what ridiculous weather!

I love winter as much as the next guy.  Possibly more. My husband is home and relaxed, and we get to enjoy each other's company.  It's true, I'm not into winter sports (ever since that unfortunate broken butt 10 or so years ago), but I am a world class, champion at being a hermit.  We have been holed up for months it seems.  And we love it.  But I find myself starting to itch for warmer weather.  Just a little warmer...

We have had a foot of snow on the ground for a month now.  It has been below 32 degrees since Christmas (mostly below 10 that whole time, I think it's only gotten to double digits two or three times).  We haven't really minded since we've been lounging next to a cozy fire for the past month.  But truth be told, it has been a cold, long winter.  And now that we have alpacas and chickens living with us, that takes on a whole new meaning.

But today, it was just ridiculous.  It was below 32 degrees (although it warmed up to a balmy 27), and yet it was raining all morning.  So what does that give us?  One big, life-sized ice rink, that's what.  The roads, luckily, were not bad.  But every parking lot and driveway was solid ice.  Yes, I did fall when we went out to lunch.  Luckily not on my aforementioned broken butt.

Going out to feed alpacas this evening was like walking across a frozen lake.  A bumpy, frozen lake. 

The good news is, I received a seed catalog in the mail today.  I suppose a world of green and warm is just around the corner. 

Cover Your Head

(originally posted on my personal blog 9/6/12)
I knit this hat from 100% alpaca fiber.  Oh. My. Goodness.  It is the softest, most luxurious thing ever.  And it looks awesome, too.  Soon... soon I will making many, many more of these with my own fiber.  Hopefully I will be getting some fiber tomorrow that I will be able to send in to be processed.  Stay tuned for that!

My favorite joke

why did the chicken cross the road?

          to get to your house.

knock knock. who's there?

          the Chicken!

          

Welcome.

So here we are.  I thought I'd throw together a quick new blog for the farm. (of course, there is nothing quick about it, perhaps if I were someone for whom a simple template would suffice.  Having not created a blog in 4 years, it's something I'll have to (obviously) continue to work on until I get it how I want it.  But for now... words, pictures.  Those are the most important part of a blog, aren't they?)

Regardless, I would really like to get a Thistle Dew Farm-only blog up, perhaps even have some lovely farm sponsors over there in the sidebar (it looks kind of empty right now, doesn't it?).  I'm not sure if the best way is to have a "followers" section, or just keep track of the stats to see if/when readership grows.  But you're here now, and I wanted to tell you I'm glad.

Recent Farm Updates:

It is a new year but the chickens and alpacas don't seem to notice.  Other than the snow we got (and have kept) right around Christmas and the last week of down-right freezing temperatures, nothing much is different.  The alpacas are keeping warm with their lovely fiber and extra bedding in the shed (which they have taken upon themselves to start pooping in).  The chickens just keep laying eggs, which is wonderful.  Normally, as the days shorten, so does the egg supply.  We have a heat lamp in the coop, so perhaps that is helping to stimulate the daily-laying.  Whatever it is, I'm not complaining!  I have a much higher demand than supply of eggs.  We also have lovely Christmas lights on our coop which I figured out serve a dual purpose.  Not only do they look pretty, but if I lean way out on my tippy toes in my bathroom I can see the lights from inside.  And if they are on, that means the heat-lamp is on.  (Twice this winter, it has been off without me knowing.  So it's a good warning system so the chickys don't freeze their tail feathers off!)

We have 6 hens.  One is a pullet (baby) and isn't laying yet, but should start as spring rolls around.  Here is Gwinny, the baby.  Love her feathered beard.   She is an Easter Egger, and we can't wait to see what color eggs she will lay!  I hope they will be green or pink.  But they could be blue or brown.  Whatever color she decides to lay, that will be the color she lays forever.  Too bad they don't change daily!

 

And here she is with (adopted) mama, Lu.  She has grown so much!

 

Little Banty Hen, "Star" or "Della Rovere" (depending on whom you ask), has also given us eggs this winter.  See how little and cute they are.  Interestingly, the yolk is the same size, just about half of the white is there.

banty (mini) egg vs other farm eggs

My husband would hate to hear it, but soon thoughts will turn to spring.  To gardens, to more chicks (and bigger coops?), to bunnies...? Enjoy your snowy season for now, thanks for stopping by our new blog!