The Buff Babies are Here!

We hatched some Buff Orpington chicks in our new Brinsea incubator last week...

These were all daughter's idea.  We had a beautiful Buff Orpington hen when she was about 4 years old; she had named it Lightening.  One morning, a couple of coyotes devastated our entire flock, and my little girl never forgot Lightning and has wanted Buff Orpingtons ever since.

So, when she was gifted a bunch of moolah for her birthday in January, she decided she wanted to buy chickens.  She paid for the eggs herself, contributed $50 to the cost of the new incubator, and is now caring for these 6 little cuties on her own.

Buff Orpingtons (or the Orpington breed in general) are a wonderful, beautiful golden dual-purpose bird that lays lovely brown eggs.  They have a gentle, laid-back personality and are described as being perfect for children.

We even grew some wheatgrass for them to peck at.

I know it's only February, but it feels like Spring!

To Spin a Yarn...

I've been debating about this post for over a week now.  I was all set to post something more on spinning and yarn and sheep... but then my favorite blogger Amanda Blake Soule posted something SO similar I just couldn't bare to mirror her... even though I totally am, but not by design.  We just happen to be very interested in the same things.  Probably why I enjoy her blog so much.  Hmmmm.

I may have mentioned, I bought an entire unwashed fleece from Margaret at Ranfurly Farms last March.  I washed it, carded it, and now, spun it...

plyed it (with itself)

And ...

Ta-Dah!  My first "real" skein!

 I have a few before this one, but THIS one really felt like I knew what I was doing, though I'm still not totally consistent with the gauge. Yet.

I have rented a spinning wheel for the month of February, as one whole fleece actually gets one a whole lot of wool.  I'd like to try dying some of it, but I'll hopefully spin it all first.  I haven't knitted anything with it yet, as my priority right now is getting something done for my little man whose birthday is fast approaching.  And, with a deadline of the end of February, I want to get as much spun as possible.  I figure that after I return the wheel, I'll have plenty of time while waiting for lambs to arrive to knit.  And ya, I'll probably copy Mrs Soule again and knit some fingerless gloves with the first skein... very practical for spring time and lambing time on the farm.

Wait. Did I say Lambing Time???

Yes.  Yes I did :)

Weekend Reading

More real life reading for me.   "Trauma Farm"  is written by Salt Spring Island (BC) farmer Brian Brett and covers 18 years in a single day.  Hmmm.  How?  Well, he starts off in the morning, and tells several stories about that time of day, though the stories can span his 18 years on what is affectionately known as Trauma Farm.  And he continues like this.  He is funny, but real, exploring the harshness of factory farming vs small rural farms, the humorous anecdotes and heart-felt connections that inevitably occur when humans and animals co-habitate, the cycle of life and death,  and the importance - and necessity - of community.  Great book, and I especially loved that it's Canadian (printed and bound as well!)

Happy Reading!

The Learning Curve

I am learning a new thing.  It's something I've wanted to learn for a l-o-n-g time.  And in learning this thing, I am discovering how I learn, and I'm finding that, in itself, interesting.

First, I notice.  Then, I think and watch. Then I circle it.  Metaphorically, for sure, sometimes actually walking around and around the thing.  Sometimes for years, as in this particular thing.

Oh? What am I learning?  SPINNING.  As in, how to spin wool.  I am SO excited about this.  Well.  I am this week.  Last week was my first class and no matter how awesome I can spin in my head, my hands just couldn't get the hang of it.  I know I'm just learning and to give myself time and all that, but you know when you REALLY want to learn something and you're SURE you will be great at it and then it doesn't come together the way you thought?  I just didn't even want to TALK about it last week.  Then I had my second class and tonight, while children read and built marble runs around me, I spun.  And it was GOOD.

It amazes me how just a little wee bit of sheep fluff can be transformed into something much more.  And it's funny how last week, just looking at the spinning wheel made me a wee bit sad, and this week, I wish I had more to spin!  I do, actually, have 3 big bags of BFL wool to spin, but daughter says that the BFL is so lovely, I need to perfect my technique just a bit more before I go for the good stuff.  And I think I'll dye some of it before I spin it too.

I did take a few pictures, but my camera is not that good for indoor evening shots, so perhaps I'll try again during the day.

3 cheers for learning something new!

Weekend Reading

"The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein was, for me, a quick and highly enjoyable foray into the contrived mind of a dog.  The story is told in the point of view of Enzo the dog, who begins at the (almost) end of the story.  It was a good one for me, when I wanted a little literary escape, without a lot of fluff or historical recounting of some bizarre or fantastical event.  I buzzed through this one in 3 easy nights.  I could say more, but I won't.  I'll save the enjoyment for you to discover.  Sweet book.  Enjoy it :)

And Now We Wait

I can't help it.  I love spring, and now, with Christmas, New Years and my dear daughter's birthday over and done, I'm now waiting for spring.

Truly, when the grey cloud of blah sits comfortably over our valley for days and weeks on end, and all we see of the sun is a brief gasp before he pulls his head back above the clouds, it's all we can do to cope.  We're not much for skiing and skating.  I think maybe we've spent too many winters in Mexico sunshine and we're now wimpy Canadians.

So, we wait.

And plan and dream of chicks and ducklings and goslings and baby turkeys and lambs!  If all went well with Mr. Man's visit, first possible lamb is due to show it's adorable face anytime after March 9.

And so, I wait.

And.

Wait.

How many more days?

Sigh.

Weekend Reading :: Winter

I love farming blogs.  As you could probably tell from the list at the right.  Ahem.

So I find this book, "The Dirty Life", quite by accident, and it's like reading an entire year of farming blogs.  Do you think I can put it down?  Nope.

This is all about Kristin Kimball's leap of faith (so to speak) from her pub-hopping, rent-fixed, take-out food city life to farming - real, permanent, dirt-andgoodnessknowswhatelse-under-your nails-forever type of farming with her honey Mark (who was a farmer, like, forever).

And since the first half of the farm deals with winter, and we're right in the middle of it in real life over here, this is the kind of book I can't wait to curl up with in my big red chair by the fire.  Ah.

Yes, it's similar to "Rurally Screwed" by Jessie Knadler, but I guess I like these sorts of books.  Kinda rings true, you know?  Although I can't say that I was ever "corporate", I did live close to downtown in my 20's, worked in offices, wore something dressier than jeans to work, and was even, briefly,  the educational director for a local business-women's group.  That was all pre - kids,-knitting, -sewing, -farm animals, etc.  That "other" life never really fit with me.

This one, happily, does.

Happy winter reading, folks!
And Happy 2013!