Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Psalm 29:2
This beautiful boy has greatly enriched our homestead. He comes from an extremely loving, natural- rearing focused home (Thank you, Miss Alison) and he has amazingly soft, silky (not cottony) and dense fiber! That excellent start on life makes him especially easy to care for...He can consume vast amounts of greens happily, with only positive effects and is always full of energy! He is the first we've found from another home with this vigor and fiber and he confirms why we strive to raise ours the same. It also shows why smaller numbers can mean more attentiveness to care and higher quality fiber. This continues to be a month of affirmations and support to further hone the focus of our homestead and we're pleased to share such a beautiful example!
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The seeds of pumpkins have long been known to be a natural *vermifuge. Each year we harvest as much as we can from a local farm and use it as a wonderful, dual purpose feed additive for our animals. Just as the flesh and seeds are tasty to us, they are relished by the animals (the rabbits, not so much.) and this huge stock pile that filled our trailer and truck bed has already been consumed. Even the farmer didn't know the benefits of this simple feed, having grown them for commercial use for many years. This is an old practice that has been lost through the years, but it cements the necessity of planting them not only for ourselves, but the animals too. *Vermifuge: n. [L. vermis, a worm, and fugo, to expel.] A medicine or substance that destroys or expels worms from animal bodies; an anthelmintic. American Dictionary of the English Language By Noah Webster 1828 Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. Job 40:20 Yay! You can see the variables we encountered with our natural dyeing trials we first mentioned here. We used a beautiful Blue Faced Leicester (pronounced "Lester") and a lustrous Bombyx Silk we'd sourced from vendors in the past (Sorry, don't have the info. to share.) . We used vinegar with each of the dye baths, but also included a copper scrub pad as mordant with all but the 'Golden' Lichen batch. The herbs were harvest fresh from our property or the neighbor's (lichens) with no chemicals used in their growth...all except the Tumeric and onion peels - those were from Azure Standard. Our experience only served to challenge our creativity and consider other plants on the property - and others to plant next year. We've been harvesting mosses and other lichens that the winds are bringing down and with further reading we're learning about the color potential of some of the bark and leaves on our property. Reading a biography of George Washington Carver only further stirs our imagination, considering every God-given color around us. If Mr. Carver could create dyes with peanuts, sweet potatoes and clays...we'll certainly enjoy the outcome of our many plant experiments. Another pleasing outcome has been learning the herbal dyes leave a naturally sweet odor in the fiber. Like fresh air after a cleansing rain... I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting system through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune Him in. - George Washington Carver This weekend we met so many more wonderful fiber enthusiasts; several just beginning the adventure of raising angoras for their gorgeous, warm fiber. We had some of our angoras with us to share and many were surprised to learn we don't feed them the typical pellets found in the feed store - especially after seeing their fiber quality and robust health. Happy, Healthy, Snuggly Rabbits! Look for all of the Blue highlighted* areas of today's text, they will link you to further areas of study.... Oh, how the ladies love their babies! As a Mom that valued the special bonding time of nursing her children, I remember well how humming was a way to soothe both of us as we rocked or rested during that special time. Our Heavenly Father has made the animals to enjoy that time with their offspring too! Did you know that when pigs nurse, they do a little 'hog humming' for their babies? It's true! It is a treat to experience and see how the Lord perfectly designed these amazing animals in so many ways. They can be trained like dogs, loved to be rubbed like a dog and will even enjoy tug of war with a stick or chase with it! It's hilarious! MOST IMPORTANTLY: they protect their babies!!!!! No one will dare take on a Momma pig! Another Trickle Creek Peek... These hardy and beautiful plants not only bring native color to your homestead, but offer a rich reward after the blossom has faded. Rosa Rugosa's very large rose hip is rich in natural vitamin C that is easily assimilated, especially when you extract the properties in tinctures and teas as we do. Yes, it's healthy contribution is a primary reason to have this plant but additionally, situated in an intimidating hedge formation, it's prickly thorns will create a menacing barrier not easily breached by potential predators. For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. Isaiah 18:4 This is Miss Bean. She was a house rabbit with an indoor family that wanted her to have more fun time than they could give, because of life circumstances. She liked being inside but once she realized there were other rabbits around the homestead, she started getting aggressive toward our cat. She wanted to be around every rabbit that came in for grooming and we realized she wanted to be out with the rest of the warren. As rabbits are happiest when bred, she took up her charge like a seasoned pro and happily brought 5 little ones into the world without a challenge. She kept all of her large litter (for her breed/size) , has cared for them like a champ and is happy to be a Momma. You'll notice all the baby's ears are erect (or stand up), while hers lop (or droop)...They will not stay that way. Their Dad was a lop too and as they get older their ears will develop that beautiful droop... The spotting gene gives them such beautiful colors and their faces, a bit more scrunched than angoras, make them as cute as buttons! They are so soft! Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. Psalm 40:16 We so thoroughly enjoyed all the aspects of the Evergreen State Fair and Mom took a lot of pictures. We have been busy with school, as well as washing and dyeing fiber to prep for the upcoming change of seasons and events.... To coordinate with our current tasks, we want to share with you peeks at pioneer kitchens, schools and crafts; thanks to the stuffed-to-the-brim museum, rich with historical artifacts. Another Trickle Creek Peek! That's Bruce the Gander Goose and Lucy the Goosey Girl on Trickle Creek. These fowl are a helpful addition to our homestead, warning predators to keep their distance and letting us know if anything out-of-the-ordinary is happening during the day. They have established a safety zone they guard carefully if the hound comes near, but have never been aggressive to even the littlest visitors. They honk, yes, but also make soft cooing noises to let the ducklings know they're around - even though they're not their parents. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. One of the things important to complete before winter is cleaning and storing your wool. The first steps for wool processing are shearing it from the animal and once it's off, skirting or removing the filthiest parts of the wool from what you'll retain. This year we have over 20 lbs of alpaca fiber most from a friend that has asked us to clean, spin and knit/crochet into gifts for her family. Fiber prep from animals that enjoy rolling in the dirt and rustling through bushes can be a lengthy task and our first step is to remove as much of that dust, dirt, vegetation and second cuts (those shorter pieces that are accidentally cut twice and too short to use) from the fiber before we wash it. For several who have been asking about our fiber availability and yearning for their very own angora rabbit, it's time to get excited! We have just confirmed an exclusive event for you to harvest your own bushel of fiber fantasy supplies for your fall and winter projects. For those not spinning yet, it's not just fabulous fiber, it's natural soaps, it's luscious yarns, it's custom chainsaw carvings, it's beautiful angora rabbits, it's amazing clay creations, it's fun felting kits and SO MUCH MORE! It's a Harvest of Handcrafts from several happy vendors sharing their talents and time with those attending from Noon to 5 pm on Sunday, October 26, this year!
The Bees are home and the first step was to put them in our top bar hive. They did well, but we believe the heat may have made them decide to swarm again. At that time, we were able to water them down, cool them off and convince them to stay....for a bit! As you see, even in another swarm, they aren't hurting the hand in the midst of their family - they have one goal and their bellies are full. Please remember a swarm of honey bees (all female, but a few drones for breeding) is never something to fear, instead they are just looking to expand their family. You have to hurt an individual bee for it to sting you - that bee will die after it does and they work to avoid it. These are FAR different than hornets or wasps... We were working on tidying things about the homestead and came inside for a reprieve from the heat. ~I do believe this has been the longest duration of heat we've had since I can remember!~ A message had just been left and it was Miss Patty asking if we or anyone we knew could extract a swarm of honey bees that were making the Farmer's Market vendors a bit nervous. |
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