spinning and longears

photo from SYA Rescue website

There is a benefit auction going on this week that I thought some of my readers might find interesting.

It's for a small but very active Donkey and Mule Rescue group in New Hampshire. I found them when I was hoping to adopt a pair of mules, before I was advised that on my tiny property, the longears might be too assertive to be good companions for the goats :(

Anyway, this online auction has a variety of items, from gourmet cakes to ceramics, but one item really caught my fibery eye (at the moment this is literal, since I get a single cashmere fiber in at least one eye every morning when I'm combing):

Kromski Interlude spinning wheel package

(excerpt from the Facebook auction description)

Briefly used as a display model in a fiber arts shop. It is in pristine condition - the only yarn ever spun on this wheel is shown in the photo of the bobbin/flyer. It has a durable clear lacquer finish and includes all original accessories- 3 standard bobbins, orifice hook, oiler, and Allen key.Included: high-speed flyer (with bobbin, for a total of 4 bobbins) for spinning finer yarns and the pound of Shetland/Finn wool roving in the photo.If you choose to pick the wheel up in Springvale, ME, the donor will provide a 1 hour spinning lesson, an additional pound of fiber (lots to choose from!) and a farm tour. The farm is home to a handspinner’s flock, other assorted critters, and an awesome mule who is one of SYA’s adoption success stories! Additional guests are welcome.If you will need to have the wheel shipped, please estimate the shipping and make sure that you are comfortable with the cost before bidding. The wheel will be shipped in a custom-made cardboard shipping box that measures 25”w, 25”l, and 17”h. It will weigh approximately 24 lbs, and will be shipped from zip code 04083. The buyer will need to arrange for pickup and shipping with FedEx, UPS, or USPS. Please also note that the wheel will be disassembled for shipping. Assembly instructions will be included, and there is assembly instruction video available online. VALUE: $620.00

Dear Readers, this wheel is valued at $620, and the starting bid is $350. 

This seems like a nice opportunity for someone looking for a wheel, and since I know many of my readers are spinners - or know spinners - I thought it would be well worth sharing here. Please pass it along if possible...the auction is on til Sunday the 13th, 9PM EST.

And if by happy chance one of you should end up with this wheel, please let me know. I'd love to send you a little something in celebration ;)

~~~~~

five anxious minutes

After much calling back and forth with the papa owl this evening,

the mama owl suddenly stood up, stretched her wings,

and took off.

I hoped very hard that the papa owl was nearby,

perched just out of camera range, perhaps in the nest tree.

Because it's hard not to see vulnerability here:

Within five minutes...

swoop!

Mama was back.

Checking the babies, settling down to keep them warm.

And beginning another night of
watching, watching, watching

with those enormous eyes.

Whew!

Now I can knit.

~~~~~

sunday snaps

Just a few pictures from a day of sunshine and wind...

beginning with the morning light pouring into the barn through the south windows.

This is Azalea:

After morning chores, some quality time with the herd on the Upper West Side. Brilliant winter sun, but breezy - as you can see from Violet's coat:

Just like some people, some goats are not easy to photograph well. You may get a pretty shot, or a technically excellent shot, but the subjects just don't "look like themselves."

Acer is one of those goats.

But today, I somehow got several pictures of Acer that really do look just like the goat I know...so many that it was hard to pick just one to show you!

But here it is: 

Acer

~~~

In the afternoon, Piper and I went for a little walk - as we do most days when the weather is decent - and for the first time in many months I brought a sketchpad and cushion.

After we rambled over hill and dale for a while, Piper was ready for a rest. The sun was warm but the wind was cold, so I plunked my cushion against a tree on the lee side of a little esker, and began to draw a maple tree. It has been having an adventurous and challenging life growing alongside a large rock.

Piper was happy to sit in the sunshine...

catch her breath...

have some treats...

...for about two minutes.

Then she changed position.

See that grey trunk behind her head?

That's the maple I was drawing.

And in case I missed the point...

 she moved in a teensy bit closer.

Her head is now on my sketchbook.

Well...

I guess that's enough sitting for today.

~~~

I hope you had a lovely weekend!

~~~~~

bird news

Just two bits of information to share, both of which came to me (appropriately, now that I think of it) as twitter "tweets."

First: one of the Great Horned Owls has hatched! Here's an owlcam image of mama and the youngster, posted by @SavannahOwls earlier today.

please left-click to embiggen!

We're looking down at the top of Mama's head, and she is looking down at the baby, whose little round white fuzzy head is peeking out right above Mama's feathered toes. You can even make out the baby's beak with the egg tooth - pretty sweet!

~~~

Second (and you are going to love this): the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been building an online Feather Atlas for North American birds.

(screenshot from USFWS Feather Atlas)

This makes so much sense, I can hardly believe it didn't already exist! Maybe something similar is already available in other countries? Perhaps in Britain, where birdwatching (or "twitching") seems to have a long history as a national past-time?

(Screenshot from Atlas)

As someone who often picks up a feather and thinks, "Ooh, it's from a hawk! Or...an owl! Or...a duck?" I think this online atlas with it's user-friendly identification tools may be very useful!

~~~~~

wednesday with words

Experiment: pasta made with butternut squash instead of tomato sauce. And lots of extra-sharp cheddar (is there another kind?). Pretty good! Next time I'll add mushrooms for additional texture.

The past few days have alternated between very cold and just cold, but often with enough sun to be quite pleasant. Much of the snow melted from open areas, though the ice - some of which has been here since December - will probably persist until there is consistent warm weather.
Could be months away.
Could be next week.

We got an inch of fresh snow this morning, and freezing rain all afternoon and evening.
So I'm glad I did this yesterday:

There are 11 pairs of handknit socks on that drying rack.
Some laundry is just more fun than other laundry!

Apparently, some interior decorating is also fun:

The other night, instead of simply digging in her big cozy bed to make it Just Right as she does every night, Piper chose to tear it open and remove the padding bit by bit.

It's been years since Piper did anything this destructive, but despite being out of practice, she certainly did a thorough job.

I had to laugh, though: see that white thing on the right side of the picture?

It's the "Do Not Remove This Tag" tag.

She Did Not Remove It.

There are some lines we just don't cross, right, Piper?

~~~~~