More Snow

Well, its snowing again here in the Shenandoah County. What really stinks is we are still trudging through the snow from last weekends storm. I guess December is our month for snow. Maybe we will have that White Christmas that Bing Crosby is always dreaming of. 

The Chickens up on the hill are not loving this snow at all. They just stick their head through the door, and eat the snow, but they wont go out in it. Yesterday they had managed to get a spot in front of the door melted and cleared with all of their pecking, and about 6 of them were trying to stand on this tiny patch of mud all at the same time. It was pretty good. I'm thinking that maybe tomorrow if all of this snow has stopped, I may go up there with the snow shovel and make them a clear spot to play in outside.

I think today is going to be spent working on finishing up a rather large crochet order that's going to California. I'm hoping to get it in the mail on Monday. I figure the roads will all be plowed and clear and I'll be able to get out.  If I get all of my crocheting done today, I think tomorrow I'll work on a quilted purse that I want to try out. Its out of my scrap therapy book.

Well that's it from snowy Woodstock Virginia!!!! Keep warm and safe!!!

Easy crochet Christmas wreath

Let me start by saying that this isn't my pattern. I don't know who wrote it, but its from a live crochet along that I did on face book.

The first thing you will need is a wire hanger bent into a circle, a J hook, and some worsted weight yarn in your choice of color. I used Red Heart super saver in hunter green.

The first round you single crochet all the way around the hanger until you cannot see any of the hanger.

The second round double crochet 3 times in each single crochet. This will make it full and ruffled.

Now the last row, do a half double crochet and then chain 3 in each stitch. It will give it a nice leafy look. Once you get all the way around finish off.

So this leaves you with a nice blank canvas to decorate.  I took ornaments off of my tree and attached them to mine.

This works up nicely, and you can have it done and hanging up in no time. I can also imagine that if you do it in other colors, you could do one for every holiday.

Snow day

So, when you have a little farm, what do you do when its snowing like mad??? You trudge on through it. Chickens, and dogs still have to be fed and watered...but sometimes we add some extra stuff for fun. Do a little baking, work in scrap quilt stuff, put up the Christmas tree.

I wrote a recipe for apple butter cake. I need to do another run through on it, and then I plan on posting it for your baking pleasure. My darling husband has given his approval and has dug right in.

Getting there

So, you guys remember 7 weeks ago when we hatched out our very first batch of chicks??? Well here they are, out of the coops, and integrated with the big grown up chickens.

I was a bit nervous after our first attempt at putting them together, but today went so much better. We had hung a head of cabbage, and put out a 20 lb. Forage block as distractions. Everything went great. Yes, there was some pecking, but that was to be expected. After all, the pecking order must be maintained.  Everything was awesome though. Now we just have to figure out how many are hens, and how many are roos.

In just 2 weeks, we will be moving the rest of the chicks outside. I'll be so glad to be done with raising chicks in the house for the winter. I'm thinking maybe we will just stick with chicks in the spring/summer and keep them outside.

all together now!!!!

Oh happy days!!!! Our first batch of chicks that hatched out (7 weeks ago tomorrow) are now out of the coops, and running with the big chickens!!! We really went to town bribing the big chickens so that they wouldn't mind the little guys so very much.  There was some pecking, a bit of squawking, some running, but all in all, everybody is ok, and happy. I can tell those 7 chicks are happy to be out of that coop and have plenty of room to run and move now. 

We have formed a plan for the remaining 15 chicks that are here in the house as well. We want to let the youngest ones get their feathers, so in about 2 weeks, the last of our babies will be in the chicken house. I can't even begin to tell you all just how happy I'm going to be not to have any more live stock in the house.

We've had to make our plans carefully for moving these guys up to the chicken house, because we really are getting into colder weather.  (although you can't really tell too awful much by the fact that it got up into the 60's here today) We've done pretty good not loosing chicks, and I'm hoping to be able to keep that going.

Neighborly

One of my neighbors recently had surgery. I've got to admit, she's one of my most favorite neighbors too. She also makes candles and gift baskets, and we've gotten into buying from each other, she'll buy my crochet work, and I buy candles and gift baskets. Its a win-win situation.  We can get unique gifts for our family members that way.  Well anyways, I took her over a few pick me up gifts today, because I just love her. I took her some Fresh eggs, crochet dish cloths, and some home made apple butter. these are all things I made here at my house...well my chickens made the eggs, but I got to thinking about it, and I was like wow, I wonder if that's how they gifted back before stores were common, and gifts weren't something you just ran out and bought. It was kind of a neat feeling to realize that hey, I can do stuff.

I've spent a good deal of the evening working on a crochet order that's going to California.  I'm hoping to have that order finished by Thursday. I don't have any patterns, so I'm doing them based on the pictures. I love a good challenge.

Well, I guess the night is calling for me to settle in and get off of this lap top now. I've been sitting for far too long!!! Hope everybody is having a great week so far!!!

December

Its the first day of December, which means Christmas is literally just a few weeks away. I am so not ready at all for this. I still haven't decided if  I'm going to put my Christmas tree up or not this year. It feels like its been such a very busy year. I've gone to new doctors, we've started up the chickens, I've been expanding my worm farm through them breeding. We lost a pet that was more family than pet. I've done new things with my crocheting, tried new recipes, started this blog. We've done repair work to our house, and just so very many things. 

I don't have any pictures ready for you all today, but I'll have some pictures coming soon!!!