I deduced that I started with the lights too high up and lowered them within the first or second week. Unfortunately, some of the seedlings ended up a bit leggy. I think they will work out in the end. Anyways, these pics are from February 11.
I'm trying out my new pipebender from Johnny's Selected Seeds today. It was fairly easy for me to bend the first hoop. The hoops are made out of 1/2" electrical conduit.
Well, I'm trying to get a head-start on my garden this year. I am determined not to miss a single season! So, I got some grow lights and I will be performing some experiments by starting my veggies and herbs from seeds indoors.
Finally! Holy sheep! It took me 20 years to make this afghan. I'm so glad to finally be finished! And not just 95% finished, 100% finished!
Okay, I'm opinionated about instant pots and air fryers. I'm anti-instant pot, but I'm on my way to being converted to an air fryer believer. (The jury is still out until I've attempted egg rolls in the air fryer.) I will note that I would never have purchased an air fryer, but I did receive one as a Christmas gift from my kitchen-gadget-loving mother.
Am I the only one who travels with fleece-in-the-grease? Actually, probably! When I knew I was going to be at Walter Reed for prosthetic and gait training for 4-8 weeks I knew I was going to be homesick. So, I packed Ixora's entire fleece, my combs, and a diz!
My surgeon's nurse was fascinated by the knowledge that I had a flock of sheep. She let on that she liked to knit and shyly let on that she wanted some yarn. So, I was on a mission.
My husband sheared a couple of hoggets by himself, but he ended up doing adaptive shearing with me where he would tip and shear belly wool and get legs started, and then stand them up, and I would finish shearing the rest of the sheep from a sitting position while he held them. It was definitely a team sport.
The barn was finished a couple of weeks ago and we have been busy moving in and getting the stalls situated. It's definitely not going to be the Taj Mahal, but it is functional and the animals are glad for the shelter. Especially tonight, as we are going to have negative temperatures with a - 20°F windchill.
I love smoked salmon at Christmas...by itself, on crackers or toast, for breakfast or lunch, even with green eggs, Sam, I am.
I just want to say, there are just some things you can't do yourself. This crew has worked hard all week on the barn, and it's almost done. We wouldn't have been able to erect this structure by ourselves in under 60 days!
We are all moved! It's taken me a while to sit down and admit this as it's been "traumatic". I returned to Kansas with the last load on June 29, and we didn't finish unloading the truck until yesterday!
The next morning she wouldn't load up. We tried everything including coercion, extortion, bribery, and asking nicely, for close to 8 hours. The horse would not go in.
Toto, we're not in Florida anymore! The ewes have landed and have been taste-testing the grasses and weeds in Kansas for the last 10 days. They've also been through a really severe thunder storm already. We had 60-70 mph winds and a t-storm night before last. No hail, thankfully.
Well, the weeds are growing fast now! Meanwhile, we just got 2 inches of rain, which we desperately needed for the grass as it was down to the quick! It's time for these ewes to do some weed wacking!
I admittedly have a track record of "finishing" projects 95% of the way before I move onto something else. As long as the product is functional, I always seem to get sidetracked from doing the finishing touches! I really want to curb that kind of behavior and really start finishing things 100%.
Sandhill Flats Farm is moving: sheep, chickens, horse, cats, and all! The Husband got transferred to NE Kansas. We will start our farm move on or around June 1. It's always an adventure with this guy!
I'm so excited - the shearing is all done! Yay! And now I have a mountain of fleece in my storeroom....
Some shepherds hire a shearing team, and others do it themselves. Well, I'm definitely a DIY kind of girl. This year I have 14 sheep to shear!
Choy sum grows like a weed here in Central Florida. It has won in the contest against kai lan (Chinese broccoli). I will only grow choy sum from now on, especially since I will have a billion seeds!
I love, love my new Valkyrie combs. They are so nice and easy to work with. Kudos to my friend who found them first and pointed me to them as well!
Well, it has finally happened - I ordered a spinning wheel! My father was so kind to add some birthday moolahs to my piggy bank, making the purchase of a spinning wheel possible. I am very grateful!
I love to paint on random items! So, I thought I would share my latest piece for your viewing pleasure. I can't seem to stop painting sheep everywhere...
The build up of winter storm Grayson froze us good. After four nights of subfreezing all-night temperatures, all the plants are dead, dying, or hybernating. It got down to 25 here.
Merry Christmas Eve! There isn't anything like being snowed in curled up by the tree and fireplace in a fluffy blanket with a hot peppermint mocha. I don't need to run out and go through a line to order one, I can make it right here at home. I am my own barrista!
Well, I've gone and done it again; I've made a new tradition or two. This year I really wanted to try a bunch of new recipes and make them my own, and so far two of them are really big hits! I have more to make, but I've already made rum/bourbon balls and pumpkin seed brittle.
