Early morning luck
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: Michael Sembello "Maniac"
Topic: A bit of everything

On the mornings I sleep late (6 a.m. is late for me!), I wake up to my favorite radio station. This morning, I wake up to hear them talking about their "What Came First?" contest. They give two clues, and you have to guess which item came first (what year). Today's clues were "Little Jeannie" by Elton John and "My Life" by Billy Joel. For those that don't know this, I'm a huge music fan, especially 70's and 80's music. In fact, until I was a senior in high school, I had wanted to be a radio DJ (I changed my mind when I realized that I might actually have to live someplace other than Western MA). Anyway, they give the phone numbers to call, and I dial (I haven't even talked yet this morning, and I'm calling a radio station?!). Amazingly enough, they answer the phone, and ask the question, to which I answer correctly "My Life" (1978 to EJ's 1980 release of "Little Jeannie"). So now I find out that I've won tickets to see Two Pianos Four Hands. I'm thinking "Cool!". And after I give them my info, and hang up, it occures to me that I have a meeting that night, and DH will be out of town on business. Damn! This isn't the first time I've won tickets to an event, and had a conflict of interest. So I've offered the tickets to my brother and SIL, and hopefully they will be able to attend (I can't miss my meeting!).

Still, it is fun to be lucky like that once in a while and win free stuff from the radio stations. :)

What a weekend!
Mood:  chatty
Now Playing: Bobby Darin "Beyond the Sea"
Topic: A bit of everything

It's been incredibly hot and humid here the past few days. So much so that all I really want to do is sit down and read books while the kids play in the pool. I have finished up several books, including my all time favorite, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I've read this book well over 20 times since the first time I read it when I was about 11. I have the movie on tape too. It's been over 15 years since I last read it, yet I pick up something new each time I read it. One thing that is interesting about this book is that you *never* know the narrator's first name. I figured that out the first time I read it. Anyway, if you are looking for some good summer reading, this book is it.

Saturday was our district meeting for IAGARB down at Charlene's house in CT. Charlene is a marvelous hostess (and Ken, her husband, was super sweet watching my boys when my babysitter bailed on me at the last moment). Lynda, Winnie, Christine, Charlene and myself made up the meeting, and we had a blast! Lynda brought down her mittens that she's been making. I have several pictures, but I won't post them here as they will be going into the IAGARB newsletter which is for members only (and I only have her permission to print them there). They are angora/wool, using the pattern from Leslie's book. Lynda is showing such a talent for her mittens; the designs are fantastic! I've never seen such artwork from someone that is so new at designing! She has found a boutique in NH to sell her mittens, and I know she'll be doing quite well. :)

Christine talked to us about insurance and the need for it when you are in business due to the liabilities. She was giving a demo on carding when I left, so unfortunately, I couldn't stay and watch, but it was looking interesting.

Charlene showed us her bunny cam. I guess that made all of us Bunny Voyeurs, as the camera is fixed on Mozel, the doe that Charlene got from me. Mozel is due to have babies on Friday, and started building her nest this past Friday. It was fun watching her get up, check the nest out, and then go back to resting. She's a first time Mom, so it's nice to see such a great nesting instinct.

Yesterday was spent washing a beautiful white Border Leicester fleece I purchased from a friend in RI who raises them. It's looking lovely, and has such great curl! I can't wait to card this with some angora!

Today will be bunny shearing day for me, after I go to the gym. Yes, that's right. I've been going to the gym several times a week to walk on the treadmill. Even though I despise exercising, I do feel a sense of accomplishment after I've finished.

I have a lot of carding to do for this weekend, as I'm attending a friend's party, and she's invited me to bring stuff to sell if people want to buy. So I'll be doing dyeing and carding this week. That is the only good thing about humidity; it keeps the fur from flying too much when carding on the Duncan. :)

They're at it again
Mood:  bright
Now Playing: Def Leppard "Love Bites"

The birds that is.

We are in round two of nesting in the barn. Which means I found another baby bird on the floor last night, still alive, but with no way for me to get it back up into the rafters back into the nest (as if the mother bird would accept it anyway). This always leaves me with the unfortunately job of putting a baby bird down, which I DO NOT LIKE! It is part of having rabbits though, in a barn that isn't completely bird proof, so I just learn how to deal with it.

On a funnier note, I had quite a surprise yesterday. While working at the computer, I heard a noise outside the window to my left. I looked up and saw nothing. A minute later, I heard it again. Once more, I saw nothing but figured that the window fan was probably dying. So I go back to typing. Then I hear the noise *very* plainly in front of me and I look up to see a large white cow with it's nose pressed up against the screen of the front window! Needless to say, it just about scared the living daylights out of me. Now, I do live in a farming area, but the closest cows to my house are 1/4 mile down the road, and I've never seen one of them loose in all the years I've lived here. It would have to go through several back yards, plus a conservation area to get here. But apparently, she did. So I called 911. That call went something like this:

911 Operator: "911. Where is your emergency?"
Me: (I give them my address).
911 Operator: "What is your emergency?"
Me: "I have a cow in my front yard staring in my window!".
911 Operator: (laughing hysterically) "A cow?"
Me: "Yeah, I know. It sounds stupid, but there is a large white cow in my front yard, loose."
911 Operator: (still laughing) O.k. We'll send someone right down to get it".

O.k. so it took 25 minutes for the animal control officer to show up. In the meantime, the cow circled my property several times (and freaked out the rabbits with her loud mooing!), and then headed back up the road towards her property. I'm thinking that she's headed back to the farm, but noooooo, she has to cross the road (which thankfully didn't happen in front of my house as it is a blind hill, and someone surely would have been badly injured or killed had they drove their car into the cow), and head up into the woods on the mountain. Great.

By the time the ACO showed up, the cow was in the woods and nowhere to be seen. So the ACO went down to the farm to see if the farmer was missing any cows. That is the last I heard about it. But it was exciting for my kids, and they were hoping she would come back (I wasn't!). I have nothing against cows; I think they are pretty cool, but these are a kind of beef cow, and extremely large. Plus, I didn't know if she was ticked off or just lost. And I wasn't about to find out. I did attempt to keep her in the yard, so that she didn't go out into the street, but without a harness on her, the best I could do was keep an eye on her and watch where she was going.

That was my excitement for the day. :)

As promised.....
Mood:  a-ok

       
Another Day at Bay Colony Farm

Pictures as promised!

Yeah, I'm still recovering from the hell I've put myself through for 16 weeks. But I'm feeling like I'm getting back to normal, and taking some time out of things for myself, including hanging out with friends, like I should. Infact, my best friend Kristen (whom I've known for 18 years!) and I have plans to go out on Friday evening. Things are never dull with her around. :)

I'm taking a few days off
Mood:  sharp
Now Playing: Robyn "Show Me Love"
Topic: Whine

from blogging and the internet in general. I've just finished one of the busiest times of my entire life, and well, to put it bluntly, I'm just damn tired. I need some "me" time, and to get my household back into order. Having had 16 continuous weeks (and weekends!) of work, committee meetings, fiber events and classes, I need to just back off from things for a few days and spend some family time.

So forgive me for backing out right now, but I promise that on Monday, things will be back to normal here. :)

And for those that care; the concert on Wednesday night was fantastic and I've got some great photos to upload when I get a chance! :-D

The Contest!
Mood:  party time!
Now Playing: Def Leppard
Topic: Contest
I'm extending the voting to July 10th! I've been so busy lately, that approving new members has lagged way behind on the Bay Colony Farm Yahoogroup.

So, please click here to join and cast your vote. It is the only way to vote; I can't take personal e-mail ballots right now as I'm getting too much e-mail to keep track. :) Don't worry; it is a low traffic list, and I won't ever use your e-mail to sell to others.



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I'm off tonight to see Def Leppard and Bryan Adams.

The voting
Mood:  party time!
Now Playing: Elton John "Island Girl"
Topic: Contest
If you are concerned about joining another e-mail list, I want to reassure you that the Bay Colony Farm group is a very low traffic list. I set it up to let people know about classes we are hosting and shows that we will be attending. So if you were worried about joining another list where there was lots of chat about things other than fiber, rest assure that that doesn't really happen on my list. :)

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I won't be around much this weekend and probably won't be posting here. I'm preparing for a July 4th event and it's crunch time now. So for my U.S. readers, I'm wishing you a very happy and safe July 4th weekend! And for the rest of you that aren't celebrating, I hope you all get a lot of fiber time in this weekend, and lots of time to relax! ;-)

The Contest Voting Begins!
Mood:  bright
Now Playing: Seal "Kiss From A Rose"
Topic: Contest
O.k. everyone. Here they are. Pick your top three. Then go over to the Baycolonyfarm@yahoogroups website (you must be a member to vote!) and click on Polls. The poll will be open until July 5th. I've extended the voting time to allow the most votes.

Out of those members that vote, I will pick a random name, and that person will receive a small gift from me too.

Remember; the winning colorway will be named after the creator and debuted this fall at a fiber show!

1. Name: Chemical Sunset
Colors: Ranging from purple to pink to orange to yellow. There are also
blues (the sky, of course) and other colors in the mix sometimes. The purple
and pink are quite vibrant. The orange is a bit reddish but soft. The yellow
is pretty pale and soft as well."

2. Pumpkin Seaglass
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL18/609106/3222999/101434797.jpg

3. Keylime seaglass
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL18/609106/3222999/101434782.jpg

4. Cranberry seaglass
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL18/609106/3222999/101434773.jpg

5. Amethyst seaglass
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL18/609106/3222999/101434762.jpg

6. Honey seaglass
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL18/609106/3222999/101434778.jpg

7. Sandpiper
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL18/609106/3222999/101435653.jpg

8. Plover
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL18/609106/3222999/101435666.jpg

9. Blue Heron
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL18/609106/3222999/101435676.jpg

10. Atlantic Puffin
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL18/609106/3222999/101435684.jpg

11. The colors I choose are dark red and gold. The name for this colorway is Chinese Money.

12. How about a copper/orange /deep yellow called Iced Tea w/Lemon

13. Or a reddish orange/brighter orange/light orange called DayLily?

14. Ocean Drive at Night:
The colors are transformed into their bright, vivid, almost neon counterparts. Its all about nightlife and having fun. think 1980's Miami vice. All the hotels are lit up with bright teal, HOT PINK. bright blue. possibly on a black background. maybe bright kelly green.
http://www.magicalphotos.com/southbeach/
http://p.vtourist.com/1947003-Ocean_Drive_lights_by_night-Miami_Beach.jpg

15. Ocean Drive by day:
The colors are of the beach and the historic art deco hotels. Its a serene feeling of days gone by and men in seersucker. you'd have sandy beige, light sky blue, coral pink, and light teal. Possibly some dark leaf green as an accent color (palm trees!!) colors are soft in tone, but not quite pastel.
www.roundamerica.com/ trip/journal/day6.htm
http://www.vazyvite.com/photo_us/floride/oceandrive_nuit.jpg
http://hotel.undercovertourist.com/hotel-images/l/MIA_cavalier_0.jpg
http://www.civila.com/comun/galeria/usa/Miami/artdeco/default.asp
http://www.lesoleildelafloride.com/fr/tout_temps/art%20deco.jpg

16. I have a submission for the contest. It should look like the color of storm clouds that you see off in the distance on a hot summers day. Heavy clouds that are thick with threatening rain. A grey color with some blue and maybe even purple thrown in. It is a very dark yet dramatic color. I like seeing them because it usually means we will get some rain that will cool everything off. But then again I like rain. :-) It is called "Stormy sky".

17. The first is a blend of red, white and blue. It should be called "Patriot" or "Independence day".

18. The second popped into my head because I am surrounded by this colorway in my home. It is a blend of (black or grey), brown and green. I would call this "Hunting season" or "Camo" :-)

19. If you use two different greens instead of the black or grey and add brown it is the camo color of the military. (well it was when I served anyhow) For that blend I would use the name "Warrior" or "Camo" also.

20. Ist colourway is Mediterranean - there is an exquisite crystalline clarity to the sea around Tropea - all blues, greens and aqua's. Once you dive beneath there are tiny electric purple fish that catch the sun and dart about. I am attaching a picture called tropeamareacqua which gives you an idea of the blues and greens (but not the purple). I envisage a wonderfully vibrant mix of blues and greens with a hint of bright purple (which could be angelina or silk, but also could be angora or wool).

21. The second colourway is Stromboli. The Aeolian Islands appear to be so close you could almost touch them, especially Stromboli- an extraordinary active volcano which looms out of the ocean. My heart leaps when i see it as i know that i am finally back when i see the sun setting behind Stromboli. The ocean turns an incredible shade of purple- with lilacs and blues running though it, and the sky ranges from flame orange though persimmon and apricot into wonderful pink shades (like the prickly pear fruit on the hillsides) and finally palest pink.

22. I have a suggestion. Go to this blog and scroll down to the photo of the sunset over the lake and mountains.
http://www.sandysknitting.com/archives/2004/July.html
Okay, that is sort of what I am going for. Thing is, in real life it is all a little brighter, but not TOO bright. The blue of the late afternoon/early evening summer sky against the green in the trees and the darker blue/green of the water and the reflection in the lake of the trees, and the pink of the pollution and heat in the air (I know, not very romantic, but you know what I mean).

23. Iris Garden; shades of pink, plum, magenta, turquoise and lime green

24. Name: New England Sunset
Colors: Dusky gray-blue, lighter gray blue, dark fuschia pink, dark
(but bright) orange, silvery gray.

25. Mudslay State Park:
Orange a lighter shade citrus orange, a slightly darker orange like the shade of brown eyed suzy and then throw in a little purple. Like the color of purple and dark yellow pansies. Maybe throw in some yellow to compliment. Perhaps a light purple.



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Ready, set, VOTE!

The Contest....
Mood:  rushed
Now Playing: Boston "Rock & Roll Band"
Topic: Contest

Is closed to new entries.

However, due to circumstances beyond my control, I've been home only an hour today, and I'm leave in another 45 minutes, with which I will be out all evening.

So, the chance of me getting all the entries listed on the blog are slim-to-none today.

But, that is a major priority tomorrow.

Please stay tuned!

Just wait till you see (or envision!) the eye candy that the readers have entered! I'm impressed!

:-D

The Last Day of
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Marvin Gaye "How Sweet It Is"
Topic: Contest
The CONTEST!

Entries are due by midnight tonight. You can either post them on the blog, or e-mail them to me at Baycolonyfarm@aol.com .