Saturday, December 4, 2010

twirling thru my world...lost then found, then lost.... then found...then

Reality TV, I don't understand the interest. I find I spend most of my days 'lost' in the world I created, then when I tumble into bed at night I am amazed I have 'found' myself - just in time to get a good night sleep then awake to being 'lost' all over again. I keep telling myself - it is the journey - even when the journey takes me around and around and around in my own world. So where have I been - it has been a number of days since I have written. Let me look into my time tracker which is my 'iCal', my MAC calendar program and see where I have been. Last blog was Oct 30.

The Photo and Poster was my job for this event.

November 5, 6, and 7,  the Central Coast Weavers of which I belong, had our Holiday Show and Sale. It was very good with over 40 of us selling our products. There was woven, knitted, felted, hand spun and more. There was hand made soaps, toys, buttons, saddle blankets, jackets, shawls, jewelry, sweaters, art pieces and more. I had about 25 items for sale and then I did some spindle spinning in the demonstration area on my spindle. I also did some spinning on a Great Wheel or Walking Wheel. This Wheel was made sometime in the 1700-1800's. I am a very beginner on it but it is truly fascinating to think of the life a wheel like this has traveled to get in one  piece to the year 2010. Fires, floods, heat, neglect - and it still spins wonderfully. I need to challenge myself to work with it more. This wheel belongs to Kay and Rosemary Thorne of which are the owners of the Strawbale Barn, which  was the location the Weaving show was. This is a super event so mark your calendars for next year - the first full weekend in November, I will meet you there!



This is one of my "Simple Elegance" Shawls, for sale.



I have to share some fall photos with you. At our Ranch we don't get a lot of RED or ORANGE in the fall. Yet I do go looking for them so let me show you some. 
Leaves of our 'Autumn Maple'.
One of 3 pumpkins that made it.The wild, ya right, turkeys got the rest of this
years pumpkins. I did make two different pumpkin soups and a batch of
pumpkin cookies from these 3 however. They are good eating. 
These are some of last years, which was 'before' the turkeys moved in.
We have had rain to green up the hills already, and had 28 degrees
a few mornings yet the Valley Oaks are holding on to their leaves. A
great crop of acorns this year! Those are my horses, Spice and Shane.
So then there was the Olives. A few years back I wanted to plant olive trees. A neighbor and friend, Ann, said just pick mine. She has 10 trees that are over 40 years old on her property.  Ann told me and Celeste, another friend and neighbor what to do and which to pick. So after going out and picking two different times - what fun! I had olives in lye, olives in water, olives in salt brim and olives hanging in a bag with salt from my barn rafters. The house was covered in olives. Now I have gallons of olives in the refrigerator in finishing brim, and olives still hanging in the barn in salt and olives in my tummy - yummy! I have olive curing directions everywhere. And Celeste is sure I will kill us with these olives. Well - if I have to go - the olives were and are great!

Just some of the pounds & pounds of olives I picked and cured.

The goats are growing fleeces. I didn't get them all sheared so the first warm week this winter - oh sure, I will 'think' about shearing, otherwise they are happy and warm in their fleeces. And it has been cold already this winter. Remember I am a Californian living 30 miles from the coast, so 28 is cold for me. I grew up in the San Joaquin Valley were cold was 31 and there was a grand total of 7 inches of rain a year. So far we have had 4 inches of rain with more to come this weekend. We should have about 24 inches total for a good rain year.

And now for the Graphics. I have a job helping a Wine grape grower in Cambria with labels, business cards and a website - and much thanks to my friend Lise' - who handed that job on to me. It has been a fun job. One day I did a photo shoot of the Syrah grapes being picked. Here are just a few of those grapes. What a pretty day and a fruitful vineyard. 

The pickers haven't gotten to these vines yet,
but they will before the day is over.

And they taste good off the vine!
This load is ready to become Wine. 
After the picking, (and for me, the photos were taken - got over 300 I like!) we got to take home a bottle and boy was it good! A 2007 bottle of "Syrah" from Boulder Ridge Wines in Cambria CA. Look for it! I will post where and when it can be bought in a later blog. Very good wine. Was a fun day, like taking a trip without leaving the county.

Well I think I will stop here - and hope to report back much sooner with the next blog. Stay warm, keep the fire going - eek - I better get to that job... bye!