2016 Vineman - Ironman

A lot has been going on here during the last month, from our 8-day road trip to the fair and sheep adventures. The most recent event was yesterday. Chris had competed in his first Ironman three years ago in Texas and I shared photos and the story here. This was his second Ironman although we were all at the Tahoe Ironman two years ago when it was cancelled at the last minute due to the smoke from the huge arson-caused King Fire. The Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and a marathon (26.2 miles) all one after the other. The training is intense (understatement) and the event infrastructure is mind boggling. Athletes pick up packets and leave off gear, including bikes, the day before. This event was local (Sonoma County, CA) although it was not local enough to sleep in our own beds and still be there for a 5 a.m. check-in on Saturday. We left our motel at 3:30 a.m. to make sure that we would avoid the anticipated traffic jam of all 2000 athletes descending on the small town of Guerneville at the same time.

As the athletes arrive volunteers write numbers on their arms.

Chris' support crew at the river included my husband (who took this photo) and me, daughter Katie, daughter-in-law Meryl, brother-in-law & sister-in-law Rob & Renee. Rob was also competing this time. Can you tell it was cold at 5 a.m.? Sonoma County is known for morning fog, especially this near the coast. I haven't been that cold in a long time.

Morning preparation includes checking air in the bike tires,

...securing the chip that marks times throughout the course,

...and donning wetsuits....and lots of standing around for the support crew. Once the event begins the support crew can only support by finding places along the course to cheer on their athlete. No physical support is allowed.

The pros started at 6:30 and the rest of the 2000 +/- athletes started at 6:45.

Athletes are pensive. Many have put a year's worth of training into preparing for this day.

My brother-in-law came from Colorado to compete with Chris.

They both anticipated about a one-hour swim time and lined up near the front of the pack.

It is daylight now but still cold. The rest of us just wait. The national anthem is sung and the athletes are off.

There was a fairly small beach area where the athletes entered the water so they were funneled through a narrow gate to avoid crowding at the beginning of the swim. (It was impossible to get photos of that or to pick out our swimmers.)  I am so glad that our guys were at the front, because it took a half hour before all of the competitors were actually in the water and swimming. By that time the pros were almost finished with the swim portion. Our guys weren't far behind.

The athletes pack transition bags prior to the event and they are all put in place the day before. Everyone has a bag for the swim/bike and bike/run transitions. As the athletes come out of the water they strip wetsuits with the help of volunteers. Most are already wearing their cycling/running clothes under the wetsuit.  Wetsuits and goggles go into the bag and they take out cycling shoes, helmet, socks, and anything else they need while on the bike.

For competitive athletes (or those who are aiming for the best PR) the transitions become an important part of the whole event where time can be made up or lost.This is Chris (in white and navy) leaving the transition tent to get his bike...

...and running with his bike to the beginning of the bike route. I must say here that we were all worried (OK, it was us, Mom and Dad, who were mostly worried) about Chris' ankle that he sprained badly about six weeks ago and then sprained again just three weeks ago while out in the bumpy pasture with my sheep. We saw him twist that ankle again while running here in cycling shoes and continue running with a limp to the bike course. 

Rob left the river not long after Chris...

and got his bike. Rob has done these events for many years and was smiling at this point.

After the guys got on the bikes (well in front of most of the other competitors, giving us an edge on getting out of town) we got to our car and drove to Windsor where the bike/run transition and the finish would be.

Depending on the configuration of the course the Ironman can be a difficult spectator sport. At this point we had picked up another two support crew members (my cousin, Carol, and another family member, Barb, who both live in the area).  We found a spot where we would see the cyclists come by in the first of their two loops of the bike course. We saw Chris who looked strong at this point.

As Rob saw us he slowed down and stopped. His bike had a broken spoke on the back wheel at about Mile 25. That meant he was out of the event because his wheel was getting more and more wobbly and there was nothing to do about it without a replacement spoke or wheel. It would be frustrating to train for this event and spend all the time and money on it and then  have a mechanical issue end your day. But Rob has competed in many of these and he put his bike in the car, got something to eat, and spent the rest of the day enthusiastically cheering on everyone else.

We saw Chris get off the bike, pick up his bike/run bag and run through the transition area. He emerged with cap and running shoes. The run portion is a marathon and this one was three times over the same 8+ mile course. We found a place  where we could watch runners coming and going as they made a loop around our grassy, shady area to enter the turn around and then see them come out again. This gave us four views for each lap.

Chris on the first lap. The athletes' first names are on their tags and spectators' cheers help buoy the runners' spirits.

Part of the support crew waiting for the next sighting.

 

On the second lap Chris was picking up cups of ice chips at the aid stations to eat and cool his back. After seeing him on the second lap we went to the finish where we could position ourselves for cheering and photos. We didn't know what time to expect him but he seemed to be ahead of scheduled, sprained ankle and all.

This is after coming around the last turn to the finish...

...at well under 12 hours. The official clock counts the time from the start of the pro racers but Chris' actual time was an impressive 11 hours 37 minutes.

We were all so thrilled and proud of him.

No Time to Blog

What do all these photos have in common? They are all topics that I want to blog about. But I've been from one adventure to another and am off again pretty soon. I hope I get to tell all these stories (including the rest of my Road Trip) before too long. Maybe there should be a contest. Anyone who tells a story that incorporates all of these images (any order) can be entered. Write a paragraph and put it in the comments or send me an email me at robin@meridianjacobs. com (I can't seem to make this a live email link) and I'll either choose my favorite or do a random drawing for a prize. How about a Meridian Jacobs bag? Or a T-shirt? Go for it!!!

One More State Fair Post

Before I get back to my Road Trip blogs I have a few more photos to share. No big surprises in this post like there were in the last one, but Dona sent me the great photos that she had taken of the show. And since I'm writing another fair post I'll include a few others as well. I didn't see much of the fair besides the livestock area but I walked around briefly. Here is what caught my eye.

On the wall of the livestock office.

Another longhorn, this time with not-so-symmetrical horns.

A "corn-box" for children.

This seems like a good idea for kids but I think I'd want it far from my house. It's hard to tell in the photo but there are metal bars hanging at each station for banging "music making".

I always like walking through "The Farm" to get ideas for my garden. I like these bricks that made the corners of the raised beds. It would be easy to change the location of the beds.

Back to the show ring. Rotor was sometimes reluctant at moving around the ring.

Here he is at the head of the class of Shetlands and Karakuls.

This is the Primitive Breeds Champion judging.

None of my other sheep did as well as Rotor. The judge preferred his fleece over that of my other sheep, although I think they are just fine. Meridian Honey, shown by my husband, had won Champion Jacob ewe at Black Sheep Gathering in June, but she was last in this class. That is part of showing any livestock, especially Jacob sheep. There is such a wide variety in acceptable traits in our sheep that it may not really be appropriate to judge them against each other. That is why Jacobs used to be judged by "card-grading". Each sheep would get a "grade" based on the characteristics--not putting one of a similar grade above another. But that's not how it's done in traditional livestock shows.

These are my two yearling ewes, Meridian Honey and Meridian Zinnia.

This is the Jacob portion of the Primitive Breeds ewe lamb class. The two lambs without much color have a bit more on the other side. They are sisters and my friend, Mary, has bought one of them.

Here is our Flock entry in the Primitive Breeds Division.

Rotor's debut on the photo stage after winning this show. See the previous blog for his other winning photos.

Big Wins at the CA State Fair - 2016

We interrupt this blog series... I am not even half way through sharing photos and stories about our recent Road Trip, but for the last four days I have been at the State Fair and I have to share that experience.

Every year I wonder if it's really worth the time and effort to go to the fair. My friends and I go to Black Sheep Gathering because...hmmm...why do we go? It's a Road Trip With Sheep. I just bring sheep, look at fiber, and hang around with my friends. That can't be said for the California State Fair. Although it's close to home, it's a lot of work. I set up a big display booth and my Farm Club friends and I staff it all day. It's hot (105 this year), dusty, and I stay every night until about 8:30 because there are so many people still in the barn. We are under pressure to keep the area spotless and be nice to everyone because we are in contention for a couple of major awards for the display.

For Farm Club member, Mary, who is also a new farm owner, this was a new experience. She has been here before but it's different when you have your own sheep. Before we can put the sheep in the barn they are checked by the veterinarians.

Once the sheep are settled in their pens we start with the display.

There is prestige and a good monetary award at stake for the Marketing Program that "should be directed at potential customers and show case the exhibitors Breeding Program and Operation". Here is the scorecard:

1. 20% Display. Clearly demonstrates it's purpose, message and/or image.
2. 20% Effective use of display materials. Paper, wood, metal, plastic, plants, etc.
3. 20% Use of color and signage. Graphics and signage to create impact and storyline, QR codes
4. 5% Special Effects. Movement, sound, audio visual, participatory element
5. 20% Effective Use of Handout Materials. Flyers, pamphlets, business cards, recipes, children's materials, etc.
6. 15% Craftsmanship. Well constructed, balanced and has an overall finished, artistic, visual appeal.

Here is the finished display.

I'm glad that I had the last minute thought to provide a Touching Table. That came to me when I was looking for something else in the barn and came across these horns. We'll expand on this next year. I was especially glad I thought about this when I realized that I had forgotten to bring the A-frame that holds some of our other interactive display material.

In addition to the Marketing Program, there are Herdsman awards that are offered "to encourage attractive, educational, and high quality presentations of all livestock exhibits".  The Herdsman Award is judged on :

1. 65% General Appearance
   1. 25% Neatness/cleanliness of bedding and aisle
   2. 10% Signage, banners, QR codes
   3. 10% Creative use of plants and special exhibit materials
   4. 20% Condition/cleanliness of animals
   5. 10% Educational material, marketing, breed promotion)
2. 25% Feed Alleys/Tack Pen
   1. 15% Free of debris, not obstructed
   2. 10% Tack storage
3. 10% Conduct
   1. 5% Exhibitor sportsmanship and cooperation with other exhibitors and staff
   2. 5% Public interaction and accessibility

In addition there is Best Educational Presentation over all the species entered in the three week run of the fair.

Farm Club members help to set up the display and come each day to staff the area and answer endless questions.

This is the crew that was at the fair on Friday.

I think they worry that I will forget to eat. On $2 Sample Thursday (all the fair food booths have to include a $2 item on their menus) they returned with this treat for me. I have a good photo of all of them eating their selections but they wouldn't let me use it.

Other faces in the barn include:

This Lincoln across the aisle from us.

Suffolk ram that was just down the aisle.

Longhorn steer at the other end of the barn.

This is one of Mary's new lambs who seemed delighted with the attention.

The yearling ram, Meridian Rotor, standing behind the "DO NOT PET THE RAMS" sign.

We spent the four days answering questions

• Q: Is he normal? A: Yes, Jacob sheep can have 2 or 4 horns. (And that info is on the other sign right in front of the ram.)
• Q: Where are the pigs? A: Out there (pointing).
• Q: How do you get get it from this (wool in bucket) to this (carded sliver that I'm spinning)? A: We explain. Next year I will include the carders and carded batts, etc to more easily explain that.
• Q: What happens if it breaks (fiber I'm spinning)?. A: Demonstrate how to join it.
• Q: Where are the cows? A: Longhorns are at the other end of the barn. The dairy cows were here last week.

I spun three skeins of singles yarn while I was there.

But it's really supposed to be all about the sheep show.

Mary and Russ practicing with their sheep.

Dona, Mary, and Amy prepping sheep for the show. We don't do all the fitting that other breeds do. That morning I had taken each sheep to the wash stall to clean their legs and feet. We wiped their noses and cleaned the grime off the eartags. Then we pretty much just brushed off the straw and were ready to go.

The show started with yearling rams and I was thrilled when Rotor was placed first in his class and then awarded Champion Ram of the Primitive Breeds Division. The judge was not as happy with the rest of my sheep and they were interspersed with or at the end of the line-up of Shetland and Karakul sheep that were also in our division. Even Honey, who was champion Jacob ewe at Black Sheep Gathering, was placed last in her class.

The breed show was Saturday. On Sunday champions from all 14 Divisions compete for the award of Supreme Champion. Rotor lo0ks pretty small in that line-up. (Some of those smaller sheep ahead of him are ram lambs that won their divisions.) As the judge went down the line he stopped and scrutinized him more than the others.

He was one of four rams pulled out of the line-up to be in contention for the award.

Thanks to Dona who got these great photos of us in the ring. In this photo the judge is discussing the four rams and said that although he wouldn't ever want a Jacob (at least I think I heard that) he was very impressed with Rotor.

He awarded Rotor Supreme Champion Ram of the State Fair!!!

Here is me right after with all my loot.

Oh yeah, some of that is for the Herdsman and Marketing awards. Usually that is the highlight for me because I don't expect to win with my sheep.

From right to left: Supreme Champion Ram (banner and buckle); Best Educational Presentation (Herdsman); Best Program (Marketing); Third Best Educational Presentation over all the species for the three weeks of the fair; Second in Herdsman; Best Marketing Program.

Of all the years showing in 4-H and later with our dairy and then with sheep, I've never had a belt buckle! I guess I need some Wranglers to go with it. And maybe some boots. I realized after the show that I hadn't even changed into my (work) boots for the show and I was wearing those sandals through the whole thing. The excuse is that it the show was at 5 p.m. in the afternoon of a 105 degree day. (I was wearing jeans though. This picture was taken later at home.)

Seen on the Farm

This one isn't actually on OUR farm. I love this sunflower crop that is Across the Road.

I took the rest of these photos here.

Monarch caterpillar on narrow-leaf milkweed.

Alfalfa butterfly. The caterpillars are considered pests in fields of alfalfa. They also consume other legumes (like clover and trefoil in my pasture).

I still don't know what this one is. Previously I tentatively identified one in a better photo as a forage looper moth. Maybe? Do you know how hard it is to chase a butterfly/moth that doesn't want to be photographed?

California Red Dragonfly. While we're looking at insects here are nasty ones that supposedly the dragonflies eat.

We were doing pretty well keeping the pasture mosquitoes at bay.  I guess it was the last irrigation followed by a heat wave that brought them on to this degree. This morning in the pasture I was covered head to foot--overalls and a hooded sweatshirt with the hood tied around my face. I could still hear them buzzing.

While on the subject of nasty buzzing things in the barn last year's paper wasp nests are active again. I guess I need to find the wasp spray.

Same subject. Different pest. This is another black widow on the hay. You have to be careful pulling bales of hay away from the wall or off the floor.

Also in the barn but no stings or bites (except maybe when the parents dive-bomb the dogs). This is another nest of Brewer's blackbirds. This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago...

...and this one a little later. These birds have left the nest now.

Sheep going to pasture in the morning.

These are some of the new sheep. That's Bronagh who seems to take the lead. They are out with the rest of the flock now and are as anxious to come to the fence for grain when I rattle the bucket as the other sheep.

New Faces on the Farm

The last few blog posts were about Black Sheep Gathering. One reason that I decided to go this year was that I could bring home some new sheep. Here they are:

Windy Acres Bronagh, 3 years old, lilac (that's a gray-brown color in Jacob sheep lingo).

This is her fleece...

...and here is another view.

Another sheep is 2-year old Hunter's Glen Scout.

This is her fleece...

...and another view.

Bide a wee Hallie is a yearling with very pretty horns...

...and a long, open fleece.

 Shadow Mountain Shelby is a yearling...

...with a fine crimpy fleece.

Kenleigh's Sheena is the last yearling.

I brought home two lambs from bide a wee Farm. I just realized that I didn't get a decent photo of the ram lamb, buster. This ewe lamb is Trista and I just love this little lamb. She is one of those sheep who seems to have a friendly nature and is taming herself.

And look at her lovely fleece.

I can't wait to see these fleeces next February and new lambs in March.

Miscellaneous Views at BSG

The last three blog posts have been about Black Sheep Gathering but, wait! There is more!

My tent.I have had this tent for 35 years and wasn't sure that the rainfly was waterproof. I don't think I'd want to be in a major storm, but it was adequate for the light rain the first night of camping.

I spent some time on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning watching the wool show.

Martin Dally  is entertaining as well as knowledgable. He explained what he was doing throughout the show and even let the audience come up to see and feel the fleeces after he finished with a class.

Colored Merino fleece.

White Merino fleece.

Corriedale fleece that won the overall best white fleece.

Then to the vendor hall where I took shots of color, texture, and other things that caught my eye.

These are reindeer hides.

There is also a Fiber Arts contest.

This one is called Moo-Shoe Pork. Look closely at the feet.

Back in the barn, this felted banner was made by Jackie, Farm Club member and friend who's business is Sheep to Shop.

I got a late start home on Sunday (the next post) but made my ritual stop at the Mt. Shasta overlook just before dark. I love that mountain...and I love California.

Spinners' Lead at BSG

The Spinner's Lead is one of the events I enjoy most at Black Sheep Gathering. It is a competition in which entrants show off their handspun or felted items and bring the animal that was the fiber source (or borrow a representative one from one of the animal exhibitors). There are two categories--one for Owner and one for Non-Owner. Alison and I both entered Jacob yarn vests. Alison's vest is incredible. She started this project three or four years ago, spinning Jacob wool into 4-ply yarn. She knit the vest using twined knitting to create a fabric that is windproof but stretchy--a natural alternative to Polartech. At one point Alison had knit the vest almost to the top but was not happy with it and ripped it all the way back to the cast-on row! It features i-cord band, sewn in zipper, and pockets.

I started working on my vest about four weeks before BSG, inspired when I figured out that the fleece of the sheep I was entering, was still in the barn and was a beautiful one. After spinning the yarn the fabric took two days to warp and weave and another to turn into a vest. On Tuesday of the BSG week I wove scarves using white and the leftover black yarn. Weaving is so much faster than knitting!

Honey was my selected sheep for the Spinners' Lead because it was her fleece I used. I chose Marv for Alison because he seemed the best most compliant of the other sheep. She spent a little time practicing with him before the event.

I handed my i-phone off to a friend who took most of these photos, and it's not easy to get good photos standing at the outside of the show ring. (Thanks, Deb.)

Alpaca shawl. Red hair, red shawl, red alpaca. (Honey did not like the alpaca when it showed up in the line near her.)

BFL sheep with her young owner. This one was the winner of the Owner category.

This was the most unusual entry this year--felted sheep masks. The wearers are leading sheep, but they needed to be guided as well.

Sweater knitted from natural colored fleece.

Waiting to hear the results. Alison won the non-owner category! It was well-deserved.

More Sheep View at BSG

Sheep aren't the only fiber animals at Black Sheep Gathering. The Angora goat show was on Saturday. But it's mostly about sheep.

It's not always easy to get a good photo of sheep when they are in small pens.

This is a Shetland ram.

Blue-faced Leicester.

This sheep posed nicely.

Here is a Jacob look-alike, at least from the spots. No Jacob has ears that big.

The Young Flock competition is on Saturday at the end of all the other shows and there is a special prize for the best Young Flock of the whole show. A young flock is made up of two ewe lambs and one ram lamb from a single breeder.

I had the Jacob young flock in the competition.

Sheep seen in the vendor hall.

Look at these beautiful curls on a Navajo-churro lamb fleece.

Speaking of curls, this spectacular 12" fleece is on this...

...Teeswater sheep.

Black Sheep Gathering 2016

Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene, Oregon is an event I always look forward to. I don't go as a vendor so it's not work. It's more like a road trip with sheep. Usually friends and Farm Club members (who are friends too) carpool but this year we were all on different schedules and instead we met up once we were in Oregon.

Loaded and ready to go. I took ten sheep, five of which were going to a new home. Fortunately only two were yearlings and the rest were lambs or I wouldn't have had room. That was Thursday. It was a long day because I just couldn't seem to stay awake for the drive. I left the house at 6:30 a.m. but stopped at several rest stops to take short naps and finally pulled into the fairgrounds about 4:30.

Black Sheep Gathering opened Friday morning with too many choices. What is a fiber fanatic to do? Watch the wool show? Watch the sheep show? Go to class? Shop?

Several friends participated in the Sheep-to-Shawl competition on Friday in which teams have five hours to prep fiber, spin yarn, and weave a shawl.

They spent many hours prior to the event dyeing and spinning the warp yarn, warping the loom, and sampling...

...to determine how they would use this beautiful fiber to spin the weft yarn.

Weaver, Gynna, wove a beautiful shawl (but I didn't get a photo when it was finished).

Walking back to the barn to get ready for the Jacob sheep show I saw...

...this Shetland ram displaying his ribbon.

Time to take the sheep to the show ring. 

Even though we had spent time working with the sheep they were not always cooperative. That is ram lambs, Marv and Meyer.

A friend who lives in Davis helped me show. That's the judge inspecting Meyer's fleece.

Checking Marv's fleece.

This is Lauren, one of the yearling ewes. I hadn't planned to sell her but she stayed in Oregon as a trade for another yearling. (That will be another story.)

Meridian Marv (Meridian Rotor x Meridian Marilyn) won Champion Jacob Ram...

...and yearling, Meridian Honey (Meridian Alex x Meridian Hot Lips), was Champion Jacob Ewe.

It's fun to win ribbons and trophies, but there were only two of us exhibiting sheep and I was the lucky one this year. In other years they have won the ribbons. The other breeder has beautiful sheep too and I  brought three of them home with me.

This is one of them and she will be introduced formally in another post.

Sunday Morning in the Pasture

I switched lenses this morning to get a different view of What's In The Pasture. The sheep followed me to the horse pasture gate but I didn't let them out there. 

Instead I climbed on the gate to get a photo of the neighbor's alfalfa being cut.

This hawk was flying over the field hopeful that breakfast would be flushed out from the alfalfa harvest.

Western Kingbird on the powerline at the south end of the pasture.

Swainson's hawk over our pasture.

Buckeye butterfly. I read that adults live for a little over a week and that plantain is one of the plants where they lay eggs. There is plenty of that in the pasture right now. I'll have to go inspect those for eggs and caterpillars.

This might be a Forage Looper Moth--that is the closest ID I got from browsing the internet for look-alike moths and butterflies.

Johnson grass. This grass is taller than me and is growing at the south end of the pasture. We try to get rid of it when we find it because it is very competitive and the sheep won't eat the coarse leaves and stems. From the internet: "Under certain conditions, the leaves of johnsongrass (and sorghum) can produce toxic amounts of hydrocyanic acid, which can poison livestock when ingested." 

The medusahead is drying out. 

I moved the fence and the sheep were ready to go out for breakfast.

More Pasture Plants

This is a continuation of What's in the Pasture. I have a lot more plants to go. I changed the fence to move the sheep from the south half of the Horse Pasture (no horses for a long time) to the north half. They came running.

They were ready for fresh feed...

...because this is what they left behind. I have moved the net fence a few inches off the fresh pasture. You can see what it looked like on the other side of the fence.

I think this is orchardgrass, but I'm not 100% sure.

When you identify grasses it helps to look at more than just the seed head. This photo shows the ligule which this publication from the Wisconsin Cooperative Extension (which also has a good diagram of grass parts) describes for orchardgrass as "prominent; cuts or splits on whitish margin".  Yeah, I can see that. This one from UCD is also a good resource.

Lately I have left my 40 mm lens on the camera and get a kick of of looking closely at things that I see better on my computer than through my glasses.This one is Curly Dock.

Here is the not-so-interesting photo of it.

I have made good progress at getting rid of Spiny Cocklebur, but it will never all be gone. I continue to chop any of these that I see. Obviously I haven't dealt with these along the corral fence but need to take a shovel instead of a camera when I walk out here. 

You can see why it is undesirable and the reason it thrives even where everything else has been eaten. Besides the thorns the flowers develop into nasty burs that stick in fleece and hurt fingers.

Speaking of thorns and eating, I'll deal with the thorns when the eating is this good. And I won't complain that the bushes are completely covering the electric fence.  I had my first ripe blackberry this morning.

Sprout Yarn Scarf

Friends and customers told me that I should start carrying sock yarns so last winter I chose a few special yarns. One is Sprout, a fingering weight superwash Merino yarn that is dyed and marketed by The Fiber Seed, the business name of a delightful couple who live in Florida.

This colorway is called Quicksilver and is  dyed in one of several dye patterns they use.

Chris saw me photographing this and commented that I was going to weave something to match my cell phone.

Here is what it looks like after winding into a ball.

Too many people think that you can't using "knitting yarns" for weaving and vice-versa. To me, yarn is yarn. This yarn is very stretchy and you need to plan for that from the start. I measured the warp on my warping frame under a light tension, also taking time to match up the color repeat. That way I have a warp where the colors don't mix, but move from yellow to gray and repeat (which you will see in the finished piece). That may not work with every dye pattern or warp plan, but it worked perfectly for this one.

Notice how open this is. I sett the warp at 12 epi (ends per inch) and wove it with a very light beat. Beginning weavers often BEAT, instead of beat press the weft in. In this case that would completely cover up the warp and not make fabric appropriate for a scarf. This yarn is under tension and when it comes off the loom a lot of those spaces will fill in.

I could have chosen to weave this with a solid color to maximize the effect of the color movement in the warp, but one of my goals is to show what can be done using just one skein. The color repeat in the skein means that when using this yarn for weft the color changes after about every fourth weft pick. Notice also how the color changes over-ride the pattern of the weave structure. This is one of my favorite weave structures, but in this piece I used it for the drape and texture it would give the piece and not because you'd see the design it makes when I use solid yarns.

I knew this wool wouldn't "full" because the yarn is superwash, but wet finishing will still change the look of the piece. I soaked it in water, agitating as if I was fulling it. I should have taken a photo but it was late at night. After that process the scarf looked pretty awful. The yarn reverted from being lofty and squishy to long and stringy. The fringe looked bad. I laid the scarf out to dry as I usually do and it was very disappointing. Then I remembered--Superwash! I put the scarf in the dryer with a big towel. That was the answer!

This scarf is lofty, bouncy, and very soft.

Here are the stats:

On the loom: 7.25" x 81" measured under tension

Off the loom: 6" x 68" (Remember, I told you it was stretchy!)

Wet after washing: 6.25" x 72" (and not looking very good)

After drying in dryer: 5.25" x 58"  Perfect!

Another cool thing for you knitters is that each yarn comes with a QR code that links to a knitting pattern using the yarn.

I guess I need to get these yarns on my website, but there are so many color and dye pattern choices that will be difficult. I'll work on it. In the meantime, if you are interested you can always ask me to send photos or come to the shop.

Glimpses of the Farm

Slowly by surely I am trying to get organized with Lightroom, my new photo software. Does learning new software count up there as a stressor along with changing jobs, spouses, or health issues? Here are some random photos taken over the last month while doing chores.

Our new signpost on the way to the barn, in case visitors are unsure of where they are. Not really. It is on the way to the barn but was constructed by my husband for the memorial service we had here for his dad. Our birthplaces are at the top, followed by parents', siblings', and our kids' birthplaces or current locations.

Speaking of the barn I call this Dog Toy on the Roof.

Wood from a tree my son took down for us.

Brewer's Blackbird feasting on mulberries.

I think I got this ID right--Western Kingbird.

This is Hot Lips making an announcement.

Ginny hoping to be called into service.

Did I mention when I got the tractor stuck? This is a dry field, or it's supposed to be. There must be a leak in a pipe and this corner is sopping weight. I was mowing foxtails and made a tight turn to do a thorough mowing job as far into the corner as I could.

Do you see that the mower on the back of the tractor is right up at the fence on one side and the bucket is resting on a fencepost. There is no way to maneuver this thing out.

Dan spent about an hour jacking and digging...

...and jacking and digging, each time trying to wedge another board under. Every time he'd remove the jack to wedge in another board the weight of the tractor rested on  the fence post which creaked ominously.  The boards that the jack was on kept squishing down in the mud, but eventually he got the wheel up to almost ground level. Still, there was no way to drive the tractor out without some help.

My 2-wheel drive pick-up was called into service and Dan chained it to the tractor. When he put the tractor in gear the truck gave just enough assistance, pulling sideways, so that the tractor wheel got out of the hole and onto dry ground.

Lambs in Silhouette

It's hard to get a photo of my bottle lambs because I can't get far enough away.

The Main Event

The girls were beautiful, the guys were dressed (see last post), and it was time for the wedding. After enjoying sunny skies at the beginning of the week we were a bit concerned about the weather forecast. The prediction changed daily whether or not it would be partly sunny, partly cloudy, or mostly cloudy, and whether there was a 10% or 50% chance of rain, and would that rain come Friday or hold off until Saturday. I don't have photos of the actual procession or ceremony but there are plenty on Facebook now. The classic has to be when, after trying to get Flower Girl #2 (Kirby) to walk up the short aisle, Daddy carried her down the aisle spreading flowers from Kirby's basket as he went.

It was a beautiful ceremony with a beautiful couple. Afterwards there were all the official photos.

Kirby was willing to be included in these...well, sort of. She was focused on picking up all the flower petals.

My kids and their spouses.

While the wedding party was busy with photos guests played games and used the photobooth. Dinner was served. Chris pointed out that his family sat at Tables 1 & 2 and the other 14 or so were Meryl's family (and other friends). His point was that he was glad to become part of such a large family. But the practical aspect of that turned out to be that Tables 1 through 4 had been served dinner and then the huge dark clouds that we had been watching come in from the northwest let loose. The rain was intense and everyone made for the house, which was supposed to be for only the bridal party and not all the guests and certainly not for food. (Later the owner of the venue told us that she made an exception because of how pleasant, responsible, and easy-to-work-with our kids and their friends had all been.)

As thunderstorms do, this one passed, leaving things wet and soggy. Chairs were wiped off and the festivities continued, albeit cold and windy. (I had loaded the car with blankets and jackets in anticipation.)

 

Kirby (or her parents) had the foresight to bring appropriate clothing in case of rain.

A little rain didn't stop the dancing.

 

Kirby took her Dad to the dance floor.

Brothers.

Chris' new grandma was given a seat at the bridal party table.

Speeches were made.

The cake(s), made by a special friend, were cut. Chris wanted chocolate and Meryl wanted white. So there were three cakes, one with a big C and a Starwars quote ("I love you...I know"), one with a big M and a Harry Potter quote ("Always"), and a marbled cake to cut together.

The storm had made for perfect conditions for photos...

...including those at sunset.

These are just a sampling of the photos that I took, but there are so many more taken by friends and family to help us remember this wonderful occasion. I've seen hundreds on Facebook already--isn't the digital age wonderful when used in this way?

Wedding Day Morning

On-site preparations began the day before but there was still plenty to do on the morning of the wedding.

No shoe polish? No problem.

The tables were decorated.

The kids' table included bubbles,and crayons.

Pictures were hung.

Games were arranged.

While all the preparations were being made outside...

...upstairs in the Bride's Room there was a bustle of activity. Two professional hairdressers were kept busy...

...while others did their own hair and make-up.

Flower-girl, Tatiana, waited patiently for the time to get dressed.

Meanwhile, downstairs, ...

...the guys didn't seem too concerned about getting ready.

Eventually it was time and they all cleaned up very nicely. There seemed to be some confusion about what to do with the pocket squares, but they mastered the folding technique by watching a YouTube video.

Inspection time for the pocket squares.

Back upstairs, Flower Girl #1 got help with her bow.

Flower Girl #2 skipped the morning activities, staying with Daddy and the other grandma and getting through naptime uneventfully. She showed up in time to get dressed, but took some convincing to participate.

We gave up on the pretty white shoes with the bows in favor of the purple crocs. It was a big step for her to hold the bouquet, however temporarily.

While the women were making their final preparations Kirby found the room set up for photo shoots. She made herself right at home there.

Ready to go!

Getting Ready

Getting ready for a wedding. The kids worked for  for months on this...and that included having to change venues, due to no fault of their own, six weeks prior to the wedding. Then it was the day before. Chris built one 8-foot and two 10-foot tables for the use of the wedding party. He also made assorted game pieces and a very cool guest sign-in board.Chris getting advice from his sister.More advice. Stout tables.Some of the bridal party who helped the day before. They were all there--what a great group of friends Chris and Meryl share.Table inspection by the resident cat......who, having done his (her?) job, needed a nap.Wedding rehearsal. I didn't get all the guys in the photo because I was seated in my mother-of-the-groom chair.The girls minus the bride.

Kirby was there also. She was a bit worried when Uncle Matt put her purple Crocs on his feet, but she recovered quickly once she got them back. Do you know how many more cute photos there are of Kirby? But I'll restrain myself.Meryl's parents hosted a dinner the night before the wedding and here are my three beautiful daughters!

Another Season

I talk repeatedly about seasons. Lambing Season. Breeding Season. Spring, etc. There is another. Baby Bird Season just ended.This is one of several Brewer's Blackbirds' nests in the barn. This one is on a convenient shelf just over my  lambing calendar. I've read that Brewer's blackbirds eat seeds, grains, and insects.However, our blackbirds do quite well on the mulberry tree that overhangs the ram pen and is loaded with mulberries right now. This bird hatched on April 30. Anytime we walk in the barn, the parents harass us relentlessly.This photo was taken two days later on May 2.May 6.May 8. They grow quickly.This is May 9. The first baby is 9 days old.May 12. Out of the nest. There is a day or two when I find babies out of the nest. The parents are frantic. Maggie needs to be restrained because she is truly a varmint dog. She things that anything small and alive is fair game for her. Now the birds are out of the barn. I don't know if there will be a second crop. Last year I felt as though Baby Bird Season lasted a lot longer.

Car (Buying) Adventures

I started to write an email to Farm Club about my recent car shopping experience and then I realized that I was writing a story. Today's adventure is really nothing  out of the ordinary for most people, but for me it takes on epic proportion. Do you know how many cars I’ve had in my life?

1: During the first year of college I got a ’67 Camaro. Too bad I don't still have that one. 2: White car that I can’t remember right now. (No photos of this one.)

3: Then there was the big red Ford van. I have many fond memories of that car.

4: This maroon Safari mini-van was the only vehicle we bought new. I remember that the day I got it I drove to school to pick up Chris and he was shocked when I walked over to this strange van and opened the door. 

This photo was taken at CNCH (Conference of N. CA Handweavers) when it was held in Grass Valley and Katie and I camped at the fairgrounds.

5: Although I put about 100,000 miles on it I never really bonded with the ’04 Explorer. I bought it in 2008 and just sold it at CarMax because too many things were falling apart.

6: I bought the '02 Ford truck from my son when he upgraded. Dan made the cool box for the back so that I could haul sheep to Black Sheep Gathering in Oregon. This is the first (I think) Farm Club road trip to BSG in 2011.

We took another trip in 2013 and again in 2015. I still have this truck.

My husband drives my mom’s ’85 Honda Civic and his ’99 Ford truck that he got when his dad moved to Hawaii.

So you can see that we’re not real big car buyers. I needed something in addition to the truck. I mean I really need to have a truck and I didn’t want to keep driving that one because I need it to last. So I started shopping about a month ago and had the proverbial sticker shock. This is embarrassing but we thought that we might spend $10-12,000 on a vehicle. It turns out that would buy me something like I just got rid of . I still need the ability to carry Things and Dogs (3) around with me and we want at least one vehicle with 4-WD so we aren’t limited about visits with our son in the winter or in our own travels......although last Christmas the Explorer wasn't adequate to get up the driveway. (That could have been because, knowing we were going to sell it, we hadn't got new tires.)

I revived the hunt two days ago and realized that I needed to keep moving forward this time or I’d have to start all over again. After lots of time on the computer I had finally narrowed it down to a Honda CR-V. I searched through dozens of listings from Sunnyvale and Lodi to Sacramento. Nothing really struck me as the perfect car—what’s with all the black and sliver SUV’s out there? How about a little color? And price was still a big issue—that and the combination of price/mileage. I keep being told that 60,000 miles on a Honda is not like 60,000 miles on a Ford, but still. I wanted to go to the local Honda place to see what they had first. I like to support local business and I don’t like to Drive to The City. There were no 4-WD CR-v’s in the price range, but they asked, “have you tried a RAV-4?” No, I hadn’t. They brought one out and I liked it. But I hadn’t researched it like I had the other. I didn’t know which models had which features, what the extras are, etc. I told the guy that it’s like trying on shoes—even if I think the size 10 fits I need to try the 9 and the 11 to make sure.

So I went home and started researching it. I looked at the photo I took of the specs of the one I drove and realized that it was a 2WD, not 4 after all. By then I was immersed in the RAV-4 world and decided that maybe that really was the car for me. I spent all evening trying to organize the cars I found with year, price, miles, location, and color (still mostly versions of black, white and silver).

I was looking at 2011 and 2012 because I liked those versions. Mileage was mostly in the 50K to 70K range. I really wanted Someone Else to go on this car hunt with me, but that wasn’t happening right now, although my sons both gave me pep talks about bargaining.

This has become a long story. I came home with a car today. Last night I found a 2011 RAV4 with only 21,000 miles within the price range of the others I was looking at. I went to Sacramento this morning, drove it, and made the deal. I got some money off the asking price—maybe not as much as my kids would have but I think that getting 40,000 MILES off was just as valuable. This is not a very good photo but the one I took to show my husband what I bought while he wasn't there.

Now I just have to get back to Sacramento to pick up my truck.