tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91258056368773235642024-02-18T19:42:25.713-08:00Life at Misty Haven AlpacasRead about the latest happenings at the Misty Haven Farm, where I raise alpaca, try to live a creative life and enjoy living on this beautiful land. I've made the unlikely transition from a 20 year IT career to a life of farming and creativity. I hope you like my photos and musings.Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-52814661531041237172012-12-20T19:37:00.003-08:002012-12-20T19:37:59.192-08:00Finding the WonderfulAs I've mentioned, I work in a public library. To be specific, I work in the basement of the public library, which holds the reference collection, the movie, audiobook, music collections, as well as the public access internet computers. It's a busy place. Like any worker behind a public service desk, I meet many kinds of wonderful people. I also meet a few kinds of people who need some more help to find their 'wonderful' side.<br />
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Last night, I might have met the Spirit of Christmas.<br />
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<span class="userContent">This cute little guy about six came up to the counter, reached up to hand me a candy cane and wished me a heartfelt 'Merry Christmas'! My face exploded into a smile and I burst out 'Oh, thank you! Aren't you just a bundle of JOY?!!!'. He absolutely beamed at this. I saw he was carrying a big red-ribboned basket full of candy canes and was making the rounds to every patron and staff in the library.</span><br />
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<span class="userContent">There's the MAGIC of CHRISTMAS...I'm still smiling about this one. </span><br />
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<span class="userContent">His mom that was standing quietly a few feet away deserves big kudos. She's helped her son find that the true spirit of the season is to be found in spreading some Joy to his community, rather than spreading some money around the mall.</span><br />
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<span class="userContent">When I think about it, the more actions like this by more people and we could all move a little closer to our 'wonderful' sides.</span><br />
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Christmas has different meaning to each of us who recognize that day. Some make the season last for at least a month of extravagant festivities, while others feel Dec 25th approach with a sad ache and feel relief on Dec 26th.<br />
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I don't think of myself as a religious person, but at times I find myself praying. I follow a great cooking blog written by some lovely Mennonite women. Every Sunday, their spiritual post is called <a href="http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/2012/12/bread-for-journey_3516.html" target="_blank">'Bread for the Journey'</a>. I did find comfort in their post this past Sunday. Perhaps you will, too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwLiE5I-Y-PvzOjbPIe3IpTz6YNgBvWZqh8NFNAI5H6hUJEPF2XWfgnEY7FOMTmUihutqvYJDps2_176N1CDk6EiQK2E6gCcI0aeWmqIjXbjF_hlL3Mpg9vWGh8MGPah39FnH41xCmh0/s1600/angel-head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwLiE5I-Y-PvzOjbPIe3IpTz6YNgBvWZqh8NFNAI5H6hUJEPF2XWfgnEY7FOMTmUihutqvYJDps2_176N1CDk6EiQK2E6gCcI0aeWmqIjXbjF_hlL3Mpg9vWGh8MGPah39FnH41xCmh0/s320/angel-head.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="userContent"></span><br />Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-52994340829170804752012-12-06T17:34:00.004-08:002012-12-06T17:34:45.753-08:00I Borrowed a Back Yard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's very rare that we get away, but hubby and I managed to slip away to Niagara Falls, Ontario last weekend. It had been 31 years since my last visit.</div>
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Niagara Falls is the Honeymoon Capital of the World. Ahem....it wasn't my honeymoon then, either. This time, though, the hotel was significantly classier and the view from the room was much better. Not the backyard that I want to wake up to on a daily basis, but for a night or two, it's wonderful.</div>
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We even paid $15 to park right down by the Falls on Saturday. The trees were ice-covered, the walking treacherous and we got soaking wet. No crowds, though! </div>
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It was great to get away, even for a brief escape. </div>
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I found this young partridge out and about in the yard today. Looking for the pear tree perhaps? (Not in this climate, buddy!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5i1m4vIvCdnRXRdb_rCRgX_Lw714tY9A7T8mhZnjourZLsgH0cDCbmWssaX2jDk_T_5UvS_trQ_p4Uxh7ZCl7LCdqWP9P2_walnI7lbrinvsiJwm-HBJI_NAh3l7wA5AzPRC5uXZa2g/s1600/bookmarks+on+loom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5i1m4vIvCdnRXRdb_rCRgX_Lw714tY9A7T8mhZnjourZLsgH0cDCbmWssaX2jDk_T_5UvS_trQ_p4Uxh7ZCl7LCdqWP9P2_walnI7lbrinvsiJwm-HBJI_NAh3l7wA5AzPRC5uXZa2g/s320/bookmarks+on+loom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm weaving bookmarks. At one time, I thought weaving bookmarks or teatowels was a waste of time and talent. However, over the years I have been given an assortment of handwoven bookmarks from weaving friends and I can remember their thoughtfulness everytime I move a bookmark from page to page.<br />
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The mint coloured bookmark was given to me by a weaving acquaintance a few years ago. I am using her weaving pattern but using different colours of thread. It's surprising how different they look.<br />
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Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-44391617239112862782012-11-27T19:39:00.001-08:002012-11-27T19:39:51.663-08:00About Ambition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There's been something rolling around in my head that I needed to get out. (The few marbles that are left, perhaps! ;)) Since it's been about 6 weeks since I've been inclined to post, I thought I should just throw these words together and see what happens. The topic is a bit rambling and a bit off my usual topic of fibre arts and farm life, so the pictures provide some eye-candy.</div>
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I've been thinking about 'Ambition' lately and my relationship with that word.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9Mp9UMGTwCzsZL5y5jcBYNYuP0AG3kQV4xjax6_-GtQuhCgSltuZgAwy6a-Fr_1ycQCHPhudRzDrC-9rbS9ShmSVRo4EYOxMB_pwCKdNIEPAjZPO9BTxNUPFssFgt8LSHgruvagYB94/s1600/pink-single-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9Mp9UMGTwCzsZL5y5jcBYNYuP0AG3kQV4xjax6_-GtQuhCgSltuZgAwy6a-Fr_1ycQCHPhudRzDrC-9rbS9ShmSVRo4EYOxMB_pwCKdNIEPAjZPO9BTxNUPFssFgt8LSHgruvagYB94/s320/pink-single-small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Single ply pink wool</em></div>
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Growing up, did you learn to associate the word 'Ambitious' as a positive personality trait or a negative personality trait?</div>
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How did family, cultural and religious influences help form those beliefs?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fyTeBdbQbTpLPjkCt9-yQ7JfVg1hCJPhQ5qTJMNyK3BMbiy3w0-ipir35vmBDhfHlWY2TT1lol6f8_9H52PgZT_XNs9SbKabvQ7JujabFEOsjPT0qd9YDho78A4I7-6TZsqAtyCEckI/s1600/multi-single-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1fyTeBdbQbTpLPjkCt9-yQ7JfVg1hCJPhQ5qTJMNyK3BMbiy3w0-ipir35vmBDhfHlWY2TT1lol6f8_9H52PgZT_XNs9SbKabvQ7JujabFEOsjPT0qd9YDho78A4I7-6TZsqAtyCEckI/s320/multi-single-small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Single ply from handpainted alpaca\wool</em></div>
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As a young person, if you heard the phrase "She's quite an ambitious gal", did it carry the same inference as "He's quite an ambitious fellow"?</div>
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Was one comment negative and the other positive?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IpT2yqAmEMGc1iinRbpz28-ESjxQT3OcHpZTbgAU2mjqonPPDOMXsq8jIxe9RRmW3uRfV8MbDRPO2iykQOFEZ-Hj8Ucn9Q1lRiLITFl0F3xDzSvRV8o205mNFBTwKpEmDsVfT7Rv9ts/s1600/multi-2ply.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IpT2yqAmEMGc1iinRbpz28-ESjxQT3OcHpZTbgAU2mjqonPPDOMXsq8jIxe9RRmW3uRfV8MbDRPO2iykQOFEZ-Hj8Ucn9Q1lRiLITFl0F3xDzSvRV8o205mNFBTwKpEmDsVfT7Rv9ts/s320/multi-2ply.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>After plying into a 2 ply yarn...next step a cowl perhaps?</em></div>
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What makes someone very ambitious to lead and excel, while another is content to follow and accept what comes their way?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRtHKXAKm-KF5PJOUl0EnjOtzwTjKrrLYXNLTPWWKFLHJ6cF69Y2d4QmjJJf6RQJi1jPh0wtl4TzvTXBrPwbd1YZPTG7qQVHacfvcY5OdN8zZYDPMXKDKyZ7VCQmeMO2FlVzqusaIeJo/s1600/brown-handspun-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRtHKXAKm-KF5PJOUl0EnjOtzwTjKrrLYXNLTPWWKFLHJ6cF69Y2d4QmjJJf6RQJi1jPh0wtl4TzvTXBrPwbd1YZPTG7qQVHacfvcY5OdN8zZYDPMXKDKyZ7VCQmeMO2FlVzqusaIeJo/s320/brown-handspun-small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>my softest handspun yet...perhaps the softest yarn I've ever felt!</em></div>
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What happens to a person's ambitions when life is derailed by debilitating illness or overwhelming family obligations. Does the 'fire in the belly' just go away or does it slowly burn with frustration and anger?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JqKkCUZ7phrD9Hz6LcFNt04VavqPespM7SswFls1JV2qWlAd4igXJIdkxAvfe8LmiN6qKiSdYAz9RHiAlvFlmdqLfNPQWPqBxWbvUleIA_U5fU2xoZiE-ugpUgoYjHAiFN5At-jPR5A/s1600/love-this-nose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JqKkCUZ7phrD9Hz6LcFNt04VavqPespM7SswFls1JV2qWlAd4igXJIdkxAvfe8LmiN6qKiSdYAz9RHiAlvFlmdqLfNPQWPqBxWbvUleIA_U5fU2xoZiE-ugpUgoYjHAiFN5At-jPR5A/s320/love-this-nose.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>I love this nose!</em></div>
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How do Ambition and Contentment relate? Can a very ambitious person ever be truly content? </div>
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Can we choose to live with either one of Ambition or Contentment? </div>
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Is it necessary at times to choose?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZ5uiyP4cDwgvUcHaAcuFVL3t-a6A_1fSPUKH7ramRFpKensbl1RJVKBxuG_SJj3SXhxkvCJCSW84-w2F6i6MfwJkf03JLpMKTKJF2Em9zMesLoYIcZG3lFCdyjUMBz0mJHTKsN3kddA/s1600/love-this-smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZ5uiyP4cDwgvUcHaAcuFVL3t-a6A_1fSPUKH7ramRFpKensbl1RJVKBxuG_SJj3SXhxkvCJCSW84-w2F6i6MfwJkf03JLpMKTKJF2Em9zMesLoYIcZG3lFCdyjUMBz0mJHTKsN3kddA/s320/love-this-smile.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>I love this smile (and even the stinky dogbreath)!</em></div>
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Does ambition have any value in a person who does not possess a clear goal?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zxlrh7RoE9Qx-CQ9kl5fghyphenhyphenXJsbxgeMV7oDR6gG6KRTor-WxK2zXjwJ4HsMfWbyyhzOIK6fCPpLTUsSpdzdVRumKuLuKo8pSwM0bE3lfLpXbWyKMhX3h5VYQucl4I5UMhyphenhyphenZbamld5DM/s1600/the-thinker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zxlrh7RoE9Qx-CQ9kl5fghyphenhyphenXJsbxgeMV7oDR6gG6KRTor-WxK2zXjwJ4HsMfWbyyhzOIK6fCPpLTUsSpdzdVRumKuLuKo8pSwM0bE3lfLpXbWyKMhX3h5VYQucl4I5UMhyphenhyphenZbamld5DM/s320/the-thinker.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>I wonder what he's thinking?</em></div>
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I've only asked questions because I want to hear what you have to think! </div>
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Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-57184007447218352782012-10-12T20:47:00.000-07:002012-10-12T20:47:02.993-07:00Photos and Pumpkins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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I haven't spent much time getting to know my new camera, but I am still amazed at the difference in photo quality that the new, better technology and a real zoom lens makes! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN11TudtW34ugNCLlTkgvJ-n3B-qYlZCnFuNOgZ_l860xmDkAc4GO5wQsaPq_nS1Ge28P7xka6etfGj5nIo_ehA56Wnq15-2hgdQ0BP_MuVzIjv60RBMrxeLVXNjRt6UMJm8-sKCoM8Q/s1600/banty+hen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN11TudtW34ugNCLlTkgvJ-n3B-qYlZCnFuNOgZ_l860xmDkAc4GO5wQsaPq_nS1Ge28P7xka6etfGj5nIo_ehA56Wnq15-2hgdQ0BP_MuVzIjv60RBMrxeLVXNjRt6UMJm8-sKCoM8Q/s320/banty+hen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Sweet Banty Hen</em></div>
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<em>(Miss East Ferris Township 2011)</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkcHZvz-RqcXDdMYIgcN0iocCYfQzVRWHCO_z5Q4tHhomS-c-visH20fHV8lQlongJMAPd5KRIvMcTcd1PMhVZg8d2kliEjkUHsARwf8g2qrlt_a4aWx22_ziumAmenedOjjeiYpMWeM/s1600/red-hen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkcHZvz-RqcXDdMYIgcN0iocCYfQzVRWHCO_z5Q4tHhomS-c-visH20fHV8lQlongJMAPd5KRIvMcTcd1PMhVZg8d2kliEjkUHsARwf8g2qrlt_a4aWx22_ziumAmenedOjjeiYpMWeM/s320/red-hen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Evil Killer Hen</em></div>
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<em>(RunnerUp Miss EFT 2011)</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WHyphEOtX7QvMF1ELF2-wpn9UF4SAg6XQPue9PPmdZBKdxforv1l6k07BF0u5kvwa7V1BFzPm4wO95OrUkTkEituInhtPNqt2Etlwvuk9JmvClyk6-yAJyo7fGh3Bkie6EdeA0uBlfI/s1600/georgie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WHyphEOtX7QvMF1ELF2-wpn9UF4SAg6XQPue9PPmdZBKdxforv1l6k07BF0u5kvwa7V1BFzPm4wO95OrUkTkEituInhtPNqt2Etlwvuk9JmvClyk6-yAJyo7fGh3Bkie6EdeA0uBlfI/s320/georgie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Georgie</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaBwyVBE1DKR0KHBpUZFnwHktJNpplTqe1D1njK_-o5ycGKOk-eHn4UMI0dnZHqUQC7M8xHyS2K0X3F3hOCs9XSSIX3LI7Bv725BEDe5e1L_kCsoHL4vdc4NHUM8AJRx-felthldpTio/s1600/kochs+nose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaBwyVBE1DKR0KHBpUZFnwHktJNpplTqe1D1njK_-o5ycGKOk-eHn4UMI0dnZHqUQC7M8xHyS2K0X3F3hOCs9XSSIX3LI7Bv725BEDe5e1L_kCsoHL4vdc4NHUM8AJRx-felthldpTio/s320/kochs+nose.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>KaKocha's Nose</em></div>
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<em>(yes, alpaca noses are soft!)</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJX6I5qEAoFbQz1l7vlBG74S2JFrHSY8qizObVttEY4BSVmw8ldvnB8DOBxGb9Q8nC0WHXICYqthx4zOB2lq1Pq58B82vi8-6_-qj5X_sZhzO03neZ7OtDgLC2DQChKl7PvR9YYbIONhU/s1600/pumpkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJX6I5qEAoFbQz1l7vlBG74S2JFrHSY8qizObVttEY4BSVmw8ldvnB8DOBxGb9Q8nC0WHXICYqthx4zOB2lq1Pq58B82vi8-6_-qj5X_sZhzO03neZ7OtDgLC2DQChKl7PvR9YYbIONhU/s320/pumpkins.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>Not-Quite-Cured Pumpkins</em></div>
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My pumpkins did not quite ripen on the vine. We've had heavy frosts lately which has killed the vines, so I picked most of them today. There were a few already starting to rot in the garden. From what I've googled, I should be able to 'cure' these ones so that they turn orange. Regardless, if they don't get squishy, someone can make jack-o-lanterns from them even if they are green.</div>
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It's very cold and very wet this weekend. I saw a few flakes of snow today. Tomorrow, we have wood being delivered. It's definitely time for toques and boots and hot apple toffee lattes!</div>
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Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-50299782257775061052012-09-30T19:28:00.003-07:002012-09-30T19:29:37.517-07:00New and Improved!Yes, it's true. <br />
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This blog is about to get improved with new photo quality!<br />
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Until now, all photos were taken on this 10 year old Kodak EasyShare...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKblSgc7MlP99Ir7j8xAYh-5GcoUPbV1oZ2i9MtPdOIP7dw7vqbPHXEw-EdcBc7afH5o3sn3SHvwlnOocn_gMo3JMMiZUScaEbCpRBcRerd1n0zEjAuTPuw87B2gSW7gha4SpRMKYTnc/s1600/sept-30-kodak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKblSgc7MlP99Ir7j8xAYh-5GcoUPbV1oZ2i9MtPdOIP7dw7vqbPHXEw-EdcBc7afH5o3sn3SHvwlnOocn_gMo3JMMiZUScaEbCpRBcRerd1n0zEjAuTPuw87B2gSW7gha4SpRMKYTnc/s320/sept-30-kodak.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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which, if I say so, has been fairly good at producing some nice shots. However, closeups were hit and miss. Action shots or distance shots were almost impossible. As well, the thing eats batteries, so I'd often miss great shots because I'd find myself looking at a dead battery light.</div>
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I've been browsing the sales for a while now and talking myself out of spending the money even when I did find a sale. But today, I found a "deal to end all deals"! It was meant to be and it's now mine! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbPt0BuHpwoACqAToJes26Wu_DsYogpei619bD0P2kC2bvIstsKZRJWfIzbSOJJomh3gotI6vF32gLflb-ATpu0c5b-Sqs70fa5XjBJaFAj2lGxa4D7zxrqwBCu0XCfzQdTnBD6tPEqI/s1600/sept-30-canonrebel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbPt0BuHpwoACqAToJes26Wu_DsYogpei619bD0P2kC2bvIstsKZRJWfIzbSOJJomh3gotI6vF32gLflb-ATpu0c5b-Sqs70fa5XjBJaFAj2lGxa4D7zxrqwBCu0XCfzQdTnBD6tPEqI/s320/sept-30-canonrebel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was kind of overwhelming looking at all the components and manuals in the box when we brought it home. Now I had to learn how to operate it!<br />
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I might have left it in the box for a couple days, if it weren't for techno-hubby going through all the attachments and settings. So, before he laid claim to it, I grabbed it and headed out into the field to try some quick close-ups of fall's fading flora.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKvCve6X-5iM4k4vxqBlwugum5g3MdwRplt0SwDjxhAU21UTkykXJ5GB7Fz3GBjrlSjJ43-CJvHAj2-X2uppljau_zIfHxltasHmw7IBB9glLee2iwmyzjYeHuhWsyPUAEdQtkByAayE/s1600/sept30-closeup-whiteflower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKvCve6X-5iM4k4vxqBlwugum5g3MdwRplt0SwDjxhAU21UTkykXJ5GB7Fz3GBjrlSjJ43-CJvHAj2-X2uppljau_zIfHxltasHmw7IBB9glLee2iwmyzjYeHuhWsyPUAEdQtkByAayE/s320/sept30-closeup-whiteflower.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWrfaL1I_wtI6jYHfdM0V3qwHzLpVwcASjcEq-vKzAk4vV5qVIp68EIvBxgAI2XcDBHR_h_Daxe8xtWNL1myIEVcd6Y3vbtzkeeZsW3-fCNjGip4AzX81VEq1BD8ctjSJc3hQdYrAn2E/s1600/sept30-purple-flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWrfaL1I_wtI6jYHfdM0V3qwHzLpVwcASjcEq-vKzAk4vV5qVIp68EIvBxgAI2XcDBHR_h_Daxe8xtWNL1myIEVcd6Y3vbtzkeeZsW3-fCNjGip4AzX81VEq1BD8ctjSJc3hQdYrAn2E/s320/sept30-purple-flower.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqw83kv7SqIgELIAKTHQvQ-WoLnwlu33pnpeOMJH8FpIsdBWJoLqD0WYvEEE9XmLqrrYkJGtECEm8MmyO7A0c-Bnm4MmXVQ-8K5jqD3gYI6V6j9gpU8drPu3y942oHn-h-vy2VJjLxlCc/s1600/sept30-fern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqw83kv7SqIgELIAKTHQvQ-WoLnwlu33pnpeOMJH8FpIsdBWJoLqD0WYvEEE9XmLqrrYkJGtECEm8MmyO7A0c-Bnm4MmXVQ-8K5jqD3gYI6V6j9gpU8drPu3y942oHn-h-vy2VJjLxlCc/s320/sept30-fern.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQj_54LdkRYGSq-AAM2L0n6PZlmALOtBVx1PThQG-exKLcJGPi4MplACi1U9Spc26uJz7AIXeaizb2PVr-SceSZSjS2de4MamKQ5cVlXhq3uTEm0ov-wHOZoQT_gDO9ZRobrYHcf8bka8/s1600/sept30-yellowflower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQj_54LdkRYGSq-AAM2L0n6PZlmALOtBVx1PThQG-exKLcJGPi4MplACi1U9Spc26uJz7AIXeaizb2PVr-SceSZSjS2de4MamKQ5cVlXhq3uTEm0ov-wHOZoQT_gDO9ZRobrYHcf8bka8/s320/sept30-yellowflower.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I think there is a lot of potential with this camera. I have a lot to learn, but I think I have a good tool in my hands.</div>
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Tomorrow is October already! Time to put away the garden tools and find those long johns...</div>
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Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-34719992819646142242012-09-22T20:46:00.001-07:002012-09-22T20:46:10.982-07:00Mostly Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2_u236Ai_avLJ6f499AQN-8KVJzyL0BuD7vFp_ZYwiIkypOJfWmVWJbU9TvMy1gbxcvixWdvIgPPziMCY3_6nqNc2AvldrVWWvC6lS9bWCR61FyBvG8dyAPi1HTqP9FpObGusjYY7Vc/s1600/sept19-flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2_u236Ai_avLJ6f499AQN-8KVJzyL0BuD7vFp_ZYwiIkypOJfWmVWJbU9TvMy1gbxcvixWdvIgPPziMCY3_6nqNc2AvldrVWWvC6lS9bWCR61FyBvG8dyAPi1HTqP9FpObGusjYY7Vc/s320/sept19-flower.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is a bloom on a lovely rescued potted Gerbera daisy just prior to our killing frost last week. My daughter is an optimistic saviour of all my neglected plants. She takes my neglected potted plants to the back yard picnic table and, whatever she does - somehow manages to revive them from brown, parched and wilted stems back into colourful, blooming life.</div>
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This year, she also planted sunflower seeds in pots on the picnic table.Her grandmother and I kept explaining to her that you couldn't plant sunflowers in pots - that they needed more soil to support the long stalks. She persisted with her pots, but, in order to keep her elders quiet, she also planted a lot along the edge of the garden and various spots in the yard. Guess what? None of the sunflowers planted in the ground took (I think the chipmunks ate the seeds) but her potted sunflowers grew tall and beautiful. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2B8MvEeCkVKKF1tM-ofYr5-1SwPSaOHskJmzsMbKI7i6Os7RoZHbs5m0WPdP1DzM-hJJG4Ol0_acJZ0gZOJF88DbSv71B-y_Azwz4kkGogTg_EPw8MydeSCSEljTosm2JuwfvJ7pgaM/s1600/sept19-scones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2B8MvEeCkVKKF1tM-ofYr5-1SwPSaOHskJmzsMbKI7i6Os7RoZHbs5m0WPdP1DzM-hJJG4Ol0_acJZ0gZOJF88DbSv71B-y_Azwz4kkGogTg_EPw8MydeSCSEljTosm2JuwfvJ7pgaM/s320/sept19-scones.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Some blueberry scones, just out of the oven. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfUXaV9Q1EY6iGkXX6DXY7uskWYE9IAc-ukuw1IYosEtz8xV_bSEUcHFCcKSidF-fwUxYXV_BbG48XnzkIfQB-ij7jHHmvYm7DOyVz03cQ7l-vApsZT__4aTHmurK9Ujbc9zibEp2cJI/s1600/Junior-Sept2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfUXaV9Q1EY6iGkXX6DXY7uskWYE9IAc-ukuw1IYosEtz8xV_bSEUcHFCcKSidF-fwUxYXV_BbG48XnzkIfQB-ij7jHHmvYm7DOyVz03cQ7l-vApsZT__4aTHmurK9Ujbc9zibEp2cJI/s320/Junior-Sept2012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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My big boy Junior. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkzqVYFZ5QcP-JakNL5t4IidVTdhKCsmvopSfsM44nimhBrf-ZXFb6ReoteqnpuCHDmcelhYvSNb_uEQ_bQXUV-_zCTkQ_NpARb5nLR3mlxTUzqzmnW59cO3KTxQyAmDL6wjNb8Xvj_4/s1600/Sadie-Sept2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkzqVYFZ5QcP-JakNL5t4IidVTdhKCsmvopSfsM44nimhBrf-ZXFb6ReoteqnpuCHDmcelhYvSNb_uEQ_bQXUV-_zCTkQ_NpARb5nLR3mlxTUzqzmnW59cO3KTxQyAmDL6wjNb8Xvj_4/s320/Sadie-Sept2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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His best pal, Sadie.</div>
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They have been here two months now and have settled in...to both the home and our hearts. They are very good dogs.</div>
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The alpacas are still wary of them. We don't bring the dogs into the barn or pastures yet. The dogs will lay and stay on command at the barn door when I do the chores.</div>
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Smokey the cool cat is still in shock. He still hasn't got over the fact that we are letting Mittens (the stray cat) into his house at night. </div>
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We walk with the dogs around the outside of the alpaca pastures usually twice a day to go play ball in the back fields. The dogs take the opportunity to do their 'business' on that walk. I'm happy that they are leaving their 'calling cards' for the coyotes to notice.</div>
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The dogs didn't seem to know how to swim when we brought them to the lake. This was very odd to us. Being in Northern Ontario with access to lakes everywhere - it's just part of life with a dog to take them swimming. It took a bit of play and convincing, but Junior now enjoys swimming to fetch. Sadie will only go up to her chest, wait for Junior to go fetch the stick and then try to steal the prize from him before he gets to shore. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPq5kQ-MkPLQ_qL1NBIOdPY-DB0sjtu5daSBApIPcbhNUyuZ9HsvMc160zkzAJJSTTVfQHU-QlkgKBXDOnJvBx0cPMvjb56Npa8JPo-ztB3P9K-zsXMPaj4ozN0jvQy7V_Vueut3zCTow/s1600/end-waterplay-Sept2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPq5kQ-MkPLQ_qL1NBIOdPY-DB0sjtu5daSBApIPcbhNUyuZ9HsvMc160zkzAJJSTTVfQHU-QlkgKBXDOnJvBx0cPMvjb56Npa8JPo-ztB3P9K-zsXMPaj4ozN0jvQy7V_Vueut3zCTow/s320/end-waterplay-Sept2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sometimes you make choices and just hope for the best. These dogs were a very good choice for us.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by to read my blog. I always appreciate reading your comments.<br />
Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-35319847972647262132012-09-16T05:12:00.000-07:002012-09-16T05:12:48.781-07:00The Year of the Humungous Garden2012 was the YEAR OF THE HUMUNGOUS GARDEN here on our 'clay farm'. I still planted my wee front yard garden at the house, but we also planted a complete small-sized pasture near the barn.<br />
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Then, like people who don't plan their time well, we let nature take over for the most part and tried to react.<br />
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I'll admit that we had no idea what we were in for. We might have guessed by the gaping mouth stunned look on peoples face when they said "You planted that whole area?"<br />
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Well, really....how hard could it be? Our collective grandparents fed their own families from their farm...and like, they likely didn't have a grade school education between them, eh? Certainly, two successful (over-confident) college grads armed with Google and a library card could easily overcome anything nature threw at us, despite having only a lazy hobbyist approach to any previous food growing attempt.<br />
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Well, we've gained an education this summer.<br />
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Here's how it rolled out...<br />
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Corn - we planted 6 rows of 3 varieties - the one that didn't produce at all was supposedly specially developed for Northern Ontario. "Spring Treat" corn did the best, although here it was a late summer treat. We ate quite a bit on the cob and I froze quite a lot of kernels. I had a lot of cobs with uneven, undeveloped kernels and many little cobs that the chickens are now eating. Next year, our goal is to get bigger cobs with even kernels. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuH28sE_dgKSdC5EtRhEfXOmM0unhyphenhyphengnqqkMbZxMXS_WILo2j-9UBlgjdn5-V9nL9Gvbeb6d3h48uU5Pwuz0bHcgpWkZRBZtYXGk4Fo3QtcO73bmyIuaIEUBmO10AWN0kuoNLzOv8p8A/s1600/100_8743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuH28sE_dgKSdC5EtRhEfXOmM0unhyphenhyphengnqqkMbZxMXS_WILo2j-9UBlgjdn5-V9nL9Gvbeb6d3h48uU5Pwuz0bHcgpWkZRBZtYXGk4Fo3QtcO73bmyIuaIEUBmO10AWN0kuoNLzOv8p8A/s320/100_8743.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Potatoes - We planted a lot of potatoes. We were encouraged by the lovely flowering bushes that came up and talked seriously about building a real root cellar. Then, we were infested with potato bugs (well, not us but the potatoes). I tried picking them off but I couldn't keep up (and boy, are they UGLY...horror movie UGLY). We bought predator ladybugs and followed the directions on the bag...but alas, they flew away. We tried different organic ideas and even resorted to some spray from the garden store. It was an epidemic of grand proportion! I stood in the garden with hubby and said something akin to "Wow...imagine if we had to actually rely on this food to see us through the year!!!" (The previous mentioned 'uneducated' grandparents had large crates of potatoes put up in their cold, dirt cellar every fall. Hmmmm...maybe potato bugs didn't exist back then...) Anyway, the foilage was toast but we still dug up the wee little potatoes that we love to boil up. Not the crop we aspired to, but we did enjoy what little we had.</div><br />
Onions - minimal success. I think weed control would have helped.<br />
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Purple Prince Turnips - I picked, cooked and froze quite a few of these, but they were smallish, hot tasting and not at all like the orange-fleshed kind of turnip I prefer. Also, something enjoyed nibbling the top of the turnip when it started showing at the ground level. Next year, I'll plant a different kind.<br />
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Radishes - Boy, we had a bonanza of radishes. And you know...it's not easy to find radish recipes. Why is it that the stuff that does well isn't the stuff you can preserve?<br />
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Spinach - We had lovely spinach for a long time. I didn't replant for continual summer growth. I didn't get on top of things to freeze spinach and keep the young growth coming.<br />
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Carrots - minimal success. Weeding will help, but our clay soil is also so compacted the carrots were very tough to pull out. What we have had was tasty though.<br />
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Cucumbers - We've had a few cucumbers but considering the amount we planted, they weren't successful. Something else out in the garden ate a lot more and left the bottom skin on the ground. (groundhogs? ) We've had more cucumbers in the past week than all summer, so whatever was eating them may have moved on.<br />
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Beets - Total FAIL. Some colourful beet tops but only little dried up roots.<br />
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Yellow Beans - I love fresh yellow beans and so does my family. I've grown them in my wee garden and in containers on the deck, but I've never grown enough. So, this year, I planted a lot..in my wee garden and in the HUMUNGOUS garden. A LOT. Then, with the dry spring, and dry early summer...no blossoms came. I thought the bean train had passed me by. A bitter disappointment, indeed.<br />
Then, came the rain. Then, came the blossoms. Then, came the beans. And more beans, and more beans, and more...you get the idea. We ate a whole lot of boiled beans which we love and I blanched a whole lot of beans which will be great in the winter. Honestly, the snow may fly before I want another yellow bean on my plate. I hate to admit it but a lot of beans died in my garden because I couldn't keep up.<br />
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Swiss Chard - Did pretty well. I don't love swiss chard but I understand it is one of the most nutrient rich foods in the garden.<br />
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Peas, Soy Beans, Lettuce - Total failure. I suspect soil condition problems for this. I've grown lettuce successfully in my wee house garden which is of nice, aerorated top soil. Next year, I'll keep the lettuce in that wee house garden or containers. We can only eat so much lettuce anyway.<br />
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Zucchini - I am destined to be a zucchini farmer. This stuff took over (see earlier post here). We ate zucchini in many different forms and I froze a lot of shredded zucchini. We sold zucchini, gave it to friends, wrapped it as a birthday gift for co-workers, left it on random doorsteps and almost got arrested trying to sneak it into someone's gymbag at the YMCA. I have avoided that end of the garden since mid-August...I know they are out there still. And for whatever I took from the garden, there were twice as many that were half-eaten by some scavenging creatures out there (groundhogs? birds?)<br />
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Acorn squash - so far, so good. Something is eating some of it, but leaving me enough.<br />
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Tomatoes - This was a great year for tomatoes. We had our first frost last night, Sept 15th, so many have had time to ripen (and I covered the plants last night, so hope more will ripen). Usually, I grow green tomatoes but only a few red. This year was so warm, I even have tomatoes on plants that grew from last years late tomatoes that fell from the plant and rotted into the ground. Rare in this part of the country to have tomatoes from seeds that haven't been started indoors.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2w4r-_e859wCV4k_xTnMRAJnH3YfdBwR2Ap5n_mUeZU8agsLlP40jRFrbSGQ3IaNRhR_o5ZWp0Aw4glv37OiOfYHMVjfxSWI35WyGDirp2_D_M1SyCmsNECz3g7PawTcHaPZg19gWKI/s1600/100_8803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2w4r-_e859wCV4k_xTnMRAJnH3YfdBwR2Ap5n_mUeZU8agsLlP40jRFrbSGQ3IaNRhR_o5ZWp0Aw4glv37OiOfYHMVjfxSWI35WyGDirp2_D_M1SyCmsNECz3g7PawTcHaPZg19gWKI/s320/100_8803.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Pumpkins - If all continues well, I will have about ten or so jackolantern pumpkins. Currently, they are dark green, so with orange blotches.<br />
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So, it's been a learning experience.<br />
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The most important lessons are...<br />
1. Our soil isn't totally useless.<br />
2. The pump and hoses were a good investment this summer of little rain. <br />
3. Weed control matters. <br />
4. We are capable of growing food. <br />
5. We have a lot to learn. <br />
6. It takes time to harvest without being overrun. <br />
7. Friends really appreciate your produce.<br />
8. Growing food for ourselves is a fun and rewarding family hobby.<br />
9. My kid has the entrepreneural spirit (she's already planning next year's sales).<br />
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I follow some blogs from some seasoned market farmers and the general conversation has been that it's been the toughest growing year for many decades. So I take heart in that.<br />
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All this greenery will go back into the soil when we till it under for preparation for next year's garden.<br />
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To try next year:<br />
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1. I'll be propping up the beans - I saw a great idea to use cattle panels from Leigh at <a href="http://my5acredream.blogspot.ca/2012/09/garden-think-things-i-have-to-change.html" target="_blank">5 Acres and a dream</a>. I learn a lot from her blog.<br />
2. Try companion gardening - I knew about this, I just didn't plan it. I'll check those books out of the library this winter.<br />
3. Use weed barriers. Reality is that I'm not going to be out there weeding that large lot by hand. The plan instead will be to use something like the alpaca fleece throwaways and cardboard as garden felts/weed barriers.<br />
4. Have the plan for excess - which includes having the recipes ready, a sales plan and a giveaway plan to the soup kitchen or food bank. (Part of the problem is that this food needs to harvested and preserved during the hottest part of the summer when I'm not wanting to boil or cook in the kitchen - I'll have to think about this)<br />
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Learn and improve.<br />
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Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-61966558068849377392012-08-18T16:29:00.000-07:002012-08-18T16:29:27.156-07:00Do Whatcha Wanna...This is the title of the last episode of Season 2 of 'Treme'. If you haven't seen the HBO series...and if you love Blues music, drama and don't mind hearing the 'F' word a lot- watch it! The series begins in New Orleans just 3 months after Hurricane Katrina. The people in the stories whose lives intersect are just trying to get their lives back together. It's awesome and it left me searching my library catalog for other material written about the culture of New Orleans and the impact of Katrina on the people there.<br />
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'Do Whatcha Wanna'....<br />
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This is a hard concept for me and many people like me.<br />
We understand the concept of getting a good education, striving to get a 'good' job, amassing wealth for long-range security (imaginary?) and juggling that with giving the best to your family and enough to your community.<br />
Whew...what's left to 'Do Whatcha Wanna'?<br />
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For many of us, having a couple hours a week to pursue our passions is all there is. If you are like me, carving out even a couple hours a week to 'create' feels like a luxury. Sometimes there is a guilty feeling attached to taking time for myself to create something that will have no tangible value.<br />
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I envy those people who seem to know at an early age what they want to do - what they <u>need</u> to do - and are willing to sacrifice most other things in order to pursue that need.<br />
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I'm on the downhill slide towards 50. It's taken me longer to realize that my life won't fully be lived unless I make time to 'create'. Still now, it's hard to justify spending an afternoon painting or felting or writing when there is a to do list waiting and people or animals needing something from me.<br />
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Thinking about that earlier in the year, I connected with some like-minded artistic women to form a little art group. We met once and shared some ideas and inspiration. Great supportive women all of them. We even made a silly name for the group. The decision was made that we could arrange the time around my schedule of work and family life - since the rest are empty-nesters who are retired from their paying jobs.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVq0GIi8F30e0EoNoLgwi1mlDjfmmw-w4A2dv24cxg1mT3YKlUUZYuNKtI6C0JCTQP3YXvQinFDOBF9QbWWClDl8ZQSu1XucfUhWxJyMGPeNLtG6DZXyv7qbAVj0qDLmDlMHqR636gDbw/s1600/Aug18-inkdrawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVq0GIi8F30e0EoNoLgwi1mlDjfmmw-w4A2dv24cxg1mT3YKlUUZYuNKtI6C0JCTQP3YXvQinFDOBF9QbWWClDl8ZQSu1XucfUhWxJyMGPeNLtG6DZXyv7qbAVj0qDLmDlMHqR636gDbw/s320/Aug18-inkdrawing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Guess what? I haven't arranged the second meeting. No excuses.<br />
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What do YOU do to make sure you make time to 'Do Whatcha Wanna'?<br />
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Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-4673269183813114562012-08-09T05:05:00.000-07:002012-08-09T05:05:44.678-07:00Mostly PhotosI'm sharing a few pictures of the farm from this week.<br />
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We enjoyed a long Civic holiday weekend by just hanging around home. It was perfectly relaxing. The weather on Monday was perfect - sunny but not too hot or humid.<br />
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Here's a picture of my small herd enjoying the day doing what they love.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VOm63Iakua8MR7MU5AgF9XZfjgmTPxGOpWPPIa-I02zl3Tm8Vbl0TvbFqrpoxS32z_EMOw769GNt533rwKk5uUNHRgRNCJCUsAr1WaHPGd9WhHQo16Sg_2wZ5xAraUt-nmJtF-6vaqM/s1600/Aug5-alpacas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VOm63Iakua8MR7MU5AgF9XZfjgmTPxGOpWPPIa-I02zl3Tm8Vbl0TvbFqrpoxS32z_EMOw769GNt533rwKk5uUNHRgRNCJCUsAr1WaHPGd9WhHQo16Sg_2wZ5xAraUt-nmJtF-6vaqM/s320/Aug5-alpacas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We put our hay in the barn early in the summer, but our back unfenced fields that don't get hayed do need to be cut to keep the bush from taking over. Also, we use the fields for ball-play and walks with the dogs, so it's nicer to have the fields cut than try to wade through the growth.<br />
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My teenage daughter gets to use the newer model estate size tractor. She loves being a tractor operator and she's very good at it. This is a talent that she wouldn't have discovered by attending high school but I encourage her to investigate machine operating as a career choice. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFpHVcHTomGKXT-sqN3EfeYDu_ypOqqPJYi6ou0aNq86rFjpUVG3f_ishuWuVZuSmknvaqoRunHI3vbTs197T7Vw0ow-cmV5O5iiv1sTS4XZMKTcTBgeNHl-4V0LAXe_kcGCeGCJEXI4/s1600/Aug5-Amy-tractor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFpHVcHTomGKXT-sqN3EfeYDu_ypOqqPJYi6ou0aNq86rFjpUVG3f_ishuWuVZuSmknvaqoRunHI3vbTs197T7Vw0ow-cmV5O5iiv1sTS4XZMKTcTBgeNHl-4V0LAXe_kcGCeGCJEXI4/s320/Aug5-Amy-tractor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Hubby loves to drive his old (I can't recall if its 1939 or 1941..but it's old!) Allis-Chalmers that he fixed up last year. In fact, it's got a small bench seat on it and sometimes he takes me for a romantic ride around the fields in the evening. (My friend's partner has a new shiny convertible...I get an orange repainted tractor...<grin>) It's bouncy!</grin><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFddiCWRT1xVJ_CqDbZkz_qzaaqP1WgxmGKfLjr3HUNpgj13wPHZChQjccuKDF8mkb1EBGz1Q8ifocUahq0UTTteU3KyJgBIU9gomRUMYz-3Xx3EUFSs9tDh6bHNVeH0kKwrJnToN-7g/s1600/Aug5-Gary-tractor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFddiCWRT1xVJ_CqDbZkz_qzaaqP1WgxmGKfLjr3HUNpgj13wPHZChQjccuKDF8mkb1EBGz1Q8ifocUahq0UTTteU3KyJgBIU9gomRUMYz-3Xx3EUFSs9tDh6bHNVeH0kKwrJnToN-7g/s320/Aug5-Gary-tractor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The choke cherry trees are full of fruit. We have a lot of these here which attract the birds, as well as bears.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIsDLCa3v5PvwuKDy0d9sdtsw04o6cONqmAQw_tWLL5O2AJJkl-UOagUW8fvxJp-aK2oqbFfNhmNW-Q6B74QE1jktKaPcag3c9lNxTXspNdT5veEAFWamoMZi-zM-isZ9ntQpoNIRIyQ/s1600/Aug5-ping-cherries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIsDLCa3v5PvwuKDy0d9sdtsw04o6cONqmAQw_tWLL5O2AJJkl-UOagUW8fvxJp-aK2oqbFfNhmNW-Q6B74QE1jktKaPcag3c9lNxTXspNdT5veEAFWamoMZi-zM-isZ9ntQpoNIRIyQ/s320/Aug5-ping-cherries.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is a picture of the creek that runs between the house property and the barnyard. It's very picturesque. When I cross it, I am always looking to spot a beaver, ducks, muskrat, or other little creatures. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNuPEq_r5Jsg8QEvyUbn-Gn9Bb1-RspuYBVnqX90cMDeZXbh489MDhbxnKJl62_SbHXlXS9STouC_uuoMcNONg5p2N7J3BfbmDwF8TMoTYMWYiKumcn_F_yer7PwJMK-pbe5_UjG3uXU/s1600/Aug5-creek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNuPEq_r5Jsg8QEvyUbn-Gn9Bb1-RspuYBVnqX90cMDeZXbh489MDhbxnKJl62_SbHXlXS9STouC_uuoMcNONg5p2N7J3BfbmDwF8TMoTYMWYiKumcn_F_yer7PwJMK-pbe5_UjG3uXU/s320/Aug5-creek.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We are harvesting our favourite summertime dish these days. Fresh yellow beans, boiled and served with butter. </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBEqmexg5N9Y3BG7EAhQu5EVqi67TfFcMg6YS08VJ7hoiHe_Jx5w_O1Ceb3c9tgVWYShwk0UnmanbKDB-jpzNktvDmt8WwE86e8nCx7N_HeCmAAo1eeczn6tTELLYqpz8pKodrxWwCGw/s1600/Aug5-yellow-beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBEqmexg5N9Y3BG7EAhQu5EVqi67TfFcMg6YS08VJ7hoiHe_Jx5w_O1Ceb3c9tgVWYShwk0UnmanbKDB-jpzNktvDmt8WwE86e8nCx7N_HeCmAAo1eeczn6tTELLYqpz8pKodrxWwCGw/s320/Aug5-yellow-beans.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">By the way - my daughter's zucchini sales went really well and she had extra money for the midway! She has the entreprenueral spirit and dreams of selling at the market next year ;) Funny, she didn't find that talent at high school, either...</div><div style="text-align: left;">I could write further on that but...Oh - but don't get me started...it would turn into a rant....;)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-4916970411720119312012-08-01T13:41:00.000-07:002012-08-01T13:41:14.607-07:00What Makes The Heart Sing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR6tNih3EGpzhJVr2_b02wuJSdI4V5_agt32PnTa9ZrpBOPPh0moBBV8Xkmi-RSq0oUviTKXQhU4AvKt-k7lOz8AwTgHAJwPRQGMloTVOZYyuNJitSzpO80qgE1rx3f3iPgJzPlme6Kk/s1600/artist-garden-booth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR6tNih3EGpzhJVr2_b02wuJSdI4V5_agt32PnTa9ZrpBOPPh0moBBV8Xkmi-RSq0oUviTKXQhU4AvKt-k7lOz8AwTgHAJwPRQGMloTVOZYyuNJitSzpO80qgE1rx3f3iPgJzPlme6Kk/s320/artist-garden-booth.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last weekend, I participated for two days of The Artist's Garden hosted by <a href="http://www.ashcreekpottery.com/" target="_blank">Ash Creek Pottery</a> in Callander, Ontario. This was the 10th year of the event. It's a awesome event. It's great to meet new people, talk to old friends and see some works from talented artisans. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was a hot, humid weekend with thankfully only a sprinkling of rain during the day and night (sorry to the farmers but scrambling to save my product in a downpour is not fun.) I had the best spot for a booth, with nice breeze and guaranteed shade in the afternoon. Plus, it was the closest booth to the tea room, so I was able to convince the church ladies to deliver the pie and ice cream when the mood struck.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>It's always a lot of work to pack up my shop and set it up somewhere else. Coupled with the effort to produce the product in my booth, it's obvious that I will not be paying all my household bills from my farm-based yarn business any time soon. I hear a lot of comments from people who don't 'get it'. People who don't understand why I would want to do it. ``So much work``, ``so hard to compete with the price of imports``...yada, yada, yada. I get especially suspicious stares from people I knew from my former IT career, where "billable hours" rule the day. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Why do I do it?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Simply - because it makes my heart sing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sitting outside at this lovely venue, I spin the most lovely brown alpaca through my fingertips for hours (which is like a day at the spa for me). Having three little talkative girls of 3 and 4 years old stand and watch my wheel for most of an afternoon and ask me questions makes me feel connected. Hearing strangers complimenting my yarns, so soft and colourful, makes me feel proud. I showed my Canadian made spinning wheel to a visiting tourist from Wales who is also a spinner. I shared my weekend with other wonderful artisans and their family members who I now know just a bit better.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>I don't golf.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't 'get it'.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>But this...I do.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Recent additions to our household include two 3 year old German Shepherd half-siblings, Junior (sable on the left) and Sadie (black on the right).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_i3QJvOLOi5qX-K6xmjUsXVUgaJ9B4WE8ICx6TxxmWc39lFLk3DZWTti6r5nWsPPyQI3_qnLcjDbvHtaHFILrSmS4w6dGBl6FaxC53O73DcmvxfoiLbOyPvOj3gBhChPRY6BljrC8TzA/s1600/GSD-dogs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_i3QJvOLOi5qX-K6xmjUsXVUgaJ9B4WE8ICx6TxxmWc39lFLk3DZWTti6r5nWsPPyQI3_qnLcjDbvHtaHFILrSmS4w6dGBl6FaxC53O73DcmvxfoiLbOyPvOj3gBhChPRY6BljrC8TzA/s320/GSD-dogs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We are really enjoying them after being dog-less for 16 months or so.<br />
They are very well-trained and very loving to their pack (that's us now!).<br />
German Shepherds are very intelligent dogs. It`s important that they are kept challenged.<br />
These two came from a young family who spent a lot of time training them.<br />
Puppies are adorable, but being able to find these really super dogs already trained is like winning a lottery. <br />
At 82 lbs and 62 lbs respectively - they do fill up the house!<br />
And hopefully I won`t be finding bear poop in the back yard anymore.<br />
<br />
Jimena the alpaca kept a good eye on the dogs from the barnyard, alarming to the others quite often for the first few days. She's calmed down now. We've started walking the dogs through the pasture on their leads after supper on our way to one of the large back pastures that we use for off-leash exercise. The alpacas are curious and wary of the dogs, keeping their distance and a fenceline between them. Our other dogs never went to the barnyard or pastures. These dogs are more intent on keeping an eye on the ball-thrower ('Chuck-it') that we are carrying to the back field - they know it means loads of fun.<br />
<br />
The chickens, though, are living dangerously. The other night, when we entered the alpaca pastures to walk through with the dogs, the chickens all decided they were going to follow us out to the fields and walked with us like a gang of minions within the danger zone of the dogs. I'm not sure what was going through the dogs minds or the chickens...although I am reminded how small a chicken brain is and perhaps how well-behaved a dog can be.<br />
<br />
On the gardening front, we have proved that despite our lack of ability, our inexperience, the lack of rain, the groundhogs, the potato bugs, our lack of weed control (this gathers lots of 'Tsk, tsk'ing from other gardeners)...we still get to eat!<br />
Think about what we can produce when we get better at this!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdXllncqstM8wblaI9VhxSMGVcr4YyUjGf60eYF44DlzNrq0YnQc1n42orR-cuhp9lDdue7WOSoNKp93_PbyH5SFZugL7NUAfMmP51A4uZq19regcOsb3-VUC_pgGSXUP7NooZlOIUhw/s1600/garden-pot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUdXllncqstM8wblaI9VhxSMGVcr4YyUjGf60eYF44DlzNrq0YnQc1n42orR-cuhp9lDdue7WOSoNKp93_PbyH5SFZugL7NUAfMmP51A4uZq19regcOsb3-VUC_pgGSXUP7NooZlOIUhw/s320/garden-pot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Despite making oven-baked zucchini sticks, whole wheat zucchini load with blueberries and pecans, garlic and parmesan fried zucchini, freezing shredded zuchinni for winter use and adding zucchini to everything I cook...alas, we are swimming (almost drowning) in zucchini.<br />
My daughter thought we had found our calling when she discovered how many zucchinis were hiding under those big leaves. <br />
I've written enticing sales ads for the zucchinis that I've given away at work.<br />
The neighbours don't eat zucchini apparently (what!).<br />
<br />
But my daughter is an optimist and future entreprenuer.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMM88EdoyTEuP_qMi25iZx_0LOreN73co3n0FZU-T25RI9m7djHvxyjBMMXtH1VtdkyOQgAoDhsvbR3f5VU5xkJ2QXuXSU3SRAWT8nJ_GwE7TVh9yjjByYoJ8bFn1_LrfH8doRyjdFGw/s1600/killer-zukes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMM88EdoyTEuP_qMi25iZx_0LOreN73co3n0FZU-T25RI9m7djHvxyjBMMXtH1VtdkyOQgAoDhsvbR3f5VU5xkJ2QXuXSU3SRAWT8nJ_GwE7TVh9yjjByYoJ8bFn1_LrfH8doRyjdFGw/s320/killer-zukes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Zucchini's for sale!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-33606295972764616402012-07-17T17:42:00.000-07:002012-07-17T17:42:17.399-07:00Trailer for Sale or Rent..."Trailers for sale or rent<br />
Rooms to let...fifty cents...."<br />
<br />
Remember that song 'King of the Road' by Roger Miller? I remember listening to the parents Country Cowboy album.<br />
<br />
Well, it's my new theme song for the trailer by the lake.<br />
<br />
YES, LADIES...the snake was back when we went out to the trailer on Saturday.<br />
<br />
Curled up under my pillow.<br />
<br />
And even though hubby had said he would "take care" of the snake, it wasn't to my satisfaction. I envisioned that "taking care" of a snake would mean something that required a parental warning to view...kind of like a scene from The Sopranos. I did not think "taking care" of a snake meant kindly guiding it to the trailer door and letting it slither back under the trailer (where it could find it's regular entry to its luxury home).<br />
<br />
Arrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!<br />
<br />
On a brighter note, we've been eating out of our garden. Yes, we've had our battles with bugs, groundhogs, and drought. The weeds also got the better of us. We have a greater appreciation for our grandparents who grew most of what they ate out of necessity.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeckttjkMtmeNoN6jZQv_-JV8Gr6lIFnWNGNuI9pgSB6RQ-QNALW0LebwqTPdHx6eZ7_Fkco4mbn1hxan8AwcuOob1n1qqIw2sUTssAEKl_-8tTcgxIO895ONPYFr8mjivKPo_AUPsho/s1600/july+16-harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeckttjkMtmeNoN6jZQv_-JV8Gr6lIFnWNGNuI9pgSB6RQ-QNALW0LebwqTPdHx6eZ7_Fkco4mbn1hxan8AwcuOob1n1qqIw2sUTssAEKl_-8tTcgxIO895ONPYFr8mjivKPo_AUPsho/s320/july+16-harvest.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">More on our vegetable garden experience in another post.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFvabeUGAo1o44ECgyXAMgTDIx0-viHO9cCYEZj-HJh8P9EnMGC9EQYUvIwNwYwtRyP_99SK25pG_j_24Nwp3n7NKljh6nDZ2aWH1v2gMmYOQml3HyP7xx8tpZXxIPV7hoecXYkb8krA/s1600/July+16-rhubarb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFvabeUGAo1o44ECgyXAMgTDIx0-viHO9cCYEZj-HJh8P9EnMGC9EQYUvIwNwYwtRyP_99SK25pG_j_24Nwp3n7NKljh6nDZ2aWH1v2gMmYOQml3HyP7xx8tpZXxIPV7hoecXYkb8krA/s320/July+16-rhubarb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> A friend gave me some rhubarb, so I tried a new recipe that I found on Nancy Guppy's facebook site. Nancy runs the <a href="http://www.chapmanslanding.com/" target="_blank">Chapman Landing Cooking Studio</a> in Nipissing, Ontario. She's all about local food that's good for you and tastes fantastic. I wanted to link to the recipe on her facebook page, but I can't find it on her facebook page now! <br />
I found out lately that rhubarb is packed full of calcium. Good stuff.<br />
<br />
I finished weaving my alpaca rugs and cut them off the loom. I'm happy with them. I will make a hem on one and just knot the fringe ends on the other.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYfQuD9d5m9AQoWW9vW9fn1QIqKvBClTKAdcI7jbSkqyI62Chw_SSpO-7tqLvoilVrYJUMu5A3GY87vFefuadz_jxOSoAQ5GhGIGcQcz4qWdLUe2y1XKuC1bgQylB8Hd0529OaF8ONyw/s1600/july16-rug1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYfQuD9d5m9AQoWW9vW9fn1QIqKvBClTKAdcI7jbSkqyI62Chw_SSpO-7tqLvoilVrYJUMu5A3GY87vFefuadz_jxOSoAQ5GhGIGcQcz4qWdLUe2y1XKuC1bgQylB8Hd0529OaF8ONyw/s320/july16-rug1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwBm75jA8OR95pjjvD6O3E7ZdKneo6vgaAkKIu5g8M8VEtmAuD6vxZEx2P1Joo4_bYcGux0wfKmgjw6HisEbKjrkD5ZlhkpombO39EiKsKKu5fhhZh4GZrQl90drYyRgzym_wechp1cY/s1600/july16-rug2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwBm75jA8OR95pjjvD6O3E7ZdKneo6vgaAkKIu5g8M8VEtmAuD6vxZEx2P1Joo4_bYcGux0wfKmgjw6HisEbKjrkD5ZlhkpombO39EiKsKKu5fhhZh4GZrQl90drYyRgzym_wechp1cY/s320/july16-rug2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Have a good day!Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-16709588209480711582012-07-12T17:14:00.000-07:002012-07-12T17:14:01.202-07:00Forget the Fleece...Okay, not really....but look at these eyes! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZvwV-KUWvDg3rtG2pZ-Ti8JkArKFOO9l7q_JMXl-3vw3qIacGilHc0nTxDNwGA1bBI3f6bjzT9ioTEFu7b6RKUBA3i8H9A_RndsuamIla3ppyHvnLCdxvygCPJbqlhuN19ji9dBBheo/s1600/big-eyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjZvwV-KUWvDg3rtG2pZ-Ti8JkArKFOO9l7q_JMXl-3vw3qIacGilHc0nTxDNwGA1bBI3f6bjzT9ioTEFu7b6RKUBA3i8H9A_RndsuamIla3ppyHvnLCdxvygCPJbqlhuN19ji9dBBheo/s320/big-eyes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
He's still very much a shy mama's boy, but he's getting a little more curious.<br />
30 lbs of adorable. (and yes, he does have ears... they are just tucked back.)<br />
I'm currently calling him Joey...short for Copper Joe. I say currently because I'm not sure if it suits, but I wanted the Copper part in there for his colour.<br />
<br />
I'm beating the heat at Ralph Johnston's basement weaving studio these days.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxLytWemYWVTkqTPsQhI30A17JdwnNN_CCpg0oI0gqv1QjZzwhZ809MQ5uKITkvEQ7Gx7ZJO9CdHa5NTdbxC18NfMwb-cveOdQpZFcb-u0flr2hSoEGLjzetjCI4msv6ibBXWx1-fOPQ/s1600/rug-on-loom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxLytWemYWVTkqTPsQhI30A17JdwnNN_CCpg0oI0gqv1QjZzwhZ809MQ5uKITkvEQ7Gx7ZJO9CdHa5NTdbxC18NfMwb-cveOdQpZFcb-u0flr2hSoEGLjzetjCI4msv6ibBXWx1-fOPQ/s320/rug-on-loom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've woven a couple of alpaca rugs in plain weave. These are the first alpaca rugs I have woven. The thick rug yarn has a jute cord in the centre and weaves up very quickly. I'm anxious to get some more rug yarn milled so I can experiment with different patterns.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've also been using the heat as an excuse to lay around and watch some TV series from the library. Laying around is a new art form for me...and I must say, I am learning to enjoy it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLp4BLJsmB4l39MybUFiBpTO6ESa9yhHw0VU88LaMtk6oBw5Q1u354siEt7Rc4OsmwgCOwpnC6mjIdFMmq8vas7GSJ3S4KmrjJCkovgauF2ukebvo2FCFpsUEkjPdVBn1gdTmrkiVg3Z8/s1600/DVDs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLp4BLJsmB4l39MybUFiBpTO6ESa9yhHw0VU88LaMtk6oBw5Q1u354siEt7Rc4OsmwgCOwpnC6mjIdFMmq8vas7GSJ3S4KmrjJCkovgauF2ukebvo2FCFpsUEkjPdVBn1gdTmrkiVg3Z8/s320/DVDs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div>Are you familiar with Downton Abbey? I work part-time in the Audio Visual department of the city library and was quite bewildered by the obsession over the Downton Abbey series. But now, I'm hooked into the characters and story line.<br />
And, ER has George Clooney. Need I say more? The library owns fifteen seasons of ER...I'm only up to season four. I do hope George Clooney is in all fifteen seasons.<br />
Speaking of obsession.<br />
Ahhhhhhh.<br />
<br />
The eyes!<br />
Maybe I should call the cria George. Or Copper George.Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-63529702126562569032012-07-11T08:20:00.000-07:002012-07-11T08:20:01.193-07:00Things I Hate to Find <br />
<br />
It's been a good month, except for these things I've found:<br />
<br />
1. Fresh Bear Poop in the backyard.<br />
<br />
2. Potato Bugs on my potato plants...ick!<br />
<br />
3. A Snake laying on my mattress at the trailer.<br />
<br />
4. My bean stalks with the all tops eaten off.<br />
<br />
5. Droplets of blood on the barn floor.<br />
<br />
6. Groundhogs smorgasbording in my garden.<br />
<br />
7. Earwigs...(visions of the Star Trek episode where they crawl in EARS!!!!)...anywhere.<br />
<br />
8. A Snake laying on my mattress at the trailer. NOTE: This entry has been repeated on purpose. IT WAS IN THERE AGAIN TWO WEEKS LATER!!! Both times we dispatched in a "kind-to-all-the-forest-creatures" sort of way (when I say 'we', I mean my husband did the handling while I ran around my campground with my hands in the air screaming like a fool). I am kind of freaking out about it...if it was the same snake, we can solve the problem in a different sort of way. My fear is that he's found the accomodation agreeable and invited friends and relatives into the nooks and crannies of the RV and that they are all waiting to find a warm body in the bed to snuggle up to.<br />
<br />
I'm not getting that "being one with nature" feeling lately...Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-28010107118632525202012-07-01T16:30:00.000-07:002012-07-01T16:30:19.698-07:00Lucky to Live HereGod, I love this country! Canada!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5nXaV-GmitwvUWsLZQNyV4CESqB-ry08nIrh3oPVIxEuS8ehNx2Ml616HPJwVyUtgKe1SY0dfUkfoEqNpX1XtNiPZH0U-XeQmplFxlfJKp_eKg8MihhxACrW6YZ8yjM7HFCK-RnZ6YM/s1600/my-paradise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5nXaV-GmitwvUWsLZQNyV4CESqB-ry08nIrh3oPVIxEuS8ehNx2Ml616HPJwVyUtgKe1SY0dfUkfoEqNpX1XtNiPZH0U-XeQmplFxlfJKp_eKg8MihhxACrW6YZ8yjM7HFCK-RnZ6YM/s320/my-paradise.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
O Canada!<br />
Our home and native land!<br />
True patriot love in all thy sons command.<br />
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,<br />
The True North strong and free!<br />
From far and wide,<br />
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.<br />
God keep our land glorious and free!<br />
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.<br />
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.<br />
<br />
Happy Birthday, Canada!Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-540936793687952602012-06-28T18:22:00.000-07:002012-06-28T18:22:21.020-07:00Pepita's CriaCria watch is over at my farm. It started with one birth and ended with the same birth. I did have three pregnant females heading into the spring. Two of those (Cassa Blanca and Jessie) were sold, and then delivered to their new home where their offspring were born.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That left pregnant Pepita here. I don't think Pepita really enjoyed her pregnancy. She's been pretty ornery for the past 11 and a half months of her gestation. (Yes, Ladies....that's right....quit complaining about your 9 month pregnancy!) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Watching for an impending cria birth is nerve-wracking, since we work off-farm. I scheduled the whole family (and sometimes friends) to ensure Pepita was checked quite often. Most alpaca births are uneventful, natural and fairly quick....but we don't like to take chances. Eleven and a half months is the average pregnancy...but a normal birth still puts the delivery date somewhere in a month range. That's a whole lot of waiting and worrying. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pepita had had pretty full teats for a couple weeks which is an indicator of a cria on its way. Tuesday morning, I had a feeling that delivery day was here. Pepita had what my friend, Nancy Carr of <a href="http://www.silvercloudalpacas.com/" target="_blank">Silver Cloud Alpacas</a>, has coined as 'hip-dip'...with some experience, you can actually see the hip muscles relax prior to birth. I pleaded with Pepita, when giving the morning pellet rations, to have the cria in the morning before I had to leave for work at noon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I kept an eye on her from the house. I guessed that she was in early labour about 9:30am when she was alternately laying down away from her herdmates and then going to the poop-pile. Things looked a bit more serious around 10:30am, so I put on my boots and headed to the pasture.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
There were two little feet and a nose sticking out under her tail - which is exactly what you want to see. We've had 30-some births on the farm, and I've witnessed about half of them. Pepita has only had one other birth and we had to help a little bit, so I was prepared to give her some assistance if required. Our inclination is to let nature proceed without our involvement - as it's always possible to do more harm than good by intervening. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The only concern was that Pepita kept laying on the ground which was making it difficult for the cria to make it's way out the canal and into the world. Alpaca usually give birth standing up, with the baby hanging out by the its hips for a bit before it drops to the ground. I understand this is nature's way of ensuring any fluid drains from the nostrils and mouth.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
So, I haltered Pepita so that I could keep her up. With my teenage daughter (who arrived in her mini-skirt and rubber boots, no less) gently stroking Pepita's neck, saying 'Push, honey' once (yes, I'm serious...she's watched to many episodes of ER!)...the little guy was born. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpVyM6JDkylAJQaVWseGfFQaBAME2wK0fyzFlFtgVN-plAxNkWxvMU22ZZ8Mgp0Ghpg-q-mydZfU5mqV1Tp82MxBOQ5oiK2zCUz8X-ByxPS6UVuzadEd_Ypz-9KoVwU-DqqS1Ig2ZxSo/s1600/pep3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpVyM6JDkylAJQaVWseGfFQaBAME2wK0fyzFlFtgVN-plAxNkWxvMU22ZZ8Mgp0Ghpg-q-mydZfU5mqV1Tp82MxBOQ5oiK2zCUz8X-ByxPS6UVuzadEd_Ypz-9KoVwU-DqqS1Ig2ZxSo/s320/pep3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Everything else that happens with a birth, plus the cleanup and well-baby check happened before 11:15am.<br />
<br />
A quick shower, check that the cria was heading towards the teats and I was off to work on time.<br />
No Problem.<br />
(And what did YOUR library clerk do before SHE went to work?)<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">These pictures, including the one above, were taken when the cria was about 22 hours old. He weighed 20lbs.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGtv4nccsfNDygLsT53XouX5_E_MdpNvCVptmBTfm33OERjoFpQcQ-SLy2hZJs9fDRTAipcew5PV0tIKHpueHHYaCSkZhEv94WQPOc26L3YkEUlDw9AiaD8hIBt8GVV0MFp8o2Sou1CI/s1600/pep-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGtv4nccsfNDygLsT53XouX5_E_MdpNvCVptmBTfm33OERjoFpQcQ-SLy2hZJs9fDRTAipcew5PV0tIKHpueHHYaCSkZhEv94WQPOc26L3YkEUlDw9AiaD8hIBt8GVV0MFp8o2Sou1CI/s320/pep-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In this picture, Pepita blows around his butt end as an encouragement to nurse. A raised little curl of a tail is usually a good sign that he's latched onto a teat. Pepita has ample milk.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The mother clucks and hums a lot at her cria. He knows that she means 'Stay with me and away from the 2 legged one'. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHXrZq4y7zemqmguak6sQmgWJcG7sgmbmZKxnFKK7AT8U42GQ6rsQufMZCtNUeqomLadJPCM5tykr2NysLO7yrlEdxIcUtmjfe1RPO9swLvMZZzBMuXHYQua8GXFdRB92KYuqy2ehvzY/s1600/pep4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHXrZq4y7zemqmguak6sQmgWJcG7sgmbmZKxnFKK7AT8U42GQ6rsQufMZCtNUeqomLadJPCM5tykr2NysLO7yrlEdxIcUtmjfe1RPO9swLvMZZzBMuXHYQua8GXFdRB92KYuqy2ehvzY/s320/pep4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Thanks Pepita, good mom.<br />
Job well done.Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-23061019782941349302012-06-25T09:18:00.000-07:002012-06-25T09:18:05.700-07:00What I'm Up To...I finished knitting this purple shawl some time ago, but just got around to washing and blocking it. I love the colour, although it isn't one that I would normally wear. I've knit this simple pattern before, and it really shows off the variation in the handspun, handdyed yarn. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzxoweh2aiu3MzauBtC6h2_erOPkcpN9JYLfajrylyFcJtka0l1VFROte6UcgJVYJWHiA06JttqFEYRV1w4c5ZYKHp_jx33ANUruUmEIHKNfzF8aDXhdVLY1S9kO9IRxzCpHI8LvP2hs/s1600/june25-purple-shawl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzxoweh2aiu3MzauBtC6h2_erOPkcpN9JYLfajrylyFcJtka0l1VFROte6UcgJVYJWHiA06JttqFEYRV1w4c5ZYKHp_jx33ANUruUmEIHKNfzF8aDXhdVLY1S9kO9IRxzCpHI8LvP2hs/s320/june25-purple-shawl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I love it when people admire a handspun garment and ask me if I made it myself. "Yes, first I tended my alpacas for a year while they grew the fleece, then I gathered the fleece as my husband sheared it, then I washed and carded the fleece, spun the yarn on my spinning wheel, then dyed the yarn, then knit the garment....yes, I did make it." (I try not to take all the credit if the particular alpaca is nearby)<br />
<br />
Here's my current knitting with handspun project - a very plain rectangular wrap. I find that garments knit with very simple stitch patterns look like pieces of art, as the handspun, handdyed yarn is interesting all on it's own.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hsGDhWj02J2D6U4IrFwNQV81Y5GQqeD4Fi0FHHGftHhMD0mp2vizUHl9vYcIb3n3K4RftpvhyBW9J1BapbCj58RtVwOpw_4VfAbltWgcJPlJcQ670SVIhlDEnIYmjxp23r4UoxqS98c/s1600/june25-handdyed-blue-knitting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hsGDhWj02J2D6U4IrFwNQV81Y5GQqeD4Fi0FHHGftHhMD0mp2vizUHl9vYcIb3n3K4RftpvhyBW9J1BapbCj58RtVwOpw_4VfAbltWgcJPlJcQ670SVIhlDEnIYmjxp23r4UoxqS98c/s320/june25-handdyed-blue-knitting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Creating handspun, handdyed garments is definitely a labour of love.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It takes me a while to turn fleece from the alpaca's back into a clean roving that I can dye, and then spin, and then knit. I showed you the yarn for these two shawls <a href="http://mistyhavenalpacas.blogspot.ca/2011/12/december-trials.html" target="_blank">here</a> back in December after it was just dyed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I picked up a book on the 'New' shelf at the library, "Culinary Intelligence" by Peter Kaminsky. The author is a well-known food writer/restaurant reviewer. This isn't a book I would normally pick for a bedtime read, but I am becoming more and more interested in healthy eating in a way that supports sustainable and responsible agriculture.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvXh67UKGwg96FJhR_zbxamAyubFjcjugDYH7x0OZl4daI_VuJfYa4mvC2KAL_KeZz_M2S9O7Morcj_yVPD2NO6ehgUNH_BdRAw3vL3Ly_dSyMoyAin9JFJmn3CTBh2UlnNxkn_Jqp3o/s1600/june25_book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifvXh67UKGwg96FJhR_zbxamAyubFjcjugDYH7x0OZl4daI_VuJfYa4mvC2KAL_KeZz_M2S9O7Morcj_yVPD2NO6ehgUNH_BdRAw3vL3Ly_dSyMoyAin9JFJmn3CTBh2UlnNxkn_Jqp3o/s320/june25_book.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I'm about half way through the book. I find it really interesting and Mr. Kaminsky has explained in terms that I can understand, ways to select food that leads to better health for yourself and your planet. He wraps it all around a term called 'FPC' (flavour per calorie). In short, if you make the decision to only select the best tasting food - generally, you are going to select food that has been picked when ripe (ie. regional), had less salt and chemicals added to it (less processed) and therefore with less packaging and environmental impact. He also explains how natural food flavours are meant to be enhanced by salt, sugar, etc...not totally overwhelmed by food processing industry, as is often the case when we buy packaged or fast food.<br />
<br />
I like books that make me smarter. Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-65691228655210758662012-06-20T08:13:00.000-07:002012-06-20T08:13:07.575-07:00Versatile Blogger Award<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1W-AD8y3cEUYL4oMiCoO79XexgMuTqwS2_Ndr2U1eXyl1AFTMUdxRqrAmHiysFBHZs8HPD2C-YZbOGgt4jWCFgW596USdvjPAnbj8JLh9UNTW-or6HpvMG3NYPB7Yb9uMGc1kehOmgGU/s1600/versatile+blogger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1W-AD8y3cEUYL4oMiCoO79XexgMuTqwS2_Ndr2U1eXyl1AFTMUdxRqrAmHiysFBHZs8HPD2C-YZbOGgt4jWCFgW596USdvjPAnbj8JLh9UNTW-or6HpvMG3NYPB7Yb9uMGc1kehOmgGU/s1600/versatile+blogger.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, for the second time this year, I've been nominated by a fellow blogger for the Versatile Blogger Award. In February, Leigh from <a href="http://my5acredream.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">5 Acres & A Dream</a> nominated me. I was appreciative but...well...time slipped by and I didn't pay the award forward. Recently, I was nominated by Debi of <a href="http://puddleduckgrange.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Puddleduck Grange</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thanks Leigh and Debi.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I appreciate both nominations from these interesting female bloggers. Those two blogs capture my interest - one is about rural sustainable living, the other is more about creativity.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>So here I go to nominate some blogs that I find interesting and worthy of the Versatile Blogger Award.<br />
1. <a href="http://lifewithsheep.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Life with Sheep</a><br />
2. <a href="http://mystichillsngaroma.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Mystic Hills Ngaroma</a><br />
3. <a href="http://a-self-sufficient-life.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">A Northern Life</a><br />
4. <a href="http://treeandtwigheirlooms.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Tree and Twig Farm Blog</a><br />
5. <a href="http://runamuckweaving.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Camp Runamuck</a><br />
6. <a href="http://whathousework.typepad.com/what_housework/2012/05/now-for-the-pigs.html" target="_blank">What Housework?</a><br />
7. <a href="http://divineknits-infiknit.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Divineknits with Infiknit</a><br />
(okay, I didn't get to 15 and some are not 'relatively' new to blogging....but...well....I tried.....)<br />
Readers: Please visit these new bloggers who inspire and share many,many ideas with us all.<br />
<br />
Okay for awarded bloggers....the details if you choose to participate.<br />
<br />
Nominate 15 (or what you can) fellow bloggers who are relatively new to blogging.<br />
Let them know that you nominated then.<br />
Share 7 random facts about yourself.<br />
Thank the blogger that has nominated you.<br />
<br />
And finally....Add The Versatile Blogger Award picture to your blog post!<br />
<br />
Here's the (very) random facts about me:<br />
<br />
1. I once took and passed my scuba diving qualification but decided that I didn't like breathing through a tube.<br />
2. I had my last cigarette in 2003 (for somewhat of the same reason why I chose not to scuba dive) and I do miss it.<br />
3. My favourite pizza toppings are mozzarella, mushrooms and green olives.<br />
4. My alcoholic drink of choice is amber rum with diet coke.<br />
5. Dark Chocolate with Almonds...that's my go-to yummy.<br />
6. I have a serious and immature crush on George Clooney.<br />
7. I once owned a 28 foot sailboat named 'Soliloquy'.<br />
<br />
Have a happy day!Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-65247058216084539722012-06-14T06:58:00.001-07:002012-06-14T06:59:03.562-07:00Good Morning, Farm!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULuVIqgdNuulSaRYb7FQd412so0venF3X6raD0iRcwYAHuI6XhdjJogJciENUk__E8uzZFCkfiFviVTO14ou4voQXJm9zWU-RuRgCGqJNC1vdbSuEyt6yUL4x4nNDhWuoEcGgD62X1As/s1600/goodmorning-jimena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULuVIqgdNuulSaRYb7FQd412so0venF3X6raD0iRcwYAHuI6XhdjJogJciENUk__E8uzZFCkfiFviVTO14ou4voQXJm9zWU-RuRgCGqJNC1vdbSuEyt6yUL4x4nNDhWuoEcGgD62X1As/s320/goodmorning-jimena.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Good Morning, Jimena!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmy8NobHHf_vLP7PEg3UL7Ah4sHDvGOseH51pIKbWap63_RJoAxui31GLX77lXO__eZR9IUevPchyp3brViplcjAwdXYXx6WXgVAHXrD5uCZ5IeBUV2AcCMu3CAMZwHu0LntT3t30phyphenhyphenU/s1600/goodmorning-deer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmy8NobHHf_vLP7PEg3UL7Ah4sHDvGOseH51pIKbWap63_RJoAxui31GLX77lXO__eZR9IUevPchyp3brViplcjAwdXYXx6WXgVAHXrD5uCZ5IeBUV2AcCMu3CAMZwHu0LntT3t30phyphenhyphenU/s320/goodmorning-deer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Good Morning, Deer!</div><div style="text-align: center;">(<em>no the corn isn't ready yet</em>) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2b5SAy1WPGAMwwkjLNVVnmh0m0CbCoj95oZdSoIjp0K13GroJLh4thkfx8i7ubBOi7Pv4zUHNLmmvjTolATM2iROtwZA0SQ_vsKE-mOfbdKiY-ILic2UV_dZnwMOpIvgxVRAmF5RdSIc/s1600/goodmorning-corn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2b5SAy1WPGAMwwkjLNVVnmh0m0CbCoj95oZdSoIjp0K13GroJLh4thkfx8i7ubBOi7Pv4zUHNLmmvjTolATM2iROtwZA0SQ_vsKE-mOfbdKiY-ILic2UV_dZnwMOpIvgxVRAmF5RdSIc/s320/goodmorning-corn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Good Morning, Corn!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCl_Qg56xGRppTBqXsDPWZuyv_8-TCCJNt34rn0Ktgznqi3jeXAvuui6lZBXpU9E0UtaIyBV1qNJcIwPyMBB-ZfCbo2tv0TscqZyvgDEOENBVkiHfgDKoH6Kn3OpsP-PoW86D9KgXLDg/s1600/goodmorning-bean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCl_Qg56xGRppTBqXsDPWZuyv_8-TCCJNt34rn0Ktgznqi3jeXAvuui6lZBXpU9E0UtaIyBV1qNJcIwPyMBB-ZfCbo2tv0TscqZyvgDEOENBVkiHfgDKoH6Kn3OpsP-PoW86D9KgXLDg/s320/goodmorning-bean.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Good Morning, Bean!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEy6NN97nHPxabGgUHuXHZEwzgdvMhJSHgQUIiVGw0bfSZ9ig7yn6RSBnGmwCMXTKwF6k3mmEXpKAQ7uqb84P-qfZxjg92yRw-EHkudjorlrkSt23cU26k53HOfEkmmt-Fbs4fzCZnG9k/s1600/goodmorning-potato.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEy6NN97nHPxabGgUHuXHZEwzgdvMhJSHgQUIiVGw0bfSZ9ig7yn6RSBnGmwCMXTKwF6k3mmEXpKAQ7uqb84P-qfZxjg92yRw-EHkudjorlrkSt23cU26k53HOfEkmmt-Fbs4fzCZnG9k/s320/goodmorning-potato.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Good Morning, Potatoes!</div><div style="text-align: center;">(<em>GoodBye to the 'No Potato Diet' soon</em>)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7qK1OW-eELLJoBHcQsBc_4hDSPwmaaw6r8Xk8K93sXCwVn7wJ7Rebcx3EOToQiB0gXsC5Dd8DvAR_Tly4drJB90sGvItMj7TdCnMgNmeLZ5q8rVMxytFN8Fx9LXBYF86uX62d0AvAp8/s1600/goodmorning-onion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7qK1OW-eELLJoBHcQsBc_4hDSPwmaaw6r8Xk8K93sXCwVn7wJ7Rebcx3EOToQiB0gXsC5Dd8DvAR_Tly4drJB90sGvItMj7TdCnMgNmeLZ5q8rVMxytFN8Fx9LXBYF86uX62d0AvAp8/s320/goodmorning-onion.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Good Morning, Onion!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJn5cUk_OrM7Wgivnew9x5C5-cAclA0IJkU948C4Y-kQfV7DSr-pd8Hclig64ZZMU-XESBR706oDJUziGQB15OxKYCZz6Wz75nQBEPFZGJm6VYv6E2NKHo1tNeqZTuDiCnBkenXKiIfYc/s1600/goodmorning-groundhog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJn5cUk_OrM7Wgivnew9x5C5-cAclA0IJkU948C4Y-kQfV7DSr-pd8Hclig64ZZMU-XESBR706oDJUziGQB15OxKYCZz6Wz75nQBEPFZGJm6VYv6E2NKHo1tNeqZTuDiCnBkenXKiIfYc/s320/goodmorning-groundhog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Good Morning, Groundhog!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(No lettuce, yet...)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">GOOD MORNING, FARM!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">GOOD MORNING!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-67365032404244967992012-06-03T07:34:00.000-07:002012-06-03T07:34:49.662-07:00Of Boys and JoysWhat a spring we've had. High temperature and incredibly very little moisture. Northern Ontario has been devastated by forest fires. Drought is always a concern to anyone who relies on pasture and hay to feed a herd. As I write, it has been raining steady for a couple days with promises of several more days. A huge sigh of relief!<br />
<br />
We were done our shearing 2-3 weeks earlier than usual because of the weather. Then we delivered three girls sold to a farm nearby. We also delivered two breeding males to them to use for the summer. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWaJoBTTlCV7F1V1eet311CbATT94yiTxs02QP1obJUSyPUxd8wbDCS6fe3kZW4Z3yc5FI2JN2hWEAzPXdXgZRS6BacneudyzEdUxkk25cA5qgw_cVC1T_o_8hwf7ABVQwM7oxZQS4_o/s1600/cyrano-2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWaJoBTTlCV7F1V1eet311CbATT94yiTxs02QP1obJUSyPUxd8wbDCS6fe3kZW4Z3yc5FI2JN2hWEAzPXdXgZRS6BacneudyzEdUxkk25cA5qgw_cVC1T_o_8hwf7ABVQwM7oxZQS4_o/s320/cyrano-2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> DEA Cyrano always looks impressive, with fleece or not. He's quite the poser.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnYwqXgA9RB3hzBbE7WeYmp052oi-6E7akNP6UbRCbDkaJSbvXQOYhTuJhEOAm3UGium5QvAyG93Ht1mZ5kmhZbbZSPqmtnWakaf31zNYMFNHJkv3-F-uSBjAZD95roToBnCAh2MxcBA/s1600/striker-2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSnYwqXgA9RB3hzBbE7WeYmp052oi-6E7akNP6UbRCbDkaJSbvXQOYhTuJhEOAm3UGium5QvAyG93Ht1mZ5kmhZbbZSPqmtnWakaf31zNYMFNHJkv3-F-uSBjAZD95roToBnCAh2MxcBA/s320/striker-2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The white MHA Striker gave me some lovely studly-like poses as well, but since my filthy barn kid dressed in her Oscar-the-Grouch barn pants and her school uniform top (ahem...) was in them, I chose not to show you those. Then, my camera batteries ran out. So, here he is, looking less than studly. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisMgJmmnx2Gv5VHpZwsMDjE_UYA1LK1N-YIy8a5UdaDXAhabGk_9n4dtUm3-SzkQ_jev2eEZXHTA1HB8GpIpiXMDy2QPX-dzpX0lMpRWLd1-cZxBdKzZpFHIhzyJH15jwd8tLy-EUGeE/s1600/the-fight-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisMgJmmnx2Gv5VHpZwsMDjE_UYA1LK1N-YIy8a5UdaDXAhabGk_9n4dtUm3-SzkQ_jev2eEZXHTA1HB8GpIpiXMDy2QPX-dzpX0lMpRWLd1-cZxBdKzZpFHIhzyJH15jwd8tLy-EUGeE/s320/the-fight-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Back at the farm, there are less males in the male pasture. Of course, competition runs high in the spring time. With fewer girls to impress, there is still an abundance of shows of testosterone.<br />
This is MHA Benecio (Ben) and MHA Awesome Carmel (Carmel) doing a little neck-wrestling. Alpaca necks are incredibly muscular and strong.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3eWhXBtJOlKrNZm_P7UCo_7KUNT_b4CjaazAnGzbXJzlsIBTFnfzWmNqWIo0M8f5JlMLUt9D6-D9eNPN11y5-kCdk9iRz3AC8aMNId7ZCQw3SyyLssfiw-f9sjiH4_AndGNd32I__oo/s1600/the-fight-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3eWhXBtJOlKrNZm_P7UCo_7KUNT_b4CjaazAnGzbXJzlsIBTFnfzWmNqWIo0M8f5JlMLUt9D6-D9eNPN11y5-kCdk9iRz3AC8aMNId7ZCQw3SyyLssfiw-f9sjiH4_AndGNd32I__oo/s320/the-fight-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The game continues with one guy trying to bite the other guy. Alpacas only have bottom teeth at the front, but the males develop very sharp fighting teeth at maturity which need to be dealt with to protect the other herd members.<br />
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This game ends with one screeching male running around the pastures, with the other hot on his heel, screeching and trying to bite his butt.<br />
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In the end, you have two out of breath males, nostril-flaring and dripping green spit from their lips. At least one will have some other guy's tail fibres stuck in his teeth.<br />
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Yep, nothing like walking by the girls area covered in green smelly slime with fibre stuck in your teeth to try to win a date.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufJlSlqhv8Ry5svelHj5gO6uAiiU2I6p_fSCxG5Cd2Mpp29MDyEp0g-8mVApztQR0W-As-iM_WWCXRpeF7FhY4L1Y3ZN2kfX0ASmPZTiQt4waRb5mqv64m2fYyUMAmdIxUqj6WWOQ5gw/s1600/the-garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufJlSlqhv8Ry5svelHj5gO6uAiiU2I6p_fSCxG5Cd2Mpp29MDyEp0g-8mVApztQR0W-As-iM_WWCXRpeF7FhY4L1Y3ZN2kfX0ASmPZTiQt4waRb5mqv64m2fYyUMAmdIxUqj6WWOQ5gw/s320/the-garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Bolstered by the relative success of my wee 6 x 12 vegetable garden at the house, we've taken over a small pasture for our garden this year. Our farm is on clay, so I'm not quite sure how successful this will be this year. We tilled the soil twice before planting. It has been fun to see the first shoots of corn and first green leaves of the potato plants coming up. It's been a family project so far...hopefully, the excitement will continue once the weeds and harvest starts.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCbz3QIQTa3MazV-JOUnQ1sroKpEliFbTBGjxSUaByXIWzDa9A2n4KYvof1L4kloBVpRBqdgu3SLMu0fNJc2sRcuo_-mCN1-SfVtoyb_U6iHHSWwtjzW-UaY5ySljN0HZUR677j2z3jg/s1600/baby-groundhog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCbz3QIQTa3MazV-JOUnQ1sroKpEliFbTBGjxSUaByXIWzDa9A2n4KYvof1L4kloBVpRBqdgu3SLMu0fNJc2sRcuo_-mCN1-SfVtoyb_U6iHHSWwtjzW-UaY5ySljN0HZUR677j2z3jg/s320/baby-groundhog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>A mama groudhog decided to make a den and have her groundhog pups between our house and barn. This is a picture of one of the pups staring out at me. A couple of the other ones were running around in the sand from their main denpipe, but with the direction of the sun, the sand and their colouring the photos weren't good. They are pretty cute, even though I know they will get into my garden.<br />
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I've seen a big rabbit hanging around my yard and a doe with a very new fawn just outside the pastures. Nature is watching for my garden harvest!<br />
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Unfortunately, as I write this, I haven't seen the groundhog pups for several days. They were running around the yard for a couple days and then we found a blood-covered site where one likely was attacked by a predator. The next day, I saw the mama groundhog sitting up by her hole looking anxiously around. She wasn't moving when she saw me. I am hoping that she was able to save some of her pups by moving them onto a different hole, if indeed a skunk or fox has gotten a pup. Perhaps she moved them because the rain was flooding her den.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by to read my little blog and special thanks to those who leave comments. I love hearing from you.Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-74185516432289480062012-05-13T16:59:00.089-07:002012-05-13T18:11:01.107-07:00Then It Hit Me....I spent last weekend in Elliot Lake, Ontario at the WASOON 2012 conference. WASOON stands for Weavers and Spinners of Ontario North. The conference takes place every two years, with the location rotating through the member guilds in Northern Ontario. I attended the conference as a vendor, but also as part of the community of fibre artists that gather to share knowledge, inspire each other's creativity and maintain our friendships.<br />
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The Elliot Lake area is truly beautiful in the springtime with blue sky, clean lakes and pine trees. It displays all the beauty of Northern Ontario. Elliot Lake was once a booming mining town. I was there once in the 80's when I worked for a mine safety association to tour the large underground facility. Sometime in the 90's the decreasing market value of uranium led to the closure of the area mines and very quickly the economic base of this town was gone. In the heyday of a boom mining town, the population was 25,000, now it is closer to 11,500. The infrastructure of a wealthy "company town" is still there set amid this beautiful Northern Ontario vista, so the city leaders have marketed Elliot Lake as a dream Northern Ontario retirement destination.<br />
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WASOON conference participants found 3 different town promotion packages in our conference package, complete with the Retirement Living pricing list for retirement rentals. The town mayor opened our WASOON banquet, welcoming us to his town, saying he was happy we were visiting, hoping that we would visit again....and "then come and stay for the rest of your lives".<br />
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My travelmate and I got a lot of giggles out of the '<em>stay for the rest of your lives</em>' comment...it would've made a good movie. So many people moving in...nobody moves out...<br />
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And then it hit me.<br />
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Apparently as spinning and weaving conference participants, we totally fit the Retirement Living target demographic. <br />
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If you've ever witnessed a hotel invaded by weavers and spinners...you will notice the candidates are predominately 1) women 2) gray haired 3) wearing stunningly beautiful handspun, handwoven, beaded shawls you can't afford to buy...(often with..uhm...running shoes...and that's not because we don't have a fashion sense, but in our fibre arts world, beauty only applies to things handcrafted and not many of us can wear handcrafted shoes that you can carry or treadle a spinning wheel in. Also, by the time we've stuffed the car with bags of fibre, our seatbelted spinning wheels, looms and 2 years of accumulated show-n-tell items we've forgotten the dress shoes). <br />
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Anyway, I headed home inspired to finish all my UFOs (un-finished objects), including this handspun yarn that's been on my wheel since last month.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm plying two single strands into a balanced 2 ply yarn on my electric Eortel Roberta spinning wheel. It does ply quicker than my treadled wheel and of course, I can work at it for a lot longer without wearing out my legs and ankles on the treadles.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivz0E-UwrRLWVjXsCojPliVa3P_M_0RampOOorvKi43HUJSvdzTkQpQ2GAEzmrZOtwOXsNvC1r3feC2sp_GcX-7XAwvCaKETlJspdZnLYOlNwZUuz2rKP10pxfWkBOXPmRDmnDIxlxBKA/s1600/2+ply+on+bobbin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivz0E-UwrRLWVjXsCojPliVa3P_M_0RampOOorvKi43HUJSvdzTkQpQ2GAEzmrZOtwOXsNvC1r3feC2sp_GcX-7XAwvCaKETlJspdZnLYOlNwZUuz2rKP10pxfWkBOXPmRDmnDIxlxBKA/s320/2+ply+on+bobbin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mdGlJmB_qfSm0NRqc9sY2O6rEpkYV6Msf6ESzc2DtBSMakrBZgps2ucz-rFirxHBVdSbHMDkvn2wSf6eC4HKVh9sxKn_9OWzpcHXVVUwHAYjQqD9Ch8EfsUe1YABxDkL90ZKoeq-fs8/s1600/plying+onto+roberta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mdGlJmB_qfSm0NRqc9sY2O6rEpkYV6Msf6ESzc2DtBSMakrBZgps2ucz-rFirxHBVdSbHMDkvn2wSf6eC4HKVh9sxKn_9OWzpcHXVVUwHAYjQqD9Ch8EfsUe1YABxDkL90ZKoeq-fs8/s320/plying+onto+roberta.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The two bobbins of singles sit on what is called a Lazy Kate and ply from there onto my Roberta. I have no idea why this equipment is called a Lazy Kate. I did just Google it and could not find an answer. Perhaps I'll try finding it in my old spinning books or asking some friends who are into this type of trivia. If you know, leave a comment!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXaZBqCC6yxAvpDR-rocNZ_ukAUVuV9Fvpo-p38xRXEh39jRq36_wAemi6KMfXx9CQ5ymVkvPkOOYuGy9aboLPJ5XBsHmsWdkRm4W7bbOyk6gzJdTB9OCG9veMVFLAawScMjn8QtsVlo/s1600/skein-of-carmel-white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXaZBqCC6yxAvpDR-rocNZ_ukAUVuV9Fvpo-p38xRXEh39jRq36_wAemi6KMfXx9CQ5ymVkvPkOOYuGy9aboLPJ5XBsHmsWdkRm4W7bbOyk6gzJdTB9OCG9veMVFLAawScMjn8QtsVlo/s320/skein-of-carmel-white.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>My first skein is 138g and feels lovely. I have more to spin. It's 100% alpaca, so it will have lovely drape but possibly not much elasticity. I think it will knit into some lovely scarves or it might end up on my Etsy site. <br />
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Getting back to the topic of the demographics of the spinners and weavers group. Yes, the predominate hair colour at the conference was gray. I've let my hair go 'au natural' for the last couple years. I have friends and family that applaud that and say that my natural aging hair was a lovely mixture of shades. I have other friends that frankly look at my unpampered, graying hair and say "Why?" or "What's wrong, hon?".<br />
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After last weekend, I decided I no longer wanted to appear as Elliot Lake's target market. This box got emptied on Wednesday night. My hubby put the colour in for me as I sat in the kitchen chair and I think he did a very nice job.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This weekend we started shearing. My hubby actually does the shearing and my daughter and I are the crew. We began with the female alpacas first. As one girl was led away from the shearing table, I complimented her on her new hairdo.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then it hit me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
I have the same hair care expert as the livestock.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
I need to get off the farm more.....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-84850701393584196052012-04-16T04:47:00.000-07:002012-04-16T04:47:06.569-07:00Oh...that IS soft...I couldn't resist...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSb0oslDeoMDPD5audvPnKnKsyI4IJDkB_t9SFD8tbZWbZfSuCWlRl3QYXcai2gPtb_ECXCopy8B4Dvljuf_L4Ly72dL0MSuRkWoSIgt9yZdj9sBk7nsABQrwfn3iM3m861MrRTYIAgY/s1600/two-tone-fibre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSb0oslDeoMDPD5audvPnKnKsyI4IJDkB_t9SFD8tbZWbZfSuCWlRl3QYXcai2gPtb_ECXCopy8B4Dvljuf_L4Ly72dL0MSuRkWoSIgt9yZdj9sBk7nsABQrwfn3iM3m861MrRTYIAgY/s320/two-tone-fibre.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qGA1zfscX9EkHzqNeLm_RII-m-MunlW6isLQwcwbFEKrrbRYYDso27fC29EJa5IcoDf86Lme4m2Wp2sdI2WlcZbNt7MuVclIXTrnULXMNwoezx5C0Ag0695f69_JS2CA1C8-l_s_Qx4/s1600/two-tone-yarn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qGA1zfscX9EkHzqNeLm_RII-m-MunlW6isLQwcwbFEKrrbRYYDso27fC29EJa5IcoDf86Lme4m2Wp2sdI2WlcZbNt7MuVclIXTrnULXMNwoezx5C0Ag0695f69_JS2CA1C8-l_s_Qx4/s320/two-tone-yarn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I've never spun a two tone yarn before. This was a surprise in my last mill order. I'm anxious to see what the finished knit garment will look like. I'm thinking a plain rib scarf and cap set. We'll see.<br />
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Experts say you should plan your project and spin for it. I'm not an expert ;)Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-66955186523546992922012-04-12T05:09:00.000-07:002012-04-12T05:09:53.622-07:00It's Arrived!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkS8tiUSD_U3U2PVkYlZvHvlPTdDWC3B4ZQTLPzS2pBOvNb_8xeSPesRJcf56wcl6DlnADAiaB7hQHITSRn3aPnhMLUwdPHknb2yg3wPmhNKGAqxTBUZ9oLlaVnWwT2MRZaCzWAOAcYc/s320/yarn-order.jpg" width="320" /></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>My yarn and roving order freshly processed at Legacy Lane Fibre Mill!Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-74544438913066304472012-04-08T13:04:00.000-07:002012-04-08T13:04:46.970-07:00Things I Made Today<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've been busy with my carder, preparing batts and rovings for sale. I'm heading to Elliot Lake in early May for a weaving and spinning conference and aim to have some lovely batts for sale, as well as my yarns.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkjqs-kjlSPNwx-Ue4HkQ_FXCtDr3Fox38jNY4Zihe2vFmLd491igjDqUkvPuIb_NlfC6nQy02vXwSioR3dypeh2kfnJqanGXOaKvyrpnVK-TWOx51K_JAl5ry1sCpUsFk_fEiR_BeC4/s1600/royal-mauve-batt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkjqs-kjlSPNwx-Ue4HkQ_FXCtDr3Fox38jNY4Zihe2vFmLd491igjDqUkvPuIb_NlfC6nQy02vXwSioR3dypeh2kfnJqanGXOaKvyrpnVK-TWOx51K_JAl5ry1sCpUsFk_fEiR_BeC4/s320/royal-mauve-batt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>This batt is a combination of my dyed alpaca in mauve and royal blue, with some blue merino and some white and navy silk. It's stunning and oh, so soft....This batch may have to stay behind in my stash.<br />
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That's the hazard of creating yarns and fibres. Sometimes it's hard to part with my product. <br />
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It is rewarding, though, to run into a fellow fibre artist later, who proudly displays a wonderful one-of-a-kind finished garment that started with fibre from my farm.<br />
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I borrowed a cake tin from my public library last week. Isn't that neat? Our public library has a wide assortment of cake pans to lend out to it's members. Some people think that is an odd thing for a public library to do, but public libraries today are not just about lending books, but rather about providing the community to many kinds of shared resources.<br />
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Somewhere in my memory, I can remember my mother making a special Easter lamb cake. I must have been about seven years old. The lamb had white coconut as the fleece and green coconut as the grass. The "how-to" had been from a Chatelaine magazine. This wasn't something that my mother would typically do, considering she had six kids in her hectic home and a husband on the road...cake decorating just wasn't a priority. But I do remember that Easter lamb cake as something very special.<br />
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I had never made an Easter cake for my daughter (and although I can blame a hectic home, I only have the one offspring and a very present hubby...so I own no good excuses other than "it ain't my thing"). <br />
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That mother-owned guilt was telling me that I might have missed the chance to make a good, warm Easter memory for my daughter.<br />
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But we made our cake today together, my daughter and I. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqv_CNbhMf7Y-3qvwuv_7vRubk3bITPAv1pxiFlvJlRmjML4vkd06vnvGNKtQTO_xcoCZsfZyg_btIHzD1zx4VkdnG3GpEWbbX_ysqbiUHWWBNkbHmpVyIsLReM5dQkuVs3zMHZBeTaY/s1600/bunny_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqv_CNbhMf7Y-3qvwuv_7vRubk3bITPAv1pxiFlvJlRmjML4vkd06vnvGNKtQTO_xcoCZsfZyg_btIHzD1zx4VkdnG3GpEWbbX_ysqbiUHWWBNkbHmpVyIsLReM5dQkuVs3zMHZBeTaY/s320/bunny_cake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>And, along the way, we made a special Easter memory.<br />
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Happy Easter!Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-32368703643606001112012-04-04T17:43:00.000-07:002012-04-04T17:43:43.957-07:00Mostly Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Did you get played on April Fools Day? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our teenage daughter does the barn chores every Sunday morning. </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On April 1st, hubby and I got up very early and dyed some eggs. Then he placed them under a willing hen in the coop and we were back in bed before daughter got up to do her chores.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She was a bit puzzled when she saw the pile of bright colours under the hen.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Later, darling daughter and I had some fun dyeing some other eggs with food colouring. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEqoV0qFRSF1ZSrjtncwyDkjMgoDyMrI6ohMi2xojHo0Y0K5TZwwHVQaXsYnShxwghTM_l6OwpXkfM7BtA9TGZj64nb3pwfxQ0VCdRUI5H_1JxFXRNOpiukR940_5m3bSWLyePfJ1fXg/s1600/easter-eggs-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGEqoV0qFRSF1ZSrjtncwyDkjMgoDyMrI6ohMi2xojHo0Y0K5TZwwHVQaXsYnShxwghTM_l6OwpXkfM7BtA9TGZj64nb3pwfxQ0VCdRUI5H_1JxFXRNOpiukR940_5m3bSWLyePfJ1fXg/s320/easter-eggs-small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMwzpG54ltHNKvAWPxuxPL-lfaFlXcRP6bAOGimO0mJ_5fC5aknGXzrOvft9O8g5f1fQF0SZFJQ0JWxzCcCBQZeN8s3IVRR-IbyCMUsUEOJLdjwrSCS4o2-Eyb8sApiwnWNLq3fcdnd0/s1600/evil-hen-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMwzpG54ltHNKvAWPxuxPL-lfaFlXcRP6bAOGimO0mJ_5fC5aknGXzrOvft9O8g5f1fQF0SZFJQ0JWxzCcCBQZeN8s3IVRR-IbyCMUsUEOJLdjwrSCS4o2-Eyb8sApiwnWNLq3fcdnd0/s320/evil-hen-small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>See this little hen? This is the face of evil.<br />
She's been sitting, determined that she is going to hatch a brood. And she tries to maim anyone who wants the eggs. She is NOT the best part of my morning. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQmzbIcidDSSPUb-io_NUqKZPsj6CDO4LGMEM3sEbENQSxVt861A_dJv5D0NNTWogo5dJOHXJiv8cdLvYCultKN8XCxPwEUiUrOi-iw1youeqDx5rEDiiSEyMiEsGP136_x0XNmAKO6A/s1600/lily-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQmzbIcidDSSPUb-io_NUqKZPsj6CDO4LGMEM3sEbENQSxVt861A_dJv5D0NNTWogo5dJOHXJiv8cdLvYCultKN8XCxPwEUiUrOi-iw1youeqDx5rEDiiSEyMiEsGP136_x0XNmAKO6A/s320/lily-small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> This is the lovely Lily. The alpacas love the weather this week, slightly below freezing at night and slightly above during the day with lots of sunshine.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoPVZtTb_ZuKlTcKosvLve-ei1BwEsoOv5MeJaUX04zr8aklIvP5Pj7vbwgFaT83BbG5hUyg0MWQXFAFHXslGHHQQxW3k0lUhGrj4trrRvz19Fx24FfgLG3OjuMea80cRM4KlR4qKwOo/s1600/mittens-in-house-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoPVZtTb_ZuKlTcKosvLve-ei1BwEsoOv5MeJaUX04zr8aklIvP5Pj7vbwgFaT83BbG5hUyg0MWQXFAFHXslGHHQQxW3k0lUhGrj4trrRvz19Fx24FfgLG3OjuMea80cRM4KlR4qKwOo/s320/mittens-in-house-small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Oh, and if you were concerned about the fate of the barn mice...you needn't be. Mittens has found a new home.Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9125805636877323564.post-83333233161432328632012-03-21T05:14:00.000-07:002012-03-21T05:14:54.462-07:00Early Spring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you are tuning in to this blog from Northern Ontario, it will not be a surprise that I will mention the weather. It's like July weather, with temperatures in the 20s and people walking around in halter tops, shorts and sandals.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've had a hard time getting time to update the blog this month. However, I remembered to take the camera outside a few times to catch the signs of spring. Like the alpacas venturing out into the fields for the first time, as they sense the approaching spring and search for that first blade of grass.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcd-sQEVV6fO9BTOxIGH3Dnii9i6rVuwxQkSbTmJTKY218JkJ6zvPqQTbYTl26YtbOSrnaS3AED40IbNE4oFwUMQtDk93QBoUwCFRL9r8I_d4W_v_YkCbAICXTEe2H07Rc_SO8UbUaVrk/s1600/first-pasture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcd-sQEVV6fO9BTOxIGH3Dnii9i6rVuwxQkSbTmJTKY218JkJ6zvPqQTbYTl26YtbOSrnaS3AED40IbNE4oFwUMQtDk93QBoUwCFRL9r8I_d4W_v_YkCbAICXTEe2H07Rc_SO8UbUaVrk/s320/first-pasture.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know that I should keep them off the pastures right now, but I'm a bad farmer....I like to see their enjoyment as they kick up their heels for the first time since the winter socked them in close to the barn. I'll give them some time to stretch their legs before I close off that pasture so that the grass has a chance to start.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was another scene from a week ago.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMjfq684CPcKmqVKeAKXnsYmENsxXuIWdtknFqU6qsAW88ZXho_v6x0o4C766ygQ6IRsrmrNDy4PmKJBf4xMWmAo0x8kU1DgUSkMuZcJ-OAA23Zjpu5mP2rwKPf7UTNNdt3TujVOJvFg/s1600/farm-spring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMjfq684CPcKmqVKeAKXnsYmENsxXuIWdtknFqU6qsAW88ZXho_v6x0o4C766ygQ6IRsrmrNDy4PmKJBf4xMWmAo0x8kU1DgUSkMuZcJ-OAA23Zjpu5mP2rwKPf7UTNNdt3TujVOJvFg/s320/farm-spring.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today, the only snow you can see anywhere is at the shady edge of the woods.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Warm and sunny for the last several days. Short and halter weather indeed.</div>Of course, spring fashion is in full swing here at the farm. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaQYk_vOvpZO0VyziT-D482rhGVGmjE85Ek5g-UNW_Sm_gMWqfZWXiNlVxEzYvllHsm0dcIvrMyFhKhHLeYLuwl8YIyjInWe_G6zTI2F6YCp-b-ypMae6R8oSfsXM73RUM5xJfHre1EM/s1600/spring-fashion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTaQYk_vOvpZO0VyziT-D482rhGVGmjE85Ek5g-UNW_Sm_gMWqfZWXiNlVxEzYvllHsm0dcIvrMyFhKhHLeYLuwl8YIyjInWe_G6zTI2F6YCp-b-ypMae6R8oSfsXM73RUM5xJfHre1EM/s320/spring-fashion.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had a beautiful walk to check the fence this morning. It feels like the earth is coming alive after being frozen and buried under snow for several months. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cmb71QjHlYwv75zBoEBSiLvcvX5u3rvyZPlnZyrUi3dcaG-i_x2UBk8IBTUdvj3nnXQ1G6pxHGs9iivnM2OABQ3jmeAA1IIFlENIxmqW7Dz5axAYlHHeulSysrriHhGsq9F71jpav9g/s1600/march-morning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cmb71QjHlYwv75zBoEBSiLvcvX5u3rvyZPlnZyrUi3dcaG-i_x2UBk8IBTUdvj3nnXQ1G6pxHGs9iivnM2OABQ3jmeAA1IIFlENIxmqW7Dz5axAYlHHeulSysrriHhGsq9F71jpav9g/s320/march-morning.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I finally finished spinning up some dreadful rovings that I had accidentally semi-felted in the dyeing process. I think if I had purchased the fibre, I would have thrown it out and not thought too much of it. But when you watch the fleece being grown on the backs of your animals, and carefully skirt and sort the fibres, wait for months to get it back from the mill in roving form and then dye it (usually successfully)...this stuff has your heart and soul in it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVxDnyMMde04WVGfXWpDL_Zoif7n6U7fqjiO8R_V8FUAKO2KviS1tBQ-Im75sR40vuEJUW7WXwXZkbXEBKJyFd3Pp9Xu2Shf9nfuavre3BAzfwi69Sxq0b-pSO9vOnE69p8c8dnnFla4/s1600/green-yarn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVxDnyMMde04WVGfXWpDL_Zoif7n6U7fqjiO8R_V8FUAKO2KviS1tBQ-Im75sR40vuEJUW7WXwXZkbXEBKJyFd3Pp9Xu2Shf9nfuavre3BAzfwi69Sxq0b-pSO9vOnE69p8c8dnnFla4/s320/green-yarn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>So I thought I would try to salvage some of it. It was tough to draft so, the resulting singles were pretty uneven in diameter. Lots of lumpy spots. But actually, after plying and washing it, it appears to be a lovely soft, interesting yarn. It will no doubt knit into a beautiful textured fabric. I love the colour. I only have about 200g, so I'm leaning towards a hat and mitt set. I keep thinking of a little girl's jumper dress though. Perhaps I will have to hang up the yarn in a place I can see it often. The answer will come to me.<br />
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We've been trying to tame a homeless cat for about a month. She's a nice little cat, but very nervous. My daughter and I were able to cage her and bring her to the vet for shots and a checkup. Thankfully, we think she was already spayed, is in good health and was well behaved in the vets office. The vet and I beleive she is probably about three years old.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNHXkcDpUIAbbN4jCTRNgNpV3ti_MsYAyqP5Ia2isqQXo3JKf5Cbt53IV7pnKFDVbGMfdYzs5kbFuvV7-9Zz4HE35wxttdvKs7VdsI4BKJd6nOJ-VIRGvOme0BkKMdrRqtOUz9eUT5ks/s1600/baiting-cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
We think one of the renters of an old farm up the road left her when he moved out. Another neighbour started feeding her, but when he got a dog, she was frightened away. We suspect she's been living in our implement shed for the winter. My daughter has named her Mittens.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpHwWIIzH8-jOEQGmjHg2svrJksjkA9lQK94cAERS34mcPumFLyLoZ0leHuRjRxYmPTuruG9-d2DL_kElauGafn9uV-X1dle68DgYJule1EFaU6FgMuRhCW4XiVHqSH8bKdmfP2Fpc94/s1600/Mittens-cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpHwWIIzH8-jOEQGmjHg2svrJksjkA9lQK94cAERS34mcPumFLyLoZ0leHuRjRxYmPTuruG9-d2DL_kElauGafn9uV-X1dle68DgYJule1EFaU6FgMuRhCW4XiVHqSH8bKdmfP2Fpc94/s320/Mittens-cat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Our hope was that she'd become our new barn cat, doing mouse control in return for food and lodging.<br />
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We kept playing this game where we would coax her with food into the barn, then pick her up and put her in the hot room (which has a cat door) to eat and get used to us petting her.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNHXkcDpUIAbbN4jCTRNgNpV3ti_MsYAyqP5Ia2isqQXo3JKf5Cbt53IV7pnKFDVbGMfdYzs5kbFuvV7-9Zz4HE35wxttdvKs7VdsI4BKJd6nOJ-VIRGvOme0BkKMdrRqtOUz9eUT5ks/s1600/baiting-cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNHXkcDpUIAbbN4jCTRNgNpV3ti_MsYAyqP5Ia2isqQXo3JKf5Cbt53IV7pnKFDVbGMfdYzs5kbFuvV7-9Zz4HE35wxttdvKs7VdsI4BKJd6nOJ-VIRGvOme0BkKMdrRqtOUz9eUT5ks/s320/baiting-cat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-aVJ01vmFoiZxN_HAgLvJUtdSvnn4RpBmWCPQs6oObnw7ksXiAZVhB8rM-ZQWa0HNYTBaqJV-dRO0-bcbPxz8fEuzg-QBTqM1JS5O6ePQGIa7YSucDpoV4TC1alOHfIzL8GThZisSGU/s1600/cat-eating.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-aVJ01vmFoiZxN_HAgLvJUtdSvnn4RpBmWCPQs6oObnw7ksXiAZVhB8rM-ZQWa0HNYTBaqJV-dRO0-bcbPxz8fEuzg-QBTqM1JS5O6ePQGIa7YSucDpoV4TC1alOHfIzL8GThZisSGU/s320/cat-eating.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
It did work most of the time, but it sure made chore time a lot longer. She is very nervous of the alpacas and really tried hard to convince us to bring the food outside for her.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
She is more interested in becoming a house cat. She leads us back to the house, all the while talking to us about how she really is a princess, and not suited to the barn. She spends a lot of time lounging on our deck.<br />
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I don`t think the barn mice are in any danger soon.<br />
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</div>Norma from Misty Haven Alpacashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09528304751819069504noreply@blogger.com4