tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72585661722378791792024-03-13T09:52:53.051-07:00Acorn and ThistleGrowing an authentic lifeLaura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.comBlogger135125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-34477331402886810522015-05-11T08:34:00.003-07:002015-05-11T08:35:57.747-07:00At a Loss for WordsHi Friends! No, I haven't given up blogging. I started a new job at the beginning of March, and as is usually the case with new-to-me things, I fell down the rabbit hole while I was getting started. I also find that since my job is public facing, I spend almost all day talking to customers... which is completely exhausting to an introvert like myself. I enjoy the work immensely, but by the end of the day I'm tuckered out and can barely put together a sentence when I get home. It's not surprising to me that writing has been equally challenging, as of late. I'm grateful for things like Instagram where I can still post photos about what's going on, but keep the actual words to a minimum!<br />
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That being said, it's my goal to get back to posting here on a more regular basis. The posts may not be long, but I need to get back in the habit of putting things out there.<br />
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The garden is chugging along nicely this year- the peas are nearly 2 feet tall already! I'll be heading over to my favorite farm store tomorrow to pick up some more veggie starts, and hopefully the majority of my planting will be done for now. I still have succession seeds that will need to go in, but those are pretty much one-offs throughout the season, so it's not a huge undertaking all at once.<br />
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How are your gardens coming along? Are you trying any new veggies this year?Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-41353149334955624622015-03-25T09:33:00.001-07:002015-03-25T09:33:57.247-07:00Breakfast on the GoNow that the chickens are in full production mode again, I like to find ways to use up large numbers of eggs at a single time. Hard boiled is definitely a mainstay, but switching it up from time to time is definitely appreciated. Enter the "mini-quiche"- it's a quick way to use up nearly a dozen eggs in one shot, and line up breakfasts ahead of time.<br />
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(Now that I think about it, it's probably more accurate to call them mini-frittatas, as there's no cream or milk in the eggs. Call them whatever you want- but definitely give them a shot!)<br />
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Here's what you need:<br />
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Muffin Pan<br />
10 eggs<br />
3T water<br />
Ricotta cheese<br />
One bag of baby spinach, lightly chopped<br />
8 medium-sized mushrooms, diced<br />
1 large shallot (or small onion), diced<br />
Olive oil or Butter<br />
Salt and Pepper<br />
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First, in a large skillet or frying pan, saute your shallot and mushrooms in the fat of your choice.<br />
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Once the shallot is translucent, go ahead and add your spinach. Put the lid on the pan for a couple of minutes, to wilt the spinach faster, and then finish the saute. Add salt and pepper to taste.<br />
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Get your muffin pan ready. Be sure to grease the cups well, or the eggs will stick. Divide the sauteed veg evenly between the 12 cups. Add a teaspoon-ish sized dollop of ricotta to the center of each cup.</div>
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In a large bowl, scramble your 10 eggs along with the 3T of water with a whisk, until the egg mixture is nice and smooth. Pour gently over the veg and cheese, dividing evenly.<br />
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Bake in the center of a 300F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the eggs are set and very lightly browned at the edges.<br />
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Let the pan cool completely, and then move them from the muffin tin to a freezer safe dish before storing in the freezer. To serve, I just warm them up in the microwave for about 1 minute or so. You could also reheat them in the oven, if you're not a microwave fan- just thaw them overnight in the fridge, first.<br />
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Besides being portable and fast, these little egg cups are easily customized. Bacon and Cheddar? Ham and Swiss? What about some taco meat and beans, for a spicy start to your day? The possibilities are endless! Just remember to cook your "filling" thoroughly first, or you'll need to adjust the baking time/temp.<br />
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What's your favorite make-ahead breakfast?<br />
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Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-2384534703455103512015-02-26T09:26:00.000-08:002015-02-26T09:26:50.393-08:00Finding Bee-Friendly Plants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At the end of last season, our closest local nursery went out of business after over 20 years. Even though their plants were slightly more expensive than the big-box stores, I was able to get a great variety of healthy, pesticide free flowers and veggies. They also had a wonderful selection of trees and shrubs that were well suited to our area.<br />
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With their closing, the nearest local nursery is now about 20 miles away from us. For me, it's well worth the extra miles to buy from a reputable grower. Many others, however, aren't going to travel- they're going to head over to the nearest Lowes, Home Depot or Walmart to get their plants. Here's the catch- many of the plants sold at big box retailers are treated with neonicotinoid pesticides long before they arrive at the store. Neonics are the pesticides linked to the bee colony collapse problems, and plants treated with them are not required to be labeled as such.<br />
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So what's a responsible gardener to do? Not everything is easy to start from seed, and let's face it, not everyone has the time, either. But, if you can start from seed, I highly recommend it. Here are some other tips:<br />
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<li>Buddy up. Talk to your gardening friends and neighbors and organize a plant swap. It's much less intimidating starting one or two kinds of seeds, and then trading the starts with your friends.</li>
<li>Buy local. Farmer's Markets and Farm Stores often sell plant starts. You can talk to the farmer about their plants, and find out if the starts have been treated with anything.</li>
<li>Support your small garden centers. Take a moment and run a quick Google search on nurseries in your area. You might be surprised at how many there are! Once you're there, you can talk with the growers and see what chemicals they do or don't use. </li>
<li>Plant wildflower seeds. Most bee and butterfly mixes require little more than sprinkling the seeds on the ground, raking them in, and watering. The more bee friendly plants we can grow, the better off they'll be. Plus, many wildflowers will attract other pollinators and beneficial bugs to your garden.</li>
<li>Vote with your dollars. It's not just about signing petitions and sending letters to corporations. If you don't like what's being sold at the big stores, don't buy it. Every time you do or don't make a purchase, you're telling companies what you want. If we stop buying questionable pesticides and/or plants grown using those products, they will eventually get the message.</li>
<li>Check your local extension office or community college for plant sales. Garden clubs also frequently have fund-raiser sales in the spring and summer. Not only will you know what you're getting, but you may also find a group of like-minded folks to connect with.</li>
<li>Health food stores and Feed Stores. Our local Co-Op grocery brings in loads of local, organically grown plant starts each year. Same thing goes for my feed store, and yet the prices are comparable to the larger stores. </li>
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What about you? Can you suggest any other ways to bring plants into your garden that you know are safe?</div>
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Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-70862088371375436552015-02-24T11:10:00.001-08:002015-02-24T11:10:45.559-08:00Apple and Pear ScabI'm almost to a point where I think that our nice weather is going to stick around for a while. The Old Farmer's Almanac winter forecast for our area has been spot-on, and their long range outlook is equally favorable. My peas are in the ground, and although I haven't seen any sprouts yet, it's still a little bit early for that.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7413.html" target="_blank">UC IPM Illustration of the scab life cycle.</a></td></tr>
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So now, in addition to getting my seeds organized and started, I need to be mindful of the fruit trees and their needs. The bees are out and about already, and they're absolutely loving our plum tree which is now in full bloom. I don't recall it ever being so fragrant in February before!<br />
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One of the problems we have here is scab on our apple and pear trees. It's common everywhere, but our cool, wet springs are absolutely perfect growing conditions for the fungi that cause these ailments. Apple scab is an infection caused by a fungus called <i><b>Venturia inequalis</b></i>, whereas the Pear scab is an infection caused by a close relative, <i style="font-weight: bold;">V. pirina.</i> The infections, even though they appear symptomatically similar and are also managed in essentially the same ways, are different and cannot spread interchangeably between the two types of trees.<br />
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The fungi overwinter on the ground in the leaf and fruit debris from the trees until the following spring rains come and spread the spores. If the temperatures are right (between 55 and 75 degrees F) the spores will germinate quickly in the spring. Cleaning up and removing the fallen leaves and fruit is one of the most important things you can do to manage scab in existing orchards, and in many cases can significantly reduce the severity of an infection, year over year. If you are putting in new trees, planting resistant varieties will also help.<br />
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We have a couple of trees this year where there are some dead leaves and fruit are still stubbornly stuck to the branches on which they grew. I'm going to need to figure out a way to knock those down so I can get rid of them before the new leaves start to open. Once an infection takes hold, you cannot get rid of it- you can only do damage control for the rest of the season. It can cause a significant loss of fruit if the infection is severe, so catching it early and being vigilant in your management program is key.<br />
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I'm also researching spray options this year, which I don't normally do. Historically, warm and wet conditions here in the Spring means we're going to have all sorts of fungal issues to contend with, so I'm definitely interested in preventing whatever I possibly can.There are a lot of choices out there, from hard-hitting chemical concoctions, to more gentle "home remedies" that may or may not work. Keep an eye out for that, in the next couple of weeks.<br />
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What about you? Have you had any experience with apple or pear scab?<br />
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<br />Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-89758045047724176822015-02-02T12:31:00.001-08:002015-02-02T12:34:00.642-08:00Thar She Blows...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you stopped by the Facebook page or over on Instagram last week, you might have noticed I had a bit of a debacle with the Cider Experiment. I was wrapping up some work in my office when all of a sudden I heard a loud noise, somewhere between a pop and a bang, that seemed to come from our storage room.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucky!</td></tr>
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When I opened the door, the pleasant yeasty apple smell of hard cider hung in the air. There was a tiny puddle seeping out from one of the cases that we had stored on the floor, and was creeping its way to the floor drain. By some stroke of luck, it happened to be the one case that we'd closed the cardboard lid on. Cautiously, I opened the box, to find that one of the bottles of cider had, in fact, over pressurized and exploded. I chuckled to myself about how lucky I was that it was a self contained mess, snapped a quick picture, and started cleaning up.<br />
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I picked up a couple of the intact bottles, and brought them out to our bar area. I knew I needed to get them into colder storage, so I rinsed and dried the bottles and put them in the fridge. When I went back to get more, I thought it was silly to make a bunch of trips back and forth, so I slid the case out of the puddle and picked it up. This, friends, is where everything went wrong.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aftermath</td></tr>
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The soggy cardboard bottom gave out. I could feel it start to happen, but the only thing I could do was squeeze my eyes shut and try to put the box back down. That didn't work. Six more highly pressurized glass bottles hit the concrete floor at my feet. They, too, exploded. This time, however, there was no cardboard to contain anything. Shards of glass flew out in every direction, even bouncing off the wall behind me, some 15 feet away. My shins took a direct hit: pieces of glass went through my pants and actually cut me. Cider went everywhere.<br />
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After <strike>some</strike> much grumbling and cleaning up, all is well. I got the rest of the bottles cleaned off and packed away in the fridge. I also learned the valuable lesson that all of the warnings you see about exploding ferments are quite real. Next year, all of our cider will be packaged in well ventilated boxes with lids while they rest before being refrigerated.<br />
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On the plus side, no one was seriously hurt, and that batch of cider is really quite good. Explosions and mess notwithstanding, I'm pleased with how it turned out and am looking forward to making more next year.<br />
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Have you ever had a ferment get out of control like this? I've heard from a few folks already who have had similar experiences. What about you?<br />
<br />Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-59701378984157682762015-01-26T09:37:00.000-08:002015-01-26T09:39:32.564-08:00Unseasonably WarmSo while the Northeast is gearing up for a good old Nor'easter, we're expecting sunshine and near 60 again today once the fog burns off. I don't know what to say about the weather anymore, except that if you haven't noticed that it's changing, then you need to pay closer attention. This time of year we should be somewhere in the high 30s to low 40s and drizzly. There should be snow in the mountains- lots of it. Our snowpack is not where it should be- statewide, we're around 50 percent of where we should be. If we don't get some significant snowfall up there soon, we're likely looking at water shortages this summer here in our area.<br />
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The other hazard with nice weather this time of year is that the plants are starting to break dormancy. There are green onions sprouting in the garden, and the rhubarb looks to be waking up from its nap as well. The hazelnuts are starting to flower, about a month early if I recall correctly. We do have a history of random late freezes here, which can spell disaster when it follows a warm stretch like this. For us, it spells trouble when the fruit trees get started too soon: if the flowers open before the pollinators are around, we'll have a reduced crop. Worse yet, if they open and a freeze hits, we can lose all of our fruit for a season.<br />
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It's also a challenge to remember where we are in the season when it's like this. With the sun shining it's tempting to head out and start poking around in the garden, but there are 11 weeks remaining until our last frost date, and a lot can happen in between now and then. The ground is still too wet for even the earliest risers, but it sure is hard to resist. My potatoes are even starting to sprout in storage already!<br />
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So, I'm going to content myself with a little light weeding out in the garden today, and then I'll sit down in the sun with a cup of tea and my catalogs, to get my list ready so I have seeds here to plant in a couple of weeks.<br />
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What about you? Have you noticed that the weather has been shifting where you are too?Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-41205757438568684822015-01-19T09:13:00.002-08:002015-02-02T12:37:05.617-08:00Seed Companies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have a few go-to seed companies that I've mentioned here in the past: Botanical Interests, <a href="http://www.territorialseed.com/" target="_blank">Territorial</a>, Cooks Garden and Baker Creek, just to name a few. I love getting the catalogs in the mail, they're one of the little signals for me that winter is on the way out and that there are brighter days ahead. Even as a kid, I remember daydreaming about the coming summer, once the Johnny's and Burpee catalogs showed up.<br />
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As much as I love perusing the catalogs, I probably only order about a quarter of the seeds I use. With limited exceptions most of these brands are available in my local feed store and unless it's a special variety that isn't stocked locally, I do like to buy local and support my hometown merchants.<br />
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This year, I've ordered two new catalogs- <a href="http://www.highmowingseeds.com/" target="_blank">High Mowing Seeds</a> and <a href="http://www.seedsavers.org/" target="_blank">Seed Savers Exchange</a>. Both are excellent sources of heirloom seeds and are going to make excellent additions to my resource library. I can't wait to see them!<br />
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What seed catalogs do you like the best? I'd love to compile a list of the top seed sources for future reference. Drop me a note here or over on Facebook and let me know who your go-to seed company is and why!Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-91809047260685161812015-01-15T11:00:00.000-08:002015-02-02T12:36:30.385-08:00Project List<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunnier Days</td></tr>
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It seems that the blog world is crammed full of posts on new year's resolutions and lists of accomplishments from last year. I'm not a huge resolution maker, whether that's good, bad or otherwise, I have no idea. But, in keeping with the spirit of the list-making season, I do like to start penciling out ideas that I have for projects, to see which ones may or may not be reasonable for the coming year.<br />
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In no particular order, here's what I'm thinking these days:<br />
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<li>Goats and/or Sheep. I'd really like to start looking seriously at how we could bring in some more animals. We'll have to spend some time looking around the property for a suitable site for a fenced off area and a shelter. Once that's nailed down, we can start thinking about specific breeds- since everyone here has a purpose, these will have to be fiber breeds, to keep my spinning habit supplied. </li>
<li>Bees. I really enjoyed having my neighbor's bees around last summer. It seems that the cold snap we had a few months back killed them off, though. I believe he's looking at getting another hive set up, but I'd also like to have one of our own. The question is, what type of hive do we want to manage? More on that, to come. </li>
<li>Ducks. I've been wanting to add ducks for a number of years, and since we don't need to add any chickens to the flock this spring, I believe it's time to get that ball rolling, so I'll be picking up some duck books on my next trip to the library. </li>
<li>Broiler Chickens. Depending on the work situation, I think this is the year where we'll try our hand at raising broilers. (Heaven knows we have enough beef in the freezer, still.)</li>
<li>Rabbits. We need to overhaul the rabbit colony. The gals keep digging out and seem to be going through an excessive amount of food, with their current set up. We're going to have to completely move their enclosure and move a bit of dirt around, in order to fish out the concrete pavers that they managed to squeeze past, and back fill their dens.</li>
<li>Chicken Coop. This is going to require a major cleaning in the spring, so while I'm at it, I think I'll move their next boxes and roost bars around. Since the rat issue started, they won't use the next boxes any more, and roost all over the place. So, we need to fix that. I'd love to get rid of the greenhouse coop altogether, but that's probably not in the budget right now. We'll see. </li>
<li>Veggie Garden. Last year was a good year in the garden, but there was room for improvement when it came to the rabbit damage. I'm going to need to either reinforce the perimeter fence with some chicken wire, or set up individual panels for the beds that need them. I'm leaning towards shoring up the perimeter. I'm also in the process of planning what we'll plant and where... but that's a totally stand-alone topic. </li>
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I'm getting tired just thinking about this stuff. What about you? Do you have plans to add any livestock or garden areas this year? Do you have any projects that you want to take on, but aren't sure where to start? I'd love to know!</div>
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<br />Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-8228950698709049532015-01-08T09:09:00.002-08:002015-02-02T12:35:53.405-08:00Tangled Up in Blue(For the Bob Dylan tune, click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwSZvHqf9qM" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
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One of the things that I've learned about myself over the years is that when things get rough- really rough- I have to learn something new and creative in order to break myself out of a funk. Interestingly, I seldom pick the thing I learn; rather, it finds its way to me and just works. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my tangle pieces.</td></tr>
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My newest favorite, Zentangle, is no exception. I was looking for ideas and inspiration for a tattoo, as a matter of fact, when I stumbled across some images that struck me as absolutely perfect. I set up a board on Pinterest to keep them all in one place, and as my collection grew I started to wonder if this type of art has a name. Fortunately, one of the pins was tagged "Zentangle", so I was able to Google it.<br />
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I'm not going to go into too much on the history, but if you're interested in seeing where it all began, click <a href="https://www.zentangle.com/" target="_blank">here </a>for the Zentangle official site. The basic gist of it is that the artwork is based on a series of patterns, and the repetitive nature of the pattern puts one into a mindful meditative state. (It's the Zen, in Zentangle.) This type of thing is precisely how I've doodled my entire life, so I thought I'd give it a shot.<br />
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I'm hooked! I draw every single day, now. Call it mediation or call it escapism, I don't really care. All I know is that I love it as an outlet, and I really appreciate the fact that it calms me immensely. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a peaceful creative outlet.<br />
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If you're interested in learning more about it, here's another site to peek at, called <a href="http://tanglepatterns.com/" target="_blank">TanglePatterns</a>. It's basically an index of all of the "official" patterns and has links to all sorts of goodies. There are lots of other resources online, including FB and Pinterest...just Google it.<br />
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What about you? Do you find that art helps you through tough times?<br />
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<br />Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-36364137581950088852015-01-05T08:00:00.001-08:002015-02-02T12:34:55.036-08:00Rats!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://statici.behindthevoiceactors.com/behindthevoiceactors/_img/chars/char_13506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://statici.behindthevoiceactors.com/behindthevoiceactors/_img/chars/char_13506.jpg" height="320" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Templeton the rat, from Charlotte's Web. <a href="http://statici.behindthevoiceactors.com/behindthevoiceactors/_img/chars/char_13506.jpg">Click for Source</a></td></tr>
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We've been lucky so far, I suppose. In the four or five years that we've been keeping chickens and rabbits, we haven't had any real rodent issues. We keep our feed in bins, clean up any spills promptly, and in general keep as tidy a chicken coop as is possible (without being OCD about it.)<br />
So, I'm a little surprised and disappointed that we're seeing a bit of a rat problem right now.<br />
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At first, I didn't know it was rats. The chickens started acting oddly, roosting as high up off the ground as they could possibly get. This meant off the roost bars and up onto my stacked cubbies, where I store some of my garden supplies and tools. Sleeping up there means poop in places that I can't easily clean up- I really need a dry day to pull everything out of the coop and do a deep clean. Usually I do one in the spring, but they're not leaving me much of a choice. Egg production got a little off-kilter as well. They refuse to lay inside the coop now, instead preferring to make a nest in Steve's hutch. We've also had some really thin-shelled eggs, which in my experience are a really good indicator of disturbances in the coop.*<br />
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Initially, I thought it was a predator issue: we've seen some more coyotes on the game camera, the neighbors have a new dachshund, and I'm still seeing our eagle, hawk and owl on a regular basis. So, I started paying a little more attention during the day, and that's when I saw it... the rat. Not the biggest one I've ever seen, thankfully, but a rather aggressive one. I watched as it chased more than one squirrel out of the chicken run, nipping at it's heels while it scrambled up a tree to escape. I went out with the pellet gun, but between the fencing, Steve and the girls, a clear shot just wasn't happening.<br />
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I don't like traps. I'll just put that out there right now. I got my hand caught in a mousetrap when I was maybe 4 or 5, and I can still picture it, clear as day. OUCH. However, I like poisons even less, so I do think that traps have their place. I went out and picked one up from Lowes; a molded plastic job with teeth and a really heavy spring. The thing gives me the willies just looking at it. I baited it with peanut butter and set it up outside one of their holes, and placed a plastic milk crate, upside down and weighted down with a couple of bricks over the top of it to keep Steve and the chickens out of trouble.<br />
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I didn't have to wait long, and we've probably caught one mouse and four rats total, so far. I say total, because we've had a few odds and ends in the trap, which were creepy as well as gross, so I'm not going into too much detail on that. Suffice it to say, I still don't like traps, and I sure as heck don't like rats. Not one bit. (Oddly, pet rats don't bother me. Also, Templeton up there was one of my favorites in Charlotte's Web... but let me see a rat outside and I go into full-blown home defense mode.)<br />
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In speaking with some of the other neighbors over the holidays, it seems that everyone on our "block" is seeing rats this year. We have at least two houses that I know of, within a quarter mile of us, that just started keeping chickens and/or other barnyard birds since this past spring, so I suspect that has something to do with it. On one hand, I'm relieved that it's not just my coop that's having problems, but on the other hand, this is a pretty widespread issue and we can't control what happens anywhere but here... so they're going to be tough to get rid of completely.<br />
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For now, we'll keep the trap baited and set, until the problem seems to dissipate, but I don't see that happening any time soon. Fortunately, we do have the hawk and owl in residence, who I'm sure will lend their talons to helping us get the problem under control. I'm also keeping an eye on feeders and our grain bins to make sure there aren't any rats getting a free meal.<br />
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What about you? Have you experienced rodent issues in your coop or barn? What did you do?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Thin-shelled eggs are sometimes referred to as "fear eggs". If you feed your birds a well balanced layer feed plus whole grains, and have oyster shell always available for them, and you occasionally see thin shelled eggs, look for something bothering your birds. </span><br />
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<br />Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-44874236199856817892014-12-11T15:58:00.000-08:002014-12-11T15:58:05.019-08:00Just a Quick Note<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey friends, it's been a while, right?<br />
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I'm sorry for the lack of posts lately, but sadly, one of our dogs passed away unexpectedly just before Thanksgiving. Grieving isn't an easy process for anyone, and this one has hit me pretty hard. Please be patient, I need some quiet time to process everything before I can focus here again.<br />
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Thank you for your understanding.Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-29280217177981325042014-11-17T08:11:00.000-08:002014-11-17T08:11:10.429-08:00Still Frozen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, hello friends! Can you believe it's Monday again already- and that November is over halfway over? I really don't know where the time goes.<br />
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According to the weather report this morning, our deep freeze pattern should be breaking up tomorrow. Yay! I'm over this cold snap... the pond even iced over last night! The warm(er) weather here (the low for tomorrow is forecast at 34 degrees, so warm is a relative term) is definitely going to be welcome. My thoughts go out to the folks who aren't warming up yet.<br />
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The extended cold weather is a great excuse for staying inside and working on projects, however. I'm putting together a list of holiday crafts for upcoming posts, as I start planning out my own gift-giving agenda. Do you have any go-to items that you enjoy making for your friends, this time of year? I'd love to hear about them! Either drop me a note here or on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AcornAndThistle">Facebook </a>and tell me what your favorite handmade gifts are, either to give or receive.<br />
<br />Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-77791397643005405722014-11-12T12:17:00.001-08:002014-11-12T12:17:29.308-08:00Venison Stew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A friend gifted us with a lovely venison roast from a recent hunting trip- seriously, if you aren't a hunter, make sure you're at least friends with one. I happen to love venison; it is a stronger flavored meat than beef, but I don't think it's as "gamey" as some of the others out there. Alex, on the other hand, seems to pick up on that flavor and isn't as big a fan of it as I am. (Which is pretty much the only reason we haven't gone deer hunting yet...)<br />
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Anyway- back to the roast. Alex saw a recipe on Facebook that looked pretty good at first glance, but when I dug into it a little further- and by that I mean I actually read the recipe, and didn't just drool over the photo- it seemed like it needed some work, for my tastes. The one thing that really stuck out at me was the mention that tomato sauce or vinegar can be used to tame some of the gaminess of the meat, if you're so inclined. So, with that in mind, I grabbed my slow cooker and started thinking.<br />
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First, I trimmed off some bits of silver skin that were there, just because I have a "thing" about weird chewy bits of meat. Then, I seasoned the roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder, and the let that rest while I heated a frying pan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Once the oil was nice and hot, I placed the roast in the pan and seared the meat for a few minutes on each side, in order to get some really nice carmelization going.<br />
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While the meat was searing, I chopped up some veggies: onions, carrots, celery and potatoes. As I've mentioned before- I hardly ever measure when I'm making things like this, so... maybe a cup to 2 cups of each, except the celery, which was probably a little bit less by proportion. These were all cut into relatively similar-sized pieces, so that they'd all cook at the same rate.<br />
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For the stew base, I used a package of Lipton's (kosher) Onion Soup mix. I know that might sound weird, seeing as how I'm a huge proponent of making things yourself, but I'll tell you what- there are just some things I won't make without it. So, into the crock went the soup mix and the veggies, and the nicely seared roast went in on top of that. I de-glazed my searing pan with some hot water; once the little stuck bits were dissolved I put that liquid into the crock as well. Then, I topped it all off with some boiling water, just up to the level of the veggies. The last ingredient was a pint of plain tomato sauce, from the pantry. I gave the top a little stir, just to incorporate the tomato sauce, then on went the lid and away I went.<br />
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Some hours later, everything was finished cooking and the house smelled amazing. I fished out the roast and set it aside to carve up into bite sized chunks. Once that was out f, I added some corn starch in water (maybe 2T in a 1/4 cup of cold water) to thicken the sauce a little bit more. I also threw on a pot of egg noodles to boil, but you could use rice or another grain if you prefer. I finished cubing up the meat, and put that back into the pot while we waited on the noodles. once they were done, I dished everything up and we dug in.<br />
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The verdict? Alex was positively over the moon about it! The addition of the tomato sauce really surprised me; it added a nice depth of flavor to the stew and while the venison still tasted like venison (thank goodness!) he said it wasn't gamey at all. I couldn't have been happier with the way it turned out.<br />
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What's your favorite way to cook venison?Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-18299681132955818792014-11-10T08:39:00.000-08:002014-11-10T08:39:52.447-08:00I Spoke Too Soon<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/polar-vortex-42-states/37049255">Graphic courtesy of Accuweather.com. Click for source. </a></td></tr>
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It looks like the Fraser Valley up in Canada is building a cold weather system that's due to hit us early tomorrow. Generally, when one of these systems sets up in mid-winter, that means we'll have freezing (or below) temperatures for a solid three to five days- since this one is early in the season, we're just looking at freezing nights for the next few days. (Our days are forecast to be in the 40s. Not balmy, but I'll take it.)<div>
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Good thing I have my frost blankets and stuff prepped already. Once I finish in here, I'll be outside for a good part of the day- getting the plants all tucked in, turning off and draining outside water lines, putting those little styrofoam covers over spigots, that sort of thing. Oh, and I can't forget the firewood... I'll bring a couple wheelbarrow loads over so I can get the pile by the back door stacked up nice and high.</div>
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I'll also be putting down extra hay for the rabbits, and making sure my backup supply of water bottles are ready to go, so that in the mornings I can just swap out the frozen ones with fresh ones from inside. Really, that was one of the best "work smart, not hard" decisions made over the years. Anyone who has ever dealt with frozen waterers would likely agree. That's got to be one of the least pleasant tasks to attend to- I almost always end up getting soaked in the process of breaking ice, so I try to avoid it whenever possible. </div>
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The chickens are in pretty good shape already, so thankfully I don't have much to do out there. I will need to keep an eye on Flo,however, since she still hasn't feathered back out completely. I'm sure she'll be fine, though- since she's the alpha, the other birds will keep her plenty warm at night when things are at their coldest. </div>
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What about you? It looks like this cold front is going to hit most of the country- even places that aren't used to this kind of weather. So, I want to know: What tips and tricks do you have for taking care of things when it gets super frosty? Let's share what we know with our friends who don't usually experience this king of thing... head on over to FB and tell us what you do!</div>
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PS: A&T passed TEN THOUSAND pageviews over the weekend... another <b>huge </b>milestone! Thank you so much for being a part of my world!!</div>
Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-21290611440793437792014-11-05T12:50:00.000-08:002014-11-05T12:50:00.094-08:00Florence and The MoltPoor Flo... she looks like this right now:<br />
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She looks awful. Her feathers are completely jacked up... well, the ones that are still there, anyway. I've been trying to get photos of her for a couple of days, but she seems to know how bad she looks and won't hold still if I come anywhere near her with a camera. I can't say I blame her, really... I wouldn't, either.<br />
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Molting varies from chicken to chicken, it seems. Some of my birds- the Americaunas, specifically, just lose a few feathers at a time, and simply look a little ragged for a couple of weeks. Last year, the Barred Rock lost almost all of her head and neck feathers at once, but that was pretty much it for her. Historically, Flo just loses her poofy nether feathers, and runs around with a bare bottom for a couple of weeks while things are growing back in. This year, however, she's jettisoned easily a quarter, if not a third, of her feathers altogether. She's got a strip missing down the back of her neck, as well as a matching one on the front. Her rump is mostly bare, her tail is long gone, and I've even found primary flight feathers scattered around. She looks moth-eaten, to be nice about it. (But not so bad that I'm <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/babymantis/20-pictures-of-chickens-wearing-sweaters-1opu">knitting chicken sweaters</a>, or anything.)<br />
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It's completely normal (however abnormal it may look) and is something that happens to chickens around this time of year. Personally, I think that seems like poor timing, but I'm sure there has to be some genetic or evolutionary reason for ditching all the outerwear just as colder weather rolls in. If I had to guess, I'd say it likely has something to do with ditching external parasites, or maybe just trading out the old feathers for newer ones, before the weather gets really bad. That's just my supposition, though... I haven't found any definitive answers, yet.<br />
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Along with molting, comes a cessation of egg laying. Flo hasn't laid an egg in at least two weeks, because her body is putting energy into making new feathers -fast- as opposed to making eggs. So, if you have a chicken that's molting, make sure you're getting extra protein to them, to make the process go as smooth as possible. Once her feathers are back in, she'll start laying again- but at a much reduced rate - maybe one or two eggs a week, now that the dark days are here. Since the egg-laying cycle is governed by hours of daylight, chickens naturally decrease production in the winter.<br />
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Commercial egg producers (and some home chicken keepers) use supplemental lighting in the coop to keep eggs coming through the winter. We don't do that here- I believe that if a system is designed with a built in rest period, there's probably a good reason for that and it should be honored. I stockpile eggs when everyone is laying daily, and if we need to ration them towards the end... well, so be it. I'm not running a sweatshop, after all. Besides, now that the girls aren't foraging as much, the eggs aren't as awesome as they are in the spring and summer months. (They're still great; much better than store bought, though!)<br />
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What's happening in your chicken run- are your feathered friends molting now, too?<br />
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<br />Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-51100895736739453112014-11-03T09:38:00.000-08:002014-11-03T09:38:11.282-08:00Winter Care: Chicken Edition<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hell no, we won't go... out. (February 2014)</td></tr>
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If the weather keeps going the way it is, this year will go on record- and by 'record' I mean our kitchen calendar- as having the latest frost since we moved here 9 years ago. Our 10-day forecast appears to be holding steady with highs in the 50's and lows in the 40's for the forseeable future. <div>
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While I'm not complaining whatsoever, I do find it a little bit weird. After last year's mild-ish winter (minus that ridiculous freezing spell we had) I've had the feeling that we are in for a chilly/snowy one. The Farmer's Almanac disagrees with me, calling for a wetter and warmer winter... which, so far, is precisely what we're getting. </div>
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Winter weather brings a whole new level to taking care of the animals, whether it's freezing cold out or just soggy- there's no one-size-fits-all solution in our maritime climate. Each weather system brings its own set of challenges: freezing weather means extra food, breaking ice and monitoring for warmth, and the dampness means wet animals, soggy bedding, and the increased potential for respiratory issues. </div>
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While I personally dislike freezing cold temps (they aggravate my fibromyalgia) I think that for taking care of the animals it makes things a little bit easier. The way our weather patterns set up, freezing means dry: we'll have sunshine during the day and icy cold nights with almost no humidity whatsoever. This helps keeps the bedding in the chicken coop nice and dry, which makes for cleaner conditions all around. </div>
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When we have extended periods of rain, however, things get messy really fast. The chickens don't want to sit outside when it's pouring, so more time inside the coop equals more manure to deal with. Good ventilation is essential here- not just for keeping things from getting super stinky, but chicken poop is high in ammonia- those fumes can make the birds sick, if the air isn't moving around enough. </div>
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I find it's necessary to put down additional wood shavings pretty regularly, to help manage the increased manure load. This year, I'm also trying an enzyme product that is supposed to help break down the manure faster and keep the odor level down. (More on that later, once I've had some time and experience with it.)</div>
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Depending on how warm our temperatures stay, I also have to watch for mold and mildew in the coop, which can some on really fast with all that extra moisture in the air. From basic respiratory irritation like coughing and sneezing, all the way to life-threatening fungal infections like aspergillosis, chickens definitely need to be monitored for illness during the soggy months. Good hygiene in the coop can help minimize problems with respiratory issues. Clean and dry... it's easier said than done, but really, it's what has to happen. </div>
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In tomorrow's post over at GRIT, I'm going to talk about some additional steps I like to take, in order to keep my flock happy and healthy over the winter. I hope you'll check it out! Until then- what challenges do you face with regards to weather and your animals, during the winter?</div>
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Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-1644537165224642392014-10-31T11:03:00.000-07:002014-10-31T11:03:32.254-07:00Worky Work, Busy Bee!Wow, what a week! I started a new job yesterday, working from home as a transcriptionist- I'm really excited about it, and there's a TON of information that I'm trying to learn and absorb while I get my feet under me. So, my brain feels a little mushy at the moment... bear with me.<br />
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I have a new yarn to put up on Etsy this weekend; it just needs to finish drying and then I'll be able to take photos. Until then, though- here's a sneak peek... shh! It's another gorgeous Greenwood Fiberworks creation: a 50/50 Merino and Silk blend called "Paper Roses" that measures out at 315 yards. It's a 2 ply, lighter weight yarn- I'll have the final gauge after it's fully dry.<br />
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Oh, back to learning the new job- I'm going to have to adjust my schedule here a bit while I get into the routine needed for work. My plan is to keep posting here at least twice a week, and keep my Tuesday GRIT posting as-is... I'm just not sure how the "Around the Web" and "Friday Photos" posts fit into things, right at this moment. (Besides, it's raining like mad here, so unless you want to see dimly-lit photos of puddles... we may want to just take a break from that for a little while.)<br />
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So, whether it's still Monday and Wednesday, or some other assortment of days, I'm not sure. But, I will still be here, at GRIT, and on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest (and maybe even Twitter from time to time!) as I get my new routine established.<br />
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Have a safe and Happy Halloween!<br />
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Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-44768486900524135232014-10-29T07:39:00.001-07:002014-10-29T07:39:13.545-07:00Finished!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Did everyone get their cowls finished up? I did, and I love mine! I think I'd like it to be a teeny bit longer, say maybe 4 inches or so, but that's an easy adjustment to make for my next one.<br />
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I really like the yarn that I used; there's a little more charcoal grey in it than shows in the picture- I think it's lost in the knit sections, in that shot. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get better photos before writing this morning- I wrapped it up last night after dark, and the sun isn't due to come up for another half hour or so...we're in the dark days now, you know. We'll have to raincheck better pictures until later today.<br />
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Back to the yarn, though- the color repeats were definitely different between the two skeins. One had much more of the pink-purple in it, where as the other was more green and grey. That's not a bad thing, necessarily, but it is something to look for when picking out skeins of this particular yarn.<br />
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I thought it was nice and quick to work up- except at the end, when the last purl section seemed to take for...ev...er. That's on me, though, and not the pattern itself. I need to come up with a more efficient style of purling that I'm comfortable with- because as it stands, I'm a slow purler. I just can't seem to find a way to hold the yarn that seems right, which is fine when there's just a couple of stitches to make, but 6 rounds of 186 purl stitches gets a little old pretty quick. Again, that's me- and I'm planning on making another couple of these before winter is out, so clearly it's not all that bad.<br />
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What did you think? Pros, cons, challenges? Too fast or too slow on the pattern breakdown? Swing on over to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AcornAndThistle">FB </a>today to let me know what you thought of the project and show me photos of your cowls, whether they're done yet or not.<br />
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<br />Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-13278702348756932482014-10-22T08:03:00.002-07:002014-10-22T08:03:54.766-07:00Home Stretch of the KALHappy Wednesday, everyone! How's the knitting coming along? I have to admit I got a little off track after this past weekend, but I'll be knitting away this coming weekend so I can finish up with the rest of you. Fortunately for me, I have a reader-submitted photo to share with you:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks, Mom! </td></tr>
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I absolutely love the colors she picked- the yarn is Lion Brand "Amazing" in their Strawberry Fields colorway. Gorgeous!! I've knit some hats and a different cowl using that line of yarn, and I have to say it's never a disappointment.<br />
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If you didn't slack off like I did, then you should be on the final bits of the project. This week's assignment is to Knit 3 rounds, cast off loosely, weave in the ends and enjoy!<br />
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Not sure about the cast off? It's also called a "bind off", and there's a <a href="http://verypink.com/2010/03/13/video-binding-off/">great video over at Very Pink Knits</a>. I should say <b>another </b>great video- she's my go-to resource when I need a refresher on anything knit related.<br />
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Oh, one more thing: I really want to see your photos! Post them over on Facebook so we can all admire your hard work and celebrate our accomplishments together. Also, tell me what you thought about the project... likes, dislikes, what you'd like to see for a future KAL, you know- all that good stuff.<br />
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Finally,we're taking a few days off, so things are going to be more or less quiet here from now until Monday. Until then... happy knitting and I'll see you when I get back!Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-50543708715630267352014-10-20T07:59:00.000-07:002014-10-20T07:59:57.596-07:00Fiber Fusion 2014<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jfqV7aIuvGE/VEUYnAzXj7I/AAAAAAAABAo/G-wUZUNyTgA/s1600/IMG_3284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jfqV7aIuvGE/VEUYnAzXj7I/AAAAAAAABAo/G-wUZUNyTgA/s1600/IMG_3284.JPG" height="320" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Normally I don't *love* the antique machines. <br />This one, however,... stunning. </td></tr>
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Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend.<br />
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This weekend marked the fourth annual<a href="http://www.fiberfusion.net/"> Fiber Fusion NW</a>, where fiber producers, dyers, knitters and makers-of-awesome-things all get together in little old Monroe, WA for a weekend of fibery goodness. There are judged competitions for raw fleeces and finished hand goods, and a huge marketplace for all of the above.<br />
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All in all, it's a wonderful event, and it draws a large crowd- I think this is my second year attending, and it seemed to be much bigger than the previous year. I also found out that there are two spinning guilds in the area- not just the one, like I'd thought. So, I've gone form hemming and hawing about whether or not I should join a guild, to which one should I join? Oh, the problems I have. (Eye roll)<br />
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The highlights of my day at the event were the Fleece Judging (Judged by Amy Wolf) and a class I took called "Beyond Braids: Color Ply with Hand-dyed Fiber" taught by Taryn Winegardner of Fiber Haven. This was some seriously good stuff; the class recap will likely be its own post altogether. If you're into fiber stuff, and want to learn a thing or two, see if you can find an open judged wool show in your area. (In the mean time, check out this <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=417359&u=953805&m=29190&urllink=&afftrack=%22%3EFree%20Online%20Know%20Your%20Wool%20Class%3C/a%3E">free Craftsy class called Know Your Wool</a>!) I know our county fair had one as well, but I missed it. Anyway, I learned SO MUCH in the couple of hours that I spent watching the judging- in fact, I didn't realize how much time had actually passed, I was so caught up in what she was saying. Fantastic!<br />
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Then there was the vendor area...and the fleece sale... making yarn isn't an inexpensive hobby. I did manage to show some restraint, however, and came home with a new braid of Huckleberry Knits hand-dyed roving (the colorway is called Allegretto" and it's the blues, greens and purples of a peacock's tail), a nice big bump of a heathered silvery-gray super soft Romney roving, and -<b>get this</b>- a second place winning fleece from the show. I had no intention of buying a fleece, but in addition to being gorgeous, the price was impossible to walk away from. I mean, <b><i>really</i></b>. There was no way I could sleep at night if I hadn't brought it home with me.<br />
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And last, but not least, were the people. I forget sometimes that there's a huge community of folks like me out there who like to do things that the mainstream considers "old fashioned". I absolutely loathe crowds, but going to events like this is actually alright by me. There were so many people there, in every possible age bracket and demographic, all getting along because they share the same love for fiber arts, and making beautiful things. (Next up is <a href="http://madronafiberarts.com/">Madrona</a>, in February!)<br />
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What did you do this weekend?<br />
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<br />Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-5355088037396399212014-10-16T08:31:00.002-07:002014-10-16T08:31:50.747-07:00Web Surfing<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the Inky Cap mushrooms.</td></tr>
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Here's a snippet of what I've been checking out online this week. You know, in between running around snapping photos of mushrooms, knitting, spinning, working on the sock machine and putting up the last odds and ends from the garden. I don't know what I'd do with all the free time, if I didn't have so many interests!<br />
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<li>This post regarding <a href="http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/vitamin-d-deficiency-signs-people-miss/#more-16542">Vitamin D deficiencies</a> is pretty interesting. Decreased D levels are linked to many things, and particularly here in the PNW, our levels can drop dramatically as daylight decreases. </li>
<li><a href="http://nourishedkitchen.com/potted-cheese-with-bacon-shallots/">Potted Cheese with Bacon and Shallots</a>, what? This would be perfect to have on hand through the holidays for the impromptu cocktail hour. (I'm going to make two batches, one with Port added- Port and Cheddar are one of my favorite combos. I'll keep you posted!)</li>
<li>As always, some great insight from the <a href="http://chismheritagefarm.com/2014/10/16/a-pig-for-all-seasons/">Head Farm Steward</a>- this time regarding raising pigs. We're hoping one of the neighbors (from the beef project) will raise pigs next year. If so, that means broiler chickens are on us. Well, we're probably doing that anyway, but I need to sort out the logistics over the winter. But pigs! I'd love to run a few pigs myself, someday. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2014/10/thai-stir-fried-chicken-recipe-with-chile-jam/#more-16549">Thai Stir Fried Chicken with Chile Jam</a>, courtesy of David Lebovitz; already on the list for dinner next week.</li>
<li>Local Fibery folks- don't forget <a href="http://www.fiberfusion.net/">Fiber Fusion</a> this weekend! I'm looking forward to spending the day there on Saturday, to meet up with the ladies from the local spinning guild (I'm thinking about joining!) and to take a class in the afternoon. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/watch-wounda-the-chimpanzee-hug-jane-goodall-after-being-released-into">Jane Goodall.</a>.. such an amazing woman, and definitely on my Hero list. (If you like her too, check out her talk on <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_goodall_on_what_separates_us_from_the_apes">TED</a>.)</li>
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Alrighty, then... time for me to get moving today! I need to hurry and get the yarn I'm working on wrapped up, so my wheel is free for class on Saturday. What have you been up to, lately?</div>
Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-49134744787048925822014-10-15T14:11:00.001-07:002014-10-15T14:11:45.084-07:00Shop Update: Two New Additions!Hey everyone! Sorry for the quiet, but I've been busy cranking out some new yarn for <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/AcornAndThistle">the Etsy shop</a>. Check it out when you have a chance!<br />
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<br />Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-90146714629273615052014-10-13T16:02:00.001-07:002014-10-13T16:03:35.690-07:00KAL Status Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4eUOM3zCZuU/VDxZ9s6sZMI/AAAAAAAAA_s/ymTCWxAzHck/s640/blogger-image--1829799370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4eUOM3zCZuU/VDxZ9s6sZMI/AAAAAAAAA_s/ymTCWxAzHck/s640/blogger-image--1829799370.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We're one week in to our knit-along; how's it going? I'm enjoying this project quite a bit... It's coming together quickly, and is not overly complicated. Any challenges? How about the cast-on!?!?! That took a little getting used to, for me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This week's goal is to Purl 6 rows, Knit 6 rows, and Purl 6 rows. That will take us through the bulk of the cowl, and all that's left after this section is one more chunk of knitting and the cast-off / weaving in ends. Sweet!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I'd love to see photos of how yours is shaping up- stop by FB and show me!</span></div>Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-86404484136766734562014-10-10T12:20:00.002-07:002014-10-10T12:20:21.623-07:00Photo Friday: Mushroom EditionWell, not *just* mushrooms... but quite a few. Right now, here in the PNW the weather is perfect for fungi and they're popping up everywhere! Each evening, when I let the chickens out for their free range time, I wander around with them and take pictures of all the different mushrooms I can find, so I can try to ID them later. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shelf fungus on a standing dead cherry tree.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last of the tomatoes and peppers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shaggy! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gem-studded Puffballs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shetland sheep whose name I can't remember. <br />She (and her friend) want to come live here with us, though. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful morning at the farm.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unknown variety; still working on ID. </td></tr>
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<br />Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7258566172237879179.post-68166627488543087532014-10-09T09:08:00.000-07:002014-10-09T09:33:10.804-07:00Links: Craft Daily Free Trial, TBT Video and More!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How's the knitting coming along? I'm loving how my cowl is turning out, and my mind is blown by how the moebius is actually coming together. I understand the concept, but it's another thing entirely to see it in action on the needles. Crazy! Post photos of your work in progress (WIP) over on the Facebook page!<br />
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Also, while I'm thinking about FB- please feel free to post harvest photos while you're there too! It's a community page, after all, and I'd love to hear from you. </div>
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Ready for some links? Here we go:</div>
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<li>This one is HUGE so I'm putting at the top. Craft Daily is offering another completely free 4 day trial, and sign-ups start today. I signed up for the last one, and I can't tell you how great the site is- there are over 500 videos on pretty much every craft imaginable- fiber arts, jewelry, papercraft, and more. Anyway-<a href="http://craftdaily.com/"> CLICK HERE NOW</a> and use the code <b>CDFT500</b> to sign up. (Registration for the free trial closes on Monday, so don't miss out!) </li>
<li>Did you see my post over on GRIT this week? If not, <a href="http://www.grit.com/comfort-foods/homemade-ravioli.aspx">click here</a>. </li>
<li>It's not too late to think about <a href="http://www.grit.com/departments/gardening-tips-a-cold-frame-to-build.aspx#axzz3FUVJHh7Y">cold frames</a>.</li>
<li>A new to me blog, all about cooking on a <a href="http://woodcookstovecooking.blogspot.com/">wood cookstove</a>. Now, I don't have a wood cookstove, but I do have a wood burning stove that we use just about daily, in the winter. It'd be nice to learn how to cook on it better- other than just for emergencies and random baked potatoes.</li>
<li>I really like recipes that can be adapted to use what you have on hand... and take the thinking out of what to make for dinner. This "<a href="http://nourishedkitchen.com/no-recipe-frittata/">Easy No-Recipe Frittata</a>" definitely fits the bill tonight!</li>
<li>Swimming in basil, still? I wish I was! Here's a great <a href="http://theelliotthomestead.com/2014/09/homemade-pesto-recipe/">pesto recipe</a> from The Elliot Homestead that will use up the last of your basil before the frost hits.</li>
<li>An oldie but a goodie on <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2003/03/caring-for-your-introvert/302696/">introverts</a>, from The Atlantic. Fall, by its very nature, seems to really have an effect on us. </li>
<li>TBT: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIqofVwYi4I">The Carol Burnett Show... bloopers</a>. Because sometimes you just <b>need </b>to see Tim Conway and Harvey Korman together. </li>
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Have a great day, everyone! </div>
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Laura D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06477241248472732103noreply@blogger.com0