A Catuirday report and Mummy's Finished Object

Hello Effurry Body and EffurryKitty!

It's Caturday!  And it's been one pretty nice week here in the Pacific NW.  Georgie, Bella & I have spent a lot of time out in the Shepherd's gardens - partly because it has been sunny and warm out, but partly because some mystery ebil kitty has been coming into mummy & The Shepherd's house through OUR cat door and eating our food and making it stinky in the kitchen.

Mummy is upset - but The Shepherd is fur-i-ous.

Mummy wanted me to tell you about the blankie that she made *crocheted) for the grand niece of her older sister.  It is kind of round and kind of star shaped.  And BIGGER than she thought it was going to be - but the colors were so pretty and the yarn was a soft & fluffy stuff - she hopes that the new baby will like it.












 
This is Glory of the Snow.  The Shepherd didn't think it was coming back in the garden, because it was a little slow to come up this year.  But, it is up, and it is ALL over the place.  Where it was originally planted (in the flower bed in the front of the driveway) and over there - (across the driveway,) and over there - (under the bamboo), and over there (by the big pine tree) - Mummy says it's like lemmings marching to the sea! 

We wanted to wish EFFURRY one of you a Hoppy Easter.  The Shepherd and Mummy will be verry busy with church things this weekend and then Mummy is going to bake a Turkey for Easter Dinner.  I hope we get a little bit.  I likes Turkey! 

This little blankie is for the baby's older sister (she's about 4) This is for her dolly.  It would also work for big sister to put her head on when she is lying in the grass. 

Mummy said I could finish the blog today, with my verry best poem -

     " Happy Easter!
          Happy Spring!
              Happy, Happy
                  Everything!" 


We hope you all have a great weekend!!

Love, your roving reporter,

              Gracie! 

Happy Thanksgiving

The girls are all safe and sound, together, (for better or worse) in the barn. Glad to be rid of those stinky boys. (H.B. says, "I am NOT a stinky boy!)

The boys (particular the wethers) on the other hand, are bereft, "Why have you taken our friends from us?" they cry. Now they have no buffer between them and those gnarly rams. Oh, well, the balance of breeding season is often precarious -

We sang this hymn last week at church - I thought you'd like to see it "illustrated".

Autumn Hymn, by W.R. Jones


When summer green is fading and winds blow brisk & free
A wealth of autumn glories, recall us God to thee.

From flaming bush and headland, the woodland’s gold array
The captured light of summer shines back thru skies grown gray

Ahead the cold and darkness, the winter snow and storm
But autumn radiance tokens thine inward fire to warm;

No matter how we tremble, amid the darkness then
When love shines in the shadow, light shall break forth again.

Thou singer in the rhythms that echo in our hearts
We glimpse thee in the beauty the changing year imparts

Let loveliness in autumn, to us assurance be
That Joy knows many seasons in hearts attuned to thee

Amen.

Not much doin'...

Occasionally as I'm out driving around, I marvel at the beautiful views of Mt. Baker that we have throughout the county. Weather permitting, The Shepherd gets to see this view every morning on his way to work.

The view changes from season to season - depending on how hot it is over the summer, she will loose almost all of her snow. It is fun, in the fall to watch the snow to start building up - almost like watching an athlete bulking up before a big race.

I often wonder what the first settlers in the area thought about our beautiful mountain. Were they compelled to try to make their way up through the hills and valleys, that of course had no roadways then - I'm thinking that it would have been a pretty hazardous trip.

These are what have burst into bloom out front
behind the Glory of the Snow and in front of the Narcissus (or is it "Narcissi" if there are lots of them?)












See the pretty blue balloons flying in our driveway? They are The Shepherd's way of telling our neighbors that there are lambs down at the end of the pasture - we normally put them out front - where they literally stop traffic on the street, but Grumpy Gwendolyn is in that pasture, so the little ones and Regina are in the pasture in the back. We are hoping the when GG has her babies, she will no longer be Grumpy and we will be able to put all the sheep together.



Hope springs eternal...





Finally I would like to extend our sympathy to several of the Shetland breeders who have lost lambs this spring. It is very sad to have one's hopes and dreams of the last 5 or six months dashed in just a very few minutes. Our hearts are with them.

Waiting, waiting, waiting

The Waiting - It's driving The Shepherd C R A Z Y!! And me, by default, I guess. Regina is confined to a "jug" tonight (for you "non- sheep" people - that is a smaller pen where the mom can bond with her babies and they are also all safe from any predator or interference from any other sheep - Like an auntie who isn't bred, but has such a strong mommy instinct that she might try to steal one of them - regardless of the fact that there is no milk in her udder - silly old girls) Regina's biggest problem is last year's lamb, Luna, who doesn't like being away from mommy and doesn't understand why she is, all of a sudden getting booted away from her. Life is tough when you're a sheep.

Anyhow - this is who we are waiting for tonight - The Shepherd took this picture yesterday - looks a little on the plump side, no?





So, here are those pictures of our place that I promised you last week - enjoy the visit - & yes, you'll be the first to know when the lambs arrive!


John says that the little blue Glory of the Snow will be taking over here soon - (click on the picture to biggify and you'll see what I mean)






I think this is one of my favorite sights on our farm - it is right inside the gate and it means I am Home! I also am in love with these two Japanese birches - they are beautiful any time of the year.










Coming down our driveway, you would be hard pressed to believe that 12 years ago there was nothing here but the house. (and one scraggly looking rhody)









The Shepherd has planted lots of daffodils - they are so cheerful this time of the year.






The "mounds" are untilled composting mounds. He plants directly in to the mounds - he'll have (from the closest to you) - one row of pumpkins, two rows of sunflowers and two rows of corn. There are also two rows of Japanese iris that are just starting to come up at the very back. It is very colorful around here in the summer!

If you biggify the picture, you'll also see the dafs that he has planted all around the perimeter of the yard.






I'd invite you to come in for tea, but I am not a very good housekeeper so it's kind of a mess right now. Too many fiber projects going at one time, plus my "stuff" - I think I could turn into one of those old ladies who filled their houses with "stuff" Aargh!








Here's the expectant daddy - still looking kind of rangy/mangy from his spring hair cut. Kind of skinny to be holding up that big rack.



Well - Work will be calling way too early in the a.m. and I promised The Shepherd that I would check on Regina before I come to bed.

Three Beautiful Things Tuesday

Good Golly, Miss Molly - it's the first of April!

Nope - don't get too excited - this picture is two years old. (Dare I say April Fools?)

It it Pearl as a baby - and I looked and looked through my albums to find a current picture of her, but I couldn't find one. She is such a sweet girl. One of The Shepherd's favorites.

She is currently playing "Lady in Waiting" to Gwendolyn the Grumpy. They are ensconced in the front pasture by themselves because Gwen was bashing the three junior girls. Since Pearl is the only one she gets along with, Pearl got the job of being her girlfriend while we wait for Gwen to have her babies. They'd better be spotted! I'll see if I can't catch a picture of them this weekend.



This was last year on April 1st. This little iris is blossom about the size of my thumb. So exotic looking!

It has been so cold this year everything is about two weeks behind what it was last year. The Tulip Festival will have to start without the tulips this year!













This beautiful wall hanging was on the wall in Gretchen's Wool Mill. I didn't get a chance to ask her about the origins of it, but I thought it was very cool!

Hope you had a Happy April 1st and that there were beautiful things coming your way all day long.

A lovely Easter gift

The Shepherd filled all the pots in my plant stand with these lovely pansies as a gift for Easter (even tho we said we were not going to do any "Easter Bunny" presents for each other!) I guess they are as much for him too - they are so bright and cheery as you come out the back door.

In the summer we fill these pots with petunias - Several years ago (before I had my digital camera), I found an itty bitty green tree frog hiding in the throat of one of the blossoms - waiting for fast food, I think.

The neighbors across the street have one of the last large wetland areas around here. At dusk the frogs start to sing to each other - "Pick me, Pick me, Pick Me" By dark, the noise is almost deafening - I love it.

The weather today went from torrential down pours this morning (ruined a lot of Easter egg hunts, I reckon) to bright sunny skies this afternoon. Easter dinner was a little low key (we both were feeling "under the weather") - we had already planned on baked salmon, steamed red potatoes and fresh asparagus. It was tasty and there is enough left over for tomorrow night (well not the asparagus, it goes pretty fast around here...)

I took a walk around the place yesterday while we had a break in the inclement weather - After I get my church newsletter done, I'll put some of the pictures up this week so you can see how creative The Shepherd is on a grander scale.

Three Beautiful Things Tuesday

Spring is coming - there is a lot to find that is beautiful right now - those seductive almost sunny, almost 60 degree days - the hundreds of daffodils that The Shepherd has planted around our beautiful garden are getting ready to POP! - the flowering plum and cherries are starting to show that delicate pink color that will become their blossoms.

* The Shepherd brought me this pretty planter back from his weekend away last week. He went to Tacoma for the PNW Unitarian Universalist Annual General Meeting (Isn't that a mouthful? we generally just all it PNWD...) He took an extra day just for himself - I got to be "sheep mom" (ie. Good morning ladies, dad is gone, I'll be your hostess for the weekend and don't expect me to get up at the crack of dawn like he does!)

* And then, there are THE FROGS! Our neighbors field, for all intents and purposes is a wet lands - there are so few left in the county that haven't had mega houses built on them. Once they are all gone, where will the frogs go to meet their girlfriends in the spring time? What a joyous sound - I'm here - pick me, pick me, pick me!

* One of the most beautiful things I have seen this week is Miss Peach in her new Kimono. It was a gift to her from Adan and Michico from Japan. How cool is that! Cat bloggers and sheep bloggers are right up there as being the nicest people!

And an extra TBT (I guess that make it FBT) Of course there are also Isis' kittens (click on Kitten Photo Gallery to see the pictures of these little sweeties). I can't wait to see them when they are a little older - unfortunately, they live in London, England - so, I will only be able to appreciate their "virtual cuteness" Oh, well...

I hope you are finding beautiful things where ever you go this week!

It's "that" time of year again...

All year, they grow, and grow, and grow, and grow. The Amish Pie Pumpkins tended by The Shepherd.

They grow in raised beds of barn compost. He does not till it - it composts down over the winter until the spring when he transplants the seedlings that he has grown from the seeds chosen from last year's best pumpkins.



We wash them, cut them up and roast them. This year the meat is so thick that we are having to roast them for over three hours!






After the roasted pumpkin cools, I scoop it off the skin into my huge yellow Tupperware bowl. (what would I do without it?)





I mash and mash and mash, and then I scoop it into freezer bags - 2 cups / 1# in a bag (a pint's a pound is the motto here).






It's just enough for a pie or pumpkin bread, or Farmgirl's Spicy Pumpkin Raisin muffins. I've mentioned these before - they are so moist and tasty. I use Pampered Chef "Cinnamon Plus" spice blend instead of the Cinnamon, Nutmeg & cloves. Try them - I know you'll love them!


Farmgirl's Spicy Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins
Makes about 18 large muffins

1 cup raisins
3/4 cup orange juice

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg (slightly less if freshly grated)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup (2 sticks/8 ounces) trans-fat free margarine or butter, melted (I use a good quality butter)
1 cup golden brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup honey
3 eggs
1 15-ounce can packed pumpkin (or 1 pound fresh pumpkin puree)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (toasted if desired)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place raisins and orange juice in a small bowl and microwave for 2 minutes; set aside. Grease muffin tins.

Combine flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl and set aside.

Combine margarine, brown sugar, honey, and eggs in a large bowl and mix well. Stir in pumpkin. Gently fold in dry ingredients, alternating with the raisin/juice mixture. Stir in the pecans.

Generously fill muffin tins. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. (Bake baby muffins about 15 minutes.) Cool muffins in tins for 15 minutes, then remove from tins and serve warm, or let cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container for up to three days or freeze.
*Lowfat version: Simply omit 1/2 cup (1 stick) of the margarine or butter.

© 2005 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where Farmgirl Susan shares stories & photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote acres.

OK, where did the time go?

Two years ago - first of October found us in California's Sequoia National Park - this year's vacation will take us to the Grand Canyon and to visit Kathy & Ralph at Sheep Thrills farm. I am starting to get excited.











Last year first of October - the sunflowers lasted a lot longer - this year's are all gone - knocked over by the wind- eaten by the very happy/hungry finches.













This year first of October - this picture is looking the other direction in our yard from the picture I posted the other day. It's just a riot of color around here right now.

The sunflowers may be gone, but the zinnias are still blooming, aren't they Sinda.

A wet rainy sort of day

and the pond is full of katsura leaves -

A Year ago today in the garden...

Randomness

So, what'chu lookin' at?

And, a year ago in the garden - even the trees were thinking about peace.

What, more lilies?

I know I'm behind on stories about the kitties and the sheep - but I just had to show you this lily that (understandably) The Shepherd is very proud of. It is called Boogey Woogey - and is an orienpet like the lilies I showed you a week or so ago - and it is EIGHT FEET TALL (at least - JP is 6' tall and it's what, two feet above his head?) and it's not even staked! I don't know what keeps it standing upright - but I do know that the area where it is planted is fairly secluded so it wouldn't get blown down - and I also know that this area has been heavily mulched with sheep poop.

This is what the flower looks like close up.

I have a stem of this lily with four blossoms on my desk this week. Besides making our office incredibly fragrant, everyone (including myself) has been totally transfixed on it's beauty. If you were going to have a "yellow & white wedding" - this baby is your flower. It's just incredible.

Clicking on any of the photos will "biggify" them so you can see the detail of the colors and the spots. Isn't this one adorable?

We'll be back to our normally scheduled programming soon. The Shepherd and I are going to visit the Skagit County Fair in Mt. Vernon, WA (about 35 miles south of here) The NW Shetland Sheep Owners are having our first NW Shetland Sheep show - (we're not taking sheep - this year, anyhow) , but I am taking my spinning wheel and some fleece to spin with - people are always interested in seeing spinning. It should be fun - don't worry, I'll take lots of pictures.