The 2014 Wildlife War has begun!

As I may have mentioned before, this house was a gentlemens farm 100 years ago. So it's at the end of the road and surrounded by woods. Woods that are full of animals. I remember the foxes going after our chickens when I was little, and we had possum, raccoons,  and a creek full of salamanders, mudpuppies and crayfish. The creek is dried up now, the deer have moved in, and there are many more raccoons, possums and skunks. And they ALL want my vegetables and fruits.

Last year the woodchuck learned to climb our 10 foot fence and decimated the vegetable garden, so we electrified the fence. The squirrels raided the peach tree, taking one (ONE!) bite out of each almost-ripe peach and dropping it on the ground where the deer finished them. We do our best to live peacefully and keep the critters at bay in a humane manner. And that's not always easy. It IS always frustrating to see our hard work destroyed by hungry critters. You'd think they'd be grateful that we let them sleep on the lawn and keep the mortgage paid up for them!

Winter is a nice rest from our Wildlife War. Three nights ago I was served notice that this year's squirmishes have begun. I heard the snarling and saw the evidence. The birdfeeder was empty and covered with dirty pawmarks--raccoons love seeds. The suet feeder was on the porch floor, empty and bent open with the wire closure completely missing--raccoons love seeds buried in animal fat!

This morning the ground is disturbed--skunks like to dine on grubs that hibernate just below the ground surface and the mice that burrow near the bird feeder to nibble stray seeds.

I guess it will soon be time to plant the peas and turn on power to  the fence, bring the feeders and suet inside each night, and buy stovepipe length to slip over the fruit tree trunks so animals can't climb the tree. They are innocent animals, they are cute and furry....but they WILL NOT defeat us! I am marshalling my forces and will win this war!

Finished projects, works in progress, MARDI GRAS 2014!

I've been busy traveling to parts south lately--more on that later.

Recent projects finished:
A handwoven handspun scarf using a gradient dyed top and my rigid heddle loom. Which illustrates that yes, you can weave with handspun singles if you know how it needs to be spun and finished.

And the never-ending socks. The first pair for DS#1....

Second pair for DS#1 in progress....



Second pair for the Lady E....

 

 

Last week, I presented a program to our guild on using a blending board to make colored rolags. I had one packet of Flirty rolags left in my stash and took them along. Then I came home, spun them up, washed the yarn and have it sitting around until it tells me what it wants to be.

 

 

Last but not least, I'm working on complimentary yarn for a friend in Canada. She purchased my Fairy Garden yarn last year and has found her dream sweater. She needs additional yarn to complete it and, since there is no more of the fiber left for Fairy Garden, I made up some samples for her to swatch and choose. She liked the mocha/begonia/silk blend best and I must say, she has good taste!

 

 



Fairy Garden

Caffeinated Fairies

 

Oh, that little trip down South? DS#2, his lady and I flew to Louisiana to meet up with Husbeast. We've always wanted to do Mardi Gras, but didn't really want to contend with the crowds and parking in New Orleans. So we visited New Orleans on the Friday, drank our fill, saw the sights and blew out of town before the crowds arrived. We went up to Baton Rouge on Saturday for the Spanishtown parade, whose theme was Flamingo Dynasty. For your viewing pleasure....  (photos courtesy of S. Krenn)