Chicks 2013

This year’s chicks are here- and off to a great start!

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{KCCO/Yarn Along} Finally….Ezra’s Finished Pullover

Strange how some projects fly off the needles while others take far longer than I initially thought. A couple weeks ago I finally finished Ezra’s pullover, the one I thought would be done for Thanksgiving, then by winter Solstice, then by his birthday…. My slow progress didn’t faze Ezra though. He still loves his sweater and since it’s in fingering weight yarn it’s still cool enough for the warmer temperatures. The only downside is that warmer temps means that Megan is shedding- everywhere!- and the black yarn seems to attract it.

His pullover is pattern  #12 Boy’s Pullover from Knit Simple Magazine, Spring/Summer Issue 2010, in size 4, minus the collar.  This one is knit in pieces and sewn together. See my ravelry page here.

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KCCO and Yarn Along

Hanging Out On a Tractor

 

As The Barn Comes Down

Earlier this week the boys and I took another trip back home, this time to install a  package of bees. The weather was fabulous (at least while I was working with the bees, not so much for the drive); the leaves were finally budding out and everything was starting to look green.

Photo by my Mom

Photo by my Mom

  Finally, I was able to see what progress had been made on the barn. Amazing! It’s really coming along. See The Parker Dexter Barn for lots of photos of how the barn used to look and the first stages of barn removal. There’s also this postcard of the barn Long Ago.

Here’s the barn in it’s current, nearly skeletal state:

The barn removal is progressing nicely; the bees are in their hive…

it’s finally spring! I think I can safely say we are all pleased.

Photo by my Mom

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{this moment}

Joining Soulemama in {this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

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{this moment} Gone Fishin’

Joining Soulemama in {this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

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First Signs of Spring

The first signs of spring are everywhere- mud, ladybugs, flowers, eggs, longer days outdoors and maple syrup!

Over the Weekend

Last week Struggling_along brought me home a surprise – a stack of metal syruping buckets with lids and spiles! It was like Christmas. I had resigned myself long ago that metal buckets were too expensive. Luckily Struggling_along just happened to be at the feed store at the right moment (ordering this year’s chicks) and he was able to snatch up the last of these previously used buckets sold by a man getting out of the business. Score!

And it was perfectly timed too as this weekend it finally warmed up, and even rained!

We went from this:

To this:

It’s finally starting to look like spring is on it’s away around here.

So the boys and I went around identifying our maples and fighting over who got to drill which tree and whether the person who drilled also got to use the hammer to tap the spile in. There was also much sap sampling- straight from the tap of course.

Since then I can’t count the number of times we’ve crossed the field to check on the sap levels. We have 4 buckets on each side of the field. It’s quite the journey across because it’s a ways, plus, every step has to be taken with caution. Sometimes the crust holds us up, or we may sink an inch or two, but the next step may send us suddenly lurching forward, sinking us down past  our knees and potentially onto our faces, or alternatively, stuck like a turtle on our backs. It’s all good fun though.

So yesterday Ishi and I went around and collected the sap.

The first buckets didn’t have too much sap yet. I use my own methods to boil the sap down; it takes a while, so I don’t want build up too much in sap storage.

The trees on the other side of the field held a surprise for us-

our first full bucket. Those buckets are deceptive – they hold a lot! It just about filled my 5 gallon pail and with the little bit from the other buckets I had a slow return journey trying not to slosh sap over the sides of the pail.

Boiling it down has begun. Here’s to a great season- and syrup on waffles!

Here are some links to last year’s sap collecting posts back in Maine, using our previous collection method. An informational how to: Sap to Syrup  and photos: Tapping the Trees: A Short Photo Essay.

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{this moment} A Day for Dr. Suess

Joining Soulemama in {this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

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A Quilt for Me {KCCO}

I started this quilt last year, or maybe it was the year before. Piecing and then quilting each square has certainly taken a while but I really like where it’s heading. Some of the fabric is salvaged from old clothes,some were scrap pieces from friends and a few I even brought, but all of them are favorites. I had a blue and white quilt from my mother for ages.I can’t even remember when I first had the quilt but despite my attempts to patch it said quilt has disintegrated into rags. Hence this one.

The best part isn’t that I’ll have a new quilt; the best part is the making. Whether it’s picking out fabric or deciding where to place each square we’re making it. The boys are eager to lend their opinions and being the guy who lifts and lowers the sewing machine’s foot as we rotate the square to quilt  it is awesome. Plus, it’s like magic.

Twenty squares down. I’m not really sure how many more we’ll go. I’d love a large blanket -like queen sized- but that’s also pretty huge! We’ll see, after all it’s all in the making.

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