Well, we are finally all settled in to our place in Walla Walla. We moved to a nice house on 2.3 acres. We've already accumulated two nice Finn ewe lambs and next Sunday we have our two male alpacas (Harry and Jerry, but we're going to change their nicknames) coming. I've started two of my many small gardens and if I can't finish them this year, there are many years ahead to continue creating the rest. I'm still planning on having Icelandic sheep, but there is no one closer than 10 hours away, so the Finn sheep (Madge and Aggie) was only 1 hour and we needed the front pasture to be eaten down. Another friend of Lance's business partner will be bringing over 3-5 Columbia ewes (kind of like "leasing sheep" I guess) to help with the pasture, but they'll go back once we have more sheep and alpacas of our own.
The original owners had a large garden in the back, but we are creating additional pasture so I'll be able to have the fiber animals I want to have so I can continue creating all the things I want to create. Lance got me a Fricke drum carder from Otto Strauch (who now makes the drum carders for Fricke) and it works well with alpaca, dog hair, mohair and wool, and I can't ask for a better machine than that. If any of your home spinners do not have a drum carder, I'd suggest you check his out. Excellent machine for the price and I expect it will last my lifetime.
Things are really hectic in terms of yard work and such. We also have a lot of fruit trees so I've been thinning apples (14 trees-worth--1 Granny Smith and the rest are Red and Golden Delicious--anyone want to come help? *wink* I'll give you fruit in exchange for help...Really!), and will be picking apricots and peaches soon, not to mention Bing and Royal Anne cherries as well as red raspberries, and in the Autumn, tons of grapes and apples...
I'll be teaching again at Lambtown and have made connections with the Spinning Guild here in Eastern WA, so I'm getting all set up to be a real part of this community, which is something I haven't felt in a long time. Plus I feel settled more...and the head pain doesn't seem to be as bad.
Anyway, once I have my work tables done, then I'll have all my fiber machines set up in one area: sewing machine and serger, drum carder, knitting machine, table loom,knitting frames and spinning wheel. I'm so excited.
In addition, I have my paint supplies and canvases all ready to go so I can paint my "sheeps in the field" (like "Zorro, the Gay Blade" with George Hamilton in it, though he says it like "ships in the field," but means sheep and has to clarify himself)...
Other than that, we're doing well and continuing spinning.
To stop mail temporarily mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: set nomail To restore send: set mail
