Puppy time

We have been home two nights and one full day with the pup.  Yesterday was a full agenda, registering him as The Lone Ranger of Stafford Shire, Ranger. for short.  Meeting his new vet for a well puppy check and to restart the puppy shots as the breeder was doing them and the record was sketchy.  New vet because the one we had taken the cats to had retired and his business was purchased by 4 young vets, 2 women and 2 men that have a second location over the state line in West Virginia.  The staff and vet were all enamoured with Ranger.

Exploring his new environment, both indoors and outdoors.  He really seems to like the space to romp and roam.  We are working on training us to his needs to reduce indoor accidents, teaching him his name and to climb and descend stairs as he already weighs 22.6 lbs.

He is a good pup, sleeping in a crate in our room at night and keeping it clean all night.  During the day, he has decided his extra large wire kennel is just the place to nap or take his toys for playtime.

Hubby is very happy with his puppy.

The New Addition

Yesterday, we started off on our puppy acquisition trip.  We were headed for Stevens, PA, between Lancaster and Reading via Vienna, VA to take our son and grandson home in route.  Having them visit, if only briefly is always a joy.  Until fall, when they relocated for school, we had weekly overnight visits with our grandson and we miss that.

The trip to Vienna is about 4 hours and after taking them out to a late lunch and unloading them at their house, we headed farther north.  Another 3 hours put us in Ephrata where we located the breeder's house for this morning's pick up and set out to a nearby town for a motel and dinner.

This morning came and hubby was like a kid at Christmas, anxious to see his new puppy.  The breeder has 3 mastiff's, one female and 2 males, though we only saw Max, the daddy at 200 lbs, and Tekka, the mom at 170 lbs.  Teeka had 15 pups on December 29th and then the weather got very cold and they lost 8 of them.  When we arrived, the only 3 remaining were Ranger, hubby's pup and two of his siblings, a huge brindle male, and a small brindle female.  In their pen, none of them looked too big, then Jim picked up his pup and his feet are huge!

We didn't get 10 minutes from their house with a fussy pup when he lost his breakfast out both ends, necessitating a clean up stop.  The second accident occurred just as we finally managed to get on I-76 headed west.  By the time we got to I-81 to head south, he was cleaned up again and settled into travel mode, a good thing, because the trip home is a total of 6 1/2 hours without the frequent stops for his needs.

I'm sure he will be a happy fellow when we finally get home and can finish cleaning him up,, feedings him and letting him begin to settle into his new home.  I hate to admit it, but he sure is cute with his black mask, black ears, tail and toes on his apricot body.

Last night

Tonight is our last night of our kid's winter vacation.  Today has been rather laid back as the weather has deterioted into rain and wind with much colder temps, and we may even get some flurries tonight and tomorrow before noon.  They came in to snow and are going to leave in snow.

To soften their leaving a little, our eldest son and eldest grandson (age 6 1/2) will be in very late tonight for son to present at an academic conference tomorrow and we will have a whole day with our grandson.  On Sunday we will take them home and then on to Pennsylvania to pick up hubby's new puppy.

It has been a great week.  I will surely cry when they leave as I always do and wish that the time will come when they can move closer than 13 hours from us.

And we will be taking our eldest grandson to visit them in June and all of us will go to Disney World for a couple of days.

Family fun time continued

It rained last night, all night.  Not a timid drizzle, but torrential downpours with lightening, creek filling rain.  By morning, it was clearing, only partly cloudy and by 10 a.m. it was already near 50, so we headed off to the Cascades, a beautiful 2 mile uphill walk along a creek to an awesome waterfall.

We have made this hike numerous times, our daughter once when her son was an infant, but I think this one is most memorable.  The rain had the creek rushing by us, the falls were gushing over the cliff face.  The mountain runoff creeks poured over and down the trails and we couldn't even get to the very top because of the runoff.

This was a family event, all 4 adults, our 5 year old grandson who walked the entire 4 miles without complaint, our 3 month old granddaughter being baby worn by her Dad, and the Golden Retriever that travelled to Virginia with them.

Now that we are home again, the adults are all nursing sore legs, dog is out on the floor and grandson is down for one of the few naps he has taken this week.  I think we will all sleep well tonight.

Family visit fun

Our Florida kids are visiting this week, daughter, son in law and 2 grands, a 5 year old and the 3 month old.  They wanted snow and mother nature cooperated with 7 inches on Sunday for sled play that afternoon and the next morning.  Fun was had until the temperature started its rise and the snow quickly disappeared.

Since daughter grew up in Virginia, we taught our kids to ski but she hasn't been skiing in over a decade, son in law and grandson had never skiied, so we decided a skiing adventure to Winterplace, an hour from  our house would be a fun day trip.  Off we went at 6:30 this morning, put grandson in Skiwee school for half a day, son in law in a group lesson for 90 minutes and took turns with the 3 month old granddaughter in the lodge.  Except for the fact that it was 50 degrees and it rained off and on this afternoon, a good time was had by all.

Daughter picked it back up like she had never been off skiis.  Son in law did well and grandson loved ski school.

 And Mom, Dad, and daughter even got a couple of runs together.
Next installment in the fun times will be a hike to the Cascades tomorrow as the temperature is supposed to be 60.

Snow Vacation

Visiting family
Grandson, dog, sled snowy day fun
Son in law plays too.

Snow Day

  Finally we have real snow and it is only February.  So far we have 7 inches.  Just what we ordered for our Florida kids and grands.

The Other Gift

Much has been said about the events of this week.  The week was supposed to begin with a 5 1/2 hour road trip to pick up hubby's gift, but this had to be postponed by almost two weeks.

In 1994, hubby and I were walking in the mall, probably picking up something for the house we had moved into a couple of months prior and in the window of the mall petstore was an Old English Sheepdog puppy.  We had previously owned another female who didn't respond well to my return to work after taking 6 months maternity leave when our daughter was born.  Unable to retrain her to nondestructive behaviors, we reluctantly gave her to a family with kids and a stay at home mom who had prior OES's in her life.  This little ball of fluff drew us in, just as she was supposed to and we left with pup, kennel, bowls, brushes and the other paraphenalia that goes with dog ownership.  She was an AKC pup, but we had no intention of breeding or showing her, she was to be a family pet.  We arrived home after calling the kids to the front yard and turned RagMutt loose on the kids.  Oldest son was indifferent, daughter was in love, youngest son and pup were terrified.  Though, her grooming and vet care fell mostly to me, she was hubby's baby.

She grew much larger than female OES's normally grow and lived way beyond her 9 year life expectancy.  In 2006, I moved to the mountains to my new job and to play a more active role in the construction of our house.  Hubby stayed in Virginia Beach with youngest son, a recent high school graduate, and with RagMutt, who by now was an old lady of 12.  They moved into a ground floor apartment that allowed large pets.  It was another year and a half later that her health and age resulted in the decision to put her down, a decision that produced tears for me in the mountains, but more for hubby in Virginia Beach.

Another year and a half passed and Jim finally retired to the mountains with me and discussions about dogs have occurred sporadically since.  Our postponed road trip is to pick up an apricot male English Mastiff pup, who will be old enough then to take from his litter.  This pup is hubby's Valentine/Anniversary gift.

Spoiled

Yesterday was our Anniversary, 34 years together.  Would I do it again if given the chance? Absolutely.  I wouldn't want to change anything, the kids, the pets, various houses, they are all threads in the ribbon of our life together.

Yesterday, I was spoiled!  Awakened with the question of whether I wanted to go out for bagels, not his favorite as he rarely eats breakfast, but a known treat for me.  A Valentine's card and box of dark chocolate awaited me downstairs before we left. We spent time together at the library perusing periodicals in our choice of topics, ran a few errands together, spending time together, holding hands like young love.  We live 4 miles below Mounain Lake Hotel (where they filmed "Dirty Dancing," and due to the drought the past few years, the lake is very low, having dried up 2 summers ago, so we took a drive up to check the lake and see the snow as they are 2000 feet higher than we, they often get more snow.

Upon arriving home, this bouquet was awaiting me.  We have young organic farmer friends who as part of their business model, sell flower shares good for 15 weeks of fresh flower bouquets during the summer, my love had bought me a share for our anniversary and our friends, Bert and Gwynn had brought me the dried flower bouquet and share card while we were out leaving it on our table for me to find.

The treats didn't end there as we had reservations at a nice restaurant in town for a 4 course meal with a live pianist and each lady presented with a live rose and each couple with a small box of heart shaped chocolate truffles.

I felt spoiled and pampered by our day.

St. Valentine's Day

This is a day, back many decades ago that you were excited or disappointed by the number of Valentine's cards that were stuffed into the box you decorated in elementary school (prior to teachers insisting that every child bring a card for every other child in the class).  Not being particularly popular, my box was never stuffed very full, but I knew that I would always get a Valentine card from my Dad.

A couple of decades passed, the excitement waned as I was then a secondary educator and high school kids don't give Valentine's to their teachers, but I still received a card each year from my Dad.

In 1977, I was introduced to the law partner of one of my hiking buddies and I can't say that sparks flew immediately, but we became a couple.  For Christmas that year, we went to Vermont with a ski group for my first real ski trip, having only skiied 1 day trip prior to that.  On the first day out, I fell on a bunny slope, separating my left shoulder.  Though it troubled me dressing and undressing and at night, when I was in all of my ski clothes, it was not too bothersome and I continued to ski for 4 more days, getting diagnosis and treatment on New Year's eve after getting back home.  We went out for a drink after the ER visit then home to cheer in the New Year.  At the stroke of midnight, Jim proposed to me (with his shoes by the door in case I said no, he claims that my sking injured convinced him that I was a keeper).  Of course, the answer was yes and we began discussing when and where we would wed.  His romantic (he says practical) suggestion was Valentine's day, saying if he ever forgot it, he would be in double trouble.

He has never forgotten, surprising me with a dozen or even two dozen roses at school, fancy dinners out with my parents watching our children, later as our kids were older, with Bed and breakfast weekends. A couple of these evenings, have been accompanied with a diamond anniversary ring and another with a heart shaped diamond heart necklace, but the first piece of jewelry, a simple band of gold hearts, placed on my left ring finger in front of our family and friends, 34 years ago today continues to be my favorite.

Blueberry Bonnet

A simple hat requiring only knit and purl skills, it is quick and can be knit with either an aran weight or double strands of sport weight yarn.   Fits a 22" head.

Materials:

200 yards sport weight yarn (the pictured hat was made with handspun merino/silk blend for the darker blue, and handspun merino for the lighter blue)

US size 9 16" circular needle

US size 9 DPNs or second US 9 circular for closing in top

Tapestry needle

Abbreviations used:

K = Knit

SD = Seed stitch

K2tog = Knit 2 stitches together

CO = Cast on

 Instructions:

CO 70 st holding two strands of sport weight yarn together, join in the round being careful not to twist the stitches, place marker to mark beginning of row.

Entire hat is worked with double strand.

K next 20 rows.

Join color 2 if desired and work 5 rows of SD, carry the primary color by twisting with the secondary color at the beginning of each row.

Cut secondary color.

K next 10 rows with primary color.

Decrease for top as follows:

Row 1: *K8, K2tog* repeat to end of row

Row 2, 4, 6, 8: K around

Row 3: *K7, K2tog* repeat to end of row

Row 5: *K6, K2tog* repeat to end of row

Row 7: *K5, K2tog* repeat to end of row.

Row 9: *K4, K2tog* repeat to end of row.

Row 10: *K3, K2tog* repeat to end of row.

Rows 11 and 12: *K2tog* repeat to end of row.

Cut yarn leaving a 10" tail. Thread tail through tapestry needle and pull through remaining stitches, pull tight and secure.

Ice Dancers

Ice crystals in the wind
Dance and sparkle as diamonds
As the sun tries to show its face
Amidst the scuttering clouds.

Winter Brouhaha

The weather casters excitedly warned of our first major winter storm (it's mid February already) with gale force winds, temperatures plummeting to single digits, snow.  The  snow beginning last night and continuing until Sunday morning.  It didn't.

I awoke to snow falling, no blowing around as it is apt to do in this mountain hollow, yes we are experiencing strong wind gusts, but hey that happens most winter days and even many summer days due to our location on the south face of a mountain just east of a gap.  They did get it right about the falling temperatures however.  Today's high of 30 was very early this morning and it is dropping like a rock into a well.  We are cozy and warm with plenty of firewood if the storm really finds us and takes out the power.  Plenty of food in the house, no need to worry.

The snow is still blowing around, but the only evidence is a light dusting on hard surfaces and mulch, maybe we will see a little on the ground before it ends, likely not, we've seen very little this winter.  And yet the naysayers insist there is no global warming, no climate change.  This is the strangest mountain winter that I have experienced.

Elusive Winter

Elusively winter

Sneaks in and out.

Snow showers, light coating

Sunshine, mild days.

Buds in the woods

Calves in the fields.

Snow teasing us yet again.

Old skills, new student

First I learned to crochet.  That was 1965 at Shrine Mont, where our family gathered each year with other families who had become as close as extended family.  One of those "Aunts" taught me the skill, using cotton thread and a very tiny hook,  making simple lace edgings.  I fell in love with fiber arts at that point, getting some minimal instruction in knitting and making a sweater that didn't fit for my first knit project, but alas, another fiber. Subsequently, I taught myself crewel, counted cross stitch and a few other non fiber related old world crafts like basketry.  Having the left handed quirk, most crafts were self taught at least until the basics were firmly ingrained, then questions to the more experienced would send me on to more challenging tasks.

The fiber art that really stuck was knitting, which has made me a "fiber snob."  This a desire to use nice natural fiber yarns.  A side effect of this snobbery is wanting to know what is in the yarn and what you can do with it, and finally, can I make it myself.  So far I haven't gotten  a spinning wheel, but two summers ago, I took a 2 hour class in using a drop spindle, the earliest form of spinning, sampling several fibers.  My first yarn could be sold as novelty yarn, thick and thin, fluffy and tight, many different wools spun together.  The next attempt with a lighter spindle is more consistent, though insufficient to make more than a headband.  As knitters, crocheters and spinners, we collect, trade and sell equipment until we find just the right tools to suit our personal style.  I have settled with my knitting tools with two beautiful handmade wooden sets of interchangeable circular needles, and a set of double pointed needles in the sizes I use the most also handmade wooden beauties.  Though I have one handturned crochet hook, I am less fussy about them, as I only use them now for finish work.  But spindles, I'm still experimenting with, having acquired a heavy starter spindle and having purchased three handturned lighter ones, one of which has gone on to a new home as we didn't work well together.  The others are awaiting a new sibling that is changing hands and is in the mail to me.  The lighter two suit me well.  I have been spinning a beautiful robin's egg blue merino top that I purchased locally from Unplanned Peacock, an independent dyer and friend.  Last night, I plied the two spindles full of near thread, making 200 yards of very fine weight yarn.  I have a newfound respect for my ancestors, who made all of their clothing by spinning, weaving or knitting, sewing their clothing from raw fiber or from hides they killed and cured.

Mountain morning

Sun upon the hills.

Turkeys in the hayfield.

Loving life today.

Life changes

Upon moving to our rural area farm and reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle a long held lifestyle of recycling and organic gardening in a city was allowed to grow into a stronger commitment to life and health.  As we planned our home, we sought to make it as green as we could without being off the grid.  Our home is constructed of logs, minimally treated indoors with dilute linseed oil, plywood was avoided as much as possible, the poured concrete basement is faced with fieldstone from our land.  We insulated with cellulose and recycled denim instead of fiberglass.  Water runoff from the metal roof is captured in a cistern system that can be used for watering animals as soon as we get our fencing in order. We have planted trees in areas that would not be pastureland, dug a substantial garden that is handled organically with no weedkillers, no chemical fertilizers, included fruit trees and berry bushes and seek to grow as much of our none protein food as possible.  That which we can not yet grow, such as meat, milk, butter, cheese, and eggs, we buy locally from neighboring organic small farms.

I feel that we have made great strides in living locally and with an ear to the environment.  One area that still concerns me is garbage.  Our property has a large sinkhole that apparently had been used as a dump for years.  There were also well over 100 old tires surrounding the lower pasture in the edge of the woods.  Many loads of this garbage have been removed and hauled down to the garbage pick up center, but some of the larger pieces have been too difficult for us to remove ourselves.  Plans are being explored to enlist the aid of a local caving club interested in our sinkhole to help us remove those pieces this spring.

All vegetable scrap is composted.  All recycleables are taken to the center to be recycled, but still there are about 2 cans of "garbage" each month, that need to be hauled to the center to be compacted and hauled away to some landfill.  One of my goals has been to reduce this load further.  Each time an unwanted mailing is received, I contact the sender to cease sending, unfortunately our recycle center won't handle business paper or glossy catalogs and magazines.  I try to buy beans, rice and flour using reuseable jars and bags at the natural food store, but items like pet food still comes in a non compostable, non recyclable bags.  I don't want  to send it them the landfill, but also don't want to resort to burning it as the ash from those bags is not useable on the garden. I still am trying to solve how to reduce this garbage load.

The use of freecycle and Craig's list have helped to remove items that we don't want but still have a useful life, but we are still struggling with reducing our impact.  Live locally and responsibly and leave Mother Earth a better place.

Morning in the mountains

Shadow frost patterns
Upon the winter browned lawn
A sunny day dawns.

Triple Cable Scarf

By Fran Stafford

This scarf goes nicely with the Starcrossed slouchy beret.

Material: Unplanned Peacock Twisty Aran US size 11 circular or straight needles Cable needle This is an easy cable project. Abbreviations: K – Knit P – Purl CN – Cable Needle

Directions:

Using long tail cast-on CO 27 stitches.  Knit first 5 rows.

Row 1, 3, 7, 9 Knit

Row 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Purl

Row 5:  Place first *3 stitches on CN, hold to back, K 3, K3 from CN, K 3.  Repeat from * 3 times.

Row 11:  *K3, slip 3 stitches to CN, hold in front, K3, K3 from CN.  Repeat from * 3 times.

Work rows 1 through 12 until scarf is desired length, finish with 5 Knit rows.

   Copyright Fran Stafford, February 2010