Preparing for the perfect storm...

Here we go again, a storm of epic proportion bringing damage along the way. The past two days have been preparing, covering the greenhouse...

 Lining the deck with buckets to collect water for flushing the toliet,...

 washing dishes and having water for the animals. We learned a lot with last years storms.

 Speaking of which they were a little ancy today, humming a lot more than usual like they sense something.

Everyone got extra covering...

 the hives got big rocks placed on top to keep the tops from blowing off which could be catastrophic!

I know I am tired but Tim, well it speaks for itself. All of us at Coon Hollow Farm wish everyone that is in the path of this storm a safe end to the storm for you and your family.

A finished "Baby Cocoon"

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In my previous post I shared the handspun "Bobble Yarn" and in this post is the finished project! This was made for my brother-in-law's stepson and wife who just had a baby boy. The top part is made with Kid Mohair "Bobbe Yarn" and the base is handspun Alpaca. I left off the ribbons but if it were for a girl I would have embellished it to the hill with pink ribbons! If anyone wants the pattern for this it is available thru http://www.etsy.com/listing/110235172/pattern-for-baby-cocoon-baby-pouch. Sorry I won this pattern on BlogTalk radio but it is available for purchase for just $5.00! What a great gift and I hope they love it!

Spinning Bobble Yarns

 I recently won a video on BlogTalk Radio on how to make a "Baby Cocoon" out of  "Bobble Yarn"...

 but with everything I do, I want to make it my own so I changed it up a little bit...

Instead of using the kid mohair throughout the whole skein, I ran white Alpaca Fiber between the bobbles to make it softer...

and here is the finished skein, I still have to felt the bobbles, which I can post later. It is a gift for a baby project I am working on. It was fun and was a challenge for my creative side too!

Our newest additions...

I got a call from my friend Mickey that these two chicken girls needed a home. They appear to be Red Crosses...

 They belonged to a man's son who was forgetting to close the coop at night, the others were killed and the son shot and killed the raccoon.
In my opinion it was the son who failed here...

They are a bit underweight with their keels sticking out, no breast meat at all. They look healthy but not so much underneath the feathers...

but what I find most disturbing is the practice of cutting the beak. I am absolutely applaud by this. They are settling in and hopefully will find a place in our flock.

A mad dash to harvest!

Yesterday was spent in a mad dash to harvest the garden because we were getting our first hard frost. Even Tim's Topsy Turvy which netted quite a few tomatoes had to be harvested... 

Tim's Topsy Turvy growing Heirlom Tomatoes




Bush String Beans

 

Harvested Oregano



A late season raspberry

Lemon Verbena

Cinnamon Basil

Sweet Basil



Eggplant



Harvested and labeled Oregano



Hanging to dry Oregano

So the harvest is complete and our growing season  is over but we have a bounty of herbs and canned items to get us through the cold months.









The color of the honey year

     I posted a picture of the two honey harvest that I did to compare the different colors some months ago. When I was closing down the hives and preparing them for the cold months ahead I was able to harvest just a small amount of honey (sorry we have none left). I thought I would share the colors, the final harvest is on the right and the color is so lite. This time of year they are mostly visiting plants like Goldenrod and Asters that are light in their pollen and nectar.

Mo knows!

I am just amazed how instinctive animals are, and "Mo" is doing just that this time of year...

 he's doing a lot of lip piercing and showing in anticipation of his date with "the girls"...

He is camped out by the fence where the ewes hang out and throwing them kisses! I love this boy so much, he is gentle, kind and sweet. I have only ever met one other ram like this, my friend Liz's beloved "Harley" who passed last winter but not before he fathered  "Rose" and "Lily". Mo's off spring this year possessed the same sweetness and calmness as well. His daughter "Daisy" is sweet and somewhat silly too! So I guess you can say "mo" is our barometer for days to come...

How they've grown!

The chicks are growing at a rapid rate and are so cute! Look at how tall they are...

They are such a family unit...

Tim built them a nice roost in their coop...

I find it funny how the white ones are so white they are hard to photograph!

 Yesterday was the first time we let them free range with supervision with the adult chickens...

and here are the adult chickens with the babies in the back ground. They are starting to cluck now, you will hear peep peep, cluck cluck. I have the breeds somewhat figured out, still a couple I am not to sure on. Also they are in the process of learning the pecking order. In about 6 weeks they will be laying eggs which will help a lot with the demand on our egg sales!

Alpaca Days Fun!

Alpaca Days 2012 was an incredible success! These young ladies are future Needle Felting artist!

 We had so many visitors, and in this pic they have discovered little "Zoe" our Yorkie...

The shelves in the farmstand were filled to the brim...

with new products I worked on this year, my new signature scent, Goats Milk Honeysuckle and Blood Orange sold out!

The "boys" found great interest in all who visited!

 Old friends and new ones visited as well...

 
 and some friends had their pictures taken...











Our farmstand practically sold out with this lone Vanilla that did sell...

many yarns went to new homes...

and our Needle Felted animals all but sold out. We have no more honey, vanilla, bee pollen, comb honey, eggs, and list goes on. I am back in my work room today working on some new things to add. We want to thank all who came, sat and chatted, asked great questions and hopefully walked away learning something about Sustainable Living and will begin it on some level in their lives.