HEAT.............

It seems as though, here in NE Ohio we only have two season...anymore. :- (

I hate to complain but we seem to jump right out of winter right into summer...no in between seasons to help ready us for these extreme temp changes. We've weathered a terrible winter (2010) only to be inundated by 90 temps. :- 6

We go outdoors to work for a while only to run back into the house, for the room that has a window a/c.

The weather forecasters were predicting these blistering temps last week so I methodically sheared all the rabbits. I really hated to loose some promising coats but I'd rather have a live rabbit without a coat than a lovely coat on a dead rabbit. :- { I now have a barn full of naked rabbits! Even with their frozen water-bottles they're still suffering the heat.

This weekend my dulcimer group will perform at Akron's Art Expo at Hardesty Park (1 - 3 pm). Normally we LOVE this event but when it gets this hot the salt from your own sweat irritates your fingertips.

One up side to this heat is the grasses doesn't grown, requiring as much mowing.

We did have a terrible thunderstorm last night, fortunately none of the trees lost any branches. I hope all of you are weathering the temps & storms!

Royal Walnut Moth

It's been a while since my last posting. But this was simply too extraordinary not to share!

I saw this "huge" but beautiful moth at Durbin's Ice Cream Stand in Barberton. This beauty was fluttering about the building's sidewalk. In fear for it's well being, I caught it, to transport it home. We've an extensive wooded area very close behind our house. I thought it'd be safer here than at the very busy intersection, not to mention LOTS of foot traffic around the building. So I picked it up.... it actually felt like a small bird in my hand!!! AWESOME!!!! The fur across it's shoulders was long with such a vivid bright orange color! The rest of the wing color was taupe and cream. Simply remarkable!!!!!!!!! 8- D

At home I got my camera and got some nice shots. When I moved the moth, to put it outside, I noticed that 'SHE'D' laid eggs! They were a little larger than the size of a wooden pencil lead and all clumped together. :- D I put her and the eggs on a large tree. About a half hour later I checked on her but she was gone. Off to lay more eggs, I hope! She'd laid more eggs on the tree then took flight to places unknown?

After looking over the Internet I found that she's was a "Royal Walnut Moth". Apparently the caterpillar form of this moth is known as the "Hickory Horned Devil", which is reputed to be almost the size of a hot dog! A rather amazing creature. Check this web site for more information and an interesting story about a rescued Hickory Horned Devil. http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/2010/09/hickory-horned-devil.html

I immediately thougth of my friend, Annette, and ask if she possibly wanted the moth eggs. Following her recommendations I prepared a package with the tiny eggs inside. The package is on it way to her now. Hopefully within a couple days she'll have additional news of further developments. :- D Good Luck Annette!!!!!

Spring, modem and Easter.

Grrrrrrrrrr!!! My pc's modem croaked and I had to get a new one.

So it's been quite a while since my last post.

I could work on my pc but nothing on-line. :- \ Which meant a lot of trips to the library. Good thing they've a LOT of computers!!!

But we've been busy, never the less.

Winter's grip has lightened up FINALLY!!!! Not to say its been warm. :- ( But at lest there's no more shoveling of snow. :- D I'll take the mud even over the snow, at this point! There's a wonderful floral aroma of the flowering trees and the magnolia's buds are swelling with darkening color.

I've been grooming and shear the bunnz over the past two months. A touchy proposition with the weather's temperature fluctuation. I also need to get started with spring barn cleaning. But with the weather being so wet I've been forced to hold off a lot longer than I usually do. :- (
The spinning/crochet & knitting group in Wadsworth, that I belong to, has kicked off their meeting again. :- )

I've been spinning quite a bit since purchasing my new wheel. :- D

Tomorrow I'm picking up some alpaca wool that I will mix with my tort colored angora wool. If I like the combination, angora & alpaca, I'll do more of it. I've some kid mohair wool that needs carding. I'm developing an interest in exotic fibers, maybe camel, silk, yak??? The friend that I'm getting the alpaca wool from also has gygora goats. She says that pygora goats maintain a wonderfully soft wool throughout their adulthood...very soft.

My dulcimer group, MUS (Mixed-Up Strings), has finally started meetings again too. We've a couple new members and we're adding quite a bit of new music to our lists this year.

The MUS's calendar has been active. We've four performances lined up for the United Methodist Church in Canal Fulton. We'll be performing Celtic music for their special evening dinners...which will be known as "Celtic Nights". We'll perform while the dinner guests eat. The hall will be lite by candles and all the servers will be in costume as well as the MUS. I'm not sure of what the meal will consist of yet but it sounds like a lovely evening.

The calendar also contains work for the Medina Parks--Pioneers in the Park, a program for the Canal Fulton Rotary Club, performing in Doylestown Ohio during Rogues Hollow Festival. We're helping out with the area 'Food Bank's' fundraiser-walk & luncheon. Plus we're waiting to hear back about the Arts Expo in Akron. And there's a possibly, next spring, the MUS will share their music at the Great Lakes Fiber Festival. Time will tell. :- )

I've been ask to present a small program on spinning and angora wool. One of the Summit Co. branch librarian's knows me and that I have FA's. During one of our talks it came up that I spin their wool. She ask if I'd help out with their spring 'PreSchool program'. I contacted another friend who has sheep for wool. She agreed to attend with me. She'll show the children the real wool from sheep. During this same program the library's story teller will read the book, 'Charlie Needs A Cloak'. It's a wonderful children's book of how Charlie takes the wool from his friends -- the sheep -- how he shears the wool, washes, cards, spins, dyes it, weaves the yarn into cloth and takes this cloth to make him a wonderful new cloak. Sounds like a very nice program.

In closing I wish each and everyone of you a,

Blessed Easter!!!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY to ya!

Have an inspirational SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!!!!

On this BEAUTIFUL DAY.

Colors of Green

Just a few days away now!!!

We can watch the Spring of green!!!

We'll give it another try.....

Not such good news. Our hopeful litter from Nova & Tali have been postponed. All did well until 3/2. The babies had been doing well...all fat and toasty in their nest of warm angora. I found them close to the top of their nest cold a wet. Wet from what?....it appears as though Momma peed on them??? None survived. :- ( -- Serious disappointment!!!!! I put Nova and Tali together again so we'll see what happens in another 31 days. Weather 'should' be a little better in another month.

Our temps are still flucutation between the high 20's and low 40's PLUS it snowed again last night. :- 6 It's bound to improve soon! We've not had much problem with flooding but then we're pretty elevated in Summit county.

Next weeks' St. Patty's day so get your green on!

What A Weekend!!!

Well, we started the weekend off with bunny babies Saturday.

Nova and Tali presented us with 7 babies. Nova's a novice mother and has already lost one of the babies yesterday

I've been fretting about whether or not to bring the babies in, only taking them out for feedings. The temps are supposed to be in the 40's this week but our temps have been so RADICAL this year that I'm concerned over Nova's mothering skills. At this point there appears to be five white babies, possibly one black and one blue broken patterned (which is the one she lost yesterday :- { ). But keep your fingers crossed for her over the next week.

Early this afternoon my dulcimer group played for the annual fundraiser walk event, 'Walk A Mile in My Shoes' for the area's churches Hospitality Homeless Shelter Program. This is the sixth year we've played for them. We had a great time! We had a large audience this year, as walkers to the event pulled up chairs to listen to us. :- D Usually the walkers mill around chatting with one another. We played through till all the walkers departed for their walk. As the last of the walker left I called for the group to play 'The Fiddler Has Played His Last Tune for the Night', Bobbi Finley's favorite tune on the dulcimer. For many of my group, at last years walk, was the last time they saw Bobbi. We really miss Bobbi, she shared so much of her great spirit and joy with the MUS! We miss her. After the conclusion of the program we all headed to Rocknie's for dinner. They have the BEST cheesy bacon potato soup, Yum!!!!

To finish off the weekend one of my dulcimer members brought me my new spinning wheel!!! I was so excited I could hardly wait to get home to try it out. :- D It's an Ashford Traveller. This Traveler is quite a step up from my antique castle wheel.
I've tried out a used Louet S10, which I also liked, but it tends to walk around the room as you spin. :- ( It has several other pluses but the price too great for me. I think I'll be happy with this Ashford as soon as we get better acquainted.

Now the fur's really gone a fly!!!!! :- D

Reality Check.....CHECK PLEASE!!!

Well, like I said, we were in for a 'Reality Check' and WE GOT IT--AGAIN!!!

I actually knew the green grass was just a teaser. :- ( This storm was forecast two days ago but I think they under estimated the snow totals. At 11 pm they said Barberton had gotten 6" and Doylestown 8" of snow. We're not that far from either of those communities but I'm sure we have a minimum of 12" of snow in our yard right now!

During a brief pause in the snow last night I took a couple pictures out our kitchen door. If you look at the top board of the rail, outside the door, you can use it as a measuring stick, it's 3/4" thick. The snow beyond the steps were within an inch of our Shelties shoulders. John had to make him a latrine area for his potty breaks.

I SURE HOPE this is the last nasty storm we have for this winter!!!

I felt really bad for many of the folks heading home last night as the snows created 'white outs'! On the news they reported many homeward bound travelers were stuck in the gridlock over 9 hours. YIKES!!!Beyond the porch railing you can see our potting wheel. It's hard to imagine weather will ever be nice enough to put the wheel into action. :- (

Were does the time go????

It doesn't seem that long ago when we brought Little Bit (later called Chewy for obvious reasons), into the house.

It was February, last year. Her tiny ear tips had become frost bitten--actually blackened! Her brothers & sisters were constantly getting her ears wet which induced the frost-bit. And on top of that she was the tiniest of the litter.

I opted to bring her indoors to prevent any further damage to her ears. This was only to be a 'temporary' relocation. But the weather last year was as nasty as this year.

You've probably already guessed it...Little Bit become a house-hold fixture.

From the beginning she wormed her way into John's heart. It wasn't uncommon to find the two of them snuggling on the sofa watching TV or just napping.

A year later and Bit's still living indoors. Over the year we've realized Bit has a malformed left hip that prevents her from moving correctly. She's allowed to move around the front room at will, for therapeutic exercise. We watch her closely around all the electrical cords.

She and, our 12 year old cat, Evie, get along very well. They're too funny, they take turns sleeping along side the kerosene heater. Both seem to enjoy using the fuel tank base as a pillow....go figure!!! How comfortable could that be??? Often times Evie and Bit cuddle together beside the heater....it's too cute!!! They also seem to believe that John's the world's greatest recliner! They take turns to see which one gets the human lap first. Sometimes they settle on sharing the lap. :- D

John admits....Little Bit's, 'One terribly spoiled bunny!!!!

She'll hop over to were he's sitting and pull on his pant leg cuff, to get his attention. This is to also let John know she wants picked up and held. She'll lay in his arms for lengthy periods of time. If the two happen to be napping on the sofa, she'll wake up and nip at John's chine whiskers, to wake him up. This is her way of telling John she wants down to go eat. She'll eat then return to him for the next session of napping.

It's a real HOOT to see!

WOW....GREEN GRASS AGAIN

Just had to comment!!!!

You can actually see the GRASS AGAIN!!!!!!! WHA-WHO!!!!

Yesterday and today have been awesome. :- D

'Hope' springs eternal for an early spring this year. :- )

But we've also a reality checking coming in from the northwest,

within the next 24 hours too. :- (

Ohio winter poem

From an ANONYMOUS donor on the Internet

"A Winter Poem"

It's winter here in Ohio, the gentle breezes blow;

Seventy miles an hour, at five degrees below!

OH, how I love Ohio!!!,

When the snow's up to your butt;

You take a breath of Winter's crisp air,

Only to have your nostrils freeze shut!

Yes, the weather here is Wonderful,

So, I guess I'll hang around,

I could never leave Ohio!!!

Cuz, if you could see right now,

I'm FROZEN TO THE GROUND!!!

On their way

It's snowing like crazy....yet, AGAIN!!! What a winter! We're having here in NE Ohio, it's not unusual to have snow and cold temps BUT this year it started much earlier with unusually cold temps with more frequent storms. This year takes the cake. :- \ This year it feels more like Maine rather than Ohio.

But even with the cold temps and snow....life goes on.

We've just returned home from presenting a couple of French Angora does to their new owners. They'll be their newest additions to Jill's (Frosty Acres, Williamston, MI) Angora rabbit herd. The family arrived today just before the snows began to fly.

Frosty Acres appears to be a cozy farmstead.

Frosty Acres concentrates on fiber animals, llama's, alpacas, BFL sheep, angora goats and angora rabbits (English and German's), as well as Jersey Woolies and Dutch rabbits. They also raise chickens and pigs.
The newest fuzzy family members, Colleen and Deirdre , will join the angora herd of English, and German Angora's. Colleen and Deirdre will help to bring some exciting color to the German's of Frosty Acres fiber herd.

An excellent choice of sheep--Blue Faced Leicesters! (What ya think Lisa! Ever see this breed of sheep? ;- ) )

And I must say these are some of the finest Angora Goats I've ever seen!!! Clean coats with really good clear colors!

And don't forget the big guns of the wool crew.......the llama's & alpaca!!!

A little spinning, anyone??? :- D

It was a pleasure meeting this young family!!! Best of luck guys!!!!!!

And safe trip home!!!!!!!!!