tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43455795082797627062024-02-02T01:45:31.768-05:00JADA FarmsAndy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-69727700419477062592011-06-18T13:04:00.000-04:002011-06-18T13:04:45.742-04:00Good-bye Dear Friend<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfxza7MABSfkACqBY3Mv13bAlyrH0Z3h6Mtnn8kXD_J8koxgieQ0Bvc-52zLCBZSqtQ-7T-RFJfX3sAEpeZtrpSlWQoS6aMPRoDwrVSjk-L-_I708sh3baz4qE3kq8AIHETusYlRnP1g5/s1600/260823_601622230_2737235_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfxza7MABSfkACqBY3Mv13bAlyrH0Z3h6Mtnn8kXD_J8koxgieQ0Bvc-52zLCBZSqtQ-7T-RFJfX3sAEpeZtrpSlWQoS6aMPRoDwrVSjk-L-_I708sh3baz4qE3kq8AIHETusYlRnP1g5/s400/260823_601622230_2737235_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floppy</td></tr>
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<center> Grieve not,<br />
nor speak of me with tears,<br />
but laugh and talk of me<br />
as if I were beside you.<br />
Twas heaven here with you,<br />
I loved you so.<br />
<br />
<br />
<em>Isla Paschal Richardson</em><br />
</center>Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-76208887557990844622011-06-06T15:20:00.000-04:002011-06-06T15:20:19.522-04:00One Down.....For those of you who know me or have followed my blog for any length of time, you know that I always seem to end up with a "collection" of projects on the go. Probably because I get distracted by new and exciting crafts to learn and partially because I tend to think "Oh I'll just take a break and whip up this other project" Funny...they just seem to add up not get "whipped up".<br />
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Well, after a very productive weekend which included a trip to the fibre mill, spending some time with the boys, trying my hand at felting (those pictures will be posted soon), building new feeders for the boys and actually trying to get some spinning done, I did manage to finish one of those many crafting projects.<br />
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The Lighthouse baby blanket I have been making for a dear friend who is patiently waiting for the arrival of her first grandchild. Hopefully the perfect blanket for a new addition to a family who's heart and roots are firmly planted in Newfoundland.<br />
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I can't wait to see a picture of him all wrapped up in it!Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-26802564372471473842011-06-05T07:18:00.001-04:002011-06-05T07:19:19.347-04:00OUR FIRST MILL ORDERSo we finally got our boys sheared and our little farmhouse is completely overrun by fleece!! It's time to face facts...I would have to quit my job and eat meals in my spinning chair to even remotely have a chance to get all of this spun. I put an ad on a local online advertising site and then started searching online for other ideas of what I could create with all of this gorgeous fleece.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is just this year's 'harvest'<br />
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</tbody></table>Much to our surprise, our ad started getting responses about 20 minutes after it was posted and I have a lady coming by today for a visit with the boys and to pick what colours she wants turned into roving. Roving?? JADA Farms is going to need to find a fibre mill! And find one we did! We took our first load of fleece in yesterday.<br />
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I would like to thank Gail at <a href="http://gatewayfibreworks.com/">Gateway Fibreworks</a> for the tour she gave us yesterday. Gail was wonderful! While the boys' microns were being checked she showed us around the mill, explained the different things she did there and of course, as a fellow alpaca owner, had a long chat with us about these beautiful characters. And then I was left with <strong>absolutely</strong> no choice but to spend some time with her going through her shop and discussing different felting and dyeing techniques while Andy waited outside. Luckily for him the rain had stopped. I walked away with a wonderful little book, "The Knitter's Companion"<br />
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I placed an order with Gail to have all of Parnell and Tyrone's fleece from last year combined and turned into roving...I can hardly wait to see it! We also dropped off some seconds and thirds for Gail to add to her recycle co-op. She combines her own fleece with that given to her by other alpaca farms in order to get the minimum amount needed and sends it to be turned into cozy insoles. The insoles are then divided among the farms that donated fibre for the project. Now that's my idea of a recycling program!!!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">I will be signing up for her workshops when I take up the next load of fleece to be processed.</div><br />
The really interesting part of the day was getting the boys' micron counts checked. Unfortunately though, for Windsor, this resulted in the end of his reign as "King" of JADA Farms. He has been downgraded to "Prince". Why? Because although he has superb density, staple length and amazing crimp, he is already showing a not so great micron count at the tender age of 3. This doesn't mean he won't be getting bred...it just means that we have to find <strong>just</strong> the right girl for him. Sorry buddy...<br />
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So who is the new royalty around here? Believe it or not, that little black trouble maker of ours!!!<br />
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Yep, that's right...what Vincent lacks in density he more than makes up for with a beautiful staple length and an AMAZING average micron count of .....<strong>16</strong>!!! Actually, it's too bad Windsor wasn't a female because together he and Vincent truly have it all!! <br />
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After our drive up to the mill, which is in the middle of the Muskokas (an absolutely gorgeous piece of cottage country) we came home and I decided I better attempt to finish up a few projects. I am happy to say that the baby blanket I have been making is just getting the last row of the ruffled edge and it will be all finished! This leaves me with more time to play with fleece!Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-1250419105249783052011-06-02T06:58:00.001-04:002011-06-02T08:35:40.397-04:00CAN WE HAVE OUR FLEECE BACK PLEASE???So last weekend everyone was finally scheduled, we had a small group of four people, no new cria were making an appearance at the breeders and the weather was on our side. Everything was a go....except all the sweat and damp in all that fleece. So after shearing Parnell and Usairus our breeder decided that we should load up the fans in the barn, get the air circulating on our sweaty boys and try again on Sunday.<br />
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Sunday afternoon came and everything seemed to be in our favour again....everything except the shears. We managed to get Usairus 'touched up' and get half of Tyrone done. Have you ever seen a half sheared alpaca??? Not a pretty site, no wonder Tyrone was not authorizing the release of any photos.<br />
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Monday morning the heat and humidity started to build, right along with my concern for our boys. Tuesday's forecast was even worse and we decided right there and then that if we didn't get the shearing done Monday after work that Andy was going to stay home Tuesday to stay with the boys, garden hose at the ready! Luckily the call came early Monday afternoon from the breeder and we were on for finishing up that night. <br />
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We started at about 4:30 pm, fans blowing on the boys, every barn door open for air circulation. We turned on the shears, made a couple of adjustments and....they slipped through all that fleece like a hot knife through butter!!! What a relief!!!<br />
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By 7:30 pm our boys were sheared and much more comfortable...<br />
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Humidity levels dropped a wee bit on Wednesday but we still had our typical summer Canadian heat. Then this morning we woke up to a chilly 10 degrees and no humidity at all!!! And we found our poor boys huddled in the barn looking at us as if to say...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>"CAN WE HAVE OUR FLEECE BACK PLEASE??"</b></div>Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-32594971575602436592011-05-30T09:00:00.000-04:002011-05-30T09:00:05.807-04:00The Heat of Mid-Shearing....So we started shearing Saturday...and thanks to our damp muggy weather lately, it is taking a little longer than we would like.<br />
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And thanks to issues with shears....it is now Monday and not everyone is done...<br />
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So while Parnell and Usairus are cool and comfy, Tyrone is only half finished and not authorizing any photos and the other three boys are wondering what's taking so long. <br />
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Today the temperature is already over +20 at 8:30 am and tomorrow is supposed to feel like +39 degrees celsius with the humidity. Every fan we own is in the barn blowing into the boys' paddock. Our breeder, who also does our shearing, is making the shearing a priority and is working very hard at getting the issues with shears corrected so she can get back and make our boys all cool and comfortable.<br />
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Fingers crossed everyone that the fans do the trick....Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-11043145820137549972011-05-20T22:13:00.000-04:002011-05-20T22:13:56.030-04:00GETTING MOBILE...The newest critters at JADA Farms are nine days old today...and starting to get mobile...clumsy but mobile just the same. They have even started to venture outside of their cardboard nursery....although just a wee bit outside.<br />
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Their eyes are pretty much completely open ...<br />
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... and they are pretty demanding of their Momma!<br />
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ooops....gotta go...dinner time for the wee ones...Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-37498741592934273972011-05-17T21:00:00.000-04:002011-05-17T21:00:24.916-04:00May 11, 2011 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!So over the last month or so, we have been watching our barn cat, Smokey, getting...ummm...wider. Every day it seemed to take the poor thing longer to waddle across the yard and every day she seemed to want more in her bowl.... In fact, she has even been getting closer to our family, wanting to be around us more and more.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">This is our poor girl on Mother's Day...hmmmm ??? </div><br />
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May 11th started just as any other day. Work...school....chores....all the usual. That is until we came home and Smokey was waiting at the front door....a much thinner Smokey. The girls and I headed to the barn, with the new Momma hot on our heels and looking very proud of herself. <br />
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Once again there has been a birth on JADA Farms. Now for those of you who follow our blog, you will know that last year our Smokey surprised us with a litter of four little additions. Unfortunately, Smokey was new to our little family, was not as healthy and didn't trust us as much as today. For this reason, she moved her kittens from their bed of hay in the barn to a small shed over by Andy's shop. To this day, we are still guessing as to whether illness or predators were the reason the new little family did not survive. <br />
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Last year's outcome caused us to be concerned about this new litter. So after some discussion, May 12th was moving day! Yes that's right, I caved and got Andy to agree to move our Smokey and her little ones into our front porch in order to give them the best possible start to their lives. This of course was with the condition that they are not staying.<br />
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The wee ones got a fresh new clean blanket to cozy up in, a box to provide them privacy and a home where their Momma could take care of them without having to worry about predators. It took about two minutes for Smokey to make herself at home. Actually she did remarkably well with the whole move. She never got upset and doesn't mind us checking on her or the babies at all.<br />
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Since the big event, the weather has once again turned chilly and damp....okay so the temperature dropped from +25 to +6 and the sun decided to disappear and be replaced with wind and rain. Our little kittens snuggled in closer to keep out the cold. Smokey was going to need a little more help keeping them comfy. Luckily, we happen to have a supply of something that is extremely good for warm and cozy. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Alpaca fleece...add keeping 2 day old kittens warm to the list of uses of this gorgeous fleece!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks again Vincent...</span></div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"></div><br />
I have been taking photos every day, watching the little ones grow...and so has Leroy, our house cat.<br />
Leroy is the first one at the porch door when I go out to check on the kittens and would love nothing more than to gain access to our porch. (Someone needs to explain to him that they are not staying)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now on May 17th, eyes are beginning to open, little cries are demanding Momma's attention and three little furry bundles are becoming more and more active, crawling around exploring their box nursery. All seem very healthy and we have started trying to find forever homes for everyone to go to in another 7 weeks. We have been trying to come up with some temporary names....just for identification of course....they are not staying! </div><br />
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Come back and watch us grow...Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-43412991242886199502011-04-22T14:25:00.000-04:002011-04-22T14:25:56.200-04:00Officially Mom's Boy!!It finally happened, after almost a year...Windsor, our stand-offish alpaca finally came up and nibbled a few pellets from my hand! Of course, there were no witnesses and no camera....and of course, the next time I went to the barn with Andy, Windsor refused to do it again. In fact, he pretty much acted like I was dreaming and it had never happened.<br />
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Well Mr. King of JADA Farms....I now have proof!!!<br />
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Actually, this has gone from being a one time thing to a habit. Windsor now waits patiently while the feeding dishes are filled for his 5 barn mates, standing right behind me waiting for me to turn around with his portion. <br />
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And where he used to spit and push the others out of the way, being a greedy alpaca, he know has even learned to share....once in a while...<br />
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Windsor has officially become Mom's Boy and I for one am loving every minute of it!Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-22949601006817805242011-04-01T18:51:00.000-04:002011-04-01T18:51:50.446-04:00Finally!!!So one hot summer's afternoon in June 2010 our six handsome boys came home....each with their own personality.<br />
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Parnell, the pushy, "HERE I AM" alpaca. The first to come running, especially if he even remotely thinks that there may be a treat or a belly rub in it for him.<br />
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Wellington, the loving old soul who will eat from your hand but would much prefer to shower you with kisses.<br />
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Tyrone, the strong silent type who is friendly enough to eat from your hand, but much prefers to stand back and quietly take note of all the comings and goings on the farm. That is unless you come within two feet of the paddock with a running garden hose....then he is ALL OVER YOU!<br />
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Vincent, the smallest of our herd, who constantly proves to us that what he lacks in size he more than makes up for in curiousity. This of course means he is usually the one who finds the burr bush first.<br />
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Usairus, the stuck up alpaca who, although he will eat out your hand under just the right circumstances, has absolutely no tolerance for you touching him. The boy who is constantly trying to prove to the others that he, and he alone, is boss around here! Unfortunately for Usairus, he is also the brother of Windsor, our sixth boy, who is more than ready to prove to his brother that in no way is he the boss around JADA Farms.<br />
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Yes Windsor, the gorgeous alpaca who is covered in the thickest, most gorgeous light fawn fleece and who doesn't doubt for a minute that he IS the King of JADA Farms. Not only is he convinced of it, he is also quite prepared to prove it to anyone who even thinks of doubting it. <br />
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Yes, there he is...Mr. I Have The Most Gorgeous Fleece...and according to look on poor Vincent's little black face, he is no doubt getting ready to push Vincent out of the way of his close-up.<br />
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We have gotten used to the fact that when it comes to Windsor, there is a "you don't touch me, I don't touch you" rule. The only exception to this is when you are putting a halter on him to lead him somewhere. He is more than happy to let you touch him then so that he can parade around and show off.<br />
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Then, tonight, the unspeakable happened! I was out in the barn doing chores, filling their feed dishes when I turned around and there stood Windsor. Before I knew it he leaned towards me and did the one thing I had almost given up hope of....WINDSOR ATE FROM MY HAND!<br />
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Figures...not a soul around with a camera....oh well, he and I both know it happened!!Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-64739870810722837202011-03-20T14:07:00.001-04:002011-03-20T14:08:33.580-04:00AWWW MOM!!!!<div style="text-align: center;">HOW COME THEY GET APPLES AND WE DON'T? NO FAIR MOM!!!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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Wait til mom's not looking...I bet we can find a way in...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-20939525785389817632011-03-18T10:06:00.000-04:002011-03-18T10:06:48.203-04:00Nothing Like A Good Spot of Tea....No I am not lounging around the house drinking tea this morning....I have actually been quite busy here. Chores are done, the bread dough is rising, house is tidy...well as tidy as it gets with three kids trailing all that mud outside behind them...I even decided to make Spring official and hang a load of laundry on the clothesline this morning.<br />
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It was during all this activity that I just happened to notice this....<br />
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One very bright green patch of grass in the middle of the front pasture. Now you need to remember that this is the first Spring owning our boys and although the breeder had told us the benefits of alpaca manure, we have never really seen it first hand....until today. Yes that's right, that bright green patch just happens to be the exact same spot our boys chose as their 'honey pot' last year.<br />
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This of course got my curiosity up as to the best ways to use our supply....can you imagine making tea from alpaca poop? Well you can! A bucket as your 'tea pot', water and alpaca poop, let steep and VOILA!!! You have yourself a wonderful spot of tea that your garden will love! I even found this wonderful <a href="http://www.alpacafarmgirl.com/2009/09/alpaca-manure-tea/">link</a> that better explains the process. Better stock up on some buckets to brew some tea for Andy's veggies this year.<br />
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Well time to get back to that bread dough...Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-76855556068878200372011-03-14T19:02:00.000-04:002011-03-14T19:02:11.688-04:00Production Is Up!!<div style="text-align: center;">The results of peace being restored to the coop! Good job keeping those ladies happy Jack!!</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Anyone want to guess what's for breakfast tomorrow??</span></div><br />
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<div align="center"></div>Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-78598278701522654172011-03-13T10:50:00.000-04:002011-03-13T10:50:09.546-04:00Spring Cleaning and An Unexpected Visitor...FINALLY!! Mother nature gave us milder temperatures yesterday. What to do? Play outside? No... Clean up the yard? No... Oh that's right....a good Spring cleaning of the old chicken coop! After all, now that those ladies are laying eggs on a regular basis it is especially important to keep them healthy and happy. <br />
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Now, with the enclosure finally cleared of snow, the little chickens would finally travel further than the ramp leading from the coop. They spent the day happily picking and scratching at the mud left behind. Laverne, Shirley and Betty even dedicated some time to picking the ice off of the chicken wire...their version of cleaning the windows I guess??<br />
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They were all quite willing to spend the day out in the enclosure until we decided it was time to give the interior of the coop a good Spring cleaning...then the all pushed and shoved at the door fighting over who was going to get in there first to see what was going on. Luckily I managed to get my little digital camera switched to video in time to catch Jack's fancy footwork...no wonder the ladies are so impressed with him!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzeSSPmIEzDyUpzxStJVFCy_O256YT870hyfO8bn3YDV3l3_KImabkRbPcb07i0EIPLyFc57Z4pv2Me7kyrig' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
They love their freshly cleaned quarters so much, they actually started laying eggs this morning instead of their usual afternoon schedule. There is no other feeling like reaching in and finding that egg so fresh that it is actually still warm! It's going to taste mighty yummy on that freshly baked bread sitting in the kitchen.<br />
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I have always said that unexpected things happen on a farm....problem is, some of the unexpected isn't always appreciated or wanted! As I said in an earlier post, the boys stall has flooded this spring (very unappreciated) and our poor boys have been relocated to the center open area of our barn which seems to qualify as 'higher ground'. We have a man-door that leads directly from their stall to a covered outdoor storage area. We had screened off this door from the outside so that we have a door we can open for ventilation but still allows us to keep the boys safe inside the barn. Perfect for those warm rainy days. My thought, with these warmer temps, was to open up the door in the hopes that some air flow would help dry out their stall. That plan was cancelled due to an unexpected and very UNWANTED visitor!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7bF3DspFNP__DbQ3YyUIT9MgqNh4Azbeao9_l4bLx6LofSEHqbwcIX_yaLCYUQ-a6S9kCDx6NryowLkIgecEA4CixugQFLkivoObxfUgkziKFBJeXp64WX7OWXqLr7OBw7nq6HEXJiN6/s1600/101_1553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7bF3DspFNP__DbQ3YyUIT9MgqNh4Azbeao9_l4bLx6LofSEHqbwcIX_yaLCYUQ-a6S9kCDx6NryowLkIgecEA4CixugQFLkivoObxfUgkziKFBJeXp64WX7OWXqLr7OBw7nq6HEXJiN6/s320/101_1553.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">VERY UNWANTED VISITOR</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I was very happy for that unexpectedly flooded stall yesterday! If it wasn't for that flood, all that gorgeous fleece I have been waiting all winter to get my hands on would have been just inches from our stinky little visitor! Needless to say, we took the LONG WAY around to the barn door yesterday! We were very happy to see that the little guy had vacated this morning.Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-29441007747728054252011-03-08T20:00:00.000-05:002011-03-08T20:00:49.383-05:00The Unexpected Farm Life...For those of you who know us or who have followed this blog from the start, you know that our dream was to have a small place where we could learn the ropes of farming. A few chickens, a garden, the simple quiet lifestyle. You probably also know that nothing ever goes EXACTLY according to our plan. For instance, we planned on getting one cat as a pet for the kids and to keep the field mice away. So off Andy and I went to the local Humane Society and home we came with Leroy and Levi...wait that's two....I thought we said one cat??<br />
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Since their homecoming we have also inherited a barn cat who surprised us with a litter of four kittens (who unfortunately did not make it) and who has now become part of the family. Smokey follows the kids around outside looking for attention and is constantly trying to become an 'indoor' cat. Not exactly what we planned.<br />
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Then there was our little garden, which somehow became two raised garden boxes and a larger garden outside the kitchen window just for the squash and zucchini. The chickens finally just finished off the last squash from last year's harvest.<br />
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Speaking of chickens, those couple of chickens we wanted...well they came home last summer...right after the alpacas...wait alpacas...when did they become part of the plan? OH YA..that's a different story. Andy took me to see the three boys (Windsor, Usairus and Vincent) after he had already been to the breeders for the first time. It took about two seconds of Vincent's nose rubbing against my cheek for me to fall in love and before we knew it, we were learning about fencing, repairing the barn and getting things ready for our boys to come home. It wasn't long before the end of June arrived and our boys were moving in. Imagine the surprise on the kids' faces when Windsor, Usairus, Vincent, Parnell, Wellington and Tyrone came bounding out of the trailer....wait that's six...we only went to buy three. Once again, three beautiful boys who became our rescues were not part of the original plan...but we love them just the same.<br />
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So back to those chickens....<br />
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Last summer, we finally decided it was time to get back to our original plan and we started researching breeds, learning to care for chickens and building a coop. After a couple weekends of building and with the coop almost completed we decided to take a trip to the local farmers' market about 10 minutes from our house....you know...to take a look. Look, the plan was to look, JUST LOOK. Yep you got it, an hour later we were heading back home with Wilma, Betty, Thelma and Louise. Remember I said the coop was ALMOST finished...hmmmm 4 chickens and an unfinished coop? Now I know that wasn't the way we planned it!<br />
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The rest of the day was a rush to get the coop itself done and get the ladies moved in. Now to complete the enclosure so that they could spend some time outside but still be safe. That's where Andy's sister got dragged into this. Her plan was to come out to the farm and see the new additions to JADA Farms...no where in the plan was she supposed to spend her afternoon outside in the rain with Andy and I trying to finish the enclosure for a bunch of chickens. But the three of us got it done, plan or no plan. Now all we had to do was wait for the eggs...and wait we did, even after the addition of Laverne and Shirley.<br />
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Later in the summer, driven by the fact that our egg production still wasn't quite where we wanted it to be, Andy went off and purchased two more hens who were still too young but should start laying soon. Welcome home Cagney and Lacey! Now, I spent a lot of time at my uncle's farms when I was a kid. He had horses, cows and chickens and the rule was always that everyone helped out with chores. Although I do not claim to know everything about farming, I did learn a little bit on that farm. One of those things was the difference between a rooster and a hen. So imagine how surprised I was that very early morning, walking past the chicken coop in the dark...listening to crowing....wait crowing? We have eight hens...where the heck is the crowing coming from?? Yes that is when I learned another lesson....a rooster does NOT look like a rooster from the time he is little. <br />
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However, when those big red crowns start appearing and your 'hen' starts to stick his chest out and 'strut' around the coop...plan or no plan you have yourself a rooster! Unless you are us...in which case you have TWO roosters! That's right, we planned for two more hens and ended up with Cagney and Lacey....I mean Carl and Larry. Two roosters + one tiny coop = FIGHTS That was definitely not what we planned. Now Carl has actually been renamed Jack and although he may have lost the first battle, he won the war. As per the circle of life on a farm, Andy found poor Larry's lifeless body during early morning chores. That's life on a farm, birth, growth and death....<br />
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It's not all bad though...you see, turns out Larry was rather nasty to the hens and now, since his death, things are a whole lot calmer around the coop. So much so that Jack seems to be exactly what those hens needed and we are happy to say that egg production is not only picking up but actually becoming quite regular. Good man Jack!<br />
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Guess that no matter how much you plan....there is always the uexpected when you live on a farm.Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-20613165392901466842011-02-27T14:16:00.000-05:002011-02-27T14:16:06.952-05:00'SIMPLY' Sunday<div align="center">Nothing as simple as a good snack...</div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxHgbS-YaMPlC4iPeShtS4PMXLCCXXVWYSKRgwFMLlwWfJLrJqXT3jlqGI37cAiitHer9yC5yQ-43ErgYQ3XNbNmAxmoZyiacpNEY1AU9_ongB7qxPOgcCYlAhBF4vYSZ5w-oDlBpSHZi/s1600/101_1521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxHgbS-YaMPlC4iPeShtS4PMXLCCXXVWYSKRgwFMLlwWfJLrJqXT3jlqGI37cAiitHer9yC5yQ-43ErgYQ3XNbNmAxmoZyiacpNEY1AU9_ongB7qxPOgcCYlAhBF4vYSZ5w-oDlBpSHZi/s400/101_1521.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div align="center"></div>Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-32029600670508268322011-02-27T09:31:00.001-05:002011-02-27T14:03:34.513-05:00A Little Help Now and Then....I have no problem admitting I love our critters...yes, even the chickens each have their own special personalities. I also love my crafting and creating. Over the years I have taken on sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, cross stitching, spinning and more recently wood carving. Are you getting an idea of what my living room looks like?? <br />
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I card some fleece and then pick up my spindle to spin for just a bit....and before I know it an afternoon is just about gone and I have a gorgeous full spindle to show for it. I lay my knives out on the table, grab a chunk of basswood....and .....WOW where did the evening go?? And there on my table is a cute wooden Santa and...oops a big pile of wood shavings all over the kitchen floor. Crap now who's going to clean that up???<br />
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I'm sure all of my creative pals out there would agree....what would we do without our creating? How would we lose ourselves and relieve the stress of a bad day? What would happen if, for whatever reason, we could no longer create? This brings me to an awesome little cross stitch discovery I recently made...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">EASY-COUNT GUIDELINE</span></div><br />
What is it you ask? Well, now that my eyes have, shall we say, aged a whole lot faster than the rest of me...I admit I have been frustrated with having to strain my eyes trying to count out stitches on dark coloured aida cloth. This frustration actually was winning the battle and my cross stitch projects were sitting untouched in the basket of goodies at the end of my couch. That is until the day I was flipping through a current cross stitch magazine and, once I had finished checking out the projects it had to offer, put it down on the table...and there on the back cover was an advertisement for a product that would solve my problem!<br />
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R & S Designs Inc. has this wonderful red thread (Easy-count Guideline) that you thread through your aida cloth BEFORE you start your cross stitch project. It marks out the 10 x 10 stitch guidelines that are printed on your counted cross stitch pattern. I will admit, this step takes some time, but once you've got it all done you will have no problem at all keeping track of your stitches while completing your project...no matter how dark the cloth or how detailed the project. It even allows you to stitch colour by colour throughout your entire project!!<br />
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Simply go to <a href="http://www.rseasycount.com/">http://www.rseasycount.com/</a> and order yourself a spool. It is very reasonably priced and I am amazed just how much easier and quicker my cross stitching is going. It would, of course, go even quicker if I would actually decrease the number of projects I have in progress at any one time...<br />
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We all can use a little help now and then...Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-46234352819710878922011-02-21T10:08:00.000-05:002011-02-21T10:08:16.048-05:00Family DayThis weekend we are enjoying a Family Day long weekend and I put down my spinning and knitting, got out the camera and decided to journal our weekend together.<br />
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The weekend started with running kids around to sleepovers...and of course whenever someone new sleeps over at our house the girls just have to take them out to meet the critters. Logan had to show how our Wellington loves giving kisses. "Good morning Wellington". <br />
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After all the kids were picked up, dropped off or brought home I decided to take some time Sunday morning to spend with our boys.<br />
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Of course, pictures aren't always so easy to take with this big friendly goof around. "Wellington, please don't kiss the camera". We got a nicer day on Sunday and all the critters on JADA Farms were having some fun outside. <br />
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Vincent wanted to spend some time with Smokey...unfortunately all poor Smokey wanted to do was hang out on the fence in the sunshine.<br />
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My girls and I took off for a "girls' day' and went to the local arena to take in some skating. Well they skated...I took pictures. My skating was put on hold due to the mouse nest that Levi found in my skate...YUCK!!<br />
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Luckily, no mouse was actually found....YUCK...just evidence of him or her...YUCK....and my skates will be fine once they are cleaned out....YUCK!!! The girls got a good laugh out of it though and you would be amazed how many Mickey jokes two little girls can come up with. With our skating date finished, it was time to head back to the farm and have some lunch.<br />
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With the beautiful sunny day finally melting away some of the snow, our boys actually spent the entire day outside. Apparently, to an alpaca, last year's grass is better than no grass at all! I am starting to feel that need for the snow to be gone so I can spend some time sitting in the paddock with our boys. Well....time to get back to spinning and some other projects....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cjFEX7GSWC8-Zi4-Y8rBXa56zu1XJtJ2Ozu3ay59QaE2CC_WFNLNNMtoIukGclWFMNWdSvp3x6DKtVVCR1AUiB0No2n9BKR83_meYBO_frFG4jgg44wiRBlR0rCBSV31EZE2JjzyuDbD/s1600/101_1503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cjFEX7GSWC8-Zi4-Y8rBXa56zu1XJtJ2Ozu3ay59QaE2CC_WFNLNNMtoIukGclWFMNWdSvp3x6DKtVVCR1AUiB0No2n9BKR83_meYBO_frFG4jgg44wiRBlR0rCBSV31EZE2JjzyuDbD/s320/101_1503.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-26173750774736584792011-02-13T13:34:00.000-05:002011-02-13T13:34:23.509-05:00'SIMPLY' SundaySince starting our blog, I have been lucky enough to find some amazing and inspiring blogs to follow and through those blogs I have met a couple of ladies I am lucky enough to be able to call friends. <br />
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So where did the idea of 'Simply' Sunday come from.....simple...it is my version of "Wordless Wednesday", a wonderful part of two friends' blogs that show off their photography and give me a glimpse into their little chunks of heaven. Where did the 'Simple' come from....that's easy...our aim is to have and enjoy simplicity in our lives.<br />
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So here it is....my first posting of 'SIMPLY' Sunday<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYyjw30whd7pnzgdRDbBNF3XMgziVqyGofp3Zeg7mU6auvMN0UhaWDE1koM5pF8AqF7duPdLdGdEG3IKiTULBINSXd6IhU-IYa-Pw5KpsSUX6lSfS5oTX9nlz3plJVzZUdjgkhaRpCZpv/s1600/101_1400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYyjw30whd7pnzgdRDbBNF3XMgziVqyGofp3Zeg7mU6auvMN0UhaWDE1koM5pF8AqF7duPdLdGdEG3IKiTULBINSXd6IhU-IYa-Pw5KpsSUX6lSfS5oTX9nlz3plJVzZUdjgkhaRpCZpv/s320/101_1400.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Levi has 'simple' down to a science !!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">If you want to check out "Wordless Wednesday" just click to go to <a href="http://www.sheffieldalpacas.blogspot.com/">Sheffield Alpacas</a> or <a href="http://locolindy.blogspot.com/">Loco Life of Lindy</a></div>Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-2698450110511065062011-02-04T18:04:00.000-05:002011-02-04T18:04:58.414-05:00The Colour of Inspiration...While attempting to simplify life, I have realized that there are so many sources of inspiration. Unfortunately, too many of us are too busy or too scheduled to take notice.<br />
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A perfect example....how many people who live in large cities really notice colour? I mean real colours, the blue of a lake, the different shades of green in the grass or the vibrant gold of the leaves in autumn. Since we moved to our little chunk of "country" in October, we were surrounded by those autumn colours and every shade of green you could imagine. It wasn't until our boys became part of our lives that I really started to notice the real details of colours. <br />
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At first glance, our Windsor looks white, but it wasn't until we had him on the shearing table and took a close look at that gorgeous fibre that we realized that our white boy was actually light fawn. It wasn't until I learned to spin and first saw that light fawn fleece turning into yarn that I saw that shade change yet again.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This fall, I was surrounded by inspiration every time I stepped foot out my door. It didn't matter where you stood on the property, we were shown all the colours and shades autumn had to offer<span id="goog_2051940483"></span><span id="goog_2051940484"></span> and thanks to my spinning classes....I noticed! And all I could think of was the colours of yarn I could someday create.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now that all those colours are gone and everything is laying under a blanket of white, where could I find inspiration??? That's easy...right here. Since starting our blog, I have been lucky enough to 'meet' fellow spinners, fibre artists and alpaca owners....and, might I add, some of the nicest people who I now consider my friends! These ladies have encouraged me, taught me and shared their skills with me. Who says "SIMPLE" can't be "COLOURFUL"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQDysg2jfPBGNCiBf9dmRJsIfQVkPDVwlFsNL24aiSIIdtzvlQN6VWjAdpK-aHIpQWZRh-47iw4sK7WU5qxKNbFiDvbZz7EKB1nR1-mf5_uY3ncn8e4NSgExjdKdrZRNKmB_wCX6xuG0V/s1600/101_1346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQDysg2jfPBGNCiBf9dmRJsIfQVkPDVwlFsNL24aiSIIdtzvlQN6VWjAdpK-aHIpQWZRh-47iw4sK7WU5qxKNbFiDvbZz7EKB1nR1-mf5_uY3ncn8e4NSgExjdKdrZRNKmB_wCX6xuG0V/s320/101_1346.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So "simple" now includes the love of creating hand dyed yarn with Kool Aid...and remember that gorgeous yarn I won a few weeks back?? Well not only have I been practicing my dying but I also have been getting a little more courageous with my knitting. I now am the proud owner of a new handknit cozy alpaca cowl.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWz0Lgs9fxyObIr6hZ2iQ4oiLtJLFA9i5k6QwCjLpmFbOlnV_dZb0SMzp_GrsOqCa2mfz9ge563fzHjJJ1o6iRtk-AqKUM6u5RxtBV3DNUDPhw9ctbmW5UNiryqkstms9GOR3bqxsBNkw/s1600/101_1351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWz0Lgs9fxyObIr6hZ2iQ4oiLtJLFA9i5k6QwCjLpmFbOlnV_dZb0SMzp_GrsOqCa2mfz9ge563fzHjJJ1o6iRtk-AqKUM6u5RxtBV3DNUDPhw9ctbmW5UNiryqkstms9GOR3bqxsBNkw/s320/101_1351.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Everyone should have a little 'colour' in their life!!!<br />
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</div>Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-87749332663581028872011-01-28T21:02:00.000-05:002011-01-28T21:02:30.154-05:00THANK YOU LINDY!!!Today is an awesome day!<br />
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Since becoming an alpaca owner and learning to spin the gorgeous fleece into yarn, I have been amazed at the talents of the people I have come into contact with. Spinning, weaving, felting....it seems there is an endless list of uses for alpaca fleece. <br />
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So today, a typical Friday, I came home looking forward to visiting with our boys during chores and then spending the evening trying my second attempt at dying some yarn I had hand spun earlier this week. Our King, Windsor, has supplied us with such gorgeous fleece and I have been thoroughly enjoying spinning and dying the yarn I have created.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQShtAMDRXWA3pyllrtsqEp9ch6npSe0v7493ebLgnfZUaKdMH_NEO6SpSlRymOPTQZRqJeYIRbe4UAW5eXZGpGxjuiSGK2lVOlYq6QfRsCtzOLZUGAavVecI3Omsmxh2-fuL-o9OCXdgW/s1600/101_1218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQShtAMDRXWA3pyllrtsqEp9ch6npSe0v7493ebLgnfZUaKdMH_NEO6SpSlRymOPTQZRqJeYIRbe4UAW5eXZGpGxjuiSGK2lVOlYq6QfRsCtzOLZUGAavVecI3Omsmxh2-fuL-o9OCXdgW/s320/101_1218.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom's Beautiful Boy</td></tr>
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Windsor, at first glance, appears to have beautiful white fleece....but no. His wonderful crimpy fleece is actually a lovely, soft light fawn. Absolutely gorgeous all on its own.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes it is as soft as it looks</td></tr>
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So, this evening, while my second attempt at dying lay soaking in a pot absorbing all that wonderful cherry Kool Aid...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24jLnxZKijUq1GpEpZb5Sl8BPT9lHBeEi_QfLPBGzD3VwYCDheOouK7XIi3JdvPM6zIaYzgseGranr_zOoP2IkobKJkXPBYlG8h-e8aw2RQlRKFZGP-h8m4ErPsKr9P-hcEDR9zNBx2fU/s1600/101_1265.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24jLnxZKijUq1GpEpZb5Sl8BPT9lHBeEi_QfLPBGzD3VwYCDheOouK7XIi3JdvPM6zIaYzgseGranr_zOoP2IkobKJkXPBYlG8h-e8aw2RQlRKFZGP-h8m4ErPsKr9P-hcEDR9zNBx2fU/s320/101_1265.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
I sat opening my mail....specifically the large envelope that arrived from Kentucky. And here I sit, with my toes snug and cozy in my new alpaca socks, writing my blog and trying to narrow the endless online supply of knitting patterns to just one item to make with my newly acquired alpaca yarn that I won recently.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5zM9qjgbOfR_yQWYUVeBg0n54wCMoPaaTUJsmxreDOXlWkCw_B_Kl249pPW0uYhqee_N4IFX4A1E9r8Iea8sJADXvQgkcWOb0SyHfn7q_LfBqBP9runvImmfaz6RUdrcINNtW67Q5cWn/s1600/101_1269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf5zM9qjgbOfR_yQWYUVeBg0n54wCMoPaaTUJsmxreDOXlWkCw_B_Kl249pPW0uYhqee_N4IFX4A1E9r8Iea8sJADXvQgkcWOb0SyHfn7q_LfBqBP9runvImmfaz6RUdrcINNtW67Q5cWn/s320/101_1269.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lindy's Beautiful Yarn</td></tr>
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Now if you will excuse me, I will be spending the rest of the weekend creating with this wonderful yarn. As for Lindy, thank you so very much for choosing me as the winner of your giveaway. Since starting to follow your <a href="http://locolindy.blogspot.com/">blog</a>, I have been impressed by your photos, your creations and your ability to tell the story of life on your farm. Now that I actually have these two skeins of your gorgeous dyed yarn I am even more impressed and wish I could spend a weekend with you learning even more about this art.<br />
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Now...what to create????Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-38533011480050703092011-01-22T20:49:00.001-05:002011-01-23T06:31:02.120-05:00It May Be Freezing Outside...But It's Kool InsideThe original plans for today were some of the usual. Chores, art class for the girls, groceries, laundry...like I said, the usual. I even thought I would spend some time outside playing with my camera and getting some shots around our property. However, with temperatures hovering somewhere in the 28 below range it didn't take long for those plans to change. Children who have been sniffling and coughing lately were relieved of chore duty and art class was not attended. <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Today is one of those days that is so cold you can actually see the air. Honestly, there is almost a faint fog hanging in the air. So cold that even the critters are giving looks this morning that screamed "SHUT THE DOOR" when we walked into the barn and rabbit hutch. So Andy and I finished chores, came in to warm up and agreed that it would definitely be an "indoor activity only" day.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We are a family that loves history, old family tales and all things antique. Andy long ago told me the story of how his Grandpa made his own meat pies and sold them to take care of his family. Recently, we found out that his Grandpa started making these pies in his tiny local grocery store and how he had people lined up waiting for his pies. Unfortunately, like so many family tales of the past, the famous family recipe was never written down. So after talking with his aunt and borrowing some of his Grandpa's original mini pie pans from his dad, Andy got to work today trying to duplicate the secret family recipe.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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Trust me, this first attempt tastes every bit as good as it looks. So with my tummy full, I turned my attention back to my fabulous stock of fleece. This fall I found myself constantly noticing all the beautiful autumn colours and thinking how I would love to try my hand at dying some of the fleece that our boys gave us. Then, just when these thoughts were being replaced with thoughts of what cozy things I could make from all the fleece I have been spinning....my friend, and fellow alpaca owner, who lives in Kentucky posted pictures of her first attempt at dying fleece with Kool Aid. I found myself feeling inspired....and at the grocery store stocking up on Kool Aid. Today seemed like the perfect day to hang out in the kitchen over a simmering pot of Kool Aid and try my hand.<br />
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We are very fortunate to have our Windsor. As self-proclaimed "King" of JADA Farms, Windsor has supplied us with the most wonderful fleece. His fleece is so luxurious, that I found myself feeling almost guilty. What if I messed this up? So for my first attempt I used only a small amount of the yarn I had recently spun.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_V3soOZSGFMLjt8kxhQpn_j9nwoPyALp4q1Xmn6NdmdLd6Ehio23tFbE-CKXewv1CYqr8C3vxOTDxuOQhyphenhyphenx00UWZBufn4PVaVsz3ZqkG-cEh9BtdmBAJNQZr9Ce1KIsSUkhpsU5Hvau5/s1600/101_1243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_V3soOZSGFMLjt8kxhQpn_j9nwoPyALp4q1Xmn6NdmdLd6Ehio23tFbE-CKXewv1CYqr8C3vxOTDxuOQhyphenhyphenx00UWZBufn4PVaVsz3ZqkG-cEh9BtdmBAJNQZr9Ce1KIsSUkhpsU5Hvau5/s320/101_1243.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
After a bit of indecision, Sydney and I finally chose cherry Kool Aid. I was still feeling a bit unsure due to the fact that Windsor is not a white alpaca, he in fact has beautiful light fawn fleece. We diluted the Kool Aid into the pot of water as per Kaylen's link and in went my yarn.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyH6MFi_W5AHlWAIifle2uPvgvLewc6sV2bJnEYE0clOts7w0bY00Y7Td3n6CSBSlNI7ymCyAHoJXF9sknGhcYOQmsVZ6KakNZPwF3vuvwDogCQATDKhiuVct9D2xlsNgsjbbW8sCV8mh/s1600/101_1250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyH6MFi_W5AHlWAIifle2uPvgvLewc6sV2bJnEYE0clOts7w0bY00Y7Td3n6CSBSlNI7ymCyAHoJXF9sknGhcYOQmsVZ6KakNZPwF3vuvwDogCQATDKhiuVct9D2xlsNgsjbbW8sCV8mh/s320/101_1250.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I don't think I have ever followed instructions so closely.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbiQC67DS5qDX7isVEKwcJ8kH3AKfudVtlks-u07utIKEAN3ZlVYRV1oriHJRpNzaWHs0R-vwAX6PyqGPxtvuLjqrx49RNMsAhXEH3cDKI8hvcFOGwFBPL5awpIjMYq6Iyw_lCjsN4289/s1600/101_1252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbiQC67DS5qDX7isVEKwcJ8kH3AKfudVtlks-u07utIKEAN3ZlVYRV1oriHJRpNzaWHs0R-vwAX6PyqGPxtvuLjqrx49RNMsAhXEH3cDKI8hvcFOGwFBPL5awpIjMYq6Iyw_lCjsN4289/s320/101_1252.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This final rinse was the worse part. What if the water wasn't the right temperature? What if I ended up with a felted mess? But after all was said and done, what was once my king's natural light fawn fleece had been transformed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sUiQH8b0ENxIe6jZeSIgX3_vI9eNmXGxVO9nrxZFz2WGy61hVzIytp8RUuIO6Jnx-Dtn1g5upHG9GEX6vG-aNNXnZ0rL7X2uwtEpJD9RFwA0w1dGJpL4gAID5HvDZ30fBKuLVtErz32X/s1600/101_1242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sUiQH8b0ENxIe6jZeSIgX3_vI9eNmXGxVO9nrxZFz2WGy61hVzIytp8RUuIO6Jnx-Dtn1g5upHG9GEX6vG-aNNXnZ0rL7X2uwtEpJD9RFwA0w1dGJpL4gAID5HvDZ30fBKuLVtErz32X/s320/101_1242.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who knew this...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEUPG3dPl9IbwOotySJ3r2EgrpYqgxKdKYyiAxavsKyQOd4MDnBQPFhjtnEes57CM9IBCK6UtqpGvMRDW4R0nUw4JWobvsgd134jq2Pv9_ArEMLHo_7TrIXh2mzkGH8wn20U7qV45kLcf/s1600/101_1255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" s5="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifEUPG3dPl9IbwOotySJ3r2EgrpYqgxKdKYyiAxavsKyQOd4MDnBQPFhjtnEes57CM9IBCK6UtqpGvMRDW4R0nUw4JWobvsgd134jq2Pv9_ArEMLHo_7TrIXh2mzkGH8wn20U7qV45kLcf/s320/101_1255.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Could be turned into this!</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Now that it has started to dry, I have a beautiful faded pinky coral colour yarn and I can't wait to make some more. Hmmmm maybe some purple? Thank you Kaylen for this link and all the other wonderful information and photos on your blog. Click <a href="http://www.sheffieldalpacas.blogspot.com/">here</a> to see Kaylen's wonderful creations.<br />
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As for those plans to get some shots with my camera....well I did get manage to get one or two from the warmth of our little farmhouse.<br />
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Well I guess the icicles are loving these temperatures!Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-72371954187696023372011-01-10T19:32:00.000-05:002011-01-10T19:32:10.124-05:00A Great Day!!!Today is a great day!!!<br />
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What I thought was an uneventful Monday, just kept getting better and better. I found out this afternoon that my daughter Sydney, who has been working very hard this year to make the school volleyball team, has been asked to play an exhibition game on Wednesday so that the coach can make the final decision. She has worked very hard and dedicated a lot of free time to working toward this goal....so all I can ask is for everyone to send best wishes her way.<br />
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Then, while browsing through my usual blogs that I follow, I discovered that I had actually won a giveaway I had entered last week. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lindy for her wonderful giveaway. If anyone who follows my blog is interested in checking out a truly creative artist and photographer check out the Loco Life of Lindy ( <a href="http://locolindy.blogspot.com/">http://locolindy.blogspot.com/</a> ) And look what I won!!!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbxuva1hefQUpowOf1be2snPehyGueZu10tAkuEd37YPlHzRNxYRen7Z-QkesUXwSrhbJiUCm9XNX_Q8DZKJoswAYrBgraZM5JQkYOoqITycqqcXoInLO11PsajVHRufRmBA3QXzOCjM5/s1600/giveaway.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbxuva1hefQUpowOf1be2snPehyGueZu10tAkuEd37YPlHzRNxYRen7Z-QkesUXwSrhbJiUCm9XNX_Q8DZKJoswAYrBgraZM5JQkYOoqITycqqcXoInLO11PsajVHRufRmBA3QXzOCjM5/s320/giveaway.bmp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GORGEOUS!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I can hardly wait to curl up with these cozy alpaca socks on my feet and play with that absolutely gorgeous yarn...thanks again Lindy.<br />
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And finally, after two weeks of cloudy skies, our Sydney finally got a clear sky tonight. Trust me, it didn't take long for that telescope to get taken outside. Everyone got a chance to brave the cold (and trust me, it is cold here tonight) and check out the skies. I think we all have a brand new appreciation for this world we live in. How anyway could not be amazed once they see the moon the way we did this evening is just beyond me.<br />
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Well off to spend the rest of this great day with my wonderful family, good night all!!Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-29792972160220078212011-01-05T15:18:00.001-05:002011-01-05T15:33:16.088-05:00And Let the New Year Begin...Well the hustle and bustle of the holidays are done, gifts have all been opened, way too much food has been consumed, the decorations are all tucked safely away and once again I have vowed that I will start earlier to avoid that crazy desperate rush next December...I'll let you know how that works out for me.<br />
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As I said before, we decided to do an old-fashioned "homemade" Christmas this year on our little farm and I am proud to say it was a complete success! The kids got right into the swing of it and we had so much fun opening new knitting bags, 2 very gorgeous oil paintings, hand knit socks, sweaters, mitts and bookmarks, plaques, little decorative pillows, Christmas decorations, hand painted treasure boxes, handcrafted notepads, and one "Stress Kit for the Toronto Maple Leaf Fan".<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREcqwbo2CKZxY2o-clHlS8wvaOdSXKIDlR8APAn4JYWfGJs6Qv46L5lcxiuaLr4K5VxkmuNGrJj7In8xT_j9nQ9ylOC0x16myQMQaSKJfYtYLEOGZoxggDe8J8LSlK1i_UTkaBsJEPkGi/s1600/socks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREcqwbo2CKZxY2o-clHlS8wvaOdSXKIDlR8APAn4JYWfGJs6Qv46L5lcxiuaLr4K5VxkmuNGrJj7In8xT_j9nQ9ylOC0x16myQMQaSKJfYtYLEOGZoxggDe8J8LSlK1i_UTkaBsJEPkGi/s320/socks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first pair of hunting socks I made were a success!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs92ycG9ghvjbhJLPClZ-nXSgRkYi5yrWOWmoZba02h3mPiU-87yCk-QeASzmYlPYXe_vCZ7cSpxlVNrBEhyphenhyphenoOg-NEPiAz2B6TfRfl7Earru_WdaAMVqX9OYhqO9H8IlWHKA8iph7USu8t/s1600/Mitts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs92ycG9ghvjbhJLPClZ-nXSgRkYi5yrWOWmoZba02h3mPiU-87yCk-QeASzmYlPYXe_vCZ7cSpxlVNrBEhyphenhyphenoOg-NEPiAz2B6TfRfl7Earru_WdaAMVqX9OYhqO9H8IlWHKA8iph7USu8t/s320/Mitts.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And you can always count on Grandma for cozy mitts!!</td></tr>
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Of course, there were those few store bought gifts and a few items from Santa. Poor Sydney has been asking for a telescope...and when I say asking, I mean begging....for about five years now. This year, we were thrilled to finally fill that request...and we think it took her about ten minutes to have it out of the box and assembled...this must be a new record somewhere in the world...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpLk3NKdEU_tpOoQgIYRc-b8HaO3aCWJVWJdsTIFVwfk6nRohhPsmlWIDQTQPf1zZQqcXWMcBRLsdnUbgb5u2J8yY7KbwMQTEkSKjebZTxL_X_zLwI7_EKckvmBX2athXwuof9ihWvQO2/s1600/tele1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpLk3NKdEU_tpOoQgIYRc-b8HaO3aCWJVWJdsTIFVwfk6nRohhPsmlWIDQTQPf1zZQqcXWMcBRLsdnUbgb5u2J8yY7KbwMQTEkSKjebZTxL_X_zLwI7_EKckvmBX2athXwuof9ihWvQO2/s320/tele1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
And another 20 minutes to convince Andy to load up the astronomy software that came with it.....<br />
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However, this is where the poor kid lost the battle and had to wait until daylight before she could drag Andy outside to brave the -21 windchill and get him to sight it for her...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpQ0mX1Br5cxuxMVGslQPuF3mBZbUqMdDS9PGR63V2aWc9Rtos1uBQVfeog7eFpYzvTCC1HQOV-nZnRPjfqD3_FyJ-xRCI4Z1UaqxTrD69l0WuUbAAmqq3BYM81hQTXwV6gKzU67g_sjZ/s1600/tele3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpQ0mX1Br5cxuxMVGslQPuF3mBZbUqMdDS9PGR63V2aWc9Rtos1uBQVfeog7eFpYzvTCC1HQOV-nZnRPjfqD3_FyJ-xRCI4Z1UaqxTrD69l0WuUbAAmqq3BYM81hQTXwV6gKzU67g_sjZ/s320/tele3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Did I mention, the telescope we purchased has these little, itsy, bitsy, tiny screws that need to be adjusted in order to sight it? You know, the ones that are so small that there is no way physically possible to wear winter gloves while doing it. Did I also mention that Andy is a wonderful, patient man and we love him very much? Of course, after waiting five years for this gift, we have had nothing but cloudy skies every night since. But being the ingenious little trooper she is, she has gotten a lot of use of it and we now know what every neighbour on the next concession road keep in their backyards.<br />
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There were also those....well....unusual Christmas gifts. For anyone who knows our kids, they love their meat!! One of their absolute favourites is bacon....yes that's right...B-A-C-O-N. Now at this point I know you are all sitting staring at your monitors, trying to figure out what bacon has to do with Christmas presents. Forget the obvious, yes we live on a farm, NO....none of us got a pig for Christmas. My youngest, Logan, is no different than the rest of the kids, she loves her bacon....only difference is, she asks for it a little more often than the rest of the kids. By often, I mean pretty much constantly! So, after a few weeks of consuming Grandma's bacon supply and pretty much making it impossible for the poor woman to keep up with the demand....yep, you guessed it....our Logie Bear got a pound of bacon for Christmas from Grandma...of course along with cozy mitts and other more traditional gifts. But between you and me, I could be wrong but I think the bacon was her favourite!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgK8VW-k8lC8NFgTksa2ykJVLtM9LWyBkQfIsW36C5tCP3b0mFPzu5TjHa5MJL3tpoCV-8MU4Rr_emCkS2235kNAs8ZeC0HpmbsjNri65gVpaeAFm6neOreoPhLlq9uvRBTkKXxUH8auK/s1600/bacon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgK8VW-k8lC8NFgTksa2ykJVLtM9LWyBkQfIsW36C5tCP3b0mFPzu5TjHa5MJL3tpoCV-8MU4Rr_emCkS2235kNAs8ZeC0HpmbsjNri65gVpaeAFm6neOreoPhLlq9uvRBTkKXxUH8auK/s320/bacon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I have to say, Christmas was a complete success this year and one of the most enjoyable ones I have ever had. We had tons of family time, playing outside, relaxing and just plain being together!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-kkhmk_CWg6cYhJRbrGa8X-2Zpa-31RDUrU5-Xod-utMbbcVO8xPH9Qo-Q4Xbn9z-4bRsuCsuxWLJzFlGOBr5NcDkY7whNtttweIAWwpiJialsNuESUlaIl6rfHxXyuEHUMuuRtOpmg-/s1600/Firepit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-kkhmk_CWg6cYhJRbrGa8X-2Zpa-31RDUrU5-Xod-utMbbcVO8xPH9Qo-Q4Xbn9z-4bRsuCsuxWLJzFlGOBr5NcDkY7whNtttweIAWwpiJialsNuESUlaIl6rfHxXyuEHUMuuRtOpmg-/s320/Firepit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Logan & Sydney playing outside with their Snowart Paint</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Even Smokey, our little barn cat made it up to the house to get her dinner....as you can see, she even got to meet Levi.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CHCB7E5pE43mg3S2y8MPc-vloumKq8BxdTxgZ4qdjZhsHFhoKqRAtIfOHkGUbcBnrvXhPC0fPjwNZrbEIYJyBxIiU5UB-8ZwbW46EwKzoQPWMKAyyiPRDWgaptAYIgc9swDbkU-8_pS0/s1600/levi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CHCB7E5pE43mg3S2y8MPc-vloumKq8BxdTxgZ4qdjZhsHFhoKqRAtIfOHkGUbcBnrvXhPC0fPjwNZrbEIYJyBxIiU5UB-8ZwbW46EwKzoQPWMKAyyiPRDWgaptAYIgc9swDbkU-8_pS0/s320/levi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Well, off to start the new year....Happy 2011 to all!!Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-86580437289342149702010-12-21T12:13:00.000-05:002010-12-21T12:13:45.849-05:004 days to go....Well, gifts are just about done, the wrapping has begun, the house is filled with the smell of Christmas cookies, the menu is planned and the kids are busting with excitement....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbEL9RfIeyABfVb9AX8a49AHT37qBm4Okg9Nl4C92OmtxEHY36CUtbzlF3O0VI3Ce_JrcwPH5fEA2ywm-f4fCdYIjDn4TBnQyRdxewXZdJbB3GTWFGiPUJ6tl5bUlS1XXeoRZqO0sx6SK/s1600/Usairus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbEL9RfIeyABfVb9AX8a49AHT37qBm4Okg9Nl4C92OmtxEHY36CUtbzlF3O0VI3Ce_JrcwPH5fEA2ywm-f4fCdYIjDn4TBnQyRdxewXZdJbB3GTWFGiPUJ6tl5bUlS1XXeoRZqO0sx6SK/s400/Usairus.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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And now that the wind chill has died down enough for the boys to come out and have some fun, everyone is getting into the spirit of the season.<br />
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MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE !!!!Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345579508279762706.post-85865893815381031732010-11-24T11:21:00.001-05:002010-11-25T05:49:06.162-05:00And the Holiday Countdown Begins....So the temperatures have dropped around here and we actually got our first dusting of snow about a week ago. Although the chickens don't really appreciate this change in seasons, it has left me in the Christmas spirit. That being said, the countdown has begun here on JADA Farms.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4pINdO6c2AqlzlC_Aa-DvscrCDYCT4mQXb07bxrNS9b3t6hFtmasGwif9Vqr5Pz0IHK8-cqHZfxaTZrU2l6PKLdXUD7SHMRSHNem8wuswWfr7l0XJtC7oUgnANySIwSC_TTiqcuRRjF1/s1600/101_0616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4pINdO6c2AqlzlC_Aa-DvscrCDYCT4mQXb07bxrNS9b3t6hFtmasGwif9Vqr5Pz0IHK8-cqHZfxaTZrU2l6PKLdXUD7SHMRSHNem8wuswWfr7l0XJtC7oUgnANySIwSC_TTiqcuRRjF1/s320/101_0616.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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The hustle and bustle has started as everyone rushes around getting ready for the upcoming holiday. Workers here are running around taking down all the fall decor on the main streets, Santa Claus parades are scheduled for just about every weekend in the little communities around us and people are rushing around trying to get shopping done and be ready for the holidays.<br />
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This year we have decided that we are going to have an old fashioned Christmas, right down to the giving of homemade gifts. Let the creating begin!! The kids have jumped on the bandwagon and are actually just about done their gifts. As for me, a few creations are done and sitting around the house already, while others are tucked out of sight until Old Saint Nick arrives....and then there are those that are still in the creative stages. (Obviously, I can not actually post any pictures of these creations until after the holidays). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTu5MuOMuaaKq62d7DBlA6nIBHco08GSnLMJmwJjgdcw49VJd6GRZpvMsimHaKk4uWF0LSXVb6XMQNaWOQE7dqmMrwDdRicnI26-2sljrxSnEsKVIy81EiKbMdJ5oIhV4t4YXZ-k2u3a7/s1600/chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTu5MuOMuaaKq62d7DBlA6nIBHco08GSnLMJmwJjgdcw49VJd6GRZpvMsimHaKk4uWF0LSXVb6XMQNaWOQE7dqmMrwDdRicnI26-2sljrxSnEsKVIy81EiKbMdJ5oIhV4t4YXZ-k2u3a7/s320/chair.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand Carved Chair</td></tr>
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Actually...this one picture I can show you. I made this hand carved pine chair for Andy. However, due to space constraints and the fact that I was so pleased with my new creative outlet, he did receive this as an early Christmas present and it is sitting proudly just inside our front door for all visitors to see.<br />
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The house smells like peppermint thanks to the new cookie recipe I found, Peppermint Snowballs....so yummy!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbmqDaL5AtUPNpvRfbx1Uy1En4-ej91zTYsOdq3cMlPgofRX_VSFvAdgZfFcWKe49UuVrdY84NT45fu6_zlECWGb3nWZVSSH0fnWeoC6kInqh7BAcYcwsia1hg0J3QMY_nB22OH-lPwGR/s1600/Cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbmqDaL5AtUPNpvRfbx1Uy1En4-ej91zTYsOdq3cMlPgofRX_VSFvAdgZfFcWKe49UuVrdY84NT45fu6_zlECWGb3nWZVSSH0fnWeoC6kInqh7BAcYcwsia1hg0J3QMY_nB22OH-lPwGR/s320/Cookies.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note to self....ALWAYS MAKE A DOUBLE BATCH OF THESE!!!!</td></tr>
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Christmas decorations have started to be dug out of storage and arranged in the yard and throughout our little home, which now looks even homier thanks to all the candles burning every evening. Every spare moment you can hear the clicking of knitting needles and the whir of spindles spinning fine alpaca threads. There is still wood to be carved, a tree to be brought home and decorated, more baking to be done and gifts to be wrapped. And most important of all....family to be loved!<br />
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I am slowly realizing that, old fashioned Christmas or not, I am still wishing I had more time.Andy and Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17051134234501287537noreply@blogger.com3