Monthly Archives: July 2014

2014
07/11

Category:
Life

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Water!

P1010989 well work

When we moved here and had our well drilled, we were “out in the country”.    The driller we hired to drill the well, hit a great underground water source and all was going super.   Then some developers decided they would build many houses near us – and I mean well over a thousand.   They are still building.   All those homes need water, so they drilled, either 8 or 10 large community wells.   And all those wells take water.    This slowed us down from 35 gallons a minute to insufficient water to even water our greenhouse all at once.

 The man who services our water treatment system told us that we should either have a new well drilled, or get a 1000 gallon storage tank.   So while I was gone to my class, Bill had the well pump men came out to see if they could coax more water from the existing well.  While they worked, I prayed that God would supply us with water.    I not only asked for water, but abundant water.    Today they finished their work and we have ABUNDANT WATER.   We need 10 gallons per minute to service our fire system, but have 25.  And it appears to be much cleaner coming out of the ground than what we had before.  What a GOD!

We weren’t completely without water while they worked as the neighbors let us hook up a hose to their barn for the three days the work was being done.   It felt somewhat like camping in that we tried to use as little as possible.  So now the dishwasher is going and the greenhouse is getting watered.   Next will be the laundry and watering the outside gardens.

As we were discussing this at breakfast this morning, we realized again how blessed we are to live in a country where we have clean running water.   We are thrilled to help fund wells for those who don’t have this privilege.

 

 

as

2014
07/10

Category:
Knitting

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Project finished

P1010988 cozy cowl green

This is the green cowl that had many starts.   I had to pay attention to the cable of course, but since these were new techniques, it took me a bit to understand that I was knitting everything up to near the top, then releasing one stitch to ravel all the way down to create the “holey” look.   It will look better after being blocked, but that won’t happen right away as the cowl won’t be needed in 80 degree weather.

P1010985 green cowl folded

 This shows the color accurately.   Turned down, it  hugs the neck better.

2014
07/09

Category:
Foods
spinning

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Class day 3 and home again

IMG_0466 Judith M teaching

Not only did Judith have an abundance of information to pass on to us, but her classes were an explosion of color.   And of course some came to live with me.    Right in the middle of this photos is one of the pieces that followed me – the ones that have green, yellow,  red, and purple.    These two pieces are supposed to turn into a pair of socks.   I brought home much more fiber and have a lot of homework to do!

After our last class, we toured a small cottage industry.   Barry and his wife, Linda, custom card for  clients.   They wash and dye it and then do the processing.

IMG_0488 picked fabric

  This is where the fluff is thrown after the picker attacks it

IMG_0476 carding machine

Then it goes through the carder

 IMG_0472 carding machine

You can see some of his assortment on the wall to the left of the carder.

And then it was home again.   It is so much easier to spin without one’s normal interruptions.

P1010972 thieves in raspberries

See the thieves in the raspberry patch?   Actually I didn’t have time to pick before I left so they came and picked.

P1010976  7-9 tomatoes and raspberries

This is what I picked today.  About 2 cups of raspberries and at least that many tomatoes.   It’s really difficult to say how many when one is popping them in the mouth as they are picked.

 

2014
07/07

Category:
Life

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Port Townsend day 2

     iphone 392

Here we are in class, trying to learn more than we can even absorb in one day,  with the most beautiful scenery outside.          We are on a peninsula in NW Washington State, on the upper Northeast side.   Here are some snapshots facing south (Mt. Rainier was visible in the middle of the second photo, but too far away for the camera)

iphone 409

iphone 393

iphone 385

 

 

2014
07/06

Category:
farming
spinning

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Spinning class with Judith MacKenzie

Before I left today Kati and Zach came over for a bite of lunch and to pick the raspberries.  And Bill found that one of the hens sought to hide her eggs in the chives while another hid hers under a small row-boat being stored there.   Another likes a rabbit box down near the other chickens, two hens lay theirs in the cat bed, and wonder of wonder,  3 actually lay their eggs where they are supposed to lay them.  It is a great hide and seek game we have here.

No photos tonight since I forgot to bring the cord that downloads them.   Maybe tomorrow I can find the Iphone cord in the car and take some photos with that camera.    Port Townsend is right on the tip of the peninsula   so we look across the water and I’ll check tomorrow but I’m thinking maybe we can see Canada  It was a gorgeous  drive up here with the sun shining brightly. (80 degree weather)

In our room was a gift bag of lovely sample fibers from different companies advertising their fiber.   They are such yummy pieces.

After a meet and greet time, with plenty of snacks, we met in the classroom.  We first learned how to take apart our spinners and clean them.   There are parts to clean that I didn’t know existed.   Interesting and easy to clean.    Then Judith the teacher gave us each a pack of roving we can spin at our leisure and helped any of us who could use some with the sample fiber she had there.    Tomorrow she will provide the fibers as she guides us through the different tasks.

2014
07/05

Category:
Knitting
Life

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Starting Over and Over and Over

P1010970 greeen cowl

Remember this cowl from yesterday    Although I have knit many socks, and a few other items, I’m still a beginner when it comes to knitting.    This pattern has several “new to me” techniques.   First was the new cast on.   I think I have that learned now having practiced it three times.  Next came the cables which caused me to take rows out several times.   And the last thing I noticed is that the twisted stitches weren’t all twisted and my piece  looked like a beginner piece.   So I put all the yarn back on the ball and have started over again.   Now I’m only about 6 rows into the project.

But I bet when I finish this project, I’ll understand a lot more about these techniques!   I’m glad this is a small project.   And isn’t that why we do some of these things – for the learning involved.   I could just go buy something like this, but what fun would that have been?

Since this is a day of rest, the project has been put on hold until at least Sunday.   I’ll be driving about 3 hours to a class on spinning for 3 days and will try to blog, but I doubt there will be much knitting time.

2014
07/04

Category:
Knitting

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HAPPY INDEPENDANCE DAY

P1010970 greeen cowl

 

Surprise!   It’s not a pair of socks on the needles this time.   It is this cowl  simpliworsted chutes and ladders cowl   Mine looks a bit different from the pattern and I’m not sure why, but I’m happy with the way it is turning out.

2014
07/03

Category:
Life

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Happy Birthday, son/butterfly garden

P1010928 shattered window

Do you recognize this which appeared shortly after I arrived in the sewing studio this morning?     I was across the room and it sounded like cracking ice.    I looked up to see this large window splinter.   It is double paned and only the outer one broke.    I will place a call to the insurance company in the morning.   I have no idea what it was all about as I wasn’t even near it, now were any of my animals,

I had about enough time to finish the quilt on the machine, but the machine didn’t want to work – which is why I didn’t finish it earlier.   So we took the machine to the “hospital” on the way to Seattle to celebrate our son’s birthday.

First stop was Panera’s Bread which we all enjoyed, then off to the Butterfly gardens at the science center.

Before entering the gardens, there is a display of a few insects and these wonderful dioramas of what people might enjoy eating,

P1010929

P1010930P1010931 grub meals

And then with proper instructions on how to behave inside the gardens, we were allowed to enter.

P1010952P1010951 ID cards

The first thing we learned was that if you want to keep track of your group, dress them alike

P1010948  easily recogninized

The Science Center has permits  only to import cocoons.  So a hatching box is necessary.

P1010942 cocoons

This child wanted to have her photo taken when the butterfly landed near her.

P1010935 child near butterfly

The entrance as well as the entire garden is very tropical and beautiful.   I should remember to visit in the middle of winter as it would be so cheery.

P1010932

Signs abounded with information about the butterflies and the plants.   Interestingly, we noted that often times the butterflies were attracted to flowers much like them in coloring.   I hadn’t thought about that before, but it does make good sense.

P1010937P1010940

This species won first prize in my book.   It looks like an eye on the outside, but on the inside – gorgeous blue.

P1010950 lue insideP1010964 eating bananaP1010941 blue butterfly

And here are a few of the others unidentified and in no order

P1010944 orange int blackwhite outwinsP1010960 orange blackP1010954 stunning bfly

And of course one can’t have a birthday without a clown!

P1010956 eat a bfly

These are coffee beans growing here and obviously being admired

P1010945 coffee  beansP1010946

Did you know the cocoa tree sprouts flowers from it’s trunk

P1010953cocoa tree

We were checked for hitch hikers before being allowed out into this room.     I can’t wait until August to take the grandsons.

P1010968 insect puzzles

I hope you enjoyed the fun day we had.

2014
07/02

Category:
Life

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Dehydrated veg and first fruits

 

The vegetables that I put on the dehydrator now look like this and will keep until needed this winter.

P1010926 dehydratuib first fruits

Umm good.   Raspberries are starting to ripen as  well as the tomatoes.

We spent some of today looking for a place to move that will have more of the property in pasture and less that has to be maintained.   This place has also become more house than we really need.

I also updated the July project list.

 

2014
07/01

Category:
Foods
Life

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JULY 1 HAPPY CANADA DAY

I’m wishing all of you across our Northern border a very happy celebration day .  Not only is it Canada Day, but it is the first day of the second half of the year.   Up until now the year has plodded, now it will race toward the end.  So now is the time to start thinking about holiday gifts.

Today I will try to make my monthly list, and get it posted tomorrow.   Somehow that didn’t happen last month and I did not get as much done as I could have.   I think I wasted lots of small time periods.  And since we are predicted to get to 90 today, it seems like a great afternoon to go to Costco and get that shopping done.   Maybe I can get to Hobby Lobby, a store nearby to which I haven’t yet been.   (Can you tell shopping isn’t my thing)

We went to Costco and bought minimally, and nothing at Hobby Lobby.

P1010923 broccoli P1010921 cauliflower

I started my morning with cleaning the broccoli, and cauliflower that I let get to nearly blooming.   They will still be just fine for soups this winter.  They are now in the dehydrator.

P1010925 carrots P1010922 cabbage

 There was still some cabbage and carrots  in the refrigerator drawer, so they were added to the dehydrator.  There are more cabbages, both white and red waiting to be picked, so it’s good to have this processed.   And it these dehydrated vegetables will taste so good in the winter soups.  And while I was preparing these, I made a carrot salad for lunch and put some of the veggies in a separate bowl for stir fry.

Strawberries are finished, but I did pick raspberries yesterday.  A friend did us a favor and I gave them to him for his family.   So I will post photos from the next picking.

This week also is the time to start planting my winter foods such as root crops and lettuces that will go through the winter.  So there is plenty to do.