contest du jour * The Hop, Skip and a Jump Maternity Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

The Hop, Skip and a Jump Maternity Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

knit-purl-knit, too many eggs, and busy days on the farm

cold weather has come for certain and we are busily wrapping windows, planting garlic, and doing all the other autumnal chores. darkening days nonetheless the chickens have not slowed down at all in their egg production. we need more customers and fast. in every other waking moment i have been knitting like a madwoman. the holidays are rapidly approaching and loved ones must be kept toasty. no photos will be posted yet to keep it all a surprise...think faire isle though. faire isle is my newest knitting obsession.
here's some crazy cat approved baby leg warmers and a stripey sleep sack in use. happy knitting!

contest du jour * Layla Grayce Blanket Set GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Layla Grayce Blanket Set GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

contest du jour * Aunty Ollie $100 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Aunty Ollie $100 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

early hallow'een greetings! october birds

october birds

grey blows the billowing sky
with croaking winds of ravens' song.
creaping, the juncos scurry and fly
praying the winter wont last long.
busily they glean the little they see
their toil the price to be free.

p.s. the second snowblower guy, monseuir bonhomme delamontagne, had an unfortunate mishap involving a deer stand that waylaid him for a bit. once he did arrive he gave the old wreck a quick peruse, asked what we had in mind, and pulled three crisp bills from his bulging money clip.

green cats, haggling and other misadventures of a farm wife

so my brilliant yet spontaneous plan to paint the front door a dark woodland green backfired on me as a cold, blowing rain descended over the ridge that night. with baited breath i waited till morning to see if all my work had melted away into a verdant puddle. it seemed i had averted disaster when the section i tested was dry to the touch but of course i neglected to check the bottom of the door by the stoop.
now crazy cat has been an indoor cat since birth but lately has decided that she wants to be an outdoor cat. we argued back and forth about this for some weeks as she darted out over and over and i chased her down again and again but eventually i just gave in and let her have it her way. even calico seemed much happier with the situation since crazy cat has really been getting on her nerves. i hope her harbor wharf cat heritage kicks in and keeps her safe out there but knowing crazy cat i can't help but worry.
the day dawned in grey darkness and storm but out crazy cat went happy as can be to feel the wind blow through her whiskers till her paws got cold and she wanted to come back in. not being the brightest cat she repeatedly rammed her head into the door, because as far as she is concerned all doors open by pushing. i think you can tell how this story ends...

this afternoon the whipping breezes pulled the clouds quickly through the sky into bands of soft grey roving against the blue and i found myself unsuccessfully negotiating on a busted snowblower with a man who clearly doesn't do business with women very often.
"i'll give you $20 to haul it away," hunter lechasseur (not his real name) said in a heavy northern drawl fiddling with the throttle. he seemed to think he was in the midst of a flatlander bimbo who could be taken for a fool.
"i really can't go lower than $50," i replied. would it have been better if i had said that my husband didn't want to go lower than $50? i didn't want to play the dutiful wife card even though that is the low bid we came to together.
he adjusted the buck knife hanging from his belt, annoyed that i didn't go with his offer and wishing he was out hunting moose instead of haggling with a housewife.
"there's not much compression to it," he added.
"it worked just fine until the inlaws dropped it off. we'd get it fixed but it's just not practical here," i replied.
he shifted his weight from boot to boot and i adjusted little one's bundling against the chill.
"i'm afraid i can't go lower than $50 on it," i finished stepping away from the snowblower. i was done with this b.s. and little one was getting cold. he got back in his pickup truck and drove off. the snowblower watched us leave relieved to be staying in its sheltered spot but unsure of its fate.
another guy will be coming by tomorrow, i'll let the tomato whisperer give it a shot and see how it goes.

blogger trouble resolved (we hope!)

well there were some image posting problems but they seem to be fixed, new posts to come some!

contest du jour * Noah and Lilah GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Noah and Lilah GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

haikus * grackles in the corn, virginia creeper

grackles in the corn

oils slick dappled wing
bob and dive through tassled waves
screen door chatter song.

virginia creeper

pulling vines drip red
virginia creeper crawls
crimson stars spilling.

contest du jour * Orange Poppy Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Orange Poppy Necklace GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

haiku, do you?

i'm inspired by bosky dell farm's haiku posts today. what a fantastic idea. i may have to make a habit of it from time to time here as it's a great poetry form and i'm just not doing enough "me" writing lately. don't get me wrong, this blog is great fun and the odd paying gig is much appreciated but i'm an artist at heart and long for the pure aesthetic joy of a good poem.
here's what i posted in response to bosky's challenge, i'm rather pleased with them if i do say so:

bulbs on the porch wait
golden paper-like wrappers
spring purple blossoms.

harvest time calls me
canning apples, pull turnips,
hard-skinned winter squash.

autumnal adventures

october drifted in with briskly cold sunshine and dazzling colors, pulling me away from the computer for a few days.
on the first we geared everyone up bundled and warm and walked down to the riverside boat launch. a faint icy mist stung our faces as hundreds (literally hundreds) of crows filled the skies above in a giant cackling murder. as the corn across the river is harvested and ground into winter silage for the cows down the road the crows gather to gossip and gorge on the spilled grains.

on the second the world was so golden, crimson, and clear that the day called for apple picking and off we went. our regular orchard ended up not being open so we drove around aimlessly until we stumbled upon a different one. the young man running it told us it was his first year open and how he will be planting another thousand trees next spring. his orchards were young, yet well pruned and extremely fruitful. we left with half a bushel of apples (not a bad start to the season but we will need to pick more), sweet corn, and gallons of sweet cider we will store on the porch till fizzy.

***official first snow report-light snow in the higher ridges october 1st. the tallest peaks were obscured in clouds of swirling snow above us on our walk. the record for early snow actually on the ground at our farm was set a couple years back on october 10th so we'll see if we beat it.
the next day at the orchards the appleman told us of large wet flakes in the air but not accumulating around his farm. later he told us the snow story again, forgetting we had already had that discussion.
today was a bit warmer with spastic bursts of rain, bright sun, and chickpea sized hail.***