun up a bobbin of painted mohair from Tintagel Farm that I bought at Maryland Sheep and Wool a couple of years ago. I bought it because I liked the colors, orange and green, mostly, with some subtle variations into red and melon. I also liked the name of the farm, especially since I had just returned from Cornwall at the time!


Silk noil and angora singles

I also plied some singles that I spun up some time ago. This was a blend of my angora with some silk noil that I purchased on Ebay even longer ago. I really like the finished yarn, which has a frosted look of black angora and bits of green and blue silk highlights. Once you get the bug bits out it's a lovely yarn!

A storm came in during the afternoon; we almost ran for the cars but the storm didn't seem too bad. So we sat comfortably under the tent, listening to the thunder and working on our projects. Sue was weaving an embellishment for a gourd rattle; it turned out beautiful with black yarn and cat's eye style blue beads against the wood-toned gourd. I was plying my silk and angora, getting happier with every turn of the wheel with the resulting yarn. It was a little fussy to work with because I had overspun the original singles but I have a nice balanced two-ply now that I will probably use in a crocheted Jacob and angora shawl.

After we packed up the craft show I came home and washed dishes (twice in one week, a record!). A few minutes later Brandy and her mother came to pick up her rabbits and talk bunnies. We had a wonderful time chosing the rabbits she wanted to compliment the lovely does she bought at Avillion Farm. A black buck from ISeeSpots Elwood Blues and Living Water Farms Angel's fine litter was an easy choice; I think he's even nicer than the blue doe I'm keeping. And Woolybuns Yankee Doodle Dandy has a new home with a lovely, caring young lady. I warned her about his coat not being as easy to tend as I like but she was bowled over by his sweet nature and good body type. I think she made an excellent choice! This young lady has a good eye for a buck; she also took along Woolybuns Raphael. All these rabbits are going to Colorado next month to found a colony of German Angoras there. As far as I know, there are no other German Angoras in Colorado, so Brandy's bunnies should do well there.

We had a mini-shearing session with the little black buck so that he would be comfortable for the trip. He was a darling, which made me look good! Then, because my tattoo pen STILL hasn't arrived, I had to tattoo him with the old clamp thing. He squealed but we comforted him and he soon forgot with a little carrot and attention. We got a good tattoo; just as I'm learning how to get it right with the clamp I'm switching. But I feel much better about the pen; it's a lot less traumatic, I think!

Everyone seemed happy when they left; girls and bunnies all. I'll look forward to hearing about life with Germans in Colorado from Brandy!

It's raining this morning so I don't know if we'll try to craft tent or not. Time to tackle the morning bunny chores, which don't wait on the weather. Lily hasn't stirred from her bed this morning; she hates rain!

Tagged!

A wet, dreary day that I've mostly slept through, thanks to allergies and a little white pill. Got up sneezing so hard it was all I could do to get the bunny chores done. Do you know what constant sneezing does to a forty-plus woman who spent ten years lifting bags of cabbage and boxes of potatoes? It's not pretty. Thanks to Chris for all the virtual tea and the good vibrations!

Stacey tagged me with this mime. My head isn't very good today but it's been awhile since she tagged me!

What was I doing....ten years ago?
Getting a divorce from my first ex. Don't know how I wound up married to that one. Well, I do, but that's a long story to think about when I'm drugged with antihistimines!

5 years ago?
Not sure; probably getting divorced from my second ex. I reconnected with someone I had known a long time; he was the main reason I didn't stay married. And the only one I had sense enough NOT to marry!

1 year ago?
Working in Central Virginia at an antique shop, trying to learn the business so I'd hopefully know enough to build one here.

Yesterday?
Easier to remember years ago! I went to my aunt's for her computer lessons after laying around all morning. She told me that my favorite cousin, recovering from a hip replacement, is back in the hospital for heart problems. Things seem to be going well but it still worries everyone!

Today?
The aforesaid allergy struggle and sleeping all day. Really can't do this, as there is a pile of work to be done and people coming tomorrow to pick up bunnies!

Tomorrow?
If the sun comes out I'll be at the Meadows of Dan Farmer's Market, with all the craft stuff and 'debuting' my painted china. Hope it's not a complete flop! Talking bunnies to a delightful young woman!

5 snacks I enjoy
Just five? Anything chocolate; the current favorite is a white chocolate blueberry bar, ice cream (Cherry Garcia for preference), peanuts, sour cream and onion chips, yogurt (I can get healthy sometimes) and wintergreen hard candy.

5 bands and singers for which I know most of their stuff
Nope, my life doesn't cover this one. Unless you count old bluegrass bands from the 70s. Or my brother's band, Lonesome River Band.

What would I do with $100,000,000?
I can't really comprehend that kind of money. And I can't think of any changes I would make. The people around me seem to be happy with what they have so I couldn't blow it on family. I have a friend I could help out but that wouldn't make much of a dent. Maybe put some in the business but that wouldn't be much. Be nice to add to my retirement; with my genes I might live a long time! If I wind up with that kind of money, I'll be sure to ask ya'll what to do with it!

5 locations I'd run away to:
Bath, England, Northern Wales, the South of France because I'd like to see it, Rome and Greece for the same reason. But I'd come back!

5 bad habits:
Putting off housework, playing with bunnies when I should be cleaning trays, eating too much, being obsessive about projects, reading when I should be working.

5 things I like doing:
Reading, spinning, being with the animals, being with friends and family, being alone.

5 things I would never wear:
I'm not really very fussy and never say never. I don't like tight clothes, chartreuse, very high heels, those short pants things, but I'm not a fashion diva.

5 TV shows I like:
Don't watch TV much, although I'm thinking about getting a satelite set-up for us this winter.

5 famous people I'd like to meet:
I'd like to go to a gathering of some of the current chick lit authors. These ladies are CLEVER!

5 biggest joys at the moment:
Even though allergies are not serious, they sure take the edge of things. Right now I can't think of much. Living here and doing my own thing is the biggest joy, Lily, having great family and friends, the SO is pretty OK, sunshine.

5 favorite toys:
Reeves spinning wheel, book charka (fussy to work with but so cleverly put together), the computer (natch!), digital camera (so I can make a living!), hmmmn....

Tagging three people. I hate to do this to ya'll but I gotta pass it on: Dawn, Chris and Cathy. Stacey says we can do it our not; your choice. Be comforted with the fact that I chose people I really like to know about!

Cloudy Day

Outside and in my head the clouds are looking dull and gray. But after the heat, the clouds and possibility of rain are welcome, in spite of the fact that my laundry is out on the line. Allergies not so welcome, but I had a better day yesterday. Some other bloggers have been sort of out of action because of physical stuff; hope they're all better soon!

Breezes were wonderful yesterday, sun warm but with a breeze I can handle what heat we have here. The house stayed nice and cool all day, making it pleasant to finish up the painted porcelain pieces I wanted to get done for this weekend. I went down to the bunny house and sheared Greenberry's Highland Mary. She was happy to get that thick coat off and I was happy to fill my bins with gorgeous wool. She raised a litter between clippings but still produced a nice 10 ounces of wool with no matting and pretty much all prime. Love a girl like that!

Little Puff 'n Stuff seemed pretty unhappy yesterday when I went in for Mary, so I sheared him down as well. It's a bit earlier than I usually take a baby coat, so there wasn't a big yield. I don't use baby coats as prime, anyway. But the wool Puff did produce seems to have a nice texture and a good length. He was much more cheerful when I went down to feed in the evening.

Misty had a white baby loose in the tray below her cage. I don't know how he got out but when I scooped him up and put him back, I realized that a chocolate one was missing. I moved her and the litter to a different cage, in case there's an opening I can't see in her old one. The chocolate baby was under the bunny house but I couldn't catch him. I put the nest box down by the barn and hope that he will go in it during the night.

Visited with my mom on the way back from the antique shop and post office yesterday evening. They're dealing with the heat, too. But the breezes were blowing through the house and it was pleasant sitting and visiting. Mom gave me some lovely raspberries that added a pleasant treat to my breakfast!

Lily and I walked over to the pond to feed the fish last night. She had to guard me from the doorstop the neighbor's put out until she determined that it wasn't a real fuzzy cat. We walked around the pond, watching the little birds darting through the blackberry vines. There are lots of berries on the stems but they're all red right now. Blackberries usually start to ripen in August around here.

Quiet evening; I shut down the computer because it was supposed to storm but there was just a small rumble of thunder. I washed dishes yesterday and did some laundry. Don't tell anyone I did housework! But the gremlins have been busy and the house has almost reached the point that it's unbearable to live here. And I expect a young bunny lady this weekend to pick up her two little ones. They're all heading for Colorado soon; what an adventure!

Many Friends

Dolls Made by Friend Kym

Nice weekend at the craft tent, despite the fact that I was feeling miserable because of allergies. I finally took an allergy pill yesterday, which knocked me out for the afternoon. I'd rather sneeze and get a little work done!


Handspun pure angora and handspun Jacob

Sue sold several gourds over the weekend; I didn't sell anything but I had a great time spinning some absolutely wonderful Jacob roving from Perfect Spot Farm down in North Carolina. I let a bunny that Cathy bought from Chris in Connecticut stay over and Cathy gave me this lovely roving in return. It looks wonderful with my handspun pure angora from my black rabbits. The angora is on the left in the picture and the Jacob is on the right. I'm thinking about using this, along with some silk noil/angora yarn that I spun up awhile back, for a lacy shawl. Since my chain shawl died of poor color choices on my part, maybe a natural colored one will work!


Hand painted and stenciled porcelain pieces

Some time ago I bought these china blanks at an auction and decided recently that it was time to do something with them. I am no artist but thanks to the advice of several artistic people, including my cousin RJ, Kym and Sue, I finally managed to get a few pieces done that I hope will sell. The porcelain pieces are lovely in themselves, without my little dabs on them!

My young friend Kym sewed up the little dolls pictured above and the charming sayings and lovely little faces reflect a lot of her special personality. Kym is one of the most caring people I know and is very good at understanding other people and their feelings. She is so talented in so many ways, an artist and a poet and she communicates a depth of feeling that is beautiful to see. She thinks about life to an impressive extent and has often impressed me and given me great joy in our discussions. As I've said before, I'm so lucky to know such wonderful women!

This is the hottest time we've had here so far, high 70s to just about 80 but the air is heavy and still. Nothing like other people are having to deal with but seems uncomfortable. Today I plan to shear a doe that will appreciate getting rid of all that hot, heavy hair. Then Kym and I are going to town to register at the gym and do some shopping. Looking forward to the gym trips with her and to getting the blood stirring again. This lazy week has not been one of my best!

Best Friends

Lily in the sun

We got out early this morning because my father had a doctor's appointment and I had a lot to do. Lily stayed out as long as I could let her, soaking up the sun and enjoying the breezes while the laundry snapped over her head and the cats played in the shade. Lily hasn't been feeling well this week. I think she was mad about being in the kennel, plus a flea treatment and distemper shot did not help her mood! She seems happier today after some time in the sun. Since she has some arthritis, I imagine the warmth feels good.


Malachi helping out

The black cat, Malachi, also decided that sunshine and breezes were wonderful, and he accompanied me during bunny chores. I looked out very early and saw a swirl of barn swallows threading through the air above the barn, and I thought my little nest must have been trying their wings. But when I went down there were still four heads chirping wildly as the busy parents fed them.

About half of Amber's big litter was out of the nest box this morning, with their eyes open and ready to explore their little world. I reached in to turn the nest box on the side so that they can get in and out as they want. One of the black ones started, saw me and flew to the open door, as if to say, "OK, who are YOU?" Then he tried to tumble over the ledge; I caught him and he was happy to be petted. This is an active bunch. Poor Amber!

I went over to my best friend's house this morning to install a new computer for her. Lately I've been thinking about how lucky I am to know such great people. This friend has been through everything with me; we both lost the closest people imaginable to us within a year and worked and played together for years. I don't see her so much anymore but I value her friendship very much and enjoy the limited time we spend together working on projects. She's a complicated young woman, very passionate and caring with a dedication to her missions and goals that many people probably have trouble understanding. She's a lot tidier than I am, has adopted more cats than she wanted even though she's not a cat person and her home is lovely. Out in a big field with horses (and a mule) grazing on the hill, chickens roaming the garden, two white dogs ambling around the yard and ducks on the pond. She raised a wonderfully beautiful and intelligent daughter, pretty much alone, while building a successful business in an area where success isn't always easy to come by. I'm proud to know her!

Cathy is part of the reason I'm thinking along these lines, today and yesterday. She asked for a description of the weekend with Chris, and then yesterday I received a surprise with her address on it in the mail. I was delighted to open it up and breathe in the scent of dirt. (Dad asked, "Who's mailing DIRT?") Of course it was the wonderful iris roots she promised me, and I went out yesterday evening to clear out a spot to plant them, close to the door so that I will see them when they bloom, if not next year then certainly the year after. So here's another friend to be thinking of as I work, a lovely lady I've never met face to face but I feel that I know well!

Personalities

Woolybuns Puff 'n Stuff

Announcing the debut of my Pufflet, Woolybuns Puff 'n Stuff, who arrived this past weekend to a big welcome and much delight on my part. Puff is a lovely fellow with some new genetics for my herd, with a gentle personality, bright eyes and a cheerful disposition. I'm looking forward to lovely bunnies from him!

Chris brought little Puff, of course, on the way to the rabbit meeting in North Carolina. Cathy wanted to know all about my visit with Chris. I have to say that Chris is probably one of my closest friends at this point in my life, despite the fact that we live a few states apart! Besides the fact that we have the rabbits and fiber arts in common, we never run out of things to say and yet we are very comfortable being together. I love people and enjoy their company, but it's not everyone that I can be content to spend long periods of time with. Chris was iced in here last winter and another friend, who knows I can get a little sensitive if I have to deal with someone too long, asked if we got along OK. I could honestly say I wished Chris didn't have to leave at all, even after we spent several days together.

Chris is the sort of person that you invite in and warn that there might be fleas in the house and she's OK with it. She doesn't mind when a dog that is really too big leaps into her lap because it's jealous of the cat she was petting. She turns a wrong turn into an opportunity to obtain munchies and chase down a rainbow. She'll pitch in with bunny chores and go above the call of duty when snow piles in and rabbits have to be rescued and snow has to be shoveled.

And Chris is funny, not afraid of an earthy joke and as good at story as any Southern Highlander. She cares deeply about her animals and is so generous with sharing her hard-won knowledge. She often knows more about the pedigrees of my rabbits than I do (how DOES she do that?) and is very helpful with suggestions about what color and type to breed for good results. Perhaps it helps that our life experiences are not so very different in many ways, despite the fact that she has stayed married and raised three great kids and I'm single (again!) and childless. And she brings me such BEAUTIFUL bunnies! Gotta love someone that does that!


Woolybuns Cheshire

I sheared this lovely doe on Monday, while the barn swallows busily fed their nestlings and flew back and forth above my head. I could see four little heads peering over the top of the nest and hear the impatient calls of the chicks between the visits of the parents. As each parent left, it called out with a clear chirp that made me wonder if there was a code to the other parent or chicks. Something like, "STAY!" for the chicks or "I'm on my way" to the other parent.

Cheshire hasn't been feeling well. My first clue to a rabbit that might be in trouble is a change in personality. Cheshire is a big, placid girl that doesn't make much fuss but is always at the front of the cage at feeding times. She has dealt with three false pregnancies this season because I haven't been able to get her together with the buck I want to sire the litter. The first time she wasn't enthusiastic about her dinner I took her off pellets and started feeding her dandelion leaves and lots of hay. I sheared her off, in case it was wool block and she seemed to feel a little better that evening. Then yesterday she seemed very sick, and I was worried that she was in serious trouble. This morning she's back to her cheerful, hungry self. I'll keep her on hay and greens, with maybe a little grain and birdseed, until I'm sure she's OK.


Delly's Delight Quenten

For the first time I was bitten by a rabbit this morning hard enough to break the skin. The culprit was Quenten, a normally placid buck that grabbed me when I reached in to take him out for shearing. I grabbed back, hauled him out and yelled "NO!" very loudly. He looked a bit puzzled at that. I sheared him with no problems and then belatedly realized that he may have bitten me because I had been petting little Puff just before I approached his cage. Once in awhile a buck doesn't care for the scent of another buck. Just to make sure I put Quenten back in his cage and tried taking him out again. He was just fine. So I'm sure enough of his personality that I bred him to Woolybuns Snickers, a chocolate doe that didn't 'take' with her last breeding a month ago.

The barn swallows were still busy feeding their chicks while I was working with Quenten, but now the babies look bigger than the parents. They are crowded into the nest and their feathering has come in so that I can see the characteristic coloring. One bold little fellow teeters right on the edge, so he can be first at the morsels the parents bring.


Another look at "Puff"

We've had warmer weather lately but nothing like a lot of people are contending with. Thunderstorms in the evening cool things down and at night I'm still having to reach for a blanket. The sun is hot, though, and the grass is so long because of the rain. Yesterday I ran down the mountain to help a friend with a computer problem. It was so much hotter and more humid there. I was glad to get back up the hill to cooler temperatures and bunny chores. In the evening the storms came in, so I worked on putting together some bookmarks. I also bit the bullet and unraveled the mohair/Shetland shawl that I had been working on. The colors just weren't working together and I wasn't happy with the design with the wool. Now all the yarn is in neat center pull balls, waiting for me to decide what to do with it.

Getting Together in North Carolina

Checking Us Out

This weekend friend and fellow bunny lady Chris of Woolybuns came down from Connecticut so that we could travel together to the rabbit gathering at Avillion Farms in North Carolina. Along the way she had adventures and delivered bunnies, and I was glad to see her coming in with my beautiful Pufflet! More about him, with pictures, in my next post!

A pleasant trip down through North Carolina passed with only a little mild confusion, mostly my fault. We knew we had reached Elaina's lovely farm when we saw the delightful little Shetland sheep and Angora goats in the fenced pastures around her home. Susan of Storybook Dreams Rabbitry and Elaina were there to greet us, along with Elaina's three delightful Siamese cats. We sat around the kitchen table catching up on stories and getting acquainted with the cats, looking forward to the big weekend. Elaina, gracious hostess that she was, gave us free run of her spacious house and fiber stash!



We started Saturday with a tour of Elaina's rabbitry, admiring her herd of Germans, German crosses and French angoras. We learned how she deals with the heat and humidity of her area and saw her hanging cage system. She described each rabbit and we discussed the color and examined body types against the German standard. Elaina has extensive veterinary knowledge and shared many of her experiences with past and present litters. Before it got too hot she did a shearing demonstration on the back porch of her house. Elaina showed us how to shear a rabbit on a grooming stand, with scissors, and how to sort the fleece. By this time there were eight of us present for the seminar and everyone was intent on seeing everything we could of the process!



We then came inside for Chris to demonstrate the lap method of shearing. Both bunnies were happy to lose their thick coats and we learned some good tips on shearing and rabbit handling! With these two experienced shearers, each bunny was free of his wool within a hour or so, content to sit happily free of the heavy coat and be admired.


Robin and Greenberry's Purple Passion

Elaina had been wanting a lilac buck for a long time, and a beautiful one finally showed up in my Greenberry's Autumn Joy's litter with Delly's Delight Quenten. So little Purple Passion traveled down to North Carolina with us to meet his new mom. Elaina was very pleased with him and brought him in to show off. The little guy enjoyed meeting all the new people and was content to be cuddled and admired.


Knitting Circle

In between demonstrations and instruction the group discussed many of their experiences with Germans as knitting needles flashed, busy with projects. It was interesting to hear about a house bunny that lived with Carry and about different rabbitries and their management from the other women. Karen brought charming little socks made from her dyed angora that were so soft and just too cute. Everyone brought a spinning or knitting project, seemed like. I started a crocheted scarf from pure angora in natural black.

Karen and her new bunny

Another bunny came down with me to go home with Karen. This bunny, from a litter between Living Water Farms Angel and ISeeSpots Elwood Blues, is a sweet natured, fuzzy-faced little buck that was also happy with all the attention paid him.



Jan of Jan's Giants in Western Pennsylvania purchased a Kromski wheel from Chris and picked it up at the meeting. We enjoyed seeing such a beautiful wheel and it was fun to put it together and see how much Jan loved it at first sight. According to her blog, Jan has already christened the wheel! Nice to know she made it home safely; she arrived on Saturday morning after driving all night.

After a very full day, it was nice to settle down with my scarf for a little while and crochet while Robin and Chris were spinning. Susan was knitting and a cat found his way to my lap and settled down. As usual, the talk was flowing, and Elaina joined us with a rabbit in her lap to shear. She seemed to really like the lap method that Chris showed us. After the rabbit was clipped we went out to dinner, one of the many times we were immoderate over the weekend with food!


Morning Glories

Sunday dawned warm again and we went out to breakfast after a good night's sleep to charge up for the day. A visit to see the Angora goats was fun, with all of us admiring her beautiful silver buck. The goats, like all of Elaina's animals, were friendly and content. I was amazed to learn that she shears her goats and sheep herself. The peacock paraded on the house as we came back up, and the shyer hen moved along under the trees with the bantams. We even watched a box turtle near the house.


Elaina tattooing a young rabbit

I love all aspects of working with the bunnies, but the one thing I don't enjoy is tattooing. The tool that I use is a clamp device with needles shaped like the letters to be tattooed into the rabbit's ear. I numb the ear as much as I can but sometimes the bunnies act like it isn't a pleasant experience. But I hadn't been able to spend lots of money on the less traumatic tattoo pens I had heard about. But Elaina sat down with a bunny and showed us her method of tattooing with a new tattoo pen that she recently purchased. I think everyone was totally impressed with this tool, sold at a reasonable price and so much less traumatic than the clamp system. Elaina's expertise with the tattoo pen was even more impressive as she worked on two young rabbits to show how clear the resulting tattoo could be. She also corrected an earlier tattoo that had become illegible. The cleanup was easy and the rabbits didn't even flinch throughout the quick process. My order went out this morning!


Genetics 101

The high point of the weekend was a basic genetics seminar given by Chris Morgan. She showed us the ABC's of rabbit color genetics and related the information to questions we had about our individual herds. We learned the shoulds and should nots of breeding different colors together to get the best color strength in crosses and hybrids. Chris is a fine instructor and we diligently took notes and discussed our herds and breeding plans. She made it easy to see why it was so hard to achieve some colors and patterns and had us practice identifying colors by genotype. I have struggled with genetics since high school but I'm finally getting an understanding of some of the important points, thanks to Chris!

The weekend had to end at last, of course. We picked up a bunny that Chris was taking back for a visit to her rabbitry and headed north, talking about the wonderful time we had shared. There was such an attitude of sharing and helpfulness, with such generous people that were so giving of knowledge and experience. Everyone had something special to contribute, from showing off wonderful angora pieces that they had made, stories of interaction with Germans on every level from pet to breeder, to the valuable expertise of the breeders that had been working with Germans for years. It was a diverse group but we were united in our love of the German breed and also by the attitude of sharing. I hope everyone had as wonderful a time as I did! Elaina's hospitality was much appreciated by me and I'm sure everyone else, and I enjoyed getting to know her so much better. And meeting new people and old friends, all very special.


Special Treat

As we traveled up toward Virginia, I missed a turn and we continued past our exit. Philosophical and needing a stop anyway, we turned into a gas station lot to take care of the needs of body and vehicle. Rain was falling as we went in but we came out to see a beautiful rainbow in the skies above the town. A lovely end to a special experience!

New Babies

There are lots of new bunnies in the bunny house right now. Amber has tended her litter of nine little ones beautifully and all are thriving and happy. She dragged a few out of the nest box yesterday, though, and I was collecting them from trays all down the line. Vigorous little critters! Misty kindled, a bit unexpectedly because she didn't seem cooperative with the buck. I had put a nest box in with her, just in case, and she was upset about having it there. But she put the bunnies in the box just fine and is tending the litter. Misty is the most nervous rabbit in my rabbitry. She's not aggressive and has sisters with great temperament. But she is timid, a trait I'm not fond of. Sometimes a doe will have a personality change after her first litter; I'm hoping Misty's will improve!

We cleaned the bunny house in preparation for the arrival of Chris of Woolybuns tomorrow. Naturally the bunny house comes first, and my house gets done if I get around to it. Chris is very understanding of clutter, and until we can get the shop building up, here there is clutter!

Most of the week has been spent dealing with computer problems and set up. I was able to strip enough stuff from the lap top so that it functions with a couple of programs I don't have with this computer. Almost everything is in the new one; I just have one file that simply won't come over by email so I'm going to have to borrow a gadget that will hold the file. Training a new computer does take so much time. And I have no hopes of it lasting a lifetime!

Cathy from Catena Expressions sent me an envelope full of columbine seeds! So generous! When the rain stops (is rain a surprise here?) I'll be out clearing a place to scatter them. Many thanks for the kindness of strangers, who are really friends in disguise!

I started a new project last night. In a past auction we discovered boxes of china blanks in lovely patterns and I've been wanting to do something with them. My talents in art are pretty much non-existant, so I've been trying to figure out clever ways to decorate them around my lack of talent. ONE piece turned out nicely last night; two others are OK and one is just plain bad. That doesn't count the pieces I washed the paint off so I can start over! Things are going so well at the weekend craft shows that I wanted something different to sell. It may not be these!

Yesterday before the storm came in I walked down to my mom's. The white rhododendron is blooming, very late this year. Some years it doesn't bloom at all but this year there is a beautiful bloom in the shadowy edges of the woods. Queen Anne's lace parades along the roadside, with delicate florets almost as tall as I am. Black-eyed Susans, with the brown centers that look like velvet, dominate patches with coreopsis and tiny asters. The sun was hot but there was a lovely breeze in the shade along Concord Road.

Our purpose yesterday was to pay a visit to my cousin's cat. She is away because of a hip replacement surgery and will be home today. Charlie, the cat, seemed quite comfortable and well tended; there are lots of people stopping by so he won't be lonely. It's a pleasure to see RJ's house, but lonely without her. Nice to see that niece Jane didn't follow through on her threat to rearrange everything in the house!

One of Those Days

My laptop computer, an old and faithful companion, became ill on Friday. By yesterday I realized that the condition was terminal and had to go out and buy a replacement. The only thing I lost for sure is my email contacts, so if there is anyone out there that I've been corresponding with, drop me a line so I can get you back!

The rest of the weekend was lovely, though. Amber's bunnies are doing well and the rest of the rabbits are happy with the pleasant breezes and sunny days. I've caught up on shearing, pretty much, and need to do some housekeeping for my favorite visitor, Chris from Woolybuns, when she comes down. My sister-in-law and I spent Saturday and Sunday at the craft tent. We were the only crafters there but we had a nice turnout of visitors. Especially on Sunday. Sue sold lots of gourds; she's going to be a busy girl creating some more lovely pieces. I sold yarn and got lots of work done on the two shawls I've been crocheting. I also spun up some angora on my little book charka, just to show the little thing off. The Reeves wheel gets more attention, though, so I guess it will make the trip up to the tent next time!

Today I'll be setting up and getting friendly with this new computer. It's very nice and very fast but we need to get to know each other!

Sad and Bitter Days

Much sorrow in the world as attackers rocked London with bombs aimed at innocent people. Rain fell here through the day as we heard details of sadness, pain and courage as people dealt with bombs in London, flooding in North Carolina and hurricanes in Haiti.

I managed to get out to the bunny house early before the rain came in too hard and saw that Amber had filled her nest box with wool. A check later in the day revealed a nice litter of nine bunnies. Life goes on, even as human tragedy echoes through the world.

I spent the day quietly, with the rain falling steadily through the day. Computer work took up the morning, until the rumble of thinder warned me to get disconnected. I spent the afternoon spinning the rest of the yellow Shetland/mohair roving from Lura that I dyed. It made a nice yarn for my shawl project.


Shetland/mohair handspun yarn

Late afternoon brought friend Kym and a heavy rain that accompanied us to the restaurant at Mabry's Mill. Cousin Jane soon joined us and we had a lovely time discussing our different lifestyles, movies, being in your 30s and many other subjects. I'm past the 30s, with relief! It's an honor to know such beautiful and intelligent young women! Jane shared clothes with me; some lovely shirts and a handsome dress. I tell people that they come from Boutique Jane. The rain was coming down so hard I was drenched by the time I got home.

Quiet returned with the evening. Lily curled up on the little sofa beside me while I read, and then I started plying the singles I spun at the craft show and during the day yesterday. The rains still fell as the spinning wheel turned. When I went upstairs I could hear the solid drumming of rain on tin and it was cozy to fall asleep under the eaves, with Lily nestled at my feet.

Day of Contentment

Yesterday was the warmest day we've had so far this year, but the breezes blew across the fields and the house felt cool. In the morning I worked on the computer and put more glassware on the web page and Tias.com. I've been neglecting the antiques and the books with so many interesting things going on! While I worked, rabbits and bunnies played outside, as I took breaks from the computer to swap them out. The babies are delightful when they get their chance at the pen, although I feel like I have to watch over them as they play. I don't THINK the cats would bother them, but---!

In the early afternoon I hung out laundry and went down the hill to the bunny house. Greenberry's Autumn Joy was ready to have her hot, thick wool removed and she was an angel as I sat in the shed under the extra tarp we rigged up for more shade. As I worked the barn swallows flew busily above the tarp over my head. As each reached their high nest a single chirp alerted me, and I would look up to watch as the parent bird stuffed hungry little mouths. It only took seconds and then the swallow darted away to sail across the fields in search of more food for the demanding chicks. Occasionally a tiny head with a bright yellow over-sized beak would peer over the edge of the nest, hoping for a faster return of a meal! I amused myself with thinking of bird conversations between parent and child and what might be said among the chicks in their cool mud nest.

I finished The DaVinci Code last night. Very interesting, particularly since I've studied some of the ancient documents referred to. It was fun to see how an author blends history, interpretation and fiction to create a novel. My aunt gave me the book and I'll be passing it on, as she requested, to Chris, if she want it!

I sat down to spin a little while last night, but was too tired to do very much. I'm finishing up Lura's Shetland/mohair roving that I dyed. While people watched I did a lot of spinnng at Crafts in the Meadows, and I have green and yellow singles to ply this weekend when I set up with Sue at the Meadows of Dan Farmer's Market. She's planning another craft show for Labor Day with lots more activities.

Summer Days

Gettysburg Reenactors 2005

This stalwart crew is my SO's Civil War reenactment group. They all survived Gettysburg again this year. While we were enjoying the craft show this weekend the annual event was held at Gettysburg. I was able to participate as a civilian reenactor once and really enjoyed it. I was surprised how few people had seen a spinner at such an event.

Things are settling down here after all the excitement and I've been catching up on bunny chores. On Friday Amber was running around with all her feed hay stuffed in her mouth, anxiously looking for a place to nest. She's not due until tomorrow but I put a nest box in for her anyway. She is over that initial frenzy and layng around looking disgusted with the whole situation. The other two does that I bred, Snickers and Misty, are showing no signs of maternal inclinations. It's still a little early for them, though.


Barn Swallow Eggshells

I've been worried that all the activity in the bunny house would discourage the barn swallows. A pair industriously built a nest right outside the bunny house door and I'm down there so much. But yesterday I went down and discovered these delicate brown freckled shells on the steps leading into the rabbit's section of the shed. So I know that the birds are still tending their nest.

Shearing and cleaning chores go on, even with other activities. I sheared Dandy at the end of last week and tackled Greenberry's Thomas Delaplane yesterday. Tommy is such a lamb for shearing; I think he went to sleep! The breezes were cool and a little brisk so I sat in the shed in front of the bunny house door. Rabbits munched on hay behind me and lazy cats draped across the woodpile, wondering why I was wasting so much time on a rabbit. Tommy has a near relative, Jack, at the Riverrim; we've discovered that they are almost the same rabbit! Or at least they have almost the same ancestors. Tommy and Eliza, his sister, are from my oldest line here. They are both sweethearts, demanding attention even before food and with lovely rich color in their wool.

Babies are growing fast; I need to get some more tattooing done but it's just warm enough to make me worry about droopy ears. The black babies are such darlings; little puffball faces everywhere! Some of them have eyes that look blue, which means that they aren't really black. With my lines, they are probably non-agouti chinchilla. This means that they carry the chinchilla gene but since they are self-colored, the chinchilla coloring doesn't show up.

Crafts in the Meadows

Greenberry House Booth, Crafts in the Meadows

What a wonderful weekend! I haven't been near the computer in days and owe so many emails and I'm so behind in work, but it's been a terrific time here at Greenberry House. Things started out nicely on Friday when Terri of Living Water Farm came by with her lovely daughter Amanda to pick up their pure German bunny from the litter Greenberry's Highland Mary had with Woolybuns Yankee Doodle Dandy. It was lovely to visit with them and catch up on all the news from Natural Bridge. The rest of the day was spent getting ready for the craft show weekend, printing flyers and gathering up pieces to sell. It's been awhile since I did a craft show so I was really looking forward to it.

Saturday was quiet. I sat spinning in the cool breezes, talking to my sister-in-law and the two authors she had invited to set up at the show. Jame Cambell and Ken Henderson are fine representatives of the Appalachian Authors Guild, entertaining, articulate and just plain fun. Even though there weren't a lot of people coming down to the tent, we all sold items and were content with how nice everything looked and how lovely the day was. A nice break came when a lovely family came down from Northern Virginia to pick up two bunnies. The kids were so special; I'm going to be watching to see what wonderful things they accomplish in the future!


Setting Up

Sunday dawned with fog and rain; I overslept and was very disappointed because Sandra of Thistle Cove Farm had called the night before to say she couldn't come. She had a bad fall in her barn when she tripped over a kitten, and was in so much pain when she tried to drive down that she had to turn back. I was really looking forward to having her stay the night and talk over all sorts of ideas and projects. Sandra has a background in tourism and promotions that has been very helpful to me over the years!

But I comforted myself with knowing that Lura of Friendship Farms would be coming in and just as the rains moved out and the sun started peering through the clouds, I saw Lura's truck pull in. We unloaded her tri-loom and the beautiful shawls she makes from her mohair, and looked up to see Sandra's truck pulling in! She was limping but cheerful, and we were so excited to see her! Lura and I helped upload the truck and we were soon filling up the tent.

Things really started getting busy soon, and I was tied up talking to people and demonstrating spinning while Lura showed people how to weave on her tri-loom and was draping the gorgeous shawls she makes over people so that they could feel how soft and elegant they are. Sandra was demonstrating with a rug loom and had a beautifully old-fashioned pattern cloth to weave. She was beside me so I took the opportunity between customers to get caught up on the news about tourism and how things are in the cove.

My sister-in-law crafts gourds, and the Meadows of Dan Farmer's Market, her new venture, was the host of the Crafts in the Meadows show. The pieces that Sue makes are so beautiful. Sandra, Lura and I all admired the same piece, a wonderful beaded purple jug. Sue was busy selling her wares and coordinating the show all day and did a fantastic job.

Things really started hopping when my brother, Sammy Shelor, joined a local band, The Comptons, that was nice enough to come out and make the craft show a real festival. Everyone enjoyed the music and they entertained us for the entire afternoon.

Sammy was tired; he had just come off the bus from a show in Kentucky and said he hadn't had a day off in six weeks. So it was really good of him to come out and support his wife's new venture. The Comptons are great fellows, though, so I'm sure he enjoys seeing them and getting the chance to jam a little.

The Meadows of Dan Farmer's Market will be open through the summer and into fall through October. I'm working on some idea for some different items to add to my crocheted pieces and look forward to some fun weekends!


Tired Out

I staggered home last night after packing up and relaxed with my books. My aunt brought me The Da Vinci Code last week: I'm probably the last person in the country to read it. But I've set aside a stack of Jane Austen I've been rereading to dive into this new book and it's fascinating. It's raining this morning; soggy time to get to the bunny chores. Today I'll be at the antique shop doing paperwork and tonight I hope to catch up on emails!