Merry Christmas!

                  Merry Christmas from the hills of Tennessee!

Happy Anniversary To Us!

  I had this written yesterday when we celebrated our 34th anniversary but things transpired that kept me from getting to the 'post" button so here it is a day late! (I thought about putting our wedding picture on here but we've been married SOOOOO long that everything we have is actually on FILM and not digital!

Feast Or Famine....aka Flood or Drought

     If there's one thing I've learned since moving into the hills of Tennessee its to NOT take water for granted!  When we lived with city water my only concern was paying the bill.  I never worried IF we would HAVE water....we simply turned the faucet on and WHOOSH....water came out. (Imagine that!)  After 20 years of living out in the middle of nowhere on spring water, I have to say I've lost more sleep over water than absolutely anything else.  In the winter I have to worry about it freezing and in the summer I have to worry about it running dry and in the spring I have to worry about the lines getting plugged when we have too much rain.  All in all I can NOT worry about water about 6 or 7 days of the year....give or take a day or so.  I can assure you that you have never lived until you have spent days hauling water from the spring through the snow to the house just so you can flush and have water to cook and wash with.  I can also assure you that your missing TONS of fun spending hours outside in the freezing weather with a teakettle of boiling water trying to thaw out several hundred yards of frozen line.  Oh....and lets not forget about watching the water flow diminish to a steady trickle in the summer and fall and wondering if it will ever rain again.  Yes sir!....I have learned to never take water for granted....EVER!  Water has probably been the most common prayer request and topic of intersession we've had out here.  Recently we had already been experiencing the water "slowdown" since we had not had rain for weeks.  We had started hauling water in buckets from the creek to keep the garden and roses alive which is something we don't usually have to deal with till late summer and early fall.  In town where I work (which is 35 miles away) rain had been so frequent that the prediction of more brought curses and oaths from the people (aka city slickers) but when I would check with Susie there was no rain to be seen out here.  Well.....all that changed yesterday when it started raining ......and wouldn't stop!  We were awakened this morning with rain dripping on our bed through our roof...which is NOT a good way to start the day!  All told so far, I think we have had somewhere around 3"-4" with some more predicted.  Susie and I took two walks today just to survey the damage.  We have a number of trees down which will just give us a head start on next winters firewood but for the most part, even though the creek was up, it only went over the road in one area and even that was not bad enough to make the road impassable.  I actually have to give the road crew kudos in the fact that they have already resurfaced the road at the washout sight and have already re-paved and dozed the debris out of the way.  So...having said that....."Lord willing and the creek don't rise (again!)...we will be able to get out of the hollar in the morning for church.


PS....The above picture was taken at the middle falls at Burgess Falls State Park and NOT at our farm....as much as I wish it was! (If this was at the farm do you really think I would have a reason to stress out over water?)

Preview Showing Just For Cynde!

     Our nephew Benjamin and his wife Erin gave birth to their son Simeon several weeks ago...a month early.   Being a preemie, this gave Susie a chance to knit her first preemie socks.   As you can see from the photos, they are rather small...especially compared to a full sized adult pair.  They knit up really fast....I mean how could they NOT since they only use about a quarter of an ounce of yarn!   These were mailed to them today so we are waiting for a "report" about how they fit and how hard they are to get on a foot this small.

Another Bamboo View

      Here is another view of the same Giant Bamboo plants from the last post.  The top picture was taken on Thursday and at that time the plants were not quite 3 foot tall.  The bottom shot is the SAME two plants taken today before Susie measured the front ones diameter and its over 7 foot tall today....or more than doubled in height in only 3 days.  I think that's pretty impressive! (Sure wish our cotton and vegetables grew that fast)
                                                                       

Getting Bigger Every Year

     A number of years ago (too many to remember) we planted a pot of Giant Bamboo and one of Black Bamboo.  Over the following years we watched these plants grow very very slowly and never saw them do much in the way of spreading.  The folks at the nursery told us "Just wait! When they take off they REALLY take off!".  Several years ago they finally managed to spread over the entire area we planted them in and I actually had to cut a number of them down since they were by then in the power lines.  Imagine our surprise this spring when we went to the back side of the area near the creek and found THESE monsters breaking through the ground.  This is one of this years Giant Bamboo plants and as you can tell from the picture, its a big one!  We measured the circumference and it was slightly over 9.75 INCHES and well over 7 feet tall ....and it's only been out of the ground for a couple weeks!  I can't imagine how big these are going to get if the weather continues the way it has.

Mathematical Equation

     Take one home invasion and add 72 hours, plus another attempted robbery, multiply by the sheriffs officers suggestions equals ONE BIG BUTT LOCKED GATE!

The Dry Land Fish Are Running In Tennessee!

            After dealing with lots of errands in town today and getting groceries for the first time in several weeks, we decided to go for a short walk and check the end of our water line.  Every time we have a substantial amount of rain, we have to be concerned with rocks, gravel, and other debris either diminishing the amount of flow through our water line or at times even blocking it completely!  After checking and cleaning what little was on the end, we decided to go down in the creek and     transplant some of the spearmint that grows wild up to the house.  While walking down the creek we decided to also pick a big bouquet of wild phlox and that's when we spotted the illustrious dry land fish that folks around here fight over!  While the amount we found will not feed an army, it will most definitely be an added bonus with the next baked potato!  (Thanks Cynde for catching my misspelled word!) Several years ago we found some up the "holler" that measured more than 14 INCHES tall!  (If I can find the pictured we took of them, I will post them!)  I have been accused of Photoshopping the pictures of the monster mushrooms but I can assure you....I don't have the ability or the knowledge to Photoshop ANYTHING!                                                       

Todays Agenda Is......

     I love weekends!  I stand around the print shop all week doing nothing much in the way of physical labor and then the weekends come and I get to move mountains by hand!....LITERALLY!   Today's project is not too bad......I just need to bust up and remove a concrete slab, dig out a couple trees, move a bed of daffodils and some irises, take off all the weeds and sod from an area and double dig the entire spot to plant asparagus.  There has been 1 asparagus plant growing here since we moved in 20 years ago but since I planted it wrong and its choked with weeds and grass, we have yet to get anything off of it.  This time we are going to make a better job of it and prepare the bed the correct way so maybe in a year or so we can actually EAT some in the spring!

     I decided to post this NOW rather than wait till after I get back in because I have a sneaking hunch that I will be in no condition to post anything.  I'd say that by that time, it will be a soak in the tub, a couple aspirins, and a session with the heating pad!  Having said that, enjoy YOUR day!  Here we go...out the door I head!

It's Now Official!

     After waiting for nearly 2 months, the paperwork has finally been completed and all the necessary signatures and notarization's are in place and Robin from the bank has FINALLY been able to call and tell me to come and pick up the deed to the farm.  You would think that by now the giddiness of the situation would have taken hold but the continuing "drama" in our private life has taken much of the joy out of this milestone.  Now that we no longer have an "official" farm payment, the money that had been going for the mortgage is now going into paying the taxes & insurance directly rather than through the bank and the beginnings of rebuilding much of the house due to being unable to afford repairs AND a mortgage.  I'm not sure exactly where the repairs will begin but with all that needs done, it will be a coin toss and away we go!  With the family situation being what it is, putting a massive amount of effort into repairs and remodeling may be a good thing....something "new" to dwell on as we start a new chapter in our life.

     I can also report that the 2013 Pima cotton crop was started in origami pots this past Sunday and in only 3 DAYS, we are already seeing germination!  Now.....if the weather will EVER warm up enough to get the garden worked up, we may be able to get something planted.  In the normal scheme of things in Tennessee, we are able to start turning the garden (I do the whole thing by hand with a fork!) in January.  This year however we have managed to get a whopping 2 days in the garden so far.  Between the colder than normal temperatures and the unusually wet winter, gardening hasn't been an option. I for one am praying that the summer we are about to face is not as hot and dry as last years.......last years summer STUNK!

The Jokes On US!!!

     OK....I have to admit that I was having a little fun with the last posting just to see who was actually reading this blog and so far it appears that one person does.  When I posted that we were "expecting twins" I was actually expecting just 2 of these Russian spindles but low and behold, we ended up with THREE so the post should have read "triplets"!  These spindles were hand crafted for me by Joshua Lynch out of Texas from some flame birch lumber that I had been hoarding for 20 some years.  To say that Joshua did a superb job is a gross understatement!  In my emails with him, he said that this wood was some of the hardest stuff he's ever dealt with but we could not be more happy with what he sent back. So....without further ado let me introduce you to the newest members of our growing spinning family!  (Yes, we are rather like the Duggar family but with wheels and spindles!)

    The three Russian spindles pictured above are Theona, Hepzibah, & Finn.  Having just received them in the mail, I haven't had the time to take them to the shop and put them on the scale to know their weight. Most Russian spindles used to spin Gossamer lace weight need to weigh around 12-15 grams.  I'm pretty sure these will weigh more due to being made from flame birch which is a heavy wood.  The three will add to our growing number of fiber tools that now number (I think!) at 8 wheels and somewhere around 24 spindles.  I hope to one of these days take them ALL outside and make a "family" portrait with them but may need to use a wide angle lens!

Surprising News!

     I know this is going to come as a big surprise but we are expecting a new addition to the family and its going to be TWINS!!!!  I will share more on this next week so stay tuned!

Surprise Package!!!!

      A couple weeks ago I had placed an order for printing supplies at work from Mike Weist over at Printers & Duplicators Services out of Nashville.  Besides being a supplier of printing chemicals and equipment, he and his wife Melody also own Double Creek Farm in Lebanon Tennessee where they raise alpacas.  Susie & I have purchased fiber from them in the past and have really enjoyed the quality of their fiber and their knowledge of their animals fiber.  Imagine my surprise when Mike came in with my printing supply order and asked if I had a moment to go out to the truck with him only to be given TWO bags of alpaca fiber!!!!   One is black and the other is a really nice fawn color. I'm now chomping at the bit for some warmer weather so I can get them into the wash tubs on the porch and then out into the warm sun to dry!  We are not sure yet what this fiber will ultimately "become" but I know we are going to enjoy working with it regardless!

THANKS MIKE & MELODY!

Gray Aland Fleece....REALLY!

     As promised, here is a picture of the gray Aland fleece we bought from a gal in Helsinki Finland.  I am still not happy with the photos!  For whatever reason, I can't seem to shoot gray without it either looking blue or white....so trust me... this IS gray! (I still owe pictures of the black Aland but I'm having MORE problems with the black shooting right than I did with the gray! Man I miss my 35mm!)

Praying For Better Times!

     As we came in from scouting out more firewood this afternoon, Susie reminded me that it was that time of year to start our cotton plants.  For me it's hard to imagine that we've arrived at this point again since last years crop was SUCH a bountiful one...as seen in the picture of our 2012 Pima cotton yield.  Actually this really is just a Q-tip but you get the idea!  With last years heat and drought I think the grand total of developing bolls was either 3 or 4.....it was SOOOOO many I couldn't count!  I think this year we are going to plant only white Pima again but if I can find an area away from the main planting, I would really like to plant more of the colored cotton.  It could have been just the difference in the growing season but the green & brown cotton we planted a couple years ago did much better than the white.  Once again I am also reminded that the growing frame that I promised Susie several years ago is still in the wood shop in pieces so that is going to have to be the next project I face.

Snowed In!

     Well....snowed in may be putting it a little dramatically! In actuality we had a dusting last night and much colder temps today, which in this area of Tennessee is enough to make Kroger and Walmart go into survival mode with traffic being directed in the area around the stores as people circle like buzzards for a parking spot.  I have NEVER been able to understand the absolute crazed desire for pork rinds, toilet paper, milk and beanie wienies every time the weather even threatens to get "bad".  Fortunately I was off work again today so we decided to "hunker down" by the wood stove and stay off the roads.  What better thing to do on a "snow day" than sit by the fire and knit and card wool?  As you can see, Susie continues progress with her black shawl. She hand spun the lace-weight yarn from some black alpaca roving we purchased a few years ago from a breeder at the Greencastle Indiana Fiber Event.  The pattern is from Knit Picks by Rachel Schnelling and is adapted from an original pattern in a book called Danish Lace Treasures.  I asked Susie how far she was along with it and after counting, it appears she's about a third of the way done.  Whenever it is finished and blocked, we will be sure to post pictures of the finished piece.

     I have promised shots of the Aland fleece we recently purchased from Finland and I have NOT forgotten!  I have tried numerous times to shoot these fibers but have yet to hit the secret setting on the digital camera that shows the fiber in its true color.  For whatever reason, EVERY time I shoot gray fleece, it either photographs as blue or white....and as far as the black Aland goes....it shoots as a dead mess.  I realize my eyes aren't as good as they were 30 years ago but I sure didn't have this kind of problem shooting 35mm FILM! (Yes!....FILM!....I AM that old!)

Phat Fiber Goodies

     Thought we would show some proof that we actually do get some spinning time in once in awhile. These are 2 of the samples we received in our Phat Fiber boxes. The orange fiber is Superwash  BFL from Brazen Stitchery called Leelu Dallas and was in the most recent box. The other spindle is loaded with another sample of BFL from LMS Studio Arts called Sea Glass and was from our October 2012 box.  Susie used a couple of our Janet Yost spindles to spin these on and once we get them skeined off I will test them to see if they are lace weight or cobweb. Susie has plans for knitting them when she gets done with the spinning so stay tuned!  I think this may have been the first time we have worked with BFL (Blue Faced Leicester) and we both think it has a really nice feel but we both still prefer our Finn fiber!

Morning Ice

     We woke this morning to the sound of rain coming down and freezing on everything.  Even though this was predicted on the weather sight, it was still on the weird side since ice is something we have not had to deal with much since moving to Tennessee back in the '80s.  Fortunately I already had MORE than enough hours in that I didn't have to worry about driving 40 miles into town just to make sure I didn't have a short check!  Not having to travel ended up being a good thing since when I went out to see how slick it was, I fell on my ample posterior and SLID about 20 feet downhill on the gravel driveway and only stopped when I slid into the side of the car.  So.....today has ended up sitting inside by the wood stove keeping warm and knowing that when I try to get out of bed in the morning, I WILL feel the effects of my curiosity!  (By the way....it WAS slick out there!)

Finally Some Good News!

  

  For anyone that follows Dave Ramsey and his teaching through Financial Peace University, his lead in line of  "...where the paid off home mortgage has replaced the BMW as the status symbol of choice".... you'll understand our excitement when we say that as of last Friday our farm is PAID OFF!  I'm not sure the reality of it has soaked in as of yet. Maybe it's because of  all the repairs and work that needs done here or the continued pain and trials of our family situation over the past year but I really expected to be a lot more "giddy" over knowing that the place was now ours.  With all the uncertainty in both the economy and the state of the nation as a whole, we felt it was time to take the plunge and use our emergency fund to pay the place off and then start building the emergency fund back up. Earning 50% less now than I did a few short years ago has made ANY advancements an unbelievable ordeal but GOD is good when we are faithful in the little things....and believe me...my income falls in the "little things" category!

     On another high note, our Aland wool from Finland arrived on Friday and I will be taking pictures of it to post on here in the next day or two.  It is some REALLY nice looking fleece and Susie and I are looking forward to working with this new to us wool. Stay tuned!

                    

Happy New Year!

 

  Well, here I am again at the start of a new year with all the intentions of being MUCH more diligent in posting.  Time will tell if I can do this or if the continuing heartbreak we have experienced the past 10 plus months will continue on into the foreseeable future. (I'm not holding my breath since we are still very much subject to others LIFE decisions) At least let me start on a positive note since its the first day of the new year.

   For the past 3 months, Susie & I have been able to "score" what is called a Phat Fiber box.  Phat Fiber is the brainchild of a young couple from Southern Illinois that takes samples of fiber related items from small, independent fiber artist the world over and packages them into boxes for sale. These boxes come in either "fluff" which is spinners goodies.... "stitches" which are for the knitters or "mixed" which has a menagerie of items in both of the other categories. We have gone for the "fluff" box each time since we are more geared to spinning fiber and making our own yarn.  There have been some pretty awesome samples in these boxes! (I might add that the boxes normally sell out LITERALLY in less than 3 SECONDS!)  I attached a picture of one of the samples that Susie's spinning on a Yost drop spindle. The fiber is BFL wool dyed in the colorway called Sea Glass from LMS Studio Arts. 

   We started buying the Phat Fiber boxes as a way to get inspired to get our OWN rears in gear and get Sojourner Studios going in earnest rather just in "theory". I really hope that in the near future I will be able to show pictures on this blog of some of OUR items that have been included in future Phat Fiber boxes.