So...Funny Story...

I've been enjoying baby Big Moose's picture in the 2020 Lamb Camp calendar this month.  Look at those big eyes and big ears!  He was such a handsome and silly lambie.  Still is  :-).  I'd like to say that's all the fun December Lamb Camp Calendar news...but it's not.  

I ran out of 2021 Lamb Camp calendars a week or so ago.  No worries, I just ordered some more from my maybe too local printer.  He brought home a fresh stack and I promptly sent them out to fill the waiting orders...and on Saturday afternoon noticed that he'd re-printed 2020 calendars.  

I think I've emailed everyone who may be panicking about having to go through 2020 all over again, but just to be safe, I'm posting it here as well.  Double check that you received the correct Lamb Camp calendar and let me know if you didn't.  The cobbler's kids...

While you are checking your orders, please make sure you received everything you wanted.  I ended up with an extra drawstring bag and possibly an extra felted wool pin when I tidied up the shipping area.  Hopefully I just miscounted, but at this point I'd say anything is possible.  Sigh...

House Cleaning

Don't get excited.  It ain't the actual house I'm cleaning ;-D.  

Just some check in notes:

The calendar sales were amazing.  Thank you so, so much!  Everything has been shipped and other than a few far away destinations, should be there by now.  If you haven't received your order, please let me know!  

I have no idea what Maisie has been up to, but her Orneries and kits are sold out.  I'd like to think it's just that she's so popular, but she's been popular for years and she's never sold so many...so, nervously, I'm afraid she's up to something.  Just a head's up if you are fixing to hang one on your tree...

Speaking of Maisie Ornerie kits, I'm trying to get up my nerve to do a live video of how to make them.  There are written out directions online, but it might be easier/more fun to watch me make one?  Part of this is to try to ease into doing more online or virtual stuff.  I'm not very comfortable that sort of thing, but as the spring festivals are already cancelling for next year, we are all trying to figure out a way to move forward. 

The Christmas card has finally been started.  I had a perfect idea all year...even wrote it down so I wouldn't forget about it...and changed it at the last minute.  Hey, it wouldn't be 2020 if it went by the plan ;-).   

Everyone here is doing okay.  I hope you all are well as well.  Stay safe and remember to look for joy...all around.

Warmest Before The Dawn

In the summer I wake up with the sun (around 6:00 a.m.) and start my day.  I let the dogs out, feed them and Bad Betsy, fix myself a big cup of coffee and walk up to the barn to do an early morning check.  

My main concern is B. Willard.  He likes to dig himself a comfy bed, but if he isn't careful how he lays down in it, he can get stuck with his feet higher than his overly round body and then not able to get up on his own which can be dangerous.  I hate to find him that way and on occasion he's given me a bad scare.

If I wasn't worried about him, I'd probably keep my 'get up with the sun' schedule during the fall and winter and sleep later in the morning like most animals.  However, that leaves him unwatched for a couple extra hours each day as the sunrise is so much later right now and I don't think it's worth the risk.  Plus, I love watching the sun rise

During the fall I sat on the Wool House porch with the dogs, and now frequently Possum, and check on my social media sheep friends while I finish my coffee.  If it's too rainy or windy and cold, we sit inside.  If it's not windy, I can tolerate some pretty cold temperatures and those cold, still mornings are some of my favorites.

This morning the moon was still pretty bright even though it's almost a week past full.  I did a flashlight check to make sure Willard was right side up and then stayed outside talking to Salt, giving Possum a snack, visiting with the horses, listening to the neighbor's rooster crowing and watching the stars disappear and the sky brighten.  There was no wind, so even though the thermometer said it was cold, I wasn't. 

This is the first year I've had to do these early morning checks and by doing so, I've learned a few fun things.  One, I love to be outside at dawn. Being able to watch everything on the farm wake up is a peaceful treat.  Another, you might think the coldest part of the day is right before the sun rises.  It's not.

The first couple of times I got too cold outside I thought I was imagining that it had gotten instantly extra cold.  Then I thought maybe it was just that I'd stayed out too long.  I'd be warm as toast for an hour or so and then suddenly freezing cold.  It didn't happen every day though and I noticed it was only happening on clear mornings with a bright sunrise...

Sure enough, if you google "Why does it get colder after the sun comes up?" you'll find the answer.  

Did you know it got colder just after dawn?

Meanwhile Back At The Wool House

20 has taken over shipping out orders because he says I'm disorganized and make too many mistakes.  Fine by me! The house is pretty disorganized as well...just sayin', 20 ;-).

20 has a stack of packages for me to take to the post office this afternoon and we are hoping to be completely caught up by tomorrow except for a couple of special orders.  Hay feeding season started two nights ago and it's amazingly comforting to know that the farm calendar sales will cover that bill and at least part of the straw bill.  

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Thank you all so much!!! 

What's That Smell?

 "Snow!"

Salt kind of shows up everywhere.  She comes up to the house to eat with Kate and Tilly.  She greets visitors at the barn.  She follows me around while I work and sleeps in the tack room.  Hank had his routines, too, but they were pretty much all behind the barn and out of sight...until it snowed.  

I remember his first night of really nasty winter weather here.  I *knew* these dogs were well equipped for cold weather and I shouldn't worry, but I did.  When I couldn't find him in the barn with the sheep or tucked into his dog house, I thought the worst.  He was miserable and had run away.

I finally found him out back.  He was running big excited circles in the front field, bounding through the snow with a huge grin on his face.  I went out and joined him and from then on, any time it snowed he and I would have a party.  

We got our first snow of the year yesterday morning...and even though I wasn't consciously thinking about Hank, my subconscious remembered and I realized I was looking around, expecting to see him.

I ended up having to run a lengthy errand in the afternoon and didn't get back until dark.  As I hustled up to the barn for evening chores, I cut through the snowy yard.  As I approached the big pine tree in the middle, a big white snow dog came bounding out to greet me with a big smile on her face.

A fine memory.

The Birthday Parties

Maisie got two birthday parties yesterday! We tried to do her party at 2:00 thinking that might be the warmest part of the day.  Turns out this is more of a Happy Hour crowd and that party sort of flopped.  Not to fear, Reg "baked" another cake and we had a birthday party re-do around 4:30 and a good time was had by all.  

The first party wasn't a complete bust.  Maisie enjoyed eating some birthday cake, but most of her friends didn't realize it was party time so they were heading out to graze the front field and she wanted to go with them.  If you are the birthday girl (or pretty much any time), you get to make the rules.

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I had technical difficulties with the live and recorded video with the first party, so I didn't even try to use my phone for the second party...and that may have been the best gift of the day.  I dusted off the Big Girl Camera and took actual pictures just like in the olden times.  

Love her little pink nose.  That's Andy in the front.

I love sweet Baba on the right, politely waiting her turn.

Walking out into the middle of this crowd carrying a box of "cake" is not for the faint of heart.   I always forget how big Murphy (at Reg's left elbow) is.  Jared, in front of her, is not small.  Muffin, in the background, is not small either, but she's doesn't like to get bounced around in the mosh pit so I snuck her a cookie later.

Reg shared with everyone, but made sure the birthday girl got the biggest share ;-).

Baaxter loves Auntie Reg.  Liddy's just there for the "cake" ;-).

Now that was a party!

Happy Birthday, silly Maisie :-)

The Birthday Girl

Today is Maisie's birthday!  She'll be stomping out her number 8 candle around 2:00 this afternoon and we're planning to share her party live on Instagram if you'd like to join her :-).  

It's hard to believe she was ever this tiny.  It's not hard to believe how sassy she was!

A Wool(ish) House

I found a super sweet bird nest the other day.  It had blown down during a wind storm.  I love all bird nests, but this one is extra special because of all the wool in it. Buddy and/or Woolliam, Petunia and/or Daniel and Chocula, Salt and/or Hank and probably some others as well.  Here's a quick tour:

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Thank you for all the calendar orders! I hope you know how much that is appreciated.  They are still "at the printers" waiting to be assembled, but luckily Tim's been busy this month.  That's appreciated as well ;-).

Some neighborhood news - there appears to be another stray cat hanging around.  Both my neighbor and I have been blaming the sightings on each other's calico cats and two days ago I broke up a fight next door in which "Betsy" took off running towards our farm...but then I found the real Betsy asleep in the house.  "Betsy's Stunt Double" was spotted between the two farms again last night.

Four bossy calico cats in one area is probably going to make for a long winter.  Why couldn't it have been a sweet orange kitty :-(.  Sigh...

Guess What Frankie And Lancelot Have Been Doing

 

They've been counting sheep!

Hopefully a new puzzle will make up for that one ;-D

It's Okay To Be A Fossil

I spent part of yesterday learning (a little about) using Zoom.  Luckily the friend I was talking to video chatting with is one of my very favorite people to talk to and while I've never seen her be anything but smiley and cheerful, I know she understood when I got sad and gloomy and it was okay.  Yeesh, what a weird year...

Still, it was pretty nice talking face to face.  And even though it would have been better if we'd been sitting together in one of our messy kitchens or out in our sheep barns, I can see how this technology stuff can (sometimes) be helpful and fun.  I'm hoping I can learn to use it to "open" the Wool House to "visitors".

Meanwhile back at the "calendar store", I am going to hold fast to my old fashioned way of ordering something from the farm shop.  Yeah, there are several other ways I could sell online and look more professional and probably even get my shipping labels printed for me and everything put on a spreadsheet...or whatever...but if all you have to do is click a "buy it now" button then I wouldn't get to hear how you, too, found some joy looking back or who your favorite sheep is or how much you too still miss Hank or what your favorite story was or how much you enjoy the puzzles...

So...

Here's a new puzzle :-).

"Keep the cards and letters coming."  I'll be returning emails today.  I was mired yesterday and wasn't that fun to talk to.

There are several emails I'm going to run through a spam check because I've gotten so many orders for Maisie Orneries that I'm suspicious she's been up to something ;-D

Tim is working to get the calendars put together so they can hopefully start being mailed on Monday...if I can once I figure out the shipping stuff!

I have some fun pictures to post this morning that I took while sitting in the wash room typing this out because it was too chilly to sit out on the porch and work...but the door was open the whole time so it's really not any warmer in here and I missed the sunrise.  One of these days I'll get it all together...maybe.

Good morning!  

The sunset last night.

The 2021 Calendars

From the back cover...

"As most of you know, I really struggled with creating the farm calendar this year.  2020 was a year of incredible loss on and off the farm and I've heard so many folks talking about how much they are looking forward to welcoming the new year and putting the old year behind them. I can't help but agree...and yet, in having to look back through all the photos I took throughout this strange, sad year, I actually found so very much to be grateful for. I hope I’m not alone in that.

So, once again, Miss Tilly is still keeping our feet warm, but now Kate is mostly just trying to keep herself in line.  Salt has taken on as many of Hank's duties as she can and hearing her deep ba-roo makes me smile.  Betsy is still on house arrest for not only the menacing of birds, but now also sweet little Possum out in the barn. Every so often I catch a glimpse of orange out of the corner of my eye and can't help but hope that Comby is napping in the sun somewhere nearby. 

As always, a very special thanks to Saint Tim for doing all the hard work and heavy lifting and a grateful thank you to all of you who have become such an important part of our farm family.  You were spot on in voting to give everyone a Victory Lap.  I hope you enjoy welcoming the new year with this calendar."

The Victory Lap was hard...but it was the right thing to do...if for no other reason than to force me to go back and look at pictures from when the year was new and some of my oldest and dearest friends were still pretty young at heart.

I like the new format.  The calendar is a bit larger, but not outrageously so.  It was a bit more expensive to print, but luckily I "know a guy" ;-).  The shipping will be a bit more too, but hopefully not outrageously so.  

The big pictures are a little bigger...but so are the little pictures and I like that.

There are more columns (7 days) the rows (weeks) which left a gap at the bottom, so I filled that in with a little something, sometimes a story, sometimes just some thoughts.  I like that, too.  The calendar feels maybe a bit too personal at times, but as the only place it will be for sale is here with us, not at a random crowd festival, I think that's okay.

Of course there's Hank...

...and Early and his adopted moms and dads.

...and Comby with some of his oldest and dearest friends.

The Lamb Camp calendars are comfortingly the same.  Lots of cute lambs and good mommas...

...and Early doing what I hope we all remember most about him.

The Lamb Camp calendars are still $10.00.  The Equinox Farm calendars are $16.50.  The shipping, which has become the bane of my existence these last few days, is where it gets a bit messy.  

For the past couple of years I was able to use the USPS flat rate envelopes no matter where in the country I was shipping. The new calendar doesn't fit in those envelopes.  This could be good news if you are close by because it may actually be cheaper shipping to you now.   If you live in California, the shipping could cost around $15.00...if I'm understanding everything correctly.

To make this even more exciting, I'm going to try to do all the shipping from home this year rather than stand in line at the crowded post office every day.  Also, I realize that UPS or FedEx might possibly be cheaper...but I don't have those options in my small town.  Thank goodness for the USPS.

While especially in this year of no fiber festivals, these calendar sales are going to be an important fund raiser for the farm, I also know that the farm calendar is important to many people who look forward to turning the page on each month.  

2020 was hard on everyone.  I'm sorry the costs have gone up.  If you are not in a position to pay for a more expensive calendar this year, send what you can.  It will all work out somehow and 2021 will be better if we all have Hank, Salt, Tilly, Kate, Comby and Possum at our back.  Maybe not Betsy so much ;-).

As always, if you are interested in buying a calendar or anything else from the farm shop (except for the felted pumpkins that I just can't seem to get made this year :-o) just drop me an email and tell me what you would like to order.  Don't forget to include your address.  I'll send everything out from my "on farm postal desk" (:-o) and include an invoice and return envelope and you can drop a check back in the mail.

The Wool Kitty

I've been meaning to take a picture of this wool ball for several days. My first thought when I saw it sitting in the middle of the porch was I'd accidentally carried it outside. Then I found it in a couple of different spots...and some loose yarn hanging out of my camp stool/spinning tote. 

That wool ball was my plying ball for when I'm spinning on the porch. The yarn?  My Jared sample and swatch. These things don't tend to jump out of bags on their own ;-).

"Do you know anything about that, Possum?"

"I love wool!"

Possum does love wool.  She sleeps on a big bag of wool in the barn.  She has a felted wool teddy bear that she sleeps with and on occasions either wrestles to the ground or sucks on his ears.  She apparently likes other wool "toys" now as well.  

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“I wasn’t doing nothin’ to my bear. Nice bear. Nice nice bear.” Poor bear. Poor poor bear. I tucked the nice bear back in his cozy and mostly safe bed and told Possum to take care of him, not “take care of him.” 🙄 Good night 🌝.

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Possum got featured in the 2021 farm calendar...of course :-).  Pictures and details tomorrow! 

A New Puzzle...Finally

 

Good morning!  How about a new puzzle :-).

Saint Maisie

Well, I was a bit concerned that "three's a charm" and this would be the year Maisie would return to her costume stomping roots, but once again she went above and beyond for Halloween.  This is almost getting too easy ;-D.

Her costume this year was going to be a witch. After last year's elaborate angel cape, I figured a witch cape would be a breeze. The hat...well she wore a headband halo last year, so fingers crossed... The broom? This is where I figured we were going to have trouble.

I thought about just tying the broom to her off side and only taking pictures from the front side...but what if we could get her to actually ride on the broom?  Ah, what could go wrong? ;-D

Nothing!  She even calmly walked over to Trick or Treat with Stella.  Who'd have thunk it :-D.

And then she calmly walked back to the barn.  I think our little girl has finally grown up...and now that that has happened...I'm not sure how I feel about it... ;-).

Maisie rocking her witch costume was the perfect end to our Hug a Sheep Day Party.  This was our 10th anniversary, so I really didn't want to just let it go along with so much of the rest of 2020.  One good thing about the virtual events was the fun of seeing so many friends from all over join in.  

The morning flock walk was really fun.  The cookies parties were not the usual craziness, but I think the sheep were concerned about what we were up to.  They'd much rather be mobbed by a bunch of people with overflowing handfuls of cookies ;-).   The fleece show went okay even though I didn't have a clue about what I was doing, but we sold some fleeces, so that was good (there are still some really nice ones left! ;-)  And Maisie...good old Maisie :-).