Respite From the Storm

Clear and cold this morning. Thermometer showed a notch or two under 10 at the lowest. But the billowy snow is bright against a blue sky and it's Alaska-pretty. I put warm water and food in the duck house and left the door open but the girls hunkered down in a sunny spot and didn't bolt out like they usually do. The sheep wandered up to the barn for hay. There is one trail in the snow from the spruce tree to the barn. They aren't enjoying the weather any more than the rest of us. Our ranch neighbors thoughtfully plowed the driveway yesterday and I was going to walk Hattie down to the road but she was lifting paws in pain. She would have liked snow booties I think. A few more inches of snow is in today's forecast and potential for another foot Tuesday or Wednesday.

Snowmagedden

Snow is still coming down steadily this morning. It was close to knee deep getting to the shed with drifts well over my knees.

I left the ducks in their house last night and had to dig them out.  This much snow is so unusual here that we don't even have a snow shovel, but a leaf rake works in a pinch when the snow is light. The girls were cozy and comfortable when I opened the door. They're sharing meals with the wild birds now so I leave extra food for them. Towhees and white crowned sparrows mostly. They all appreciate warm water, too. Here are the girls waiting for Bob to finish clearing out an area next to their house. The snow is deep and dense enough they sort of float on top.

The boys were finishing up last night's uneaten hay so I topped it off and said my hellos with a few cheek rubs. Crusty snow clung to their backs and the barn was clean so they must have spent the night under the blue spruce.

I wasn't about to try getting down to it with the wagon for a clean up. That chore will have to wait.

Meanwhile Hattie focused her attention on the boys from outside the barn. She's not too happy with this interruption of her herding time.

Tux dug in by the trees while we worked, happy to stay out all day if she had her way. She's clearly becoming dotty in old age.

Snowpocalypse

It's been snowing all day. Like an Alaska snowstorm. And now the wind is blowing. I went out to check on the ducks. It is so deep I feared they were buried somewhere not to be found until it all melts. What a relief to spot them plowing through, little heads floating above the snow. I'm trying to decide if they need to be put in the greenhouse overnight in case the drifting snow covers their house. 

This was about 9 am, the boys hoping we will come and rescue them. They finally gave up and retired to shelter under the blue spruce. They are fair weather sheep.

Below is about half an hour later.

And a few hours more snow accumulation.

These two show the scene from the front door with a few hours between. It's coming down about 2 inches an hour.

Here is something cheerful to end with.

Winter White

Snow fell last night. I look forward to it melting. I think the ducks would agree. They are huddled under the little madrone next to their house, close to food and water so they don't have to wade through inches of snow to get to them. One of the girls was limping, a cold foot. I spread hay under the madrone to provide insulation for their feet. For whatever reason they won't go into their straw filled house until night so that is the best I can do. Even the boys are spending the day huddled under a tree to keep out of the biting wind.

This print. It's Hattie and me (not really, but the dog does have Hattie's markings). I've been admiring it online for a long time and finally bought it. The framing cost more than twice the print but was beautifully done at a shop in Port Angeles. The colors of the photo aren't quite true, but close enough. It's the pose, a moment of silent communication before working the sheep, the connection between woman and dog very simply expressed in this picture that moves me. 

Sheep Things

This is an interesting development. It appears we're creating a new line of sheep: the blackface Katahdin. Boots is an advanced case and Gimpy, to his right, a bit less.

I suspect they are eating hay that falls under the feeder and getting discolored by rubbing the bottom of the aluminum feeder. It doesn't wipe off and Boots is not about to cooperate for a face washing. Best case, this will be a winter phenomenon and the black will wear off when the grazing gets better. Silly sheep.

Timmi has become a demanding little thing pulling at my clothes, boots and gloves. He wants his hay and he wants it now! Here he is going for my pocket.

Mocha is more of a gentleman and waits patiently for hugs and neck rubs. The hay can wait.

Hooper's Day

Remembering my girl Hooper and our years together in the desert.

Old Trails

Happy Accident

I was disappointed with the glaze on these cups and was going to toss them in the Bad Bin. It's Crazed Copper outside with Oatmeal liner inside on Desert Gold clay. The glazes are too thin and it all looked sort of blah grayish... until I put them on the Seafoam Granite laundry room counter. It was a Eureka moment. The colors are wonderfully matched. So, the cups have a place and will not be smashed after all. I love these kinds of surprises. However, I am going to have to set my firing temperature a cone lower next time, especially for the bisque, because everything was just a bit too vitrified for the glaze to stick well and I'd rather not have to rely on happy accidents like this. It's the first time I've used this clay and am feeling sort of love/hate for it. 

Red Gold on Desert Gold

Red Gold glaze turned out to be a happy match for the Desert Gold clay. It's an unpredictable glaze as it looks more like honey when used on some porcelain pieces from previous firings. This small vase has an addition of Oasis on the shoulder.

Soap bowl has a dip of Red Gold on one side and Light Shino on the other. I was very disappointed with the shino on some other pieces but it works on this one.

 Mushrooms are Red Gold speckled with Oasis using a mouth blower. Got an entirely different effect than the Oasis on the vase. I don't think it shows in the photos but the Red Gold has a pleasant shimmer that I hope I can recreate on some garlic jars I'm planning. Glazing is always a surprise, and in my experience, often disappointing. 

The boys are spending the day in the front pen for a change of view. I'm sure they get bored in the back. 

Hattie is always happy to move them. Wish we had about twenty more acres. I'm trying to walk the sheep around the neighborhood more as weather allows. 

Housekeeping

It was time to tackle the mess in my shop and find a way to make it feel a bit more spacious, so I spent a few hours tidying and rearranging and here is the result. The giant windows have proven to be a real pain. When the sun shines it is absolutely blinding, and in summer the room heats up like an oven. I'll have to hang something over them. Shower curtains would be long enough, cheaper than blinds or other window coverings, and easy to clean off splashes of glaze and clay that seem to fly around the room when I'm not looking. Anyway, I'm ready to get working with porcelain again. Just need to do a thorough cleaning of tools and water buckets. The last firing was OK. A couple of pieces I was pleased with, some stuff just OK, a few tossers, and only the sheep to reglaze and fire again, or use non-glaze finishing methods. 

We're signing paperwork for the title transfer on the desert house today. All signs point to the sale closing as scheduled on the 15th!

A Spoonful of Sugar

Scones again. A little sugar made all the difference and these really are light and delicious! 

An easy to put together enrichment game for the dogs: muffin pan with treats hidden under one or several tennis balls. I will have to get a twelve cup pan and more balls. Hattie sniffs them out easily but loves playing the game. Food! 

What's Up With 2019?

My new year starts with breakfast since there is no way I am awake at midnight to celebrate so last night I prepped everything for the best, flakiest, ginger scones ever (or so the recipe claims). It was also a chance to use my new Breville toaster oven in Bake mode. 

With everything prepped the night before nothing could go wrong. Right? Wrong. I didn't remember the sugar until after the scones were in the oven! There is no disaster bad enough to discourage Bob from eating a scone, so he bravely dove in and they were much tastier than I'd imagined, and better than the picture looks. With the ginger chips and lime glaze they were plenty sweet for our tastes and didn't go to waste. I was very happy with the toaster oven, too. It's a perfect size for making small amounts of food for two people. I have enough left of all ingredients to make a proper batch and with two minutes more cooking time I think they will be delicious. 

We're starting the year with dreary weather but the walks must go on. The mini horses are penned with the big boys now that the grass has been eaten down and pasture turned to mud. They are said to have no sense about when to stop eating and aren't allowed access when the grass is growing.

Here's Tux. She sees poorly and hears worse, but still insists on walking every day. The one advantage to deafness is there is no more panic when the fireworks fly. She slept right through the New Year madness.

The ducks tuck into their midday resting spots protected by raspberry canes. We'll be thinning and trimming all that soon for next season.

The boys have been congregating under the old blue spruce eating low hanging branches. They're on the alert in case Mistress Hattie enters the pen. 

But this time she will have to be happy tending her ball.

A stroll around the yard is pretty boring. Hellebores are reluctantly beginning to flower.

But I'm making plans to landscape along the fence back there. That big deciduous tree is a walnut. I hate it for so many reasons... like the tons of walnut shells dropped by the crows in our driveway every fall, the juglone it produces that can kill vulnerable plants, and the leaves distributing the juglone that blow into my garden with fall wind storms. I want to build up a berm on our side of the fence and plant it with shrubs, grasses and perennials that are juglone tolerant to block the leaves from blowing into our yard. Otherwise I'm going to go into Ninja mode and cut it down the next time our neighbor goes on vacation!

I've developed a new appreciation for heaths and heathers and these are a few that are new additions to the gardens. Anything that brings color in winter is a must.

I've been glazing, though today was just too cold for working with all the wet ingredients. My shop looks a mess but there is method to the madness. If you think this looks bad you should see the other side of the room....