Buying yarn

Anyone who loves yarn, fibre and fibre animals knows it is not a cheap hobby. 

We love creating, we never have enough yarn, we never have the right weight, the right colour and OH look that’s new!!

My husband is wonderful he will drive me anywhere to buy yarn or to just look at yarn. He doesn’t ask again or why. He either drops me off or waits out in the truck. A lot of times he will use this time to catch up on his sleep. One time I was so stressed out while our daughter was having surgery and we were told to come back much later, I didn’t want to leave the hospital. Off we went to find some food and coffee and all I wanted to do was head back to the hospital in case she needed us. My husband said I’ll take you to that yarn store you like and you can look around.

 Well it was nice and eighty dollars later…

The nice thing about the closes shop which is an hour and half away is it has boy’s stores, fixing stores, truck store all around it. BONUS!!!

 And, I never invite him into the store.

A few weeks ago, the yarn store was having a thirty percent sale. Ahh I messaged him at work it was a Friday and it was thirty percent off!! Well hell doesn’t happen often. He came off work early we met at our daughters and off we went to find a thirty percent sale.

 Sale was a success.

 He headed straight home right after the yarn store.

As we were heading home he said “so how much did you spend”

 Ahh what the hell where did that come from… ☹ I answered over a hundred…

 no answer…. 

He then said “so just like buying a sheep hey” :0

Which bring us to the sheep ~ a very small bundle sometimes 3-4 skeins can add up to the price of a  sheep.

 Can you just imagine the amount of yarn I am going to have 😊

Welcome to March

This afternoon I finally found some Inspiration to work in the lavender house. I wasn’t too sure if the inspiration was ever going to come back ~ still not sure. There is a lot of work and I do not know how to tell if the squirrels have gone. The best thing I could decide was to start cleaning, clean shelves and throwing out products. It is so hard to do, so heart breaking all the mess. It is truly amazing the devastation the squirrels can do.

I can see the ground again in the garden and it is full of pine needles. I am truly hoping I feel like working on it. You guys I really thinking I am grasping at straws the Inspiration of the garden is going. If you go to face book and type in Petit Creek Lavender, you can go to my page and see all the pictures.

 The gardens are very beautiful.

 I need this Inspiration to hit fast really, really fast.

Enough garden dramatics

We have baby lambs bouncing around the farm.

 They are super cute!

We have very cute miniature goats. This is new for us.  Many years ago, we had some cross-miniature goats but this time we have true little ones. On Saturday I am meeting some people for our little buck (who is a bottle baby). That will give us two females, one buck, three weathers and we are waiting on another female.

Our new sheep are so tame they are super friendly. It is actually hard to get any work done out in the barn yard as they are completely under our feet and want to be pet.

-19 makes for a cold night in the barn.

 I was so cold, and I knew once my feet all of sudden felt warm or so numb and that I couldn’t feel them anymore it was time to get into the house and warm up.

 Man, way to cold for lambs.

At Midnight I was cutting up sweatpants trying to make little lamb coats then I used binder twine to tie up around their waste.

 It worked.

For next year we must plan for later in the season it is just to cold and worry for February. With all the new sheep this year it will be just messy. With last nights lambing we now have a lull until the next session. Since the sheep were not bred here I just have to keep watch to see how things are getting along.

I can not believe it is nearly the end of February. 

It truly has flown by.

Our daughter is starting to heal up now from her surgery, it sure took a lot out of her. It was unnerving an emergency ambulance ride for bleeding and a found blood clot. Once they dealt with the clot she started to heal better. It is hard to watch someone go through something and really not be able to help them other than to be there.

Really other than keeping the fire going, lambing and feeding not a whole lot is new. Spring is inching closer each day and I am for sure loving the longer days.

I hope each of you are doing well. I hope you are handling the ice, cold and snow. Enjoy the calmer days before the Spring cleaning begins because we all know what is under that snow and ice ~ mess and pine needles just waiting for us.

I still do not have the new computer well I have a whole new one now. Unfortunately, they only gave me half of it this time. I have been waiting the whole week for them to UPS it to me.

Umm ~ Kamloops isn’t very far away. I am sure I could have walked there quicker.

 It is seriously the longest most annoying deal I have had to deal with in a long time.

So, with that if you want to see pictures go to the 

FB page A day in the life at Sunflower farm

 or

 If you want to see beautiful garden pictures of the farm go to the

 FB page Petit Creek Lavender 

or

 Instagram @sunflowr

Pig

Bruce

Juliana Pig

Pink Pig black spots

Last weekend when we went to pick up our sheep from the from the farm and I was given a pig. He was a pig the farmer had sold but ended up finding his way back to her in October 2017. The farmer was hesitant to find him a new home and then she offered him to me.

I was with my husband who really is not a farmer, so I was not sure how a pig added to the sheep and goats was going to go over. I also new we needed to be able to unload him at home without a commotion. We ended putting him in a large dog cage wrapping the cage in plastic to help with the cold. The lambs and miniature goats went into a separate compartment in the trailer and the sheep in the other end.

I was going to name the new pig Valentino and give him to my husband for Valentines but that did not go over to well. I got a nice No thank you 😊

 So, his name is Bruce.

 Oh, my goodness you guys you must see this pig he is so sweet, so cute, so happy and I am totally head over heals in love with this little guy.

 He is having trouble fitting in I have three of these type of pigs

 ~ Luna ~ bumble bee~ Bruce~

Bruce wants to be pet, cuddled and love.

 Bruce wants to eat.

Bruce want to make up his bed all the time. When I take new hay into the pen he grabs a mouthful and runs behind me as fast as his little legs can go.

He seriously is full of love.

Everyone should have a Bruce

Holy Moly it has been busy. Time sure has a way of getting on.

We did go on our road trip to pick up our sheep and goats.

 We left home at nine am had a stop in town, fueled up and then our truck smelled hot. Allan could not figure it out all tires were cool on both truck and trailer. This made us stop four times until it settled. Once we got started again it was good until the trailer hit a patch of ice well that was scary. I hate having to pull a trailer in the winter.

After our bit of a commotion to start with the day went smooth and highways are always better when we get away from the Merritt area. It was a sunny, crisp, clear day.

 We always stop at Tim Hortens for coffee which makes for a fun trip.

We had a lovely visit at the farm and it was nice to meet in person. We had only been FB friends I had met her husband a time or two when he delivered me very cute animals in his big highway rig. The thought of little pigs cruising down the highway in his truck always made me smile.

When we arrived home the boys helped us unload it was really smooth unloading. 

The animals are all very tame and seem to have settle in quite nicely 

The pig is a Julianna he was so not in the plan, but I am pretty sure he is the best part.

 He is so lovable ~ oh my goodness you seriously just want to kiss him. Who knew my pigs were going to be pissy? I had to stand in the pen and watch Bruce (new guy) eat so Luna and Bumble bee would let him eat.

Since last night we have had three new lambs and that brings up the sheep count to thirty-two.

 I have not been writing the blog as I am having computer issues ~ new computer is still not working right.

 Ahh I am so over it. 

It is going back to Kamloops again tomorrow and this computer is unpredictable that was the reason for the new computer.

I do not have any new pictures to put on the blog but if you go to the Sunflower farm FB page you can see pictures there. 

Yesterday I started raking pine needles in the garden in the parts where there is no ice or snow. I have seen way worse pine needles over the years but man oh man is there a lot of cleaning to be done. We are in the craziest weather pattern we go from six above to minus six to rain then onto a full-blown snowstorm. Then it finds sunshine.

 Now we are down to minus ten this morning.

On Saturday we are heading out to get our first load of sheep so here’s to fingers crossed for good traveling with a trailer. I wish I could wave a magic wand and they were delivered here. It is so hard for us to plan and organize a trip with Allan’s work schedule and I just can’t pull off driving a truck and trailer.

 Winter just adds on hard work.

If all goes as planned we will be picking up fourteen ewes, five lambs, one bottle ram, one Nigerian doe and kid, and four quail. There are eleven ewes still to lamb between the end of February through to May. I hope they wait until it warms up.

This will be one crazy week. 

It started yesterday with the new computer finally back home again we set it up and it was a no go :( 

The main program would not work ahh it was so frustrating who has time for this. So, I phoned the store where we bought and after talking with them I set up online to talk to a support group. Well from three in the afternoon until nine pm I was on the computer ~ seriously damn I need a support group now ~ I had to sit right here and deal with it.

 Oh, my was I over it

 However, it is working right now so fingers crossed it is all worked out.

Tomorrow we must go with our daughter to have her tonsils out. I sure hope it goes smooth and is no big deal for her. We have to stay with her for twenty-four hours and no more than twenty minutes from the hospital. Then we will have her with us at home for a few days until she feels good.

 I’m so not good with this stuff, I am making Allan come with for morale support.

We will leave Dalton in charge with the chores and fire so hopefully it won’t be too cold.

Then this same week my Dad starts a new treatment

 ~ so Hell Yah for stress around the farm.

The Alpaca is now separated, and he is okay with it. I do hope he settles and just wants to hang out with the rest of the animals. It would make it much nicer around here.

Well I will be off to pack an over night bag and get things organized.

 I hope you have a great week

The new computer is back.

 We bought a new computer for Christmas nothing too fancy as we don’t do anything to clever on it. My only request is a desk top. I need to have the big screen to work with. The only things we really wanted was a place to do our pictures, word, iTunes and social media. We bought the week of Christmas paid to have it set up and some files transferred over and then put it under the tree. I set it up the last week of December had it up for two days still setting it for us to use with emails etc. Then I left for Fernie came back in January. Turned the computer back on and every so often it would shut down for no reason then it made a high pitch squeal/scream. It was a good thing my husband home he filmed the noise. So, we packed it up took it back. We always buy the extra warranty for our computers and we have needed it every time. This fix up took three weeks we went to Kamloops to pick it up and now we will try it again. The store we bought it from was very good but, yet it is still annoying to have to deal with this and go to Kamloops every time.

This is being typed on the new computer so no pictures for the blog today as I do not have any on here yet. 

Today I am hoping we can build a gate, so we can separate the Alpaca. He is quite aggressive and when I must work with the goats he gets mean and antsy. It is cool to see actually amazing protection but unfortunately, I think he could seriously hurt us. Yesterday he and I had a go around of teeth, spitting climbing have way over the gate trying to get at me. There was no reasoning with him. I thought of maybe finding another female not a male even though he is castrated he doesn’t know it. He tries to breed everything and fight.

Good think he has nice fibre.

Everything here is under snow and solid ice so not too sure if we can even fix the gate until we thaw a bit.

Today we woke up to a bit more snow and -6

Exciting times.

Our first sheep are in the plans! We have made some plans with the farm where they are coming from and a date for pick up is being scheduled. Pretty this much depends on my husband because he must drive ~ it will be this month.

Then it will be making plans with the second farm and this will be done once lambing has started. These ewes will with fibre in mind. It will be nice to have our own fibre again as it is quite costly purchasing fleece for a project.

I do not think I am ready for night time barn checks I can really do without that. Man, sometimes I am so tired and cold walking across the yard in the middle of the night. I can actually feel sorry for myself.

I must do a bit work to get ready for more sheep. The girls I have now are pretty content, they do their own thing. Plus, my Ram is very sweet in an asshole kind of way. Yesterday he flew around the feeder to get my son. And, when I do separate him it will have to be a steal fence. Yah he’s that kind of guy.

 A larger herd will definitely take some creative thinking on how to feed the hay for the rest of winter.

Today we warmed up to five above, sunny and blue skies.

Icy farming, it is so slippery it’s crazy. As long, as we don’t go down it should be all fine.

 This morning the barn yard was on alert.

The Alpaca was literally screaming I have never heard this from him before. The alert signal for us is usually a nice whistle but not this morning. This in turn triggers off the dogs whom I had not let off yet for the day. Usually first thing dogs are off for the day doing their dog things checking everything they missed in the night.

We are having a hell of a time keeping the neighborhood dogs off our property. We are fenced pretty good but there seems to be two that are relentless. I do not want our dogs mixing ~ no neighborhood friendships, our dogs do not even need to know they have friends in the hood. It is a constant fence walk. I know it can be hard to keep it under control but man some days.I know it's hard because I have to keep ours home too.

It will be all okay as long as nothing touches the sheep.

 Poor Ewes seriously are sitting ducks out there between dogs and coyotes it is crazy. If it is a cougar game over, we have little control they always seem to win.

 It is the same with bears it is hard to keep them out if they want in.

February is going to be a busy month between dentist appointments and doctor visit for on of the kids. Calendar is filling I am sharing a vehicle with one of my daughters right now, so everything must be written so we don’t overlap who needs the truck.

March will be here so quickly and then it is Spring clean up time. I sure do hope it is clean under all this ice and snow.

What a last couple of days so many sad stories in the news.

Sometimes you just have to walk away from reading it. 

People shooting each other, people passing away. Accidents.

 And, if all else we have to listen about our great leaders. It was kind of nice back in the day the only time you heard from them was once in awhile and it actually meant something to take note and listen. Now it's just scroll fast so you don't have to read about their stupidity, ignorance and craziness.

Depressing, so damn depressing.

 Now they have changed our national Anthem. I am not changing it has taken me nearly fifty years to get it straight. I don’t think it is too big of the deal well except to the person who put the motion ahead and somebody listened to them. I bet that was pretty awesome for on their part. The national anthem is like the ABC’s ~ you know the part L.M.N.O.P you just say it fast to get it over with. It flows nicely. Kids get it as the first part of memorization.

Seriously sometimes you have to just get away from society/social media ~ it’s like all those “what the hell moments”, “are we all stupid moments” And, damn I just don’t get it moments.

The nice part of the week has been celebrating my dads eighty second birthday. That is pretty awesome. We were all lucky to have a nice dinner while visiting last weekend.

Our weather has been mild not too bad for January. A lot of rain for us which is pretty crazy. This rain has given us a very icy yard it is cork boots for sure while doing chores.

On to February it is.

 It is so hard to believe how fast the last month went.

 Hoping you all have a wonderful new month.

A productive day

Today was full of energy. The whole barn is clean it is such a good feeling to get that done. It was not overly messy, but it can always use cleaning. I locked up my little buddies as they were way too much help. Locking them up made them quite unhappy but I couldn’t chance the Alpaca to get them. I had to keep opening and closing the gate on the barn which makes for extra work but again Alpaca had his own agenda. Our Alpaca is a bit of handful…

I was making plans to make some changes with the pens and really, I should have done it years ago. A little higher fence area and an extra piece of wood on the bottom so the babies stay with the right mom. I need a new latch on the gate that was broken from an uptight lamb. Every lambing / kidding year I always want to make a warmer barn and may nights while waiting up all night I dream of doing this. And, then reality is the next season I am making the same plans all over again.

Then I headed over to the drying shed where we dry the lavender. I started to take the bundles of lavender down and put them into boxes. These boxes of bundled lavender and now brought into the house and shall completely dry. This will help take out an moisture that was picked up from the winter air. Then it is debudding time. I hope to get this last part of process done before May depending how long it takes to draw out the moisture.

This weekend all the children, grandchildren and family were home which was very nice, and we had a nice dinner for my dad his birthday is on Wednesday he will be eighty-two. We ate a wonderful supper at Mom and Dad’s and enjoyed some good visits.

We have three girls and three boys, we are blessed

 ~ Girl, boy, girl, boy, girl, boy ~

Each birth was like a Christmas present you never knew what you would get but the anticipation, excitement, the gratitude and the unconditional love that a Mom feels with each child is amazing. I wish I could bottle up those feelings that I felt at that moment of becoming a Mother for the first time and every other time after that. I try to explain it, but I can’t bring it out in words, but it is tucked deep down in my heart that I carry every single day of my life. My children are my greatest joy!

My husband and I do not look like each other at all. We are quite different in appearance, we have different back grounds.

 ~man oh man we make beautiful children~

There is absolutely no denying that these six children are siblings. As unique and individual each one of our children is they hold strong family traits good, so very good.

 I laugh and can close my eyes and damn if I don’t know they are mine. Good or bad. It’s all there.

I worried that as my children grew up that they would be walked all over but no it’s there that strong I’m not taking no shit attitude. It will show up quietly or loudly.

They stand strong together, they tease each other but watch what happens when someone from the outside upsets one, wrong comment, wrong gesture. It’s good so very good. They are close to each other, they talk to one another, they look out for one another, they can hold pretty good grudges to anyone who messes with one of them. Sometimes I feel I should have been a referee, keeping the peace find a middle balance.

My wish for every family is love, hope, faith and Inspiration.

 Lead by example.

Take the roll.  

Sometimes this computer, social media stuff is just over my head.

 Ahh I wrote a blog post last night granted I was seriously so tired I wanted to fall asleep. Well, I tried to share but the picture I had used on blog post of our grandchildren kept coming up on Facebook, so I had to delete the sharing. I tried changing the picture but no, it still showed our babies. So, I did not share it, but it is still there on the blog.

I just can’t figure this blog stuff out, so I guess as fancy as it will get is I write and just share it like a letter. Some people make money on their blog ~ I just don’t get it.

Another thing is Instagram which I really like but again I can’t do anything fancy if you would like to follow I am at #sunflowr and yes, it is spelled just like that. Instagram is quite nice it is a low-key way to follow along.

The other Facebook page I have is Petit Creek Lavender that is a pretty page you can check that out if you like.

Today here is a mixture day of rain, snow and kind of dreary. The temperature is not very cold holding around zero right now. The milder weather is sure being welcomed by the animals I think they are enjoying it. 

Ice

Cork boots and slow steady walk

This is farm life right.

Today I was looking to see if we still had a grain feeder as I could not remember if the cows had wrecked it. I found it peaking out through the snow, so it will have to wait until we have good thaw before I can use it. Instead I gathered black round bins five of them to use for grain for the sheep. I only put a handful of grain in each one and will now wait to see if they find where I put the bins. Once they know it will be good to go.

This winter we decided to feed round bales. I for sure would rather use square bales but I have little help getting the square bales here to the farm. The bonus to using round bales is super simple in the summer I love it. However, the downfall is hard to feed in the winter with the snow, rain and I find quite a bit of waste. So far, this winter I have wrecked two pitch forks from hard to handle round bales.

This past weekend we had our two grandchildren come over for one of the days and visit us while their mom and dad played hockey. Our oldest grandson has a nasty bug and was not feeling well and the littlest this was her first time being with us without her Mom. She did really well I was worried how it was going to be, but she was happy.

The best thing I ever did is buy a treadmill this past summer. 

I love to walk if I have time I could walk all day. I loved to walk to town but seriously it sucks up the whole day and I would never get anything done on those days. 

One thing with the treadmill I don't have to worry about dodging snakes, worms and road kill. I don't have to worry about bears and cougars. I don't have to hit the ditch every once and while because someone doesn't see you or worry about being spread with mud and water from the big trucks. One of the worst moments was a complete dust bath and not being able to see or breath from a low bed.

 Yet even with all of that I do miss the moments of feeling complete, the feeling of an accomplishment and feeling of freedom. 

I walk damn near every day for an hour and at the most two and bit hours ~ any more than that I would no get any work done.

 Since I bought the machine the only days I have not walked on it where when I was in Alaska or visiting our son. The odd day if we were off on day trip or on some days our grandchildren stay longer to visit. I can count under two hands how many days I missed. 

I just put on my head phones super loud and listen to all kinds of music. 

I must teach myself to not feel guilty about doing the walk, it is kind of ingrained in me I need to be constantly working ~ not being idol. So, if I can I will walk during the lunch hour and in the evening after my husband calls it a night. I will also take the dogs to the top of property for a walk. 

One other problem is all this walking makes me damn hungry ~ it's terrible.

Seriously I think everyone should have one. 

Just walk

Go on do it~ it is so good for a soul

Six above and pouring rain in the middle of January, we are having super crazy weather. My daughter had her daycare children out playing in their yard this morning and had all four seasons in an hour. And, here on the farm we have over an ankle-deep amount of water sitting on a foot of snow and it is sure making it icy. The good thing about this mild weather is I am not fighting with ice in the water troughs and the animals can enjoy their time with drinking the water.

Our son is setting up the wildlife camera today we are hoping to see if we can find the reason to what is setting the dogs up. There has been a lot of sightings of cougars, lynx and bobcats in our area. Every time the dogs go crazy at night my stomach drops and I just pray it’s not a wild cat after the sheep. Poor sheep are really, just sitting ducks out there.

My new project is wool felting a rug made with one hundred percent sheep’s wool. I started with wet felting and now have moved onto needle felting. I am using an unbelievable amount of woo land it is a thick squishy mass of wool right now. I love to use fibre of the animals it is such pure, honest way to make items. The animals love to hand over the fibre, they feel lighter and way better and for me to use fibre from an animal that was created for that purpose is a perfect full circle. Win ~ win.

It's raining outside over a good lot of snow which makes ice.

Crazy weather I tell you ~

I read BC mountains are to see the most snow of the entire planet. I wonder if it will happen?

I mentioned our new adventure 

Sheep

Well it is not so new as we have always had sheep and goats but now we will get serious.

Last night I had contacted a lady that I know she has Texel sheep.

 I have acquired some information from her and we will see how lambing goes and I hope to purchase a few Ewes in the Spring. Last night I googled Texel sheep, checked them out. I was enjoying learning more about them when suddenly, the computer decided to shut down right during it all. 

My other source of sheep is going to come from my neighbor across the river she breeds with fibre in mind first then meat. I am quite excited to purchase from her stock as I have always admired her farming, fibre ethnics.

So, we hope to raise twenty-four ewes plus two rams. 

We are in setting money aside mode for the sheep we have a few months to have it arranged. I have family on board for this venture (mainly my husband) usually he doesn't know what I am doing on the farm but since I will need his driving ability, his money and his blessing... I mentioned it to him.

We want to farm but still be able to do somethings take a day to go away or go over night to visit with our children plus we still have a lovely mortgage for a bit. 

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we have it figured out in the next three years so when the bulk of bills is under control (we) my husband can take it a little slower, less crazy hours.

Up and down

Up and down

All kinds of weather!

Our winter has been so weird one minute it is so cold, it like living in a deep freeze. Then we warm up.

Then it snows and then it rains

All I know though all of this we have burned a whole bunch of wood.

Wood is our main source of heat so if we don’t feed the fire we freeze. This keeps us pretty tied to home all winter long someone must be here pretty much 24 -7. Our days seriously consist of feeding the woodstove, to filling the wood box and admiring how nice it looks only to keep burning it and doing all over again. Every weekend is used up by splitting firewood or hauling more home.

There is nothing better than the smell of fresh cut wood the deep pitch smell or the fragrance of a freshly tossed log on the fire.

Our wood stove only gives us tops two and half hours and that is if we are lucky. On cold nights we set the alarm every two hours to make sure we don’t get too cozy under all those blankets.

The whole farm is hooked up on one system underground so if we freeze … the whole farm can too.

This makes for a long winter since the beginning of November I have carry water from the middle of the property to all places it is needed this is to ensure no pipes are freezing from half use.

A steady mild winter would be nice, nothing more than -10 would be ideal.

I can’t even imagine where I have been.

 Life has been so busy, so busy just doing life stuff. I was going to delete this blog but I couldn’t do it.

 I remember writing it in the mornings before I took the kids to the school bus or trying to write something with six different stories being told. I mainly wrote it for my one sister she loved to keep up with what we were doing, reading stories or catching little bits about the kids activities. 

There is spelling mistakes, grammar errors, no sense sentences, loss of train of thought …

 welcome to my life.

 It is one big amazing jumble

I will try to keep up

Honestly the reason why I fell so far behind, so deep

Well

I put a lavender garden in, we made it to over thirteen hundred plants ~ lavender farming is a time sucking, wonderful adventure with absolutely no life and no time for anything else. It is full speed ahead and the only peace, is in the dead of winter. Time will tell how this ventures out.

We are off to start new adventures here on the farm for 2018. Adventures I need to be able to pull off by myself as the children have all grown up and working. And, my poor husband is still taking the lead with horrible hours. I am excited, it will be fun, it will be challenging, I will get creative and make choices.

It will begin with fibre and woolly animals.

Come along for the ride you can click to follow along on the right side of the page.

You can follow along on Facebook at these pages

 Sunflower Farm and Petit Creek Lavender

Also, Instagram is super fun we are @sunflowr

Or add me on snapchat username judy-suzuki

Well Hey this is a test.

 Holy Moly it has been a long time a lot of living has gone on ~ time is crazy

I will just post this and see if it works or not. 

If anyone see's or receives this let me know.