So, What's In YOUR Greenhouse?

One of my native plant friends asked me that last week. Somehow...NOTHING was in my greenhouse. Well, except the cats of course. I guess with the weather being so crazy for so long maybe I forgot spring would soon be here.

She took pity on me and brought me a flat of violas because there should always be something green in the greenhouse. This in turn prompted me to get some seeds started, and for some instant gratification I picked up a flat of pretty pansies.



Saint Tim is out servicing the lawn mowers - I just love to hear that sound - and then he's going to do the spring maintenance on the carriages. What are those hard working horses up to?



Updated at 4:15 p.m. Why do these animals keep mocking me :-/.



SO, what's in YOUR greenhouse?

Something To Make You Laugh

First a disclaimer. This is not my house......but it could be :-).

Happy Bee-Lated...

...First Day of Spring, Easter and Birthday!





Yum! Yum! Yum!

Brushy

"I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul."

Jean Cocteau

Be Vewy Vewy Quiet

I waited this morning until I thought the light was right and then snuck out to the barn. No sign of the sheep anywhere - and trust me, they watch and listen for that back door to open every morning. Shhhh. I get my camera out, peak out the back of the barn towards the pond...no sheep. Off to the left...no sheep. Behind the arena...no sheep. Shhhh. I tip toe around, maybe they are out front. Bingo!



Heidi is the sentinel - you never really get much past a Jacob sheep - and seconds later, out of the fog, here they are.



Of course, as I'm typing this, I'm thinking how super sneaky I was to be able to walk right past them on the way to the barn and then it hits me, I didn't see them either, so I guess I really ain't so sneaky.

Winter Weaving

Even though it's almost spring, with the crazy daylight saving time and all, it still feels like winter... for one more day. Doesn't this rug look nice with the snow-ish background?



This has been on my big loom for a long time. I started it, didn't really like it, quit working on it, thought about cutting it off and moving on to something else, realized that was silly. If nothing else, I figured I could use all weaving practice I can get and here was something warped up and ready to go if I would just put my mind to it. So I did. And as I was working, I still didn't like it. However, when I took it off the loom last night I realized it looked completely different and it was actually pretty nice. Lesson learned.

This is some of my earliest handspun yarn. The fleeces, which I'm sure were not too great, were completely processed at Ohio Valley Natural Fibers several years ago and returned to me as "core roving", meaning they washed it and then separated the colors and "combed" them back together with the darker wool in the center, or core, and the lighter wool around the outside. It was beautiful.

I had a great time learning to spin it and what better way to use your first spinning, with all it's "irregularities", than to make a rug. I designed this to fit between our couch and coffee table (aka the dining room table). It fits perfectly, is cool because it's our own sheep's wool, was handspun and handwoven... and could never be found at the local Sprawl-Mart ;-).

Sigh

One interesting thing though. When I downloaded this picture, I noticed that there are two sheep off to the right by themselves. Now they usually all stick together pretty well, so this makes me wonder what these two are up to. Might have to take a break and make one last trek through the remaining snow to find out.

BOUDREUX!!!!!

Priceless

The cactus was right! It just doesn't get much better than this. If it only did this all winter. I know, I know, I must be crazy, but I just love when it snows. I like to watch it, play in it and I don't even mind driving in it. I just wish we could measure our snows here in Kentucky in inches rather than years.

I didn't get any super great pictures today, but Tim got one that I think is priceless. I decided to walk up through the back field to Stella's house to deliver some eggs. I knew Weaslie and Iris would go with me, but figured Ewen would sit this one out for a change. I shouldn't have doubted him. He apparently doesn't mind the snow either.



And, in case anyone has wondered why I hadn't completely removed our Christmas lights.



Peace on earth.

Spring?

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Perfect for some t-shirt wearing spring clean up. The dog beds are washed and stuffed with fresh cedar, the pumpkin remains from Thankgiving (!) are finally gone and the last of the Christmas lights are down (hey, it was a big tree!). Birds are singing, I saw my first outdoor spider, spring bulbs are sending up shoots of color... Um, so, why is my Christmas cactus blooming again?



Uh-oh :-/

Boo's De-Luxe New House And How He Doesn't Get To Use It

Poor Boo. He gets too hot in the house at night, but it's too cold to spend the night outside, especially at his age (around 14 or so). He's miserable, we're miserable and we wish we could figure out a way for him to stay warm outside.

Well, he's too big for the average dog house and would be too creaky to crawl into it even if he could fit. What to do? New stove to the rescue! Not ours of course - I will never wear a stove out - but someone in town apparently did. This was a snag from the recycling center! A little creative duct tape, a thick cushioned bed and a thick layer of straw. Perfect.

So where's Boo sleeping these days?

Poor Boo.