The Magic of Spring

Ever wonder how nature knows when to work its magic of the season? Early this morning, my daughters were outside grooming their horses because the coats are “shedding out.”  Although last night’s temperature had dropped to 31 degrees, the longer daylight hours signal it is spring time to the flora and fauna. And while they were currying those thick winter coats, and hair was blowing in the wind and falling to the ground, little oiseaux were gathering that hair to build their nests. It was totally precious to see the birds fluttering around with soft, white tufts held tightly in their beaks.

While they were doing that, I was uncovering the hoop tunnels. The onions and garlic have been braving the cooler temperatures without ever being covered. The broccoli and Brussel sprouts MAY be okay braving them, but I don’t want to take any chances!

The lettuces, kales, and greens thrive in these cooler, spring temperatures, so I cover them at night only when the temperatures threaten to dip below a predicted 40 degrees. Outside of town, in the country, the temperatures are always cooler than what they have predicted for in town. Although I know the difference shouldn’t be 8-10 degrees, it has been known to happen and it’s not worth risking it.  However, the water lilies are continuing to grow and the fish are quite pleased that the pond remains NOT frozen over!

I take EXTRA precautions with the tomatoes and pepper plants this early in the growing season. They get an extra cardboard box or plastic container put over the plant itself INSIDE the hoop tunnel during these risky spring nights when temperatures are still known to drop below freezing.  It is more effort, I agree. But last year I had also planted them in early April and loved being able to eat tomatoes extra EARLY in the summer!

The herbs are growing in the raised stone beds. Even though most of them are hardy, they’ve already begun to grow and I don’t want them dying back from a freeze. Consequently, I also cover them on chilly nights.  It may be a bit too cautious, but it’s definitely worth being able to cook with them again.

Hostas are sprouting up in the shade gardens. Those are few and far between at my farm. But, with each passing year and all the trees becoming more mature, I know shade garden space will increase!

And then, of course there are the nests and eggs! Many of the birds do build in our trees, perhaps only because our nesting boxes are always occupied! (smiles) Some summers we have counted THREE broods from each of our nesting boxes….and I have 11 nesting boxes placed around the farm. That’s a LOT of birds!!  Maybe that’s why there is always so much cheeping, chattering, and chirping going on…and, we are blessed to hear it!!   ❤

 

 

 

The Blue Harbinger of Spring

At our farm, a sure sign of spring is the little blue egg! And down through the ages, the color of that little blue egg has inspired poetry, musical lyrics, wall paints, and fabric dyes. BUT, how that egg survives to be inspirational, is beyond me!  For, of all the birds that frequent my yard, I always say that robins make the worst mothers for site selection; there is never any rhyme nor reason where they build their nests!!

Holding my camera over the lip of the nest, this is what I found this morning.

Usually, they choose under the hood of one of our vehicles. I realize that’s where they’ve selected as a site when I spot hay dangling from a robin’s mouth as she makes several trips back and forth across the farm usually to MY truck! BUT, this year, it was my front porch light! (Several years ago, it was also here, and we spent the next several weeks using the back door to come and go)

So, as she worked tirelessly transporting hay and grasses to begin forming the nest on my light, with heavy heart I thwarted her efforts. (sigh!) In my defense, I planted dozens of trees years ago that are now quite mature. They could have been hers for the taking! But, no…she thought my light was the ideal spot!

The hay bale cutters and the temperature monitor happen to be hanging from the light, too. And NOW I can’t remove them for awhile!! What a mess!

Usually, a huge grapevine wreath hangs on the front of my house. I had recently taken it down to switch out the seasonal bows. Other years, a robin has claimed the wreath for building a nest on. I knew in my studio that I had several small wreaths that I had plans for, but I ran inside and quickly grabbed one to hang, in the hopes that the robin would use THAT instead!! (smiles) I didn’t even realize that the tag was still on!

Althea (Rose of Sharon) are just beginning to awake in the foreground.

Well, during the night, she obviously continued working because this is what I found in the morning. And, because the nest was done, or at least close to completion, I gave in and let it stay. Today, the first egg is here. I know within the next three days another egg will appear daily.

What are the odds?

I am certain that anyone who works outside, sleeps outside, or plans outdoor events, believes that the weather operates only in superlatives. At my farm, it definitely functions that way: Too hot, too cold, too windy, too icy, too rainy, too crazy! But, today was too… wonderful!  (smiles) The temperature was perfect, the sun was perfect, the breeze was perfect, and there was not a sound, except the birds singing. What are the odds of that?

The crabapple trees are gorgeous right now!

We opened up another paddock for the horses that we keep closed during the winter. They were so busy eating the fresh grass, we never heard a peep from them all day. The llamas were content in the front yard (yes, we allowed them back in–just for a bit), and the sheep were “under the haystack fast asleep.”  They were actually in the shade of their run-in, but asleep just the same. Although I thought the day’s temperature was perfect, they did not. They are BIG puff-balls, and the wool needs to come off.

Today was going to be shearing day, but we ran out of time. Hopefully, there is tomorrow. I guess I need to check on the weather. What are the odds of having two perfect days in a row?  (smiles) Yup… not going to hold my breath. Sheering is an arduous task and because we take our time, the sheep usually fall asleep.   ❤

“Many hands make light work” (mom always says)–well, not all of us were here this weekend; but nevertheless, the fields got mucked, hoop tunnels got uncovered and veggies watered, additional raised beds got prepped, flower beds got weeded, troughs got cleaned and refilled, bird feeders got filled, and iced tea got brewed.

These paddocks are closed now to regrow. Snow/ice/hooves are tough on fields during the winter. Horses moved to new fields and these fields got mucked.

Then, as the last of the water troughs was filling, we sat out back on the patio, enjoyed the fruits of our labor, and sipped refreshing tea.

Warp and Weft

Spring is temporarily on hold, veggies are hiding in the hoop tunnels, the world is going crazy, and I am hard-pressed to find anything inspiring to write about. So, I decided on something non-committal, like weaving, to write about today.

My great-aunt Pat had been a weaver, and through the years she wove many items she gave as gifts to family members. Her son, my mom’s cousin, gave me many of her “workshop items” when she passed away.  I have notecards, handwritten by her, describing the different items she had created. The pattern, thread count, color of materials, size, and recipient are all listed on these precious and cherished mementos of hers.  I found the pattern and date given of receiving blankets for her nephews (my uncles), placemats for a wedding gift to my parents, and the list goes on and on. She even sewed her own coats from the fabric she WOVE! Absolutely inspiring!  ❤

Twill and Herringbone examples

I would have LOVED the opportunity for her to teach me some of the secrets for success that she obviously knew. And, I know she would have LOVED to have had the chance to come to the farm and participate in the “creating” we do in our mill/studio.

All done with one warp. The weft is with different colors. The “fringe” is really the warp threads.

Weaving in a Nutshell

We have several looms — but I always say that a few of them don’t count! (smiles) A rigid heddle is a loom on which simple weaving occurs. When I teach classes, I use this type of loom for my students. It’s easy to warp, mistakes in the weft are easy to spot and fix, and it’s quick–students can start/finish a project in one day.  *Note: you are able to do a few fancy things on a rigid heddle, with added accessories (heddles, pick-up sticks, etc.), but I still like to tease that they don’t count.

Purse done on a Rigid Heddle. The fringe is really just the warp threads incorporated into the design

No matter what type of loom you prefer, the warp is where it all begins. The WARP is the name for the strings that run from the front to the back of the loom (north to south). To “warp” the loom is the most difficult task of the whole, entire project! Each individual string has a special spot. Whether going through the “eye” or “slot” on the rigid heddle, or through the “eye” of a particular heddle on a harness, where the string is placed will determine what your end “fabric” looks like…what your PATTERN will look like. In the case of my 4-Harness loom, there are 6 foot pedals to assist with creating different patterns.

Six pedals, each tied to a harness to create a pattern

 

The WEFT is the string (yarn, wool, fabric, etc.) that goes back and forth (east to west to east) across the WARP. If you have warped correctly, each time your shuttle passes across, there is a SHED for it to pass through. By creating this shed, it eliminates the manually going OVER then UNDER then OVER, etc., etc., each time. Remember when we all wove those potholders on the squares with nubs? Well, that’s how grueling it would be if we weren’t able to create the SHED.

A set of placemats I had done several years ago. They were done on the rigid heddle and were finish/sewn after they came off of the loom. The spacers were put in place so that I could continue weaving.

When we weave on our 4-Harness loom, we measure a warp that will allow for multiple projects. It takes at least 2 people (to make it easier) and at least 2 hours to warp the loom, so it would be foolish to waste that time and resource for just one scarf! So, we warp with colors that we can use multiple ways and hope to get at least 4 scarves out of one warping job. Even when one particular set of projects is done, I leave on the excess string and just tie the next color to it. Believe it or not, it is effective. However, this is only practical if your next project set is the same. Example–wouldn’t work from scarves to blankets.

All the same warp-striping effect of blue and green. The wefts were very different, thus creating different looking scarves.

Writing about this today has cheered me up in one regard, but has also made me wish there was more time to do ALL the things I love doing.  C’est la vie!

 

 

Green, Green Grass of Home

I just got back from a wonderful week visiting my family in Florida. And, although I was promised a relaxing time, it was far from that! (smiles) But, how could I turn down the opportunity to “play” in someone else’s yard…and at THEIR expense???! Planting, transplanting, pruning, digging, amending, composting…I finally ran out of time (and steam)! But, WOW! A lot had happened here at home while I was gone!

 

Besides the llamas in the side yard still destroying everything, Spring had arrived! The grass, that had been just recently under snow, was now thick, lush, and very GREEN!!

The covers for the hoop tunnels have been (temporarily) removed the past few days, and everything is enjoying the warm (hot) temperatures! It’s actually 72 degrees at 9:00 am!! Today is going to be a scorcher, especially for this early in the year. But, the bed of onions is coming along nicely.

The kale is actually coming along very nicely, too. I know the leaves will get MUCH larger, but I am pleased they are so healthy looking. While I was gone, the low temperature for a few of the nights here had been 27 degrees. However, I am happy to see that the crops fought off the chill nestled inside the hoop tunnels.

I am so excited! I can actually begin to harvest leaves from the different lettuce heads in the hoop tunnels now. They are still too young to remove the whole head, but snipping leaves here and there will not be missed, and will allow the heads to continue growing.

Several clusters of peonies are up all over the backyard. Soon, their gorgeous flowers will be in bloom. I can’t wait.

This morning as I walked the property, it was nice to see the dogwood, pears, and crabapples blooming. The apples, cherries, plums, peaches, and redbuds are a bit slower. Lilacs are leafing out, but no blossoms until later.

Years ago, I planted several big, Blue Hostas (not to be confused with Big Blue Nation) everywhere I could find shade. Even they are beginning to emerge!

Yes, it was wonderful visiting family last week in Florida, spending time chatting, playing games, and helping out. But, it was comforting to return to Kentucky and step upon the green, green grass of home.   ❤

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Language of (wool) Flowers

Outside, while the gorgeous flowers of spring are beckoning, we are inside felting flowers for orders that have once again been coming in. Wool is the traditional anniversary gift to mark the 7th year of blissful matrimony. (smiles) Frequently, it’s the husband who sends the request for us to replicate his wife’s bouquet. After receiving a wedding photo, we begin to create/match the color and type of flower, but entirely in wool.

In order to create the felted flowers, we start with cleaned (then dyed) wool. Sometimes colors are blended; other times, they are left solid. Although we have all helped with some part of the end product, my younger daughter excels at felted wool flower making and her bouquets are reflective of that.

Flowers are such an integral component for so many of life’s events–  proms, graduations, weddings, births, deaths, birthdays, promotions, housewarmings, etc., etc.!! Even many national floral companies urge us to “say it best with flowers!”

But, whereas real flowers live for only a short period of time, felted wool flowers seem to brighten a room for generations. When we are exhibiting at festivals, fair-goers of all ages are drawn to the flowers–then, most are shocked when they realize they aren’t even real!  (smiles)

By implementing several techniques of both wet-felting and needle felting, we create these beautiful floral flowers and then send them on their way to their new forever home!

~Created with love and shipped with care ~

(the rest is up to them!)

Four-leaf Clover

On the farm, I spend a great deal of time walking hither and yon. Most of the year, my head is up and I am watching things happening around me; however, during the spring, I seem to walk with my eyes focused on the ground beneath my feet. Why? To find a lucky 4-leaf clover, of course!  (smiles)

My younger daughter finds them almost daily!?!?!?? So, after all these years, the rest of us no longer think it’s exciting when she stoops down to pick it and says, “Aw, a four-leaf clover.”

But, today, I found one of my very own. It’s a silly superstition to think it will bring LUCK. It’s more that it’s just exciting to think for a minute, “I found one!!”  Supposedly, the odds of finding one are 1 in 10,000. BUT, on a farm with acres and acres of clover….well, let’s just say I guess that’s why I found one!

At any rate, all I’m really hoping for is a year of great gardening!

Wish me LUCK!!  (smiles)

Les Poissons

One of the most enjoyable things about the pond is getting to watch all the creatures who dwell in or around this micro-habitat. I know I have shared a few pictures of the bunnies and birds who come to drink, but without the poissons, the pond would be rather boring! (smiles)

Our fish, or poissons as we call them, were bought from a pet shop in Florida almost 17 years ago!! I think they were probably just about 40 cents each, or something crazy like that…and ever so small! We had them in a teeny-tiny preformed pond there and I thought it was beautiful! Although, I did have to cover it with a net at night due to a raccoon that would come and sit at the edge of the pond thinking it was his sushi bar. The kids were young at the time, and I remember waking them one night to come peek out the window and watch the raccoon “playing” in the water. When we moved to Kentucky, we decided to bring a few of the fish with us…along with several other critters!!

The poissons’ first pond in Kentucky was rather small– a small kidney shaped and pre-formed. It sufficed for a while, but I knew I wanted something larger. I splurged and bought the largest pre-formed pond I could find, proudly bringing it home tied to the top of the truck. We all were so excited to get it put into the ground and operational!

Alas, it wasn’t long before I began dreaming of a larger pond! This time we actually had to dig out the ground, making sure to form “shelves” for aquatic plants. I bought a liner and we created our own pond. Of course that meant scavenging (with permission) on neighboring farmers’ fields to gather large stones for naturalizing. Believe it or not, the poor fish survived all of this!! Although, I must say that I did take extra precautions. Through the years with this pond, we have added more water plants and a larger waterfall…but I have yet to buy another fish!!!

Our originals poissons, or at least the ones we have had for a decade or so now, are quite large and still around. We are also happy to note a few new little babies every now and then.  (smiles)

 

 

Cheated…just a bit!

I had set goals that I wanted to stick to for this year’s garden. I wanted to start EVERYTHING from seeds, so that it would be a learning process at each step. Well, I guess I LEARNED that starting seeds during sugar egg season was next to impossible.  BUT, lettuces that I started from seeds in early February and then transplanted into the hoop tunnels in late February/early March are finally really starting to grow. In the meantime, slim pickings, don’t you agree?!?!

Last week, I bought (yes, I did) a few tomato plants and added them to the hoop tunnels. I know it seems like cheating, but I wanted to see if planting this early would allow them to harvest sooner, or if the others that I will be transplanting in a week or two will catch up to them by harvest time. We’ll see.

The hoop tunnels are uncovered today with the warm temperatures. It’s important not to forget that the young plants in the hoop tunnels need copious amounts of water. So, either water them, or allow the rain to do it for you. Plus, I wanted the plants to begin to harden off.

I did get broccoli, Brussel sprouts, onions, garlic, and kale also planted. Phew! Trying to make up for lost time.

I have had the lumber for another raised bed for over two months now. I hope to get that built and prepped to be included in at least summer’s crop rotation, if not before. That’ll make 11 raised beds. It’s probably more than I need, but it will allow the veggies, growing and rotating, more location options. Some beds may even be able to “take a break” for a few weeks. (smiles)

I hope to get the arbors put in place in the next few weeks, too. Can’t wait to see how they’ll turn out.

 

Narcissus/Daffodil

Daffodowndilly     

She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;
She turned to the south wind
And curtsied up and down.
She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbour:
“Winter is dead.”

 by A.A. Milne

I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud         by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed and gazed but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

NARCISSUS (botanical name for daffodil): In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a hunter from Thespiae in Boeotia who was known for his beauty. He was the son of the river god Cephissus and nymph Liriope. He was proud, in that he disdained those who loved him. Nemesis noticed this behavior and attracted Narcissus to a pool, where he saw his own reflection in the water and fell in love with it, not realizing it was merely an image. Unable to leave the beauty of his reflection, Narcissus lost his will to live. He stared at his reflection until he died. Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism, a fixation with oneself and one’s physical appearance or public perception.

I hope these three were inspirational on this bleak and rainy day!