This is the view out to the East from the tiny house. Our winter sunrise view. However the Kiwi Builder has wrapped it up like fish and chips in the building paper that is emblazoned with the name of a certain big box building store that one buys such things at. 
And it has lost all its charm. Now it is noisy with unwanted text. Plus I refuse to advertise this big cold spider of a consortium that has gobbled up our lovely little hardware stores. So until the wood cladding is on and the words are covered up we will be focussing our blinkered eyes on details. At least this building paper is made in the USA. I know this because every three feet it’s shouts information at me!
You remember yesterday I told you about all the tiny blocks ice falling from the trees and joining the ice on the ground to form a sheet. Well here it is, and it will be here until we get a decent thaw, which should be soon. It is very slippery. And startlingly beautiful at night as I walk to and fro. Ton runs across it carrying his torch and it sparkles with its multi- faceted million reflections. As though a million chandeliers have crashed to the ground without losing a moment of bright light.
The three girls! Mia, Meadow and Minty. They are the epitome of sheep dingbatedness. I let them out into a big field for a run and they pogo sticked all over the field, then could not believe that the gate had been shut on them!
Kupa as Curtain!
This is a technical photo for the sewers in our midst. Here is the template for the lambs coats. Just sew up the shoulders, and pop your lambs head through the resulting hole, then four feet through the others. The perfect end for old sweatshirts that have been lurking close to the rag bag. Washable. Easy to put on and off. And because it hangs over the body, not under it, the coat does not get mistaken for a nappy. I have changed the V shaped neck line to a rounded one and the left over sleeves I cut short and pop over the lambs head like a victorian collar. I hate to have a cold neck, don’t you?
Good morning. This morning is cold – 16F (-8 C) and still and all your wishes for me have been answered as I can just see a sunrise starting. We are going to have clear skies for a while. Wonderful. Thank you! The sun was all I needed. A sunny day on a Sunday.
My most darling travel agent, who is organising my trip up to the mountains in Canada in July for a family wedding (yes, you are coming too) heard that we were short of hay (she is also a member of the Fellowship of the Kitchens Garden Readers ). She called around and found an enormous 1000 pound bale of alfalfa. So we shall collect that on Monday and I can stop fretting about running out. She always finds me the best deals.
I feel cheered already. We are going to have a great day on the tiny farm.
You have a lovely day too.
celi
A year ago. The A-Z of saving money the sustainable way.
Yay for hay! Or alfalfa!!!!
Happy Sunday to you!
It really is such a relief, everyone had an extra helping this morning as a celebration.. c
Yummmmm!!!!
Those sheep – they look as though they are some kind of girl band, waiting for their cue to sing their latest hit! Enjoy your sunny Sunday – we have one too!
Christine
Oh so they are! Hilarious! Is Big Dogs picture all finished? Can I have a copy to hang next to Tons? I was thinking I might hang them in the new Coupe corridor! c
We’re also looking at a beautiful, sunny Sunday. I love the pogo sheep. The ice is beautiful but you can keep that!
I bet Canada in July will be lovely. Have a great day, Celi.
Maybe your girls can start a little cottage industry making lambs coats and they can model them on their own lamb when you get them one! c
Good morning Celi now that’s a much more cheerful blog I know that all blogs can’t be cheerful but yours seems to be one of the better ones your wording is most pleasurable have a blessed day SAINTS
morning honey, i have such a terrible memory i am seldom down for long, i keep forgetting to feel grim!! c
oh yeah how are you going to put that thousand pound bail in your loft?
We slide it off the trailer and then use the tractor to push it in on the ground floor, I think my loft would collapse if we swung it up there, just imagine!! c
Good morning Celi, do be careful on that ice! Life on the farm seems peaceful and yet very busy. I know your work is hard but I think I am a country girl at heart and miss the solitude. Hong Kong is really cramping my style. Are you getting my comments? I am sorry but sometimes they do not go through. Take care, BAM
Oh no! you must have ended up in the spam folder, i shall go and look for you! how awful. I cannot even begin to imagine living in a high rise in a city such as hong kong, it must be so noisy all the time.. c
Wow, you really did have ice falling out of the sky! Love the picture of Mia, Meadow, and Minty. It cracked me up when you said, “they are the epitome of sheep dingbatedness”. Ha!! Have a lovely day and enjoy your sun.
Winter storm “Q” has arrived here and it is snowing heavily. ~ April
You guys are getting so much precipitation out there, I am envious.. morning april.. c
I love the smell of alfalfa. So fresh and grassy when compared to regular fescue hay.
I call it air freshener for the barn!! c
love the black and white shot through the peacock feathers. Sunshine makes such a difference, doesn’t it? When the skies are grey and the air is frigid, it’s easy to feel rather despondent and grey one’s self. Blessed sunny Sunday to you.
Beautiful feathers and in fact that is a colour shot, gives you an indication of how colourLess the landscape is! c
Gorgeous shots of Kupa and the ice. So…the lamby coats. Are they two layers? Can’t quite work it out
it is a single layer, I made two coats out of this old sweatshirt, the fabric drapes over the back of the lamb and is held in place with the legs through those holes, very simple really.. I will have better pictures for you tomorrow.. c
Oh good – would love to make a few for you for next year!
what a splendid idea, i am still wearing the pinny you sent me! it even travels!!! c
I bet I can guess which company logo!
Those sheep look so funny
And i am going to be reminded of it every time i look out the window for some time now!! c
But you are doing the right thing in not blogging it
Beautiful day! Love the dingbat sheep and the shot through Kupa’s tail….here we are slow and lazy on a Sunday….
slow and lazy sounds perfect.. c
Good morning, Celi. Cold and clear here. Johnny’s birthday, so I’ll be baking soon. Love the “million tiny chandeliers” that Ton Ton creates.
the ice is shining in the sun now! Happy Birthday Johnny! I love that you two are so happy together.. c
Grass for the farmy… great news.. love the lambs jersey even though I’m a man.. very enterprising…
can’t we just have one peek at the plastic covering? Your lambie coats are similar to the one I made for my small dog except it was the leg of a pair of yoga pants..four holes for legs and hey presto done..she was none too pleased with it as it did not do much for her street cred…..
Well at least they were yoga pants and not your grannies flowery bloomers!!
I hope you aren’t in the line for this next 12 plus inches of snow they’re predicting for us here in KC… better get that alfalfa as soon as you can!
Yikes, that is a wee bit cold! We’re having some snow again and again during the week. Winter is so long here too. Such fashionable wear for the dingbat lambs (laughed out loud). But they are super cute even though they are not the brightest light out there! I’d love to see a photo of the ice carpet at night, your description was extremely compelling.
Those sheep really do look like they’re a posed singing trio. It’s going to be 65 here today…wish I could send some sunny south your way. Happy Sunday!
I have never seen ice like that ever! Rather cool, but I would NOT care of it here. I also adored the Kupa curtain photo…would mind if I pinned it (if I can) to Pintrest? I am also very interested in contacting your travel agent…is that something else that could be done?
One more recipe for you…of which I’m sure you already have, but mine might be a little bit different– Homemade Ricotta
Bring 6 1/2 c whole milk, 1 1/2 c heavy cream and 1 teaspoon salt to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 2 1/2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar and cook, stirring, until the mixture curdles, about 1 minute.
Pour the mixture into a lined with 2 layers cheesecloth or paper towels sieve, that is set over a large bowl. Let drain, serve the whey to the pigs. Drain for 30 minutes. Stores in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Linda
*♥´¨) ¸.-´¸.-♥´¨) ¸.-♥¨) (¸.-´ (¸.-` ♥♥´¨
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
My travle agent would be thrilled to help you, she can do everything on the phone ior via email and is very reasonable. I shall email you her email. And of course you can pin anything that takes your fancy, i love pinterest! This is a ricotta i have not tried, sounds very doable. Thank you. I love ricotta in lasagne! c
The blocks of ice just amaze me, Celi. I have never seen the ice/snow/hail (what is it called?) fall and accumulate like that! Wonderful news about the hay!
The girls looks beautiful! I’m glad the sun is heading your way, you need it
What a lovely cheerful post – and enough hay is really something to be cheerful about! The look of that smashed glass land is enough to send shivers down my spine – you take care now, we can’t have you falling over.
Talk about falling, it has been snaining here all day, nothing white on the ground but a faceful of ice if you dare to go out in it.
Snaining, i have never heard that word.. can i keep it!?.. c
Of course you may: I invented it.
Excellent invention ViV! c
So nice to visit with you again. It seems our spring is arriving early. I, not big on exercise have actually taken a brisk walk around the block since it got up to almost 50F. And I saw tulips breaking ground.
Your lambkins look lovely. And a live peacock! I’ve a mock stain glass peacock hanging in my front window.
Do be well, Cheers.
I think dingbatedness is my new favorite word.
I’m sorry if you have already answered this but I was wondering if you will be naming the new lambs?
Hi Pat, unfortunately all these lambs are male, so they will be for the freezers of local families. However there is talk of a few local children buying one or two to show so then they will get names! Being sustainable means that I can carry only a small number of pets on my own property. .. c
Thanks!
I love the lambs coats. So simpple: ingenious. And Kupa – what a charmer….
*gasp* The mountains in Canada?!?!?! Which ones? The nice pointy ones in the west (which happen to be fairly close to my place), or the older, rounded ones in the east (also known as “hills” to those of us who live near actual mountains, but we’re polite, that way). And good for you, regarding the refusal to advertise. I miss our little hardware stores.
Canmore is the name of the town .. I will fly into Calgary. Are those hills or mountains. My son works on the ski fields. c
Ah! Yes, those ones are mountains. Nice, rugged, jagged ones. Gloriously beautiful. And only a few hours away from my house in Edmonton. As a matter of fact, I worked housekeeping in a ski resort in those very mountains, once upon a time. I fell in love with my husband in Canmore. Welcome, c!
Wow, I shall call a halloo out to your memories when i am there. i have never been out that way so it will be an adventure! Closer toi the time you can tell me what i should pack! i have no idea of the weather in that part of the world! c
Will do! In the spring time, this part of the world sort of combines all seasons in a sort of freezing/melting/raining/snowing/sunshiny/cloudy free-for-all. I might have a clearer sense of advice to give, closer to the date
Beautiful post today, Celi! I love the view out the Goldilocks windows (they’re just right), and the glistening hard ice diamonds, and the Kupa curtain. It’s magical on your farm at the moment… xxx
You could go into production with your lamb coats!
A lovely Sunday post. Your photographs capture the spirit and all that is precious on The Farmy. AND you’re coming to Canada for a wedding,eh? Exciting news. Have a good Sunday/ V.
sadly it is not your side of canada! poo.. c
More snow here in New England! For some reason I find this photo of your three tandem sheep even more charming than all of your other charming photographs.
They are an entertaining bunch! You can have the photo if you like, they won’t mind! c
“sheep dingbatedness” I love this! Brrrrr though! Here it is definitely spring!
I’d hate to try and walk on that surface!
The sheet at the gate look sweep! Er, that is …
Oh, that ground looks so crunch and sharp. Treacherous in fact. But the 3 sheep at the gate made me laugh, and the lamb’s coats too (I’ve never heard of putting lambs in coats, but of course those are seriously cold temperatures). Finding the alfalfa is good news, and having some sun arriving (see, I told you we had plenty to share with you)!
That ice is pretty, all right — as long as it stays on the trees and melts, rather than falls off. It was nie and sunny today. Supposed to be more of the same tomorrow. What a relief from the gray skies, no mater how short the duration.
It is a shame what the big box stores have done to the Mom & Pop shops. We’ve plenty of the big box hardware stores around but I go to a regular hardware store near where we shopped in Little India. They actually know what they sell and can answer questions and offer advice. You know, the way things used to be.
Have a great Sunday evening, Celi!
I love those little places, we have a few around here, and i especially love the knowledge these guys have stashed in their heads! c
Absolutely love the dingbat photo and the Kupa curtain: have kind’of borrowed them! Great to know I’ll be doing an awful lot of trans-Atlantic travel in July – from France [100th Tour de France] > Canada and back again: looking forwards to that
!
Borrow away darling!! c
Hi Celi,
Your blog is terrific and I really enjoy reading it. So, I’m nominating you for the One Lovely Blog Award and the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.
Here are the rules:
1. Thank the person who nominated you.
2. Add The One Lovely Blog Award / The Very Inspiring Blogger Award to your post.
3. Share 7 things about yourself.
4. Pass the award on to 10 nominees.
5. Include this set of rules.
6. Inform your nominees by posting a comment on their blogs.
Congratulations!
Julie
Glad to hear you’re coming to Canada!
I just love the picture of the lamb girls!
Lovely post . . . so glad that you have alfalfa for the animals. Hurray!
Your phrase “epitome of sheep dingbatedness” reminds me of a drink that was favoured by a social group with which I was once acquainted… a nip of Kahlua, a nip of Tia Maria, a big dash of milk over ice… I wonder where you would get ice?
You could rename it the Triple M Dingbat 
We have snow this morning – nothing like -8C but I still think it’s too cold. I’m filled with guilt as I heard a kitten crying outside the kitchen door last night and left it there. I know it’s from the nearby barn, but I still feel bad. I shall be out searching for it while I cut wood, and before I set off to put in some fence posts around my daughter’s field.
I had been wondering how big dog is …………and there he is in your second shot.
I love that picture taken through Kupa’s tail – so cool.
Love that Kupa curtain! So thankful for the alfalfa, and a trip in our future!