Scrub Oak

Solstices, Dust Bunnies, and Hen Pecking

 

I got home from work tonight and was dismayed to see how the late afternoon sun magnifies the dust bunnies on my floors.  They were simply rolling across the floor in the sun (the old border collie is shedding which explains the matter nicely, I think).  The thing I absolutely find the most upsetting about putting one's house on the market is that minor details (and when one works outside the home, one must consider them minor) like dust bunnies is unacceptable.  So, after dinner I scrubbed and polished the floors.  I feel so very righteous somehow. 

The photo above is of a few of our newest chickens.  They've joined the big girls in the hen house and enjoy getting out for pasture grass and bugs.  Last night Jerry and I lit a bonfire to celebrate the Summer Solstice and sat outside for several hours in the longest twilight of the year.  (We toasted marshmallows and I decided I don't really enjoy s'mores anymores.)  All eight of the newest little pullets have been adopted by an older Buff Orpington hen who "clucks clucks clucks" for them all to gather around.  She also guards them from the one Rhode Island Red who likes to... well... hen peck them when she gets a chance.  It's quite dear.  The protecting, not the hen pecking. 

Have a wonderful week all!

The One and Only 1958 Singer Zigzagger

I went up the road today and got caught in a rainstorm.  I haven't gotten totally wet in the rain since childhood.  It was exhilarating. 

 

When I got back in the house after drying my hair and changing my jeans,  I plugged in my lovely old straight stitch Singer and tried out this "Singer Automatic Zigzagger" attachment.  I mentioned in the last post that whenever I've seen these little attachments they look hardly used. I just had a yearning to see how useful they might be.  

 

As you can see there are a variety of little patterns that can be made.  The little red "stitch pattern" cams are interchangable and fit inside the top cover when a different stitch is desired.  The presser foot clamps on to the fabric and wiggles it around to produce the patterns which is a bit unnerving at first.  But the darn thing works!  Sort of works anyway.  The material jumps around so much that one would need to practice a lot to get the effect pictured in the instruction manual which is filled with ideas for sewing trim on dresses, handkerchiefs, tablecloths, and the like. 

 

Ah, excuse me?  That waist looks highly improbable.  Almost as improbable, in my mind, as the trim in this next photo.  Here's the Singer Zigzagger pro version

 

And then, my version

Well, I'll just have to practice, won't I.   Here's a link to April 1930's sewing pages to see an old commercial of the zigzagger in action.   

Turkey Chasing and Zigzagging

  

I don't know what these guys are doing.  Waiting for me to take them on a walk maybe?  Goof balls.  We already went this morning before work.  Rooster scared ten turkeys into trees and was quite proud of himself.

Friday at last - it seemed like a very long work week.  Jerry has gone to bed early tonight saying that his work week was exhausting, too. 

Sometime this weekend I want to try out this vintage Singer zigzagger that I found.  It's a little gadget that fits on old straight stitch sewing machines that allows pattern stitching. This one is dated 1958.  I think it must wiggle the fabric back and forth to create the zigzag.  Every one I've seen look hardly used which would lead one to think that they didn't work all that well.  But I've got to try.  Exciting, huh?

  

 

Tomatoes and Ladybugs

It's late, but we got the garden in.  I wasn't sure we'd be here to harvest and that made me so sad that I decided to focus more on the moment.  Yay!  Because putting gardens in just celebrate the Season so well.  Here's to one more year of trying to grow tomatoes at 7,000 feet.  

  

I spent some time this evening fishing ladybugs out of the "Walls - O - Water" that surround the tomato plants and, hopefully, will keep the tomatoes warmer at night.  I think if I fill the wall cells up to the top the lady bugs can get out on their own. We don't want to drown our ladybugs. 

Here's a picture of my "water wise" garden from High Country Gardens which is a nursery based in Santa Fe that specializes in high altitude drought resistant plant varieties.  I planted this walkway 4 years ago and it is totally beautiful every year around early summer.

 

And as for a downsizing "update"?  Well, the appraisal came in at about what I thought it would.  The wealthy land buying physician is "thinking" about it.  And, I've certainly been doing my share of grieving.  It brings tears to my eyes every time I think about selling this place even though it is a wise move for us.  I'll survive.  Always do.  

Here are some bears that I caught the tale end of on a ride to Beulah the other night.  One of these days I'm going to get some good pictures of those critters.  

 

Australian Wildflowers and Rickrack

It is a most beautiful Sunday.  And I think it might rain again.  This Rocky Mountain spring has provided us with more moisture than we have had in years.  I love it. 

I entered a dish towel swap some weeks ago and while the modem was down Lynda from Australia sent me her towels and hot pads.  She told me that she used an Australian wildflower theme and I couldn't be more pleased with them.  The hot pads have a banksia tree in bloom and the dish towels have gum flowers, gum nuts, and "a touch of wattle". 

 

Australia must be a beautiful country to have such growing things there. I've actually been using the towels - gently.  And in the using of them it sort of eases my mind a bit about all the change going on around here. 

Since we've made the decision to move my garden has suffered.  The herbs are growing all willy nilly and I haven't yet planted my warm season crops.  This lack of movement and motivation outdoors adds to my sense of "change in the air" dread.  So this morning I snipped all the marjoram and have it drying in the dehydrator.  It smells good.  Over the next week I'll get my tomato and pepper plants out there, plant my mitla black beans, squashes and corn.  You've got to count on something in the midst of a Big Move, don't you?

And I've started a dress for summer from the Decades of Style pattern company.  It's a 1940's "housedress" which can be done up in rick rack trim if you get a kick out of such things.  I do.

Downsizing Dreams and Hot Flashes

What have I been up to?  It's been such a strange and unsettled time for Jerry and I. Our downsizing plans are taking shape with the speed of a snowball going downhill.  We've been cleaning and clearing with the goal of putting our home on the market and that is probably the most unsettling thing that I can think of at the moment.  Whenever my things are packed and I'm in between homes I get a little crazy.  Everyone notices it. 

I've been having hot flashes all day and all night in the midst of this noble transformation of my entire freaking life.  I've given up all wine and most of my caffeine out of sheer desperation to find THE vice that is responsible for causing me such misery.  And I almost went for my doctor's throat last week when I begged her for hormones and she hesitated.   She acquiesed and wrote me a script when I told her I would just have to go to another doctor.  The whole scene would have had more impact had I not begun to cry. 

But, I'm all right!  Really, I am.  The hormones are kicking in and I'm sleeping just a bit more soundly.  Waking five or six times a night was just not doing much for me.  And the downsizing plans are moving along well. 

In the meantime Colorado is having a beautiful wet Spring.  It hasn't been this green here for years.  I'm reveling in this. 

 

I've been able to see my girls and the grandkids from time to time.  Baby Delilah is growing so much and she smells really good!

 

And yesterday my sweet husband took us on a Memorial Day picnic up to Lake Creek Trailhead.  I love him.

 

 

Transitioning I

Lots of planning and dreaming this past week.  We've decided to go forward and put our home on the market.  I've mentioned that there is someone interested in a trade of properties but whether that will prove wise is yet to be seen.  His property is just up our road and quite primitive - but very beautiful.  The well there is spring fed and all our inquiries so far seem to be favorable in that it has never gone dry.  The septic is not adequate and would need work.  And we would need to build a small home to replace the single wide trailer which is literally falling apart.  Not to mention the bear-clawed window screens in the kitchen. 

So all this week I have looked at our place with the "critical eye" of a potential buyer.  I'm just such a collector, ya know?  And with the idea of moving to a 1000 sqare foot home there's a lot that will need to be sold, tossed, given away.  What about my small shrine to the pottery and ancient glass gods? 

 

There are so many things to think of in these times of transtioning from one living space to another. I've gotten a good start by thoroughly cleaning the floors

 

and by trying to de-clutter my kitchen.

 

I'm undecided about how much to take out of here - look at all the old utensils hanging and the tea pots and baskets above the cabinets.  If you were a buyer, what do you want to see?  (ooh - check out that fog outside - it comes and goes all weekend)

Chickies, barn kitties, and dreams

A strange and exciting week for sure.  I've been going on and on about my dream to downsize and simplify my lifestyle and this week has brought those dreams more into focus.  Energy follows attention sayeth my yoga teacher.  So it should be no surprize really how recent events just seem to be begging Jerry and I to take a leap of faith.

In Colorado you can't have a well on less than 35 acres unless it was parceled out a long time ago.  We really like the area of Colorado we live in and would like to stay here but finding a bit of land with a good well is very difficult.  We looked at an acre with a modular on it a couple of days ago in which the well was shared communally by four others and was known to go dry in late summer.  There was even a covenant that prohibited chickens which is ridiculous.  Rural Colorado chicken banning?  Then there is that piece of property up the road that I spoke of in my last post.  The owner is a doctor who fancies himself a land baron around these parts and he's buying properties right and left.  He's rather interested in a trade, however, no terms of the trade have been spoken yet.  If we could get his parcel free and clear.....! 

Well, life does go on despite all the uncertainty and excitement (translation - "anxiety"). We have Spring barn kitties again

 

And, the chickie doodles were picked up from the feed store yesterday after work. There are eight Buff Orpingtons and four Rhoade Island Reds pullets.  They'll live in this kiddie pool (actually one kiddie pool duct taped onto another which had it's bottom cut out) until they start jumping out in about a month or so.  Then they'll join the Big Girls in the chicken coop.  

  

We mix "Quik Chix" into the water for a couple of weeks and it really is just more of a pale yellow than that weird dayglo green the flash picked up.  Quik Chix is a vitamin and electrolyte powder that prevents shipping stress and that evil known as "pasty butt" in hatchlings.  In all the years that we've raised up chicks we've only had one die using Quik Chix.  We use a red heat lamp to keep them warm and calm and raise it by increments as the weather warms up and they grow true feathers. 

Working and Walking

The work week has started and thank god I'm back into it. I was getting a little worried about myself last week when all I could think of was being able to retire.  Fat chance of that for a very long while:)  Well so, I'm getting up and liking my work day again.  Funny how you can accomodate yourself if you really try.   I keep thinking of all the fantastic things I'll do when I get home from my day.  After stopping at the grocery store for some fresh fruit and vegetables and getting dinner on I threw off my work clothes, got into my jeans and took a really beautiful walk up the road.  Madeline's dog, Rooster, accompanied me (he was a real gentleman and did not chase one thing) and the chihuahua didn't even  realize he was missing a w-a-l-k because he was down helping Jerry with the chores.  

There's a place a little up the road that may be for sale.  It's a beautiful piece of property that sits at the opening of a small, wooded canyon guarded by two rock towers. It borders National Forest and there is not a human soul beyond that point.  There's a bit of spring water and it has a good well.   I know for a fact it's kind of bear-y up there because the woman who used to rent the place called 911 this past summer when a bear scratched her screens off to break into her kitchen.  We had all sorts of vehicles racing up the dirt road to rescue her.  Anyway, I got to thinking again about downsizing - selling our place and buying something that we would be able to pay off shortly.  THEN I may be able to work part time instead of 40+ hours a week.  This place has a ratty old single wide trailer on it and a few outbuildings.  And bears are prone to break into the kitchen BUT.... we could pay it off completely and then begin to build a small, very green home ourselves with all the extra time we'd have.  What a dream!  It'll happen. 

I actually did get some quilt pieces done this weekend despite the fact that I'm not sure why I ever started the darn thing (and that I'm convinced my time on this lovely old Earth will be up when that quilt is finished).  It turned out to be a very pleasant afternoon, however, with the Spring sunshine streaming in and my little old Singer humming away. 

 

Hope everyone is enjoying their week, too. 

Quilt Possibilities and Snowstorms

(Siloam Road and Wet Mountains by Madeline)

I haven't done much clever or crafty this week.  I got up every morning and went to work and I'll tell ya, just getting through that was clever enough.  A real spring work slump.  I'm trying hard to let it pass which is an effective technique - usually.  But, it's Friday and Monday morning is a long way off.

We're having another great little Spring snow.  The feed pans in the corrals were filled with water this morning and if it had been just a bit colder I think the snow would measure 10 feet by now.  At about 3:00 a.m. the sleet balls fairly bounced off the log walls and, of course, I woke up.  It sounded like millions of BB pellets.  I'm sure glad I didn't wash my windows that weekend a while back when it was so warm and sunny.  I'd just have to do them again after this storm.  You know, you always have to be mindful of small blessings. 

I pulled out an unfinished project one evening.  I have never really finished a quilt and somehow feel my life would be incomplete if that never happened.  It's very possible, however, that my life will remain....incomplete. 

 

You never know.  Maybe if I finished it my life would be over.  Hmmm - strange thought for a Friday, snowy, Spring evening.  There's another thing holdng me back from true passion for this unfinished quilt - sometimes I'll start a project, not finish it, then pull it out one day and wonder who I was then to have picked such a design, those particular colors, etcetera.  Does anyone else do that?

I think I just heard thunder for heaven's sake.  A snow thunderstorm.  Maybe I'll work on those quilt pieces - for just a little while.  Wouldn't want to finish it really.