Changes in Plans

Yes, more cool fungus.  This one is just across the road from the red barn where we store our hay.  I put the dogs next to it for scale.  Isn't it beautiful?  It looks like something one would see in a coral reef.

So yes, I missed posting last week.  I was SO busy with preparations for our Labor Day weekend that I just had no time to think.  We had 8 people stay on the farm.  My mom and aunt arrived first, on Thursday.  On Friday, my niece and her husband and 1 year old son arrived.  On Saturday, a good family friend, Robin arrived with her 15 year old son and his friend, who also came with them last year.  Those boys have grown a foot in a year, I swear!  Our party was mostly attended by family and neighbors, including a donkey who is a livestock guard for my neighbor's cattle on  up the road about a mile and half.  He just wandered down and hung out with everyone for a while.  You never know who will show up!

Sunday, time was spent at the pond, which was really nice, thanks to some rain on Saturday.  All the "boys" loved it including my niece's husband.  Then when we got back to the house, neighbors started showing up  and before we knew it, another party was in full swing.  Robin and I ended up running into town and getting 7 large pizzas.  

My aunt left on Sunday, and everyone else except Mom left on Monday.  Mom stayed til Tuesday.  

We do have a good bit of raspberry wheat homebrew left on tap in the mud room.  What a shame to have to drink a pint or so every day!

 

Sam was supposed to leave on a hunting trip on Sunday, but there was a fire out in Idaho, close to where he was supposed to be going, so his trip was postponed for 2 weeks.  

And while I was glad he did not have to leave on Sunday, I had to decide to give up my vendor spot at the Wool Gathering for this year.  Sam will not be back in time for me to go and I just can't swing it with 3 dogs here (I am dog-sitting for Mom while she goes to Italy) AND I have people coming to pick up some alpacas I have sold that weekend.  I will miss going to the Wool Gathering, but I didn't want Sam to give up this trip he has had planned since last March.  I will be at the Wool Gathering again next year.

In other news, son Ian and fiance Michelle have set a date for their long-anticipated wedding!  It will be June 4th 2016 at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon.  I have already started making plans.  The ceremony will be in an old historic barn so I am hoping no ugly mother-of-the-groom dress will be required.  I'll worry about that at a later date.  But I am so happy for them!

 We got about 3" of rain again overnight Wednesday night.  To the left is how the beaver pond looked Thursday evening.  When we walked out there with Mom on Monday, this entire area was dry enough to walk across!  I am sure the beavers are happy to have some water back.  Grover is actually standing on part of their dam.

And speaking of Grover, he and I are off tomorrow to Zanesville for a trial.  We have been doing so well in class and working so hard on his weave poles that I hope we can get a couple of Q's this weekend.  We need 2 in Open Jumpers to get our title and move up to Excellent in that.  We really are capable of that goal.  We'll see.

And for everyone who always asks how I keep Grover so clean, I just wanted to share this photo I took of him after our walk yesterday.  He looks like this at least 4 times a week, especially in the fall when the burrs are everywhere.  Just click on the photo to enlarge it and you will see just what I am facing here in a little while when I go to get him all cleaned up for trial.

 I have another batch of tomato sauce started and today I made a second batch (1/2 recipe) of hot pepper mustard.  I even threw in some raspberry wheat homebrew, I mean why not? As my son who has been a sous chef at a Yosemite lodge and a Portland restaurant says "I put beer in everything".  We have had an abundance of these peppers and I will likely do another quart of pickled peppers on Monday or Tuesday.  Sam loves them.





I have started warping my big loom at the office for a couple of alpaca rugs, but it is not far enough along yet to take a photo.  I also have started some very colorful towels on my smaller loom here at home.  This is a new-to-me weaving technique called overshot, and so far it is slow going.  But, oh the colors!  These are for me!