Helicopter Moms at the Farm

 

I am never sure how to share what happens here at the farm and what it might mean to someone but I thought I might share a bit of what happened today with my Mothers and Daughters.  We all can relate to how we think our Mothers might have messed up in the way in which they raised us but I also remind myself everyday that "We do better when we know better) and (There always comes a point when out of our mouths we will hear our Mothers words)  Recently I heard the phrase Helicopter Mom and was not sure what that meant or if at times raising my sons I might have been one of those Mooms. Here is why I thought of that today.

 

 

Today while having a unplanned shearing day at the farm I was struck by how well I know my animals and how much they are like humans in their behavior.  This picture is of Rebbecca who is anything but a helicopter mom...  She is a confident and steady individual and she imparts that in her offspring.  When I caught her daughter Roxie who is fast as the wind and is no easy gal I called Rebbecca over to tell her daughter to behave.  With no language barrier at all Rebbecca came over the the pen stuck her head in licked Roxie's face, then my leg and walked off about 5 feet and sat down.  She watched me as I took my time to remove the huge blanket of fleece, if Roxie got antsy Rebbecca made one sound and all was calm again...

Now I wished all mothers at my farm were the same style as Rebbecca but then there is Monica - one of those Helicopter Mothers and her daughter Babbette is not the easiest to work with because of it.  Monica is shy and not one to allow Babbette to do much on her own.  Monica was an amazing mother when Babbette was born and I was so thankful that she did such a great job but with time she has become clingy and needy.  Babbette is fast as lightening and can jump clean over my head if she feels the need.  Babbette was no easy catch and would not quite in the shearing pen.  It was not because I have every hurt her or this is her first shearing it is because Monica paces back and forth outside the pen, talking the whole time in a worried voice, and basically freaks out the whole barn.  She is worse if I throw her outside of the barn - last time Monica sounded like she was being killed outside.  Once I got Babbette to quite down and we hit our rhythm that freaked Monica out even more.  Her way of dealing was biting others and basically making everyone want to slap her silly.  Remind you of anyone???

Now just so we are clear I understand why both Goat Mothers are the way they are - partly it is how they were raised by their mothers, next is was how their birthing experience went and lastly some days, or weeks, or even months we might just be unsettled and so we act maybe not in the best ways but again - we all do the best we can. 

As the sun sat today and I checked on the girls there sat Monica her daughter curled up next to her sleeping away.  On the other side of the barn was Rebecca and Roxie curled up the same way also resting.  I smiled at both and said my goodnights .  On the way back to the house I gave thanks for getting to spend a long, hard, hot day with my sweet girls no matter how over the top they may be. 

No One Puts Baby in the Corner

Wednesday I just could not stand it - my Patrick Green Carder was still sitting in the truck from the fire evacuation and I realized it just was not going to walk itself back into the Fiber Prep Room.  Also there was that small voice in the back of my head saying we are not out of the woods with fire dangers and maybe I should just keep the sweet heavier then a baby elephant in the truck so I wont have to go through that again.  I admit it there are many things I have not unpacked just in case.

It amazes me how Fear, Panic or whatever you wish to call it can give me the strength of Super Women.  This machine normally takes two of us to move it but since it was just myself in that frantic day I had no choice put to gather up all I had in strength and move the damn thing out of the fiber room, through the shop and out to the truck.  Oh My GOD I did it.   I must say when I look back at that time I can not even remember half of what I had to do but I surprised myself how quickly I moved that baby elephant.

Now with no PANIC running through the veins of this gal but rather just a need to save my shoulder from hand cranking my fiber batts this task was going to be interesting.  OH MY GOD I think I hurt a few things - I admit I am still feeling the pain but I am so HAPPY to have my friend back into the work routine.  I have been sitting in front of it creating many wonderful batts that would not be possible without my Baby back....

Here are just a few of the many Lush Fiber Batts I made over the last two days  -  What you Think? 

Picking Purple Petunias

Late last night when AGAIN I could not sleep I went to the carding machine and started the process of letting go.  I had the other day took a pure white baby llama fleece from the blood lines of B Goldsmith.  My dear friend passed some time ago - she taught me so very much about llama's, training them and understanding the way in which they think.  For about 15 years I also called her friend.  This sweet baby llama fleece she traded with me for some of my cashmere and so I have held on to it for a bit waiting for it to speak to me.  I think I was unable to listen because I missed my friend so much that I could not work on the last fleece I traded with her.

The other night I swear it was as if she spoke to me and said HOW ABOUT PURPLE???  I was thrilled with the shading that I obtained on a pure white fleece.  Now What - well this is what.  I remembered on her front door she had one time a hanging basket of Purple Petunias so that is what I went about creating.  I hope she would be happy with them.

So I offer these 12 batts to you all - 4.75 ounces in total for the sum of $33.25 plus shipping costs. The batts contain Baby Llama, Merino, Silk and plum Angelina.   These will be a joy to spin but also felt. 

Would love to hear back as to what you think of them and hopefully someone will just PICK them...

Tricking this Gal who HATE HOT DAYS

As the temps are in the high 90's and this gal is finding it impossible to cool down I start the mental games.  First I put on every DVD and VHS tape that has to do with Cold Weather and Snow up to one's butt - put in the head phones for the howling sounds rock me to my core.  Then I stand on the cold concert floor of my carding room and begun creating things that would give relief.  These batts are called  "Daiquiri Please" - either a watermelon or Strawberry Daiquiri would be nice if I only had the fixings for one.  As I crank away I place my mine in a cold place and believe that I am there.

At the time of this typing I am watch "The Day After Tomorrow" and I may soon find myself pulling out the shelves in the big freezer and stepping in.  Then I remind myself the animals are just as unhappy with this heat so I pinch myself and get back to work.

Oh Yeah - up side to this horrible heat - skiens of yarn only take 30 minutes to dry completely when hung outside and roving that I dyed this morning was dry in an hour....  Try to find things to be focusing on....

These lovely batts are for sale on my Larkspur Funny Farm Facebook Page - just PM on that page with your zip and PayPal addy and you will soon be drinking in these mouth watering lush combo's.  By the way they are Cashmere and Alpaca from my animals, Merino, Tunis, Bamboo and Silk - see I told you they where lush... Two ounces for $14.00 + shipping - this is the last of these so don't wait for the next Ice Age.

Update on House Guests

Remember the tiny little ground squirrels who would not stay out of the house???  Few days ago I had another one run into the house and when I was chasing it out it dawned on me it was one of the previous house guests but it looked much thinner.  As I chased it out and it ran down the back deck stairs.   I spied where it went and right under the last stair was the other one waiting.  They ran a bit farther and behind a couple of rocks I had under the deck and next to the rock front of the house.  They looked so nervous so I watched and my eyes just about popped - there was four little babies...

Tiny, tiny little ones.  So you know me - felt guilty and went to the kitchen for a few nibbles.  Placed the goodies on the bottom step and then stood very still.  They ran up grabbed their nibbles and back to the babies.  Such a sweet family.  I have tried several times to get pictures but so far I am just not fast enough.  I will keep trying because this is the first time in all the years here I have ever seen babies. 

I am like a little kid at Christmas - now we know why they wanted in the house - great place to raise a family.

What Is That Mom???

It is RAIN dear ones !!  Yes, the farm has had three different rain events.  Most lasting no more then 15 to 20 minutes but we will take any and all we can get.  The issue is with each storm we had horrible lightening and also lost power... Now for this gal I am use to it but I am seeing a trend to these events.  First time I was 2  hours into my lovely bread making in my bread machine and out goes the power.  Two hours later when power was restored I placed the bread into the oven and cooked it the rest of the way - Not the prettiest looking loaf but still tastes Yummy...  Next storm I had tons of computer work to do - You know how well I do with that and with a sale running in my Etsy Shop and  a cobbler in the oven - This time the power was out for almost four hours.  The work I caught up with at 2 am but the cobbler was a loss and I walked it out to the hen house.  Today, I was playing beat the storm - I had corn bread in the oven, meatloaf half way done and as if the universe could smell the goodies the skies grew dark, the winds picked up and the rain began to fall.  I was lucky this time - finished the cooking and got 15 minutes of rain.  The power flickered many times but other then holding my breath a couple of times it managed to stay functional.

So I will be stopping the rain dancing and just start baking...  I might be attempting the cobbler again but it sickened me to loss those sweet berries however the hens thought they won the lottery at 2 am.