On a warm spring day in Meadows of Dan

Seen around the farm:

Violets blooming


Skunk cabbage...growing


Apple tree exploding with blossom


Neighbor plowing Sue's garden (he did mine, too!)


Hinge aging on outbuilding

Now back to practicalities.  Although I don't know anything much more practical than a garden.  I can't wait to get to digging.  The soil needs to be tilled, because this is the first year I've had a garden patch at this spot.  It's near the grapevine fence, in lots of sun.  And out where everyone can see it so I'll have to keep it weeded!  I've already gotten seeds for sunflowers, nasturtiums and marigolds.  Oh, yeah, and peas, lettuce, broccoli, brussel sprouts....planning to get some tomato plants.  We're sort of getting a late start because it has rained so much but I hope we can soon catch up!

Recycled!  Former refrigerator now feed bin

Sandra of Thistle Cove Farm suggested in a comment on this blog that I use the refrigerator that died as a feed bin.  I would never have come up with that idea myself, but it works perfectly!  In fact, I think that the feed bin will long outlast the life of the refrigerator used for it's original purpose.  It only kept food cold for a year and a few months!  We put it up on cinder blocks on a tarp to protect it from the damp.  Since it wasn't a full-sized appliance it holds two 50 pound bags of rabbit feed perfectly.  When I get the chickens, hopefully next year, there's room in the freezer compartment for laying mash!

Mary waiting for breakfast

Already the rabbits have realized that the sound of the refrigerator lid opening means breakfast, just like the recognized the rattle of the old metal garbage can.  Mary, as senior doe, gets her breakfast first (although it's mostly because she's closest to the door, but don't tell her that.)  Mary is coming up on seven years old now and still has a wonderfully thick fleece, eats well, and enjoys her outings on the grass in the little pen.  She's long retired from motherhood and doesn't seem to regret it.

Mom's Prayer Shawl

Finally finished this shawl yesterday.  Really pleased with the way it turned out.  The soft striping of the sock yarn and the fineness of the gauge really work, at least I think so.  It may be awhile before I tackle a pattern like this again but I enjoyed knitting this!

New project

No sooner did I lay down the knitting needles that I picked up the crochet hook.  This is a pattern from the Spring, 2009 Interweave Crochet, by Lily M. Chin.  It's called Glittering Capelet, although because I'm using a wool yarn mine doesn't glitter so much.  This is a shop sample.  Even thought it's made from a commercial yarn I got at A Likely Yarn in Abingdon a few months ago, I think it will show the effect you can get from our local painted yarns.  

We had a quiet day yesterday here at the shop because of the weather, but I got a nice surprise when Linda came late in the afternoon with some of her beautiful handspun yarns.  We had a delightful visit while we worked on getting her yarns settled onto the shelves and then gave ourselves a treat by visiting Christopher's Pizza just down the road for dinner.  I'm having left-over pizza for lunch!

Home Grown

A blossom on a pear tree

Last year we had pears for the first time on the pear tree I planted in the yard.  I think it was 1995 or 1996 when I put a half dozen fruit trees in.  Life changed and most of them are gone now.  There's one little apple tree out by the grape vine fence that produces sad, scabby little apples in the fall.  And there's the pear tree, brave survivor that finally produced a nice quantity of pears with no help from me!  I've been a little worried about the possibility of fruit this year, though.  Until yesterday I didn't see any bees or bugs on the blossoms.

This year I'm hoping to have a garden again, after more years than I like to remember.  I'm waiting for the neighbor to come to plow.  It has been so wet and cool this spring that there haven't been enough dry days between rains for him to come out.  Then we'll have to haul out the rocks...this is the mountain so there are bound to be rocks and till up the soil fine to get it ready to plant.

Spinning a single on the Reeves wheel

The weather here until today could be called brisk, although some might say it has been miserably cold!  I've been in the house spinning on these cool evenings, usually with sleeping dogs nearby and sometimes with the cat perched on the arm of the nearby chair.  All of the wheels have something on them now.  I'm still spinning the last of the Jacob wool from a Perfect Spot farm fleece on the old upright and I'm really enjoying spinning a beautiful variegated Corriedale fleece from Rising Meadow Farm on the Haldane upright.  Pictured is a Border Leicester single on the Reeves wheel.  The fleece came from a local farmer that moved away when she got married.   I'm thinking to at long last get out my dye pots and overdye this yarn when I get it finished.  I can't remember when I last did any dyeing!

Looking forward to a busy weekend...tomorrow (April 25) is the Highland Games in Ararat, which is still in Patrick County and about twelve miles from Meadows of Dan.  I've never been to such a festival so it should be interesting.  I'll be in the booth most of the day demonstrating but I'm sure I'll be able to at least peek at the caber toss!

Another Week Went...ZIP!

Tuesday Night Dinner


Clouds are gathering here today; I thought they said it would be sunny! We had some terrific storms this week and lots of rain to make the corn maze grow. I've been busy getting flyers and advertising ready for the Meadows of Dan Folk Fair, which is next weekend. Yikes!

Tuesday Night Dinner was here at the shop and our theme was Eat Local. Everyone didn a great job; Kym made wonderful veggie things from fresh from her dad's garden, Trinity made beef turnovers and an awesome berry cobbler from fresh picked blackberries and blueberries. My little contribution was fresh eggs and potato salad, both from right down the road.


Janie's hibiscus

I'm babysitting. Poor Janie is missing some gorgeous blooms!

Confession..

Sarvis against a spring sky

But first a word from our sponsor...Mountain Spring (sounds like a bottled water company). Things are sure beautiful up here in Meadows of Dan right now; with Sarvis and apple trees blooming everywhere and dogwood getting ready to burst out any minute. Tiny green and red leaves are covering the trees on the slopes and it's really looking like we might have some warm weather at last. Of course the wind is blowing wildly and there's a chance of rain. I hear that Mabry Mill is open this weekend. People will be lining up soon for buckwheat pancakes!


A Few of My Favorite Things

So here's the confession.... the mild mannered bunny lady who wore flea market finds and thrift store cast-offs with chunky black shoes and black tights with holes in the toes? She's not real. I made her up. The real woman At the Top of Squirrel Spur prefers spike heels and sparkle to drab and flat. Brilliance and flash to dog hair and mud. Or does she? Who's really here?


New Fiber!

Jane brought a lovely bag of dyed roving in this morning, sent by Miss Babs. This is wonderful stuff, Blue Faced Leicester, merino and a lovely merino/silk blend. Miss Babs is so talented with color and her roving bundles get snapped up quickly here!

This Week's News

I got roses for Valentine's Day (unusual, to say the least!)


Trekking away on a Very Basic Sock


Stella enjoyed lots of pretty days this week!

And I didn't get pictures, but I went to Blacksburg to meet with the Spunsters. A lovely group of very talented fiber folk!

Just down the road...

Pretty, viney, flowery stuff; don't know what it is.


White Yarrow


Sweet Peas


Lovely Lilies in Mom's Garden

And here at home:


Bunny at breakfast!