A Woolly Few Days

We've had so much fun visiting with Johanna, our wonderful sheep shearer from Langley. I got to drive around the district with her and meet lots of nice sheep and people. Nothing like the smell of a freshly shorn fleece !

Emerging From The Batt Cave

I'm planning on coming out in time for the Vancouver Island Fibre Festival tomorrow.
Been carding wool like crazy !

Amazing Colour

........from Wolf Moss lichen.

Here is the pot of lichen.

and this is the spectacular colour that came from it.

 I took this picture without a flash and didn't enhance it.

Isn't nature wonderful ?

Skeins

I love to see the skeins of Canada Geese flying over our house heading north to their breeding grounds.

Why ?
1. because they are called SKEINS, which for a hopeless fibre addict, has got to be good !
2. because they remind me of little stitches in the sky.
3. because it is a sign that Spring is here.

YAY geese !!

Pictures from our walk today

The Flowering Redcurrants are lovely at the moment, along with these mystery berries and a perfect Salmonberry blossom.

Phew ! we're done.

Marmite was the last ewe left to lamb and she gave us this lovely little girl this morning.
Her name is Violet. It is always a great feeling when all the lambs have arrived and Mums and babes are all doing great.

Life And Death Drama

This morning as we were eating breakfast there was that sickening thud of a bird hitting the living room window. When I investigated, sure enough there was a stunned, badly injured dove who crawled and hid in the undergrowth.
Unfortunately for the dove this small hawk was in pursuit. Despite it's small size the hawk managed to drag the dove a few feet and that was it I'm afraid, game over for the dove.
I didn't want to post a photo of the carnage for fear of upsetting sensitive readers but here is the hawk.
Using the i bird app on the ipad we have (hopefully correctly) identified the hawk as a Merlin. Pretty amazing to see !

Meanwhile.....
In the barn Cashew gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, Tom and Edith, (continuing the Downton theme). The miracle of life never ceases to amaze.