Yule ~

Tis the season, so we have decided again this year to do a Table Top tree. 
 Is a small spruce that we should be able to plant outside in spring, if I can harden it off properly.
Will take some babying in this climate but I think it will be worth it. 

This year I have also added this stunning wreath, made with NW Doug Fir boughs... it smells so much like Oregon I am keeping it in the house.
As Nothing is better than the sweet smells of a NW Oregon forest!!

If anyone is interested in getting a well made Wreath like this one.. let me know and I will give you Lisa's contact number.

New Trails~~~

This is the house from the back and if you look very close you can see the run in shed to the right... off one of the new trails on the property DH made for me... :O)
Find the terrain here is wild! More hills on this place than I thought we would have.

Trails were made, because I had run into some hunters a few days before when I was riding Dyfra.
Not a good combo... Dyfra, gifted as she is..... it wasn't at all fun. 
One person was on another property, wither the owner knew about it, I have no idea. But the other person and his dog(s)... were clearly on our property.
I saw one drinking Beer... if you can afford Beer... you are only hunting to kill things for fun.
And when they do that... they are putting YOU in more danger. 
I yelled a few times... and I can bellow...
If you don't own the land... F'n stay off it.
Seriously NOT Kosher. 

And a snap of Stjarna on the new trail, which she really enjoyed!!
 She is getting much better with having a camera go off around her!

Did enjoy the ride today, even if it is "Stupid" season.

We have Pies!

DH, made the above Apple Pie this morning.

I made the Pumpkin Pie yesterday morning.  Made with Almond/Cahsew cream and coconut milk and it turned out really good! 
Yes, we had to try a piece last night, first time using these ingredients. ;O)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Drop Spindle!

Well, bummer... was hoping Fort AP Hill had a spinning Guild meet up. 

But no, they do offer classes during the summer, but no spinners getting together.

Phifle.... even got out my drop spindle.

Something I haven't used in a long while, as I prefer my Majacraft Saxonie.

However, the Saxonie is a bit ackward to move and I do not want to take a chance of damaging it.

Would like to, at some point, buy a Majacraft Rose to use as a traveling wheel.

When I have time, I think I will go check out the Community center over there.
See what it takes to possibly set up, a small spinning Guild!

With all the Rev and Civ re-enactment groups... one would like there are some folks out there that spin too!

The Zoo at DC ~

 We went to the DC Zoo last Sat. First time we went to DC.. not on a federal holiday... so it was a bit more crowded. 
 Pretty nice Zoo... but I have never seen a Zoo with its own police department. Didn't know if I should be worried or not?

Also the first place I have gone, since we arrived over this way... that had Scooters for rent. Rather spendy but it allowed me to see a lot more, than I would

normally be able!

They had some really cool indoor Aviaries and such. And they had a whole passel of cute young otters playing... a lot of fun to watch.

 The photos above, are from the indoor Amazon Rain forest.  Very nicely set up and one can see, it has been around for a long while.
Would love to have one of these on this place. ;O)

 
This is the indoor Aviary, also very nicely set up. 

The young otters playing, they were a lot of fun to watch!

 Different kinds of Birds and a couple of Tiger photos.

I seriously need to get a new camera, only two of the photos I took, came out well. Of course they were the only two taken in bright full sun.

DH and DS took a number of photos and will be working on them next. Some of them came out very well!

Cinnamon Bread

Started with making Hamburger buns this morning and thought to myself... I haven't made any sweet bread for a number of years....so.....
The homemade Cinnamon Bread.... no salt, not too sweet, but oh... ever so good. The trick will be... not trying to eat it all in one... or two days! LOL 

Photo is a little darker than in person. 

Dyfra and her Minions......

Was grooming Maggie after I had driven her in her HyperBike this morning...and saw the goats playing.. King of the Mountain, on Dyfra's back. 
Funny how much she was enjoying it.
By the time I was able to retrieve my camera, the goats had settled down for a nap and Max won.... Sid ended up on the ground floor, chewing his cud.
Have I ever told you, how much Dyfra loves her little evil Minions? LOL

Bread and Stuffed Bell Peppers....

Have been remiss, on sharing food photos.... so.....

 Homemade loaves of bread, made yesterday. The one on the left was properly kneaded... the one on the right... happens, when you have over done it with chores and don't knead it enough.... but it will still taste good. ;O)

Stuffed Bell Peppers with a Sheep's cheese cap.  Dinner for tonight... all ready to go!
The loaf of bread in the back... part of the two Loaves I made yesterday. ;O)

Marine Base Museum~~

Went to the big Marine base up north, to go food shopping yesterday. 
Then we decided to go to the Marine base museum.
 I did not think it would be any good... but boy was I wrong. Very well thought out and lots of well done, dioramas.
Only down side... if you are handicapped, bring your own scooter. 

The front entrance.

An I beam from one of the Twin Towers from 9/11.  That was humbling, to say the least.

Above, an later Corsair model I didn't know about.... so I feel another Fighter painting coming on!

And the Corsair I have always loved.

A piece from the Pentagon, from 9/11

First Raised Bed....

DH built the first raised bed.  We plan to have the garden, in raised beds. Will be easier to care for in the heat we have here, easier for me to keep weeded and the clean lines will help us see any snakes.
I just hope I never see any snakes!!
Wanted to put Asparagus in first... but of course, I have been unable to find Asparagus starts locally.
Was hoping to have a couple of perennial Veggie beds in before winter.
That is not going to happen sadly.

 One of the Cherry trees, is doing better. Earlier in the summer it was attacked to the point of having no leaves.
Japanese Beatles are bad around here, along with the seemingly thousands of weird bugs, but the chickens should sort that out by next year.

Photo of the wee Orchard and the front field on the property.The other cherry trees are a bit bare of leaves but they are still alive. I hope they make it through winter.Has been more of a challenge to grow fruit trees here, than any where else in the country we have lived.

Interesting clouds.... for VA

First really interesting clouds I have seen on the Farm in VA.  Of course.. about an hour later.. gave us a few good cracks of thunder and lightening.
Can see the varying cloud shapes and colors.

Neil Armstrong ~

 We went to the Air and Space Museum last Sept, to see Neil Armstrong's, gloves and helmet. They were only on display for 2 weeks, before they were safely stored again.
Incredible he was the first man on the moon and we had the rare pleasure of seeing part of his Moon/Space suit in person.

The Shuttle Discovery is now set up a little better, so it is easier to see.
Really liked this angle.

I have a lot more pictures to sort through, might take me a couple of weeks but I will get them up as soon as possible. ;O)

We Have Eggs!

Boy...do we have eggs and more eggs and....
First time we have had commercial breeds... think I have said that before.
However, it is still impressive to me, just how many eggs they give us.
Also have to admit, they are some of the best tasting eggs we have ever had...added plus the bright, almost orange yolks.
Can see the really dark wee "egg fart"... on top, that is what they called them back when...
So.. I just had to show you, one of the many pretty baskets of eggs we gather each day.

Trail ride to the Pond ~

Finally got around to taking some photos. Rode Dyfra down to the pond and about the property, this morning. Just about a 1/2 hour, but that is about all my body could take today. 

First three photos of are of the parts of the Path to the pond in back.

Here we are at the pond, can kind of see it in between the trees. Rather low right now.

The trail around the back of the horse pasture.

And from a little trail on another part of the property. Can just see the house and the hay shed.

Where the chickens roam~~

  
 Now that the hens lay in the hen house, on schedule, they are allowed out around the house to do the job they were bought for.

To eat bugs and snakes.

However, they are also good at edging around the house and making a "poop" deck.... rolling eyes.  Why they have to come up on the porch... I will never know....

They are also producing more eggs than we can use, so the neighbors are enjoying them too.  Kind'a like Zucchini of the animal world. LOL

Horse Fly trap and the Willow tree~

 No where have I lived, has there been, so many aggressive Horse Flies. 

Someone I know, calls the bigger ones," Mouse Flies" and I can see why. They are the size of a mouse! 

Poor horse's are bitten left and right, not even the most powerful fly spray or fly sheet, detour  these horrible bugs.
Dyfra is attacked more than the other horses, not sure why?

So I did some research online and found a couple of plans for Horse Fly Traps. DH, built this one. We plan on putting another up soon.

On a more happy un-bug related note... my young Weeping Willow tree, is now Weeping!

In time, it will be a nice shade tree for the sheep!