Snow, Cold....It's January.

This old dog LOVES just laying in the snow.

We have had a couple of good snowfalls, 5 to 6 inches, which is plenty to make one feel like they have experienced winter and are ready for spring.  Unfortunately the coldest days are yet to come.  It seems to me that the coldest weather occurs the first week of February.  And this year is no exception, though the coldest days are expected at the tail end of January, so starting tomorrow.  They are telling us things like the "coldest weather in two decades"  and "wind chills well below zero".  I hope they are wrong again.  I remember in the mid-90's when we lived in Indiana having almost an entire week when the temperatures did not rise above 0*F.  You tend to remember that kind of thing when you have to take care of horses before going to your 8 am job in the morning.  At least we lived in a new house there.  Here in our 120+ year old house with no insulation we have to worry about frozen water pipes, frozen drains and more.  The good news is that this cold is only expected to last about 3 days.  And we have LOTS of firewood just outside the door.



Since my last post I have managed to keep busy.  No agility trials this month, though I did ride along with a novice handler and her dog to Incredipaws for their debut in the ring earlier this month.  I went for moral support and to help her navigate trial protocol.  They did quite well, though they did not Q in either of their runs.  But the very first time in the ring is kinda scary for the handler and can be somewhat overwhelming for the dog.  They really did a great job and they are entered in our trial in Zanesville coming up in just under 2 weeks.  I can't wait to see how they do.  They are a great team.

I spent a good part of yesterday prepping for the cold weather to come.  I bedded the stall area in the barn for Apples and Truffel and Grover and I used the Gator to take a couple loads of hay and dog food for Star to the barn.  I do worry about the chickens in the cold weather to come as their coop is large for 3 chickens, despite having a heat lamp.  I have been debating putting them in a dog crate in the barn and piling hay around it, but then I can't use the heat lamp.  I haven't decided yet.

This past weekend, starting Thursday and going through Sunday, I took a class for certification in Canine Massage Therapy.  I ended up being the only student for the weekend and so I got more hands on training than I would have had there been 2 other students in the class and I came away with my certification.  I am contemplating what I plan to do.  I still feel like I need a lot of practice, but I have Grover here to work on.  Rowdy has some physical issues that make him difficult to work on, but he may get some massage as well.  I wanted to learn this to work on my own dogs, but people keep telling me they think there would be a market for it around here, so I need to have some cards made up.  Tomorrow Grover will be my first client.

Other than that, I have been working on finishing up some projects and have started a new one or two.  The towels I had started in the last post are off the loom and just waiting for hemming.   Well, one is hemmed the other 4 are waiting.  One of the black ones was the request from the Arts Center that prompted my weaving these.  There are 2 black, 2 red and 1 green.  I am happy with how they turned out.  The black and red ones will go to the Arts Center and I will keep the green one or possible gift it.

I also made a second baby sheep hat for my grandson, Wilder.  The first one I made him was much too small.  I was very pleased to see that this one fit him and may fit him for a little while.  Isn't he adorable in it?  I will be back out to Oregon to see him in only 3 weeks and 2 days.  Not counting or anything.  My mom will be going as well.

I need to get all of us in my family I have knit these hats for together for a photo. But there are 2 of us in Ohio, 1 in Oregon and 1 in California, so it won't happen soon.  Sadly. Maybe I will get 3 of us when Mom and I are in Oregon next month.

 



This particular project was on the loom for almost a year. I decided it was time to finish it.  Yes, it's a guitar strap.  It was meant for a gift when I started it and it will still be a gift, just a year later than planned.  I don't think the recipient reads my blog.  But I won't say who it is for.  Handy that I was even able to find a guitar in my house.  And it goes so well with the strap.  I would be willing to make more of these straps. Just let me know what colors.  We'll see who reads this.

I also finished my lacy beaded Mystery Knit-Along shawl that was for the month of October.  I wonder who had time to knit this entire thing in one month?  Not me.  It is beautiful!  This is my favorite kind of knitting, though the finished item is very impractical, especially for someone whose daily wardrobe is jeans and a hoodie.  Can you see Rowdy over by the creek?  I love this photo.

And I have knit ONE "thrummed" mitten.  The white "hearts" are actually chunks of carded wool that are knit into the inside of the mitten, so it is kind of like one of those fleece lined jackets, only a mitten. I am sure the wool will felt to the shape of my hands once I start wearing them, after I knit the second one of course.  It was kind of hard on my hands working with the yarn (handspun by the way) and the wool together, so I will finish up my towels and another project before I get to the second one, but I will.  After all what good is only one mitten?  Too bad I don't have them ready to wear this week!

I think that is about it for now.  Upcoming events include Agility in Zanesville Feb 9th and 10th, then a trip to Oregon with Mom Feb 21 through 26.  And somewhere in that period of time, we will be tapping trees and making maple syrup as well!  We are due for a good sap year.  I do like syrup season, especially now that I have a new Gator to use, as our Honda is getting pretty rough and not always dependable.  We have some pretty serious hills to deal with in snow and mud during syrup season and I haven't trained Apples to pull a sled, so I'm glad I have the new Gator.  So is Grover.