Bunny House Day

The sun was bright yesterday and there was only a gentle breeze blowing. I put on the hated jeans and headed out to clean the bunny house; a bit messy after days of rain and my absence. It was so warm and dry after all the wind that I was able to put rabbits out to play while I did the chores. Woolybuns Crystal is a quiet, undemanding girl, very gentle and a good mother. Greenberry's Chocolat, on the other hand, is a bossy buck that is always at the front of his cage demanding attention and food. Sometimes he hops on out when I open the door to pet him!

The rabbits enjoyed their new hay and I enjoyed the sunshine while I cleaned the floors and some of the trays. My cousin RJ stopped by on her way to the local diner, so I put the rabbits inside and went with her. We had a wonderful visit and took a drive through the country on the way back.

With the bright sunshine and warm weather after all the gray days, I decided to try breeding again. Two does that I tried in the morning thought it was a great idea, Maple and Mary. Angel wasn't happy about the idea but Elwood, an older gentle blue buck, convinced her that it would be OK.

In the afternoon I sheared Greenberry's Autumn Joy, sitting out in front of the bunny house in the sunshine while Chocolat played in the pen and the other rabbits relaxed in their cages. Joy is a sweetheart, patiently lounging in my lap while I scissored away that heavy coat. The resulting wool is pictured above, 9 ounces of richness. There's not a lot of color to chocolate chin, but the texture of Joy's wool is wonderful and there's a nice lot of guard hair. I bred Joy to Delly's Delight Quenten. The does are usually very cooperative in the spring after being sheared, and Joy was no exception. I should have some full nest boxes at the end of April!

After working upstairs and thoroughly stirring up my allergies, I laid down for a few minutes with a book. Then my young friend with the job problems came by with yet another twist to the situation. Fortunately the management has finally decided to transfer her.

After settling the rabbits for the evening I took a long walk on the farm with Lily. We fed the fish; the big catfish were there. They glide through the water and then there is a sudden splash as they twist and quarrel over the feed. A few minnows darted around the edges as we circled the pond. Since it rained the pond is a little flooded and there were some salamanders in the puddles.

We walked down the creek into the woods. Things are getting so green, especially near the creek. I saw some tracks in the mud of the creek bank but I couldn't tell what they were because they were blurred by the rain. Lily sniffed and sniffed; crisscrossing our path after animals that had been by. We ventured down into the rhododendrons by the fence; the creek is so pretty there, slowing down to widen into quiet pools in the shade.

Home again to work on the chenille poncho. I think it will be a poncho. I'm going to try a design with stitches running in two directions for a patchwork effect. Maybe! I put the dyed rovings on the coffee table where they could dry a bit more and I could admire them. Dad's coming next week and when I get him settled I hope to start spinning some of the Shetland/mohair roving. Lura sent another box; can't wait to start dyeing again!

Sweet Faced Autumn Joy

Greenberry's Autumn Joy is one of my favorite rabbits, with her sweet expression, just like her dad. She is a chocolate chin, a beautiful color!

Chocolat At Play

Chocolat is such an active rabbit that he gets outside as many days as I can manage. Here he is resting in the shade after digging a big scrape in the grass. Many of the bucks dig while they are outside.

Play Time for Bunnies

Beautiful spring mornings with bright sunshine and dry grass; that's the perfect time for rabbits to get out to play. But even with cool breezes blowing, I make sure there's shade for the rabbit. Most of the time they stay in the shade, venturing in the sun for just a little while. Crystal is sitting up enjoying the fresh air.

Malachi Looks Good in Red

A nice pile of soft roving and a purring cat! Malachi had to investigate, but decided that my lap was a nicer place to curl up.

Today is bunny house day, mostly. The wind died down in the afternoon yesterday and I was able to get three loads of laundry hung out and dried. Lovely weather for it! My young friend brought hay for the rabbits at noon; much appreciated! We went down to the local diner for lunch and shared a table with two lovely ladies. I had fun telling them all about the rabbits and roving!

Yesterday evening I took Lily over to the pond and we fed the fish. This time the catfish came up and greedily snatched the feed and bread I threw in. The little fish were darting around with them trying to get their share. I didn't see any of the really big catfish; they may still be feeling shy or just not out yet. Feeding the fish during the season can be impressive when the big cats start looming up out of the water!

Shetland/Mohair Roving

Lots of color! I'm going to spin the variegated roving; I really like how the colors turned out, warm orange, greens, browns and dashes of violet. I'm really happy with the orange; had a terrible time mixing the dyes into a shade that I liked.

The aqua has some subtle shading; the fiber has a beautiful shimmer in the light with this color. Some of the mohair crimp has come back in these rovings since they were dyed; can't wait to see how it spins!

Chenille Project

Still not sure what this is going to be when it grows up. I found a stitch pattern I liked with the chenille in a poncho pattern, but the yarn isn't thick enough to meet gauge. So I'm just going along, waiting for inspiration to strike. I like working with the chenille but you have to be careful frogging if you make a mistake!

Ruby Red Roving!

Crock pot dyed Mohair/Shetland roving from Friendship Farm. As it is drying more variation in color is coming out, ranging from soft pinks to vivid red. The fiber has a nice shine!

March Days!

The wind is howling in the eaves and the pond is steel gray under a low sky. Ruffles of water slide across the pond in the wind in silver waves. March is here at last! I was hoping for sunshine and blue skies but maybe the wind will blow the clouds away!

The roving is out of the crock pot and washed and is now hanging on my shower rod to dry. I didn't dare put it outside; it would be strewn across the fields! A pretty effect but not very useful! The colors are vivid; I was hoping for some more variation in reds but I'm pleased with this ruby richness!

Two cats curled up in the house last night to sleep. I was gone for three days and I'm getting so much attention. The black cat, Malachi, is always a lover. He curls up in your lap and winds around your feet in demanding fashion. The tabby, Mani, is usually cordial and talkative, not so demanding but appreciative of any attention. Food is very important to him and like many cats, he feels that an empty food dish is a crime!

The bunny house is quiet in this dull weather. Greenberry's Autumn Joy is due for shearing today and I hope the weather changes so that I can do it. Not much good shearing in a wild wind! Her "date", Delly's Delight Quenten, is also due for shearing as well as the two black bunnies that are sold and awaiting a ride to their new homes. I want to get the floors and pans cleaned out, too; got a little behind while I was away. And, of course, I want to start breeding again. Really want a bright, calm day for my chores!

I've been thinking about yesterday and how things are in a small community. I worked for 13 years at a delightful country store here in town with lots of tourists. In the summer it's a busy place, with summer people staying and visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway stopping in. But before the season starts it's all locals and things are much slower and more relaxed. I tend to stay home most of the time but yesterday I went out to the post office with an order. I had a nice chat with the postmaster, then went over to my mom's and caught up with what's going on there. First time I'd been over in a while! Then I stopped by the little store "across the road" from the shop where I used to work. It's known by various names but "the Market" seems to be the current favorite. I do most of my food shopping there; I hate tackling chain stores and the manager does a good job stocking this little shop. It's rare I go in for something that they don't have, but then I'm not an exotic cook! I went in one day and realized that I was related to every person in the store, including the clerks! That is a nice feeling!

I got into a conversation with the clerk when I was settling up; she's a cousin on my mom's side. She married a local boy and has never left home, while I never intended to leave and instead wound up living in several places on the East Coast. But we both appreciate the special qualities of the place we live in and the people here. She lives on a high ridge and looks out at Buffalo Mountain every day, across rolling pastures and surrounded with people she's known all her life. I came back from lonely times and places into the fold of family and friends. What treasures we have!

Little Rambouillet/Mohair Cap

Hand crocheted cap made from the rambouillet/mohair roving that I painted and spun into two ply yarn with my Reeves wheel. The turned up brim is made of my soft, soft merino/angora millspun yarn. Delighted with the colors of the hat; hope they show well in the picture! The roving was easy to spin and the yarn a delight to work with.

Shetland/mohair Roving

A tap on the door by my lovely UPS man and I have a gorgeous box of beautiful roving to play with! This is Lura's 50% Shetland and 50% mohair from Friendship Farm, and I can't describe how soft it is or what a shine it has in the light. Time to get out the dyepots!

Clearing Day!

Was awakened again by the rumble of thunder and the flash of lightning in the early morning hours. It rained hard and puddles are standing everywhere in the new green fields. The daffodils are out! Apparently the storm was a sign of clearing; the sun is trying to break through the clouds for the first time since Thursday!

Finished the little cap I crocheted from the merino yarn from the SAFF class. Turned out nice, I think, and I have some ideas on how to fancy up another one. Started the next one with the yarn from the first handpainted rambouillet/mohair roving. The colors are really working; nice subtle changes with an occasional burst of vivid green.

No bunnies in the bunny house. I didn't really expect any because the does just weren't in cooperative moods. When the sun comes out after this long spell of dark rainy days I'll try them all again. Getting lots of bunny inquiries and need some bunnies for them!

Back to putting the house together. The SO can't come down until the weekend so I'm not moving furniture until then. I'll be glad when Dad is here and settled and I can stop living in a turmoil! I have an order to pack from Tias.com and piles of books to put up on Biblio.com; more Avon bottles and stuff. AND the back of the truck is full!

SAFF Variegated Yarn Cap

100% handpainted merino wool yarn, hand crocheted cap. This looks better on someone, but the only model I have is a Springer Spaniel and she doesn't think it becomes her! I may add a few more pearl beads here and there, perhaps around the black glass button topper.

Very Quiet Days

Another quiet day, with fog so thick I can barely see Lily walking around out in the yard. I'm staying with a neighbor that needs someone in the house while his daughter is on a trip to Florida with her husband. Very interesting and easy; I sit and crochet while he tells stories about what he remembers. His great-grandmother, who lived with his family when he was a child, was a Civil War widow. Wonderful to hear about her!

Not much fibery news. I'm working on the brim of the little crocheted cap made of the SAFF hand painted merino. Only frogged it twice so far! Lura is mailing me a package; probably of her Shetland/mohair blend. Can't wait to get my hands in that! After I get Mr. Harris fed, I will go home and tend to the rabbits. Not really hoping for any litters but it would be nice to be surprised!

Darker Colored Skein

Two ply rambouillet/mohair 1.5 ounce skein. The colors wound up a bit muted, although the blue stands out.

Clean (fish) House!

I bought the brandy snifter at an auction, intending to get a betta to live in it. Then a young friend gave me one, along with a snail. The snail didn't survive but the betta lives on to fascinate the cat and grace the mantle.

Changing Days

It's hard to describe how beautiful the Blue Ridge Mountains are in all their moods and changes of light. Yesterday evening I was on a high ridge looking out across the mountains as the clouds broke and the temperatures changed. Mist rose between the hills and the ridges were soft blue against gray skies. I drove through a wall of fog into a changed scene; a rainbow arched over the valley into the distance. The world was green in a watery muted sunset, with flashes of yellow daffodils and forsythia.

There's a subtle green haze across the fields here and the pond looks black in the early morning sunshine as it reflects a line of pine trees. There's a reminder of yesterday's weather in the dull gray of the clouds, but blue patches are spreading with the rising sun.

Had a lovely time with friend Kym in Mount Airy. We had dinner at the Japanese restaurant; VERY good. I had scallops and ate too much, as usual. Then we did the big store shopping for yogurt and other necessities. On the way home the moon was shining bright and the stars were studded in the sky. There's a difference in the way night skies look in warmer weather. On cold nights the stars seem to be to be brittle and distant. Last night there weren't many stars visible because of the moon and it seemed that I almost could have reached out and touched them as I crossed the high ridge toward home.

Interesting little discussion on Spin-list about the history of the angora rabbit. I did a Civil War reenactment at Gettysburg a couple of years ago and took wool to spin. I wasn't sure angora was correct for the period. According to http://www.angoras.co.uk/history.htm, rabbits have been used as fiber animals since Roman times. Interesting. I think it would have been a luxury fiber and my ancestors would not have used it. Flax and wool would have been available to them. According to local history, there were lots of sheep in this area until the forties. No one had sheep here when I was a child and there still aren't many. My ancestor that came here from Germany in the mid 1700s listed his occupation as fuller. I don't know if he practiced this profession in America; he owned property in Pennsylvania and Maryland before moving to Floyd County with his children. His sons were in the iron industry, farmers and stone masons. I'm sure there were spinners in the family but women's occupations aren't listed often.

Time to get ready to tend bunnies. Yesterday Elwood, my blue buck, was flirting with the little doe that took the trip with me. They were nose to nose when I came in but forgot their conversation when I started putting carrots in!

The Watcher

Lily, keeping an eye on things.

Books and stuff

On a rainy day there's nothing like curling up in a cozy big chair with a good book. There are shelves in my living room and my reading chair is in a quiet corner facing them, with a nice big window covered in English Ivy to look out and watch the birds and rain. I have another chair where I like to spin and crochet. A different place for every task!

I finished reading Linda Howard's Open Season yesterday. Fun book with a quiet little librarian that decided to change her life and found excitement and love. I know the romance genre has gotten a bad rap lately but the women writing the current books are good! Funny, complicated, dramatic; these are books with strong women characters. The women writing them are clever and entertaining, and some of them cross into women's lit without any problem. Linda Howard, Jennifer Crusie; there are some good contemporary romance writers out there. I'm not ashamed to say I read them!

I've managed to do more than read today; corresponded with some great people; worked on web pages and uploading books and slipped in a little time to spin and crochet. Going out tonight with friend Kym; always nice despite the rain.

Darker Colors

Rambouillet/mohair singles on my Reeves wheel.

Stormy Day

Lily woke me growling this morning at the rumble of thunder and the flash of lightning. She's not frightened of storms. I think she was dreaming a little and the dull rumble of thunder was like some great beast threatening the house. Now it's raining; lots of standing puddles and the pond is cold gray. After all this rain, though, spring will be here in earnest!

Missed my connection with the bunny lady; little bunny didn't seem to mind her trip. She's such a friendly little thing and flirted with a young woman when we stopped for bunny feed on the way home. I know she was glad to get back to familiar territory, though! The new owner didn't get my emails setting up the meeting so we'll have to try again.

Chocolat, one of my favorite rabbits, staged a grand escape yesterday when I got home. Maybe he was lonely because I hadn't been there all day, but he hopped right out of his cage when I opened the door to feed him. When his cage was on the floor we had a game we played. He would hop in and out of the cage while I was doing the feeding chores. This time he couldn't hop back in but he was glad to be petted. I let him play around while I fed everyone else and then he let me put him back in his cage. It's funny how they all have such different personalities. All of them like attention, even a shy little one I was worried about has gained confidence and is at the front of her cage every morning, eager for a head scratch. Some are more outgoing than others, but Chocolat is the one that likes to play!

Started my little cap yesterday. I decided to try it first with a variegated yarn I made in a wonderful class at SAFF. I love the soft colors and have a black ribbon for trim. If I can figure out how to make the fold-up brim. The original hat was knitted but it's easy to make rounds and increases in crochet, and single crochet vaguely approximates the look of knitting. As usual, I chose purple and blue, with a soft pink. The colors are working well together and I think it will make a nice, old fashioned little cap. Then I will make one with the mohair/rambouillet. Lura says she has some mohair blended with Shetland; sounds nice!

Also spinning the darker roving I dyed a couple of weeks ago. It's turning out nicely in the singles. There's only an ounce and a half of this, though, so I'm not sure what will become of it. Sometimes skeins hang around here for awhile, but eventually they find a home in some project!

No bunny chores today, thanks to the rain. Except for basic feeding and tidying. I'll probably put a few things on the Internet and maybe work a little more on the house. Have to pack up a pound of angora and mail it out this morning for a wholesale order from the web site.

I've been trying for 45 minutes by the clock to get either Hello or the blogger to let me post pictures of my projects, but it's not happening. Perfectly simple piece of html, one of the few I DO understand. Oh, well, maybe later!

SAFF Cap

Start of small crocheted cap with variegated merino yarn hand painted at SAFF workshop. I'm enjoying the colors!

Red Letter Day! The cockatiel took a cornflake from my hand this morning. This fellow has been here for about six years but wasn't very tame when he came as a grown bird. This winter I've had him here in the computer room and we're getting to be friends. I've got to name him now, after all this time. Henry? Humphrey? I once had a chicken named Oscar! 

A Day Away!

Friend Chris was up late last night, commenting on my blog. I hope everything is OK. She's been waiting anxiously for a beautiful doe to kindle; the doe is overdue. Sometimes things can go wrong, so it is a worrisome time. Haven't heard anything but I hope all is well!

This morning has already been busy. I had a book order to pack up to go to Germany and Lily wanted out early. It's nice and warm and MAYBE spring is really here. On schedule! The trees still look bare and there's only a hint of green in the fields, but with these warm days that will change fast.

Yesterday I moved stuff around in my workroom and things are starting to look organized. Had to stop, though, after three sessions with sneezing in between. My eyes still feel swollen this morning. SO is going to try to come down soon and help me with the larger pieces of furniture. He can get done in an hour what it has taken me days to accomplish!

I'm heading out for a bunny delivery in a little while. Nice lady that already has some angoras, I think one from my lines. She's getting a lovely little black doe. I'm keeping both a brother and sister, Tommy and Eliza, from this litter. They're from one of my oldest lines and I love the color and crimp of the wool. Their baby coats didn't matt much, even though they tumbled around in the cage together way too long because of my lack of space. The pedigree is all printed out and the little doe is ready for her new home!

I'm working on a pattern for a small hat or cap to make from my rambouillet/mohair yarn I finished last night. I'm trying to copy a cute little knitted hat I saw somewhere and do it in a crocheted pattern. I can't knit YET. You folks with all your beautiful things I've been seeing on the ring blogs are really tempting me to try again! I don't know if I can make a hat with just 2.5 ounces of yarn, but this little cap has a fold up brim that could be done in a different color.

Time to enjoy the sun and get ready for my day away!

Rambouillet/mohair skein; two-ply from hand painted roving. Very nice to spin! 

Finished Skein!

This is how I began, with Lura's rambouillet/mohair roving, hand painted with acid dyes.

Then I spun the roving into singles on my Reeves wheel.

And this is the final result. I've posted a larger picture above. And the pictures in this post are just reminders!

This is the first time I've ever plied a skein with so many colors. This is an interesting result that I like, given the colors. The final skein weighs 2.5 ounces; I don't know the yardage but it's around 100 yards or so. The mohair is already starting to frizz a little!

A MUCH better picture of the rambouillet/mohair roving dyed in my crock pot. Can you tell I adore this stuff? 

Greenberry House is Back and Updated!

For a week I've been in agony because I had a bunch of updates for Greenberry House; new items and some items that were sold and needed to be removed. But I couldn't get anything downloaded because the ftp site wasn't working. But today I was able to upload all the new stuff and things are back to normal! I usually update every day; if I can just get the Dad project finished I'll be back to my routine!

My darling Lily, the Springer Spaniel with an attitude, also has a page now. Check out Lily's Page to see baby pictures and more!

Singles from the rambouillet/mohair roving I dyed last week. There's a nice sheen in the yarn from the mohair. 

Color!

Got back into the dye pots yesterday. After working for just a couple of hours in the morning and a trip to town with a friend, I got out the crock pot to try the dye techniques recommended in a splendid tutorial at http://www.fibernation.com/inside_the_pot/. I modified the technique just a little to suit my needs and I really like the result, pictured below, with Lura’s rambouillet/mohair roving. It’s nice stuff; leave a comment if you want some because she has more! I really like dyeing in the crock pot; much easier on the back and less messy than doing it on the table!

Another beautiful day! The snow is almost gone, with just a few patches in the shady areas of a neighbor’s yard. I can see green grass in the path my brother keeps mowed from his rental house down to the pond. Yesterday when we were below the mountain we saw forsythia and daffodils and lovely green fields. I have seen daffodils here on the mountain, on a sunny south bank, but my forsythia is just barely budding.

Yesterday evening I walked with Lily over to the pond. I scattered a little feed for the fish but they didn’t come up. Too cold, I guess, and there was some feed against the bank where either my brother or my nephew had already thrown some in. Also tracks in the remaining patches of snow near the tumbled down dock.

The water is SO clear! I didn’t see any larger fish but there were small minnows darting around in the shallows by the bank. The red winged blackbird called to us: I throw a little fish feed out onto the dock for him every evening. Sometimes I have bread for the fish and I share that, too. Before long there will be a feeding frenzy when I go over in the evenings; it’s a little scary!

All is serene in the rabbit house; another week before we can expect bunnies. I’ll be glad when the ground dries out a little and the rabbits can come outside to play. They get some sun in the rabbit house and a lot more light than they used to, but surely it's nice to a rabbit to have a change of scenery.

Took the day off yesterday from moving boxes; back to it today. Have to straighten out the workroom enough to start moving furniture now. This has been SLOW going but I’m lazy! Last night I wound the moorit/angora/silk singles into a center pull ball for plying, then started spinning the rambouillet/mohair roving I dyed last week. There’s a picture above of the results. Some nice rich colors and some subtle variations. There’s enough to make one ball and ply it back on itself; don’t know what I’ll do with it yet!

More of Lura's rambouillet/mohair roving, dyed in a crock pot. It's hard to tell from the picture but in addition to the green there are hints of brown, burgundy and yellow. 

Moorit wool, fawn angora and tussah silk singles. 

Budding daffodils. The day before they were completely covered in the blanket of snow. 

Peaceful Morning

Another bright sunny morning. It’s very still, a little cold, with the promise of a beautiful day. A lone crow is strutting across the field, while a white cat patrols around the pond. The snow is just patchy and there is a hint of green in the grass.

Spent the day hauling yet more boxes downstairs. Time is passing fast; April and Dad will be here soon! During breaks I priced up Avon bottles to put on the Internet and sneezed! Finally I decided it was time to get out of the house so I took Lily for a walk down the Parkway. She enjoyed sniffing around and finding out who and what had been down the road before us. We stopped to rest at an old family cemetery. Just as we came up a raccoon leaped up a tree. Fortunately Lily didn’t see him, but she knew he was there. She kept sniffing the air. I never saw the raccoon after his scramble up the trunk of the tree, but I’m sure he could see us!

The little cemetery isn’t one of the oldest in the area. There are several infants buried there, sad little stories of loss and grief. I think I only knew a couple of the people that are there; one lady, a neighbor and relative, lived to be nearly one hundred years old.

I finished a bobbin of the wool/angora/silk last night. The yarn is a little knobby, which is caused by the silk. I’m very happy with the color; rich light brown with softly tinted fawn. I don’t know when I’ll ply it; the rambouillet/mohair is calling me!

I heard yesterday from the young lady I bought the rambouillet/mohair roving from. She’s had some trouble but she wrote me a cheerful note full of fiber plans and puppy stories. She’s a strong and fine woman and isn’t letting things get her down!

Busy day today; work this morning and bunny chores this afternoon. Lily is telling me it's time for her to go outside and for me to get down to the barn and see if the water bottles are frozen.

March snow leaving fast; it was five inches deep yesterday! 

Commenting!

I've been trying to post comments to a couple of neighbor blogs but I keep running into difficulties. So Stacey, if you're reading, you've got some wonderful projects going and I love the yarn you're spinning from the rovings you dyed. Check out her stuff, the rest of you, at Stacey's Stash! Also tried to comment in support of The Spirit Trail's post on important environmental issues. Check that out as well!

Spent the morning trying to help my friend come to a final resolution about her job problems, and just heard about another friend that has just lost a job and is in ill health. I keep feeling so guilty about how lucky I am, to have good health and to be able to do what I love. Keep these folks in your hearts, if you don't mind!

Looks Like A Beautiful Day

The sun is shining bright on the snow, catching thousands of crystals across the fields. It was cold last night. But some of the snow melted in the afternoon yesterday, and soon we'll be seeing bare ground again. Things were starting to get green before this last snow. People around here will say that the snow fertilized the grass, because it will get green fast now when it gets warm.

The cockatiel started muttering before I got up this morning. He went through his little repertoire of noises; the dryer, wolf whistles, blackbird calls, the Andy Griffith Show theme, and a new one I haven’t figured out yet. He mutters it under his breath as if he’s testing it. Now he’s just shrieking joyfully!

I carded more of the wool/angora/silk blend last night. Hope to have enough to finish this bobbin. I have some alpaca and silk blend that I spun up before and some chocolate angora. They all need to be plied and then I want to see if I like the color combination for a vest. The alpaca was a roving in natural brown with silver streaks. I love the color and it was wonderful to spin.

I've been reading some of Jonathan Swift's satire. A few essays are kind of obscure; he was writing about what were current events for him, after all. But there's one series that is hilarious; he prints out an "almanack" of predictions as if he’s a famous astrologer and predicts the death of another astrologer. He thinks of astrologers, particularly this prominent one, as frauds. Then after the date of the “death” he prints an obituary! Finally he prints a comical rendition of all the trials and tribulations the “dead” astrologer went through because everyone believes the prediction! This series is called "The Bickerstaff Papers".

More moving boxes and furniture. I’m determined to get this project done today, no matter how miserable I feel!

Tidying Up Day

I just spend some time over at Greenberry House at Tias.com, straightening the virtual shelves, sweeping the virtual floor and adding some new Avon bottles to the site. Good to shake things up once in awhile, even in a store that exists right now just in cyberspace!

Otherwise I haven't gotten a great deal done today, thanks to allergies. It snowed most of the morning, and then warmed up and by the time I went out to feed the bunnies this afternoon there were bare patches. Spring again! This morning a starling was teasing Lily, walking around near the outside doghouse just out of her reach. I don't know what the starling was doing at the doghouse; there was a tiny patch of bare ground just there and he was pecking around that. But Lily is possessive and didn't want anyone bothering HER doghouse. Even a bird!

I finally had to take an allergy pill because I was sneezing so hard. Not my favorite thing to do, as the ones that work also make me sleepy. Finally had to lay down with Lily for a nap in the afternoon. Moved a few boxes but couldn’t get motivated. Tomorrow is another day!

This is one of my favorite family pictures. Most of the men in the picture are relatives or neighbors, and one of the boys is my uncle. This was how hay was stored up until the 1960s. I remember an old hay stack in my grandfather's field when I was small and my grandmother used to talk about stacking hay. It was an art! 

Winter's Back!

It's cold in the house this morning. Not dreadful but the wind is blowing enough to make drafts. Lily is curled up in front of the heater in the living room and I have my feet tucked up in my warm flannel gown! There's about three inches of snow; not much really. But a lot more than the weather people predicted!

I remember getting snowed in at my best friend's house in March over ten years ago. I worked at her store and we decided I should stay so I could open the store the next day. Three days later, we finally waded the 20 feet to the store! It was one of our few real snowstorms; the wind howled and the snow piled up. Farmers would come to the door to get diesel fuel for their tractors; they were struggling to feed cattle and find calves that were born during the storm. It was beautiful when we finally got out and the snow disappeared fast! March can be surprising in the mountains. People still talk about the snows that piled up the year after I was born, 1960. It snowed for four Wednesdays in a row in March and you’ll see pictures posted around in the local restaurants of men standing on their cars in the road with the snow piled high over their heads!

More box moving today. I really need to get this job finished so that I can get back to posting books and antiques on the Internet. Dad is coming soon; I need to call down and see what his plans are. Have to have a place for him to sleep!

Finished Snow Falling on Cedars last night. My friend Kym gave me some really good books when she moved. Kym has a talent for finding out about good books and good movies. There are some wonderful writers out there with a lot to say these days. Particularly women writers. I’ve enjoyed a nice stack of fine writing lately.

Finished an article about bunny nest box care this morning for the IAGARB newsletter. This is the German Angora official breed club. There’s a national meeting in April but the timing is really bad and I can’t go because I have to do some business traveling in May. Can’t be everywhere. In early May we have a Civil War show in Ohio, then I’m planning to go to New Hampshire Sheep and Wool mid-May. Hopefully Daddy will be trained enough in bunny wrangling by then!

Typical March Day

The snow has turned to rain and it looks dull outside. Inside everything is all at sixes and sevens. New stuff that we bought at the auction, plus books I should be working on, all piled up beside my desk. The living room floor is stacked with items that I'm sorting to store away. Upstairs there are empty and full boxes everywhere, and bags of bunny wool that need to be sent away for processing into felting bats. My "keep" fiber and craft items lay haphazard everywhere in the workroom. This is not my normal life!

Taking a break to let the dust settle; housework is the bane of my life. Partly because I just don't really enjoy it and partly because it causes allergy flare-ups. Time to console myself with ONE piece of Nancy’s candy and a jelly bean or two. Cathy at Catena Expressions and some other people are talking about quitting addictions. That’s gotten me to thinking. Both the SO and I, like a lot of Americans, eat way too much but my biggest problem is soda. Diet soda at that, a concoction with no real justification for existence. It’s all about caffeine, as dangerous a drug as nicotine, I think. Sad what we do to ourselves!

Finished reading Ron Parker’s Sheep Book; very entertaining and pretty much convinced me that I’m the sort of person who should be buying my fleece from the wonderful shepherds that already tend their flocks so well. A recent discussion on Virginia’s Women in Agriculture amazed me; some folks there found bunny wrangling harder than shepherding. I think it may be a matter of lifestyle. The Rabbitry has worked well with how I live for a long time now; I’m not sure sheep would. I would adore having them, though. But I think I’ll go back to raising chickens first!

Another book I’ve been reading is Snow Falling on Cedars. Beautifully done and painful to read, given the subject of prejudice and World War II internment of the Japanese in this country. Sometimes I think about the harm that a nation can do to another, but it is harder to think about the single lives affected by events that they cannot control. A decision made in fear is no decision. Even in a war that was as necessary as any war can be, the decision to imprison loyal citizens because of their race was wrong. As a country it seems like we should be learning from our mistakes, not making the same ones over. Is it arrogance or ignorance?

I finally convinced the blogger thing to put up my logo next to my profile. My cousin RJ designed and drew it; it gets lots of attention and compliments. Just the thing for a logo! I use it for everything in the business to get it recognized. The rabbit in it was a fawn named Gabriel. I've always appreciated RJ's talent and covet a cat picture that others in the family have more right to own!

Not long after RJ did the design, a fellow fiber and German Angora raiser in Washington, Carol, sent me her artistic interpretation. Also delightful, centering on the rabbit. Carol moved to Oregon and was setting up to farm with her brother. I haven't heard from her in a long time and I miss her! I think about her every time I see her bunny!

My young friend with the job problem was just here. Things are no better but the management wants her to stay. But they don’t seem to be able to remove her from the intolerable situation. They also don’t seem to be able to do anything about the situation, yet there have been incidents that seem incriminating that involve other people with nothing to do with my friend. Stange.

Managed to get some spinning done this week, even with people here. Still working on the wool/angora/silk blend. I need to start a small project for odd times; thinking about making a vest from the green chenille. I haven’t done one with granny squares yet; this might be the one to try!

Snowing again. The ground is getting white. It has to be March!

Playing Tourist at Mabry's Mill 

Bunny House Visitors 

Back to My Life

I don't know what it is, but it seems like I can't have a complete web site that works. Both Greenberry House and this blog won't let me change anything directly. Trying to post this through Hello because Blogger won't let me.

Busy morning, seeing the SO off and packing up some sold books and antiques for shipment. Now I'm watching a very light snow fall on the greening grass outside. I saw the first robins yesterday morning, and in the evening on a walk to the pond a red winged blackbird called to us as we passed. The robins are often too early; I see them huddled in the snow and wonder what they find for food. A more certain sign of spring is seeing the red winged blackbirds!

Young people around yesterday, the SO's son and the boy's fiancé came to visit and we showed them the sights of Meadows of Dan. There are pictures here of the family in front of the bunny house and the young couple at Mabry's Mill, a local tourist attraction on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I didn't believe it was possible that anyone could use that hula-hoop! It's huge; I won it at Floydfest one year. The only thing I ever won! The thing scares Lily to death; I tried to sell it at the flea market but there were no takers. Bethany, as little as she is, could make it work!

We went down to North Carolina and visited the Pilot Mountain State Park as well. It's lovely down there; very impressive views and the park is nicely done. I'm a typical local; I don't go to the places nearby unless someone visits. But it makes you appreciate the beauty of where you live when you show it to someone else. We ended the day with a visit to Nancy's Fudge factory in town and a walk on the farm.

Time to start the day; more boxes to move, pictures of the new stock to take and bunnies to tend. I'm always happy to have company but it's nice to settle back into my quiet routines.

Small girl and LARGE hula-hoop! 

Greenberry House is Back!

Got home late last night from an auction and discovered that my web site, Greenberry House is back up after almost three weeks! Really glad to see it again and have email! I'll be updating as soon as he gets the ftp part fixed back up.

We picked up a bunch of Avon bottles and some pipes at the auction. We went down because they said they had some good old books but there weren't any. So not the best of auctions but we have some good things just the same. I'll be uploading items to my web page and to Tias.com, probably starting tomorrow.

Company coming and I've got to dash to clean the bathroom!

A Day of Getting Things Done

The SO is here, which does not make for an atmosphere of contemplation. But he's been on the phone to building inspectors and health departments, and we're getting things going on the new store building! Our county isn't one of the more demanding but there are some things that have to be approve before we begin. But it's a start toward a beginning. Exciting!

Did some spinning last night while waiting for the SO to arrive. I love this moorit fleece that Chris and I bought at SAFF. It is very soft and blends well with my fawn angora. I've been adding a little tussah silk as well. The silk makes the yarn a bit nobby.

Life is demanding my attention, must fly!

Back to natural colors, my first love. Hand carded rolags, 40% moorit wool from Rising Meadow Farm, 40% fawn angora from Greenberry House rabbits and 20% tussah silk. 

Signs of spring. Pussy willow isn't a traditional plant here at Greenberry House but I love it! 

Morning Musings

Not so early this morning and it's beautiful outside. The sun is shining and I can see birds busy outside. There are starlings in the eaves. I'm creature friendly but I'm not that happy about starlings in the eaves. They're noisy and not very pretty! We tried to shut them out but they worked a board back loose and there they are again!

I've always kept journals. I think writing makes me more aware of the little things in life and what is actually going on with myself and the small world around me. But I'm surprised to discover that this online diary seems to trigger even more awareness. It might not last, but I find myself listing things to take pictures of and subjects to write about. I'm a very private person and even in my personal journals never recorded much soul searching. Anyone that spends so much time alone and with animals does a great deal of thinking about themselves and what is going on in the world. I don't have any answers to the state of the world out there in the grander scheme of things and I'm not sure about telling all about my inner self. I think my place is to record a little peace while even here the world changes around me. I don't yearn for the way things were; I know from family stories how hard life was "in the old days". But I'm fortunate enough to be able to create a life that I hope will reflect some of the traditions I grew up with, at least.

Lily is lying on her pad beside me with her paw over her nose and the cockatiel has started his morning chorus. It's time to go out and enjoy the beautiful morning and do chores. The SO is visiting this evening and I should straighten up the house a bit. Time to put the dye pots away!

Leslie's Purple Dream! Cotton/rayon chenille hand dyed and hand crocheted. 

Closeup of chenille scarf. Mostly double crochet with a fan border that is a little hard to see! 

Chenille Scarf Finished!

Finished the chenille scarf tonight. I still love the colors and the soft feel of the yarn. Both of the border patterns I tried were too fussy for the chenille and the variegated color, so I made up a simple edgeing for it. I really like the way it turned out.

Check out 30 Second bunny theater at http://www.angryalien.com/. Loads a tiny bit slow with my ancient laptop but worth it! This one is for Jane and for Chris! Bunny Power!

I put together a web page for Lily, on the server that is STILL not up, and found this when I was hunting pictures. This is me in Wales when I went with the SO a few years ago. I love Wales and Scotland but my favorite place is Bath, England. 

Along Concord Road

The snow is just a memory this afternoon, but this morning it was a soft blanket across the mountain. I walked down a dirt road, one of the few remaining in the area, and saw the tracks of a wild rabbit going across a hill, and then the tracks of a fox down near the creek crossing.

Concord Church, with the tables outside for gatherings. 

A neighbor's house along Concord Road 

Along Concord Road. 

Review of Greenberry House Days and Dreams

"I just saw greenberry.blogspot.com. The page is standards-compliant.

What a superb page! If only the Linux Homepage would have a superb page like that. There are 110,835 characters in the underlying source, which is a superb length for European users. Stunning. The page contains 307 links, a very reasonable amount. Just perfect. It must have taken many years to finalize the page. The URL has 30 characters. Just the perfect length. The color scheme is very fitting. Seeing Greenberry House Days and Dreams, I'm simply out of words. Well, I expected the creator to create something superior. This is about the best you can do with HTML."
-- Fred King, TheReview.com
http://greenberry.blogspot.com

Impressive, isn't it? Unfortunately, it's from a site, http://blog.outer-court.com/pageboost/, that will generate a faked review of your site. Looks like it's always an enthusiastically positive review, too! Have to love it!

Missy, the old calico cat. She has been here for nearly ten years and wasn't young when she came. 

Snow Day

Snow this morning. Just enough on the ground to be white with more small flakes falling. There's a little wind tossing the snowflakes around and rocking the twiggy bushes where the bird sit, waiting to be fed. There's a ruffle of water across the silver surface of the pond. The world looks so peaceful.

Started the border of the crocheted chenille scarf yesterday. And I dyed roving. Just four ounces but I really like the result. The first run I did with dark colors, aiming for a winter forest feel. The two pieces I did turned out differently; one fell into the water while I was steaming and has more blue in it. But I can spin them separate and then ply, or take pieces from each. The other batch I painted with the brightest colors I could think of. Keeping in mind that this is a learning experience for me, they turned out pretty well, too. I think I had the roving too wet, though. There are patches where the color drifted away from the fiber and left light spots. I posted a picture last night. Roving dries fast. I have it all bumped up and in my antique sewing box, waiting until the wheel is free to spin it.

Talked to my friend that is having so much trouble at work. The world isn't peaceful for everyone. She has decided that she can't stay; I really think it's past time. So much stress isn't good for a person. I tend to avoid confrontation myself, and admire her for trying to cope with the difficulties that keep confronting her. But there comes a time when you shouldn't try to keep fighting and it's more courageous to let go.

Heading out for work today; I fill in occasionally at an antique shop down the road. It will be a nice walk through the snow; by the time I leave it will be warm enough to enjoy it. The dirt road I walk down is called Concord Road, named after an old Primitive Baptist Church that was built in 1833. I always loved the name; pronounced here with the accent on the second syllable. Our family reunions are held there, although I haven't been able to go in a long time because of work and staying with my grandfather. Sadly, the membership of the church has fallen but some of the people in the community have made the upkeep of the old building a project. There is a special beauty about an old church, graced by time and the devotion of the people. I'm not one who congregates but I can feel a serenity and peace in old holy places. Small wooden churches and quiet groves, and even the top of one mountain here. There was a beautiful old church in Tintagel, Cornwall, with a cemetery in the churchyard along the rocky coast. There was a holiness deeper and more ancient than Christianity in those walls.

Today's dye pot adventure. Two rovings, wool/merino blend.  

Changing Commenting

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog. I'm sorry I had to lose your previous comments, but several people have mentioned problems leaving comments here. I also ran into trouble yesterday on another blogspot site trying to leave a comment. So this system is supposed to be better. Ya'll chime on in when ya get ready!

Staying In

A sudden heavy snow flurry changed our plans for the day; you just never know what might happen in March. So RJ is probably curled up in front of the wood stove with a favorite book, while I'm thinking about getting out the dye pots again. I just pulled out some rambouillet/mohair roving I bought from Lura, a fellow guild member, a couple of years ago. It's time something was done with it. I'm thinking about spring colors and painted roving while the snow falls outside.

I just left the rabbits contently munching their morning hay in the cozy shelter of the barn. Water bottles all filled and none frozen today! There is a keen little wind accompanying the snow and it was nice to get inside after feeding the cats and filling the birdfeeders. Missy, the elderly calico cat, came with me to the barn and sat on the lumber pile, watching me do the chores. She seems to prefer attention these days; in her younger days she walked alone. Now she greets visitors when they come instead of slipping away unseen. She was left behind when an ex left and once roamed the fields freely; for days I wouldn't see her at all. Now she stays close to the house and sleeps in the sun on the south side during the day, sheltering in the basement and porch at night or on cooler days. Missy, formerly known as Fuzz (I thought she deserved better!), will never be a comfy house cat, no matter how much she mellows!

There is nothing cozy about the wild birds as they chatter and flutter around the feeders in the mornings. They dart from place to place, searching for choice morsels and the preferred sunflower seeds, and then scatter to the twiggy limbs to gobble the seeds before rushing back for more. Later in the day the frenzy dwindles to an occasional hunt among the feeders for another bit or seed. I look out in the afternoons on a cold or windy day and see a dozen little birds huddled in the twigs of the shrubs near the house; sheltered by the gray board wall.

Black-eyed Susan. Acid dyed mill spun yarn from my dye pots of last summer. The clouds have rolled in but this sunny yarn would brighten any day!

My Day Out

Today is my day off. I'm usually here at Greenberry House working on the computer or tending to the rabbits, but today I'm going to town with my favorite cousin, RJ. We'll pick up bunny feed, do a little bit of shopping and have lunch. Lunch, of course, is the most important part of the trip! We always go to the Red Lobster, although the past couple of years have seen a decline in quality at this particular restaurant. We miss Josh! But it's still the best place for us in town, given what we like.

RJ, the cousin, is ahead of me in life and has been my example for all the time I've known her. She was a teacher, should have been an architect and is an artist. She designed and did the logo for my business, which I will post here when www.greenberryhouse.com comes back up again. Through all my times RJ has been a wonderful example of how to live. I was never in her classroom but she has taught me all my life!

No bunnies from Maple; time to start over with her. She may be interested in bunny making after this little cold spell. Yesterday morning I had frozen water bottles, although it warmed up during the day and it's warmer this morning. But after a possible day or two of icy weather, we should have another warm time. I have seven more does I tried with the bucks, but I don't have much hope for them, either!

I went down the mountain to Stuart yesterday. Had a nice visit with a cousin there over genealogy and we talked family and scandals. She had a little news about another cousin, who had lived away and didn't know much of the family until recently. He reconnected with his cousins and was able to get to know them before he died. Which makes things feel more right, as his family had drifted away under sad circumstances. My great-aunt was asleep when I tried to visit; I couldn't stay long so I didn't try to wake her.

I saw a ground hog in a neighbor's yard when I went by Mom's . He was a sad looking little fellow and I hope he can find something to eat in this brown grass. There is one that has a hole high in a bank just there. Once when Lily and I went past I saw him peeking at us from it.

Started the single crochet for the border on my chenille scarf. I was tired last night and didn't do much other than work on it. Need to get back to the boxes, but this evening after I get back I'll probably be tired again. Maybe I'll wind some yarn for more dye experiments. Your blogs have been inspiring!

Nobody loves me! 

Well, if you won't make him move, I'll just lay here on the cold, hard floor. 

But it's MY bed! And those are MY toys. I don't wanna share! 

That cat is on MY bed! Make him move! 

Come here, Mama! 

Peaceable Kingdom

Life with the creatures. Lily's reaction when the cat gets on one of her three pads to lay in the sunshine. Read bottom to top!

Crocheted Chenille Scarf, In Progress. This is the first thing I have made for myself in a long time. 

Wool Houses

I haven't tracked down the origin of the "wool house" emblem I've seen on some pages, but after yesterday I can safely say "I Live in a Wool House". I've been putting angora in file boxes but I needed those to stack books in, so I transferred piles of angora from file boxes to flat open ones. It's lovely to be able to look at it but...getting to be time to call the mill again! As for the rest of the stash, I counted five fleeces and there are stacks of stuff I didn't even get into. I'm not even working on that room yet!

Late night and early morning checks on Maple found her sitting cozily, ALONE, in her nest box. There's still a chance for a litter but with each day it dwindles. She was the only one that seemed to cooperate with the buck out of seven does, but then we moved the rabbits into the new barn. That might have disrupted her enough to keep her from kindling. If a doe doesn't want to have bunnies, she doesn't have to!

In rest periods between boxes I worked on my crocheted chenille scarf and read blogs. Congratulations to Kim for her winning entry, Pansy, in the Woolybuns Colorway contest. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished skein. I found some beautiful blogs and really enjoyed reading them. The chenille scarf is working up quickly and not taking much yarn; I found an antique edging I'm going to try for the scarf. The edging may be too fussy for the thickness of the chenille so I also found a simple one. But I really like the antique one!

Today is work day; have to go to Stuart with a web page I'm doing for a client down there and stop by to drop off a genealogy to a cousin. My mom and step-dad are both fighting off the nasty cold that is going around so I'll do errands for them, if they want, and stop in to see my mother's aunt in the nursing home. Then back up here to my father's aunt to give her computer lessions. Heard from another cousin last night; we worked on a big genealogy project together several years ago. I would like to get back into the genealogies again.

According to my counter lots of people are reading my blog; thanks for stopping by! I had a lovely note from Kim at The Woolen Rabbit yesterday and some notes from people that I had not "met" in the fiber world before now. I appreciate your nice comments!

Malachi likes to be close to me, but cat-like he keeps his own space sometimes. And sometimes he likes nothing better than a lap for curling up and kneading!
 

Early Morning Sunshine

Out early this morning to check on Maple, who might kindle today. She was sitting placidly in her nest box, keeping her feet warm in the hay. It's hard to tell what might happen; Maple never gets big and doesn't miss a meal when she kindles.

It's so quiet this morning; the air is brittle and cold. It snowed a little more in the night, just enough to cover the ground between tufts of brown grass and crunch underfoot. From the window the fields looked a little like a quiet ocean in the gray light before sunrise.

So much different than what friend Chris was getting in Connecticut. Hope everyone got to a safe place last night! Yesterday afternoon I stayed warm inside and started working on my crocheted chenille scarf. I have one row done and started another, but I've decided to change the pattern, so I'll take out the beginning of the second row. The colors in the purple chenille look terrific so far; when I get enough done I'll post a picture.

I visited with friend Kym last night. We had a wonderful time eating WAY too much at the Chinese restaurant and talking. Then we fixed up her taxes and played with Roxie, her darling labrador mix that looks like a classy grayhound. Roxie had visited the groomer and she looked wonderful, all sleek and racy! Banjo kitty was kind enough to say hello when she came in and then curled up on the spare room bed, her black and white shining coat elegant against the white and blue patchwork spread. Even had a visit with Hannah, the German crossed bunny, who was more interested in her dinner than in me!

Came home to nice emails from friends and then headed for bed. Uncommonly tired last night. Read a little while and then went to sleep, only to be awakened by Lily barking wildly at the window. I staggered out of bed and turned on the outside light; didn't see a thing except snow falling. I think she might have been dreaming!

Kitties came tearing in this morning the minute I opened doors. Malachi is lying in front of the heater in the computer room, while Mani has claimed the little settee. Lily is curled up at my feet on her pad. The cockatiel is muttering under his breath, making the noise of a dryer we had years ago. He's getting ready to start his morning chorus of shrieks, I'm sure!

Completed merino/angora poncho. I started working on it about a month ago but probably only have about six hours in it total. 

Finished Project!

Just completed the crocheted white poncho, made from my mill spun 60% merino/40% angora. I think it turned out pretty well. I had a little trouble with the neckline since I wanted to fancy it up a bit with the drawstring, but after a bit of fudging it worked OK.

The wind is howling and it's colder now than it was earlier, but the snow has stopped. Can you tell I'm doing my best NOT to start hauling boxes around?

This is Maple, in short coat and all ready for her litter, if it comes! Maple is from one of my original lines; they are gentle, big rabbits that make great mothers! 

One of Sally's bunnies. They are four months old and have wonderful wool and color! For sale, too! 

Green and yellow chenille, with the white I didn't want. Let me know what you think! 

What A Difference A Day Makes

Yesterday I was running around outside without my sweater; this morning snow is falling and the ground is getting white. That's life in the mountains! Hope the little girl I sheared yesterday is warm enough. In the winter I leave a little bit of fluff for weather changes!

The yellow and green (and white!) chenille is dry and it looks better than I thought it would. Lily may not get her dog bed after all! It's not up to my standards for selling, but it would look good crocheted up. Have to think about that. I'm enclosing a picture; would value your opinions!

I have a young friend that is going through a hard time at work and may wind up having to leave because of conflicts with her supervisor. Over the years my friend and other people have told me sad stories of poor management and irrational behavior from this supervisor and it's making life very hard for my friend. She is a creative and talented young woman, who has her faults, of course. Some of the issues she has with her supervisor arise out of their personality types, but if the supervisor was professional about things, all this trouble wouldn't happen. The last straw was an incident where the supervisor acted in a shocking manner that breached a trust; and if I had been involved I would have gone then. My friend has stayed on and things have deteriorated to an intolerable point. The sad thing is that the company could be a great place, but upper management is overworked and the problems go far beyond this supervisor. Very sad, and I think again how lucky I am. I've always been fortunate enough to work for terrific people!

More moving boxes today. I am SORE! Can't put it off long, either, playing with the bunnies. The wind is really howling out there. My mom just called; she and Wendell, my step-father, have been down with this nasty cold that's going around. Haven't been down there in ages because of it!

There's a picture here of one of the bunnies for sale and one of the doe that I hope is going to be a new mom tomorrow. The black bunnies in Sally's litters were so sweet; but she always has darling babies. I'm keeping a buck and a doe from this last litter. The color of the wool is wonderful and there is a good crimp in the baby coats. Totally spinnable!

A Lesson Learned!

It is NOT ok to hang yarn outside that has just been painted with pigment dye! I think the wind chipped the dye off before it had time to set, because when I went to get it there are white streaks. Not what I had in mind! But this is all about figuring it out! Back to the dyed bathtub, until I can get a rack put up somewhere that is sheltered. The yarn is still OK, not what I had in mind, though. But I've been planning to make Lily a new cover for her favorite pad, so she's getting green and yellow chenille! Lily looks good in green!

I've been hauling boxes downstairs all day; mostly books but I'm emptying some as I go with personal stuff. Finding some old pictures; mostly pets. I would be hard put to come up with many people pics! Also found some old novels I had written, lots of genealogy notes, stacks of magazines, oh, my! What will I do with all this STUFF?

Took a break from clearing away and sheared pretty Living Water Farm's Angel. She is such a sweetheart! I popped her in with my gorgeous Elwood, hoping she would like the idea of another nice litter of bunnies but she was NOT happy about it. So I took her out for a rest; will try her again at feeding time!

More chenille yarn. I spent last evening talking on the phone to a sad friend and painting yarn. In the background is the bunny barn. Much nicer to dry it outside; the bathtub is pink, purple and blue! 

Woolybuns Cheshire, one of my very favorite does from Chris Morgan. She has wonderful color and a terrific, goofy personality. She's the SO's favorite, too!

Quiet Mornings

I love getting up early in the mornings. Last night the SO's son called at midnight, worried because he couldn't reach his dad. So I called early, everything was fine. Then I made my cup of Earl Grey and sat watching the early birds outside my window. Malachi, my black cat, was sitting under the forsythia, all tucked up and waiting for the day to come. He's learned that when he wants in he can come to the porch window and rattle around for me to open the door. But this morning he seemed content to just sit there while the birds flitted above him in the twiggy bushes.

My days are so peaceful. Dull, I imagine, to most people. I work on the computer until it's warm enough to go out and tend the rabbits. It's only a little walk down a hill to the old barn that I've known since childhood days of playing in the loft. I usually have a cat, one of three official residents of Greenberry House, following me or darting along the path I've worn already down the hill. I'm always talking as I come up to the bunny house door, to warn the bunnies that it's me and sometimes the cat will even listen! The rabbits greet me with rattling cages and eager faces; time for their morning treat and hay! I sweep up the floor; so much easier than the days of stacking cages and struggling with trays. Everyone gets their handful of hay and we talk and exchange bunny kisses.

In the meantime Lily has been having her morning time outside, sniffing and fussing with the cats with the occasional romp, if it's warm and she's feeling wild. The cats get their bowls of food, each one separate although they trade around because that other cat might have something better! In the winter I fill ten bird feeders, some in the old apple tree in the yard outside my favorite windows and some in the garden right by the window. I have a little feeder attached to the wall between the windows; lots of little birds come right to the house!

Lily and I come inside for her medicine and breakfast; by then I'm usually ready for another cuppa and some toast. The cockatiel gets his morning treat of a corn flake; he came here already mature and won't eat anything else except his regular feed. There's a betta here, too, that placidly swims in a big brandy snifter; he gets his breakfast, too.

After everyone is fed and content, I usually hit the computer, putting books and antiques up for sale on Tias.com and Biblio.com. Sometimes I do work for other people; this week I'm putting together a web site for a store in Stuart. I also do some data entry in accounting for my brother, who is Sammy Shelor of the Lonesome River Band (do you think I'll get Googled on that?) In the early afternoon I take a break and go down and feed the bunnies their grain and we have another talk and petting session. If the weather has been nice, I will have had bunnies outside in the pen for some fresh air, sunshine and play time. I have it set up by the barn in partial shade where I can check on them from the window. If a rabbit is scheduled for shearing and it's warm enough, I shear it out in the barn while listening to books on tape. I use scissors because I like the quiet time with the bunnies. If I'm shearing a doe and it's time to breed her, I put her in with the buck then.

After bunny chores it's usually back to the computer. Evenings are usually when I do dyeing, crocheting or spinning. Lily is always nearby whatever I'm doing, napping on one of the pads I have around to keep her warm. Sometimes I get invited out; tomorrow I'm going to go to the Chinese restaurant with Kym and help her with her taxes. But there are many days when I don't leave the house and I'm really enjoying that. For a few years I wasn't able to stay at home at all!

This week is going to be a little different. My father is moving in with me at the end of the month, and I have to do some packing away and getting organized so he can come. A large spinning stash and the stock for the bookstore and all the stuff from the auctions is here and EVERYWHERE, and it's time to make some room!

This one is MINE! Purple, lilac and blue, all my favorites. Especially purple! Notice, if you can see it, how much the colors changed while it was drying. 

Another Skein!

And here is the final result of the painted dye experiment with the cotton/rayon chenille. The colors are SO amazing. The sheen of the original chenille comes through for a really elegant look. I'm thinking scarf!

Cathy Robinson and her daughter and granddaughter. What a nice family! 

Another Bunny Lady Day!

Just saw Cathy Robinson and her lovely daughter and charming granddaughter off with the beautiful rabbits I was keep for her. I'm going to miss that big boy, Harvey, but Cathy has a doe from a line I REALLY want back that she's going to breed to him! I'm in line for a doe from that breeding, hurrah! Cathy was delighted with her new chocolate doe, too, from Chris Morgan. I'm so happy with Snickers, the sister to the doe Cathy took, so there are some cheerful bunny ladies around!

We went to lunch at the local cafe, where they have pan fried chicken just like Grandma used to make. Cathy and I compared pedigree notes and we had a good time just visiting. Then we stopped at a couple of antique shops along the way. Fun! A visit to the bunny house and then I reluctantly parted with Harvey; I would have been sad about letting the chocolate doe go as well if I didn't have Snickers! We chatted a bit more and I got to show off the projects Chris and I worked on; Cathy is really interested in felting and is hoping Chris will do some workshops. I offered to let them all come back here; that would be fun! Cathy gave me a lovely bag of Jacob's wool roving from her sheep; I'm sitting here fondling it and thinking how lovely it will look with my black angora!

I haven't been posting many bunny pictures because I have so many at the web site and I was going to include them when the site comes back up. IF the site ever comes back up. I'm losing confidence! But here are Cathy and her girls getting ready to leave. It was great having them here!

"RJ's Surprise". The purple was a surprise to me, but it shouldn't have been! 

"RJ's Surprise, 60% merino/40% angora, 2 ounce skeins, approx. 175 yards. 

Enough About This Project!

Still haven't thought of a name for the variegated yarn; we made the dyes with the felted scarf for my cousin in mind. So it's her colorway. Maybe "RJ's Surprise" or something. I tried to put up more pictures last night but the picture loading thingy quit working. It was too late to fight with it then!

Spent yesterday evening reskeining the painted yarn and reading the blogs of other fiber ladies. Lots of fun and wonderful to see the talent out there! I have several of them in my favorites and when I get time I'll add them to the sidebar. Still figuring out how to work that since you have to edit html. NOT one of my strengths!

Cathy Robinson is coming up from Perfect Spot Farm in North Carolina to pick up two rabbits she's getting from Chris. I'm green with envy over one of them, a gorgeous pure German buck. We're both already planning babies from him! It will be great to visit with Cathy; she's a grand lady and I haven't seen her since SAFF. We met over bunny deliveries a time or two and spent one terrific day together with several other bunny ladies a few(!) years ago. Our IAGARB district director, Mary Ellen Hansson, had put together a day for us and it was wonderful, hosted by Kelly Foster at Maple Lane. For awhile we haven't had a District Director, but now Elaina Kenyon has taken over the job and I'm looking forward to more bunny lady days!

Time to put aside my yarn dyeing obsession and tackle dishes and dog hair for Cathy's visit. Here are the last of the painted skein pictures. I'm putting it up for sale on www.greenberryhouse.com. Of course, my web page is STILL down, drat it! Haven't heard from the server guy since Thursday!

Mani Delaney and the confetti skeins. They don't really look like confetti; that was the idea we started with. I'll have to find a better name! 

Chenille hand painted yarn. Much better than I expected!  

More Yarn Experiments and Results

Stayed up too late last night and had just dozed off when there was an awful uproar in the kitchen. Of course the dog goes wild and it takes a bit for me to figure out that the cat had gotten stuck in a canning jar I had emptied for dinner. Had to get the dog away and get the jar off; was that cat furious! He spent the night under the bed trying to get himself clean. Took me awhile to get to sleep after that! Woke up early, too, darn it!

The confetti skeins are almost dry but the chenille is still wet. It's a LOT prettier than I thought it would be, though! Picture here somewhere. I hope it stays pretty when it's washed; the directions said it would lose some color!

The snow is melting fast; I had to turn off the heat when I got up so the wind has died down and it's warmer. Overcast and supposed to rain/snow. The wild birds are all outside the window waiting for me to fill the feeders; I have mostly finches, juncos and other small birds, with an occasional cardinal and blue jay.

Been thinking a lot lately about lucky I am. I've had some sad times but not really any hard times, and I think it's because I had a great childhood with lots of loving adults around. Nobody's perfect and my folks weren't, naturally, but they did their best and that's all anyone can ask. I see so many people struggling.

When I turned forty something inside me shifted. My thirties were my hardest years, not a major struggle but harder than the twenties. But about three months after I turned forty, suddenly everything was just OK. Hard to explain. Things are still OK, despite some things that are sad and were difficult. Anyway.

And how they turned out. I can't tell the new ones from the old. Not as much fun without Chris but pretty cool, all the same! 

Rolled carefully in plastic and ready for steaming. I use a big enamel canner with a rack, but the skeins fall through. Chris suggested putting the skeins in cans; I've got to get some! 

Am I close? 

After painting. I used ketchup squirt bottles. They worked better this time than last but they still leak! 

A closer look at how the original skeins turned out. I love these! 

I wound three skeins of my 60% merino/40% angora millspun wool; 175 yards per 2 ounce skein. Above is the colorway Chris and I did and I want to duplicate. 

Dye Day!

After putting up a bunch of Christmas ornaments on Tias and then shoveling out the bunny house, I sat down to skein up some of the 60% merino/40% angora wool that Diane at Oasis Farms spun from the white angora I sent her. The skeining went fast, thanks to Agatha Christie, Joan Hickson and BBC. So I got out the squirt bottles and dyed the yarn, trying to duplicate the skeins Chris and I did earlier in the week. I soaked the skeins in warm water with a dollop of vinegar and a little soap first. Angora is tough to get wet, so I soaked it for 20 minutes on low heat.

Above you'll find the whole process; read bottom to top! I also skeined some cotton/rayon chenille yarn I found upstairs and painted that with Dharma Pigment dyes that I had left over. It looks dreadful now but they promise it will wash pretty!

Lily waiting for her friend 

Beautiful Bunnies and the Snow is Melting!

The wind has finally died down after howling for three days here and I can look out my window and see bare patches in the fields. I love winter, but I have to admit that bunny chores are much harder in the cold. It's tough to keep water to them, although here I am lucky. It's rare to have more than a day or two at a time when the bottles freeze in the daytime. There should be a picture here somewhere of Greenberry's Autumn Joy. If it's warm enough Delly's Delight Quentin is going to get a haircut!

I've been working this morning on the By-laws for the Virginias' Women in Agriculture group. Interesting group of impressive and active women farmers. They let me in, even though bunny farming might be considered on the fringe! I also heard from my web page host; he's been out of town and disaster struck, but he hopes to have it back up today.

Yesterday I was swamped with stuff to try to make a living, but I'm dying to get out the skeinwinder and start making more lovely handpainted yarns. Hope mine turn out as well as the lovely ones Chris and I did earlier in the week. Have to shear Quentin today if possible and put more Christmas ornaments on Tias, but tonight might be spent winding yarn and watching old Agatha Christie Miss Marple videos!

Can't believe I've posted so long without mentioning the light of my life. Lily is probably an English Springer Spaniel mixed with border collie, if looks and behavior indicate anything. She's been here since she was tiny and has been the joy of all my times, good and bad. I'm getting a little (!) deaf and yesterday Lily told me the phone was ringing.

Sweet Greenberry's Autumn Joy

Chris Morgan shearing angora bunny 

Heard From Chris and One More Picture

Chris got home late but because of a smashed windshield! Of all the luck, a tractor trailer unloaded snow on the car! Don't know how she managed to get home! She said she couldn't get her pictures to work, darn it! I took better pics with her camera than mine and was looking forward to seeing them!

Here's Chris shearing the bunny; we did so much talking that the poor fellow got tired before he was done and wound up with a tutu!

Elaina Kenyon of Avillion Farm

More About the Bunny Lady Weekend

Haven't heard from Chris, who left to go home yesterday morning, but she had a cookie stop in PA. Probably got in VERY late. Haven't checked her blog yet. I have checked www.greenberryhouse.com. Still down. Makes me wild, particularly as I have no email! Wish I could figure out a way to get searchers redirected here, at least about the bunnies.

People here in the community get sort of a kick out of the bunny lady thing. I ran into an old classmate, the son of a very successful professional man in the county. We were always friendly but not buddies or anything. He seemed very interested in the bunny lady concept, and commented on the fact that you have to be creative here to make a decent living. It was interesting to me, given his background, that he would be so perceptive. Actually, around here, you have to hustle to make a living from tourism!

I'm going to try to post at least one more picture from the weekend; we had such a good time it's nice to remember the lovely faces that were here! Elaina has Shetland sheep and, I think, angora goats as well as German Angora rabbits. She has some wonderful new bunnies from Chris that came down with her this weekend.

Just beginning!

I thought I'd try this out, as I have kept private journals for years. But I love writing about how it is here on the farm in all the seasons, so this seems a good time to begin! Mainly because my friend Chris Morgan has so much fun with her blog.

Wonderful weekend here at Greenberry House! I had a visit from a terrific friend and fellow bunny lady, Chris Morgan, and we had three other bunny ladies come up on Sunday to be with us. Elaina Kenyon of Avillion Farm came up to share information and pick up bunnies from Chris. Elaina and Chris are both very well informed and wonderfully willing to share their knowledge. I learned a tremendous amount and had SO much fun!

Chris got snowed in on Monday, with our first real snowstorm here on the mountain! So we had fun with leftovers and other good things. Chris knows a lot about felting so we made a scarf for my cousin, Ruth Jean, and had a lovely visit when we got out on Tuesday to visit her. We also made some handpainted skeins from my merino/angora yarn, lovely! I'm going to try to post a picture here! This is all new to me, after all!

Chris and I also had to deal with snow in the bunny house! The wind never comes from the north up here in Meadows of Dan, but it did this time. (For pictures of the bunny house, check my site at www.greenberryhouse.com. Right now it's down, though!) Chris shoveled snow (now there's a friend!). We shifted bunnies and had to bring Greenberry's Autumn Joy to the house to get her dried off. She was wearing her mad bunny face for sure. But we fluffed her up and she is just fine now!

Naturally I have a wonderful new bunny from Chris. She's a beautiful chocolate cross and we're calling her Woolybuns Snickers. Don't have her picture yet as she has to grow out her beautiful coat again. But she has lovely color, like all my rabbits from Chris, and I'm looking forward to seeing the bunnies she will have with Delly's Delight Quentin, who just came here last week from Terri at Living Water Farm.

Confetti Skeins and felted scarf