We welcome another season here on the farm

I think I'm right in saying that Spring is defiantly here! I saw the male blue bird building a nest for the Mrs. in the same bird house as he did last year! I see the Mrs fly in and out to check on the progress and so far I guess she's happy. To me that wes a sure sign of Spring. This week I really cleaned up, little by little each day all the gardens. There is so many herbs and things peeking up through the earth, another sure sign of Spring. The bird house pictured is where the Blue Bird family resides, this morning I opened the kitchen window to enjoy some of that spring air and I heard the song of the blue bird. How beautiful it was.
The animals all seem to be so happy that all that cold white stuff is gone from the ground for a good long while and the good old days of laying outside the barn door all night chewing cud, enjoying the night air and watching the stars are back! Breakfast time is long and relaxed. I feed, we visit, I sit, they wonder what I'm up to and its all so good. The sheep will be shorn in 2 days, another sign of spring. The brightly painted shed pictured is my Secret Life of Bee's garden shed and quiet place to sit, which is fenced off right in the middle of the paddocks, a variety of mints grow wild in the area. Its my fun place, shhhhh dont tell anyone where I hide. There's no place like home" I enjoy my life here.
Seasons come and seasons go and no matter what season it is, life is good here at Dream Come True Farm
I hope Spring brings much happiness and renewed life to your homestead. Enjoy.

Shearing day is almost here!

Well its about 2 weeks away until these woollies get sheered! I thought I'd post a few pics of some of them in full wool and then show you how much smaller these guys will look after shearing. Shearing is April 23rd. We have sheep shearers that come to do the job. It should take only a couple of hours. I then skirt (clean) any chaff, belly and leg wool out. Then its all bagged up and sent to a mill for cleaning and to be put into roving form spinning. This will take about 3 months. When its shipped back the best part begins, spinning dyeing and planning projects. The coats on the sheep are to help keep the wool clean and from being weathered. There will be no chaff in the covered parts or no sun bleached tips. All our sheep wear coats so that we may produce the best wool possible. I'll post pics of shearing day so that you can see the entire process.





These guys will be sheered just in time for those warm days that are just around the corner. A newly sheered sheep is a happy sheep and a happy Shepherd will be me, with all that new fiber!

A new chapter here on the farm and a wonderful morning spent

After spending time with the folks who have taken the boys yesterday and being in touch with them right through the entire trip and the unloading of the boys to their new farm, I am at total peace. I must admit when they drove away it was quite emotional for me but when the first call came from them and then pictures and comments followed that evening I had a deep sigh of relief and peace. This morning, more pictures and comments then my first visit to the barn yard for morning chores made me realize with no uncertainty that I made the right and best decision.
The boys are happy and safe, my work load is lighter and my back says Thank you!

As you can see this morning on the farm was quite nice, still lots to love and care for and be loved by....ahhhhhh

Peace in my heart, relief in my mind

After spending time with the folks who have taken the boys yesterday and being in touch with them right through the entire trip and the unloading of the boys to their new farm, I am at total peace. I must admit when they drove away it was quite emotional for me but when the first call came from them and then pictures and comments followed that evening I had a deep sigh of relief and peace. This morning, more pictures and comments then my first visit to the barn yarn for morning chores made me realize with no uncertainty that I made the right and best decision.
The boys are happy and safe, my work load is lighter and my back says Thank you!

Now the visit to the barn yard was quiet and peaceful. It was very enjoyable because my sheep who were always under the feet and pushed around by the alpaca were all slow moving, extremely friendly and very interested in all that I was doing. I realized in that hours time outside that they have been in the shadow of the alpaca boys. The alpacas were such characters, so friendly and inquisitive that sheep got pushed aside. So now the sheep are front and center stage. A new chapter in the barnyard. I'm happy with my decision and mostly I know it was the right thing to do. I enjoyed my time this morning in the barnyard, we shared snacks, there was quite a bit less clean up, I sat around with the gang and took lots of pics. My Dream Come True still exist, just another chapter of it.... Life is good.

Bittersweet News From Dream Come True Farm

Today April 3rd I have a sad but a necessary decision to tell you about. Some of you know that I have had a terrible fall and winter with a bad back. A back that has kept me from participating in life the way I'm use to. I was diagnosed with a spinal condition that will progress as I age, something I had thought I could refuse to do, ageing that is! HA, well life happens, and here I am. Doctors wanted to do spinal fusion surgery on my back this year after I went through 8 weeks of PT with no relief. I have chosen alternative methods of treating this which I'm happy to say has given me much relief, but wont cure the condition. So the bottom line is I have to lighten my work load, to prolong or hopefully put off any kind of serious back surgery. My husband Mike does so much around here as it is and works his full time Phone company job, I just can't keep adding chores onto his list. So as sad is this is, I have made the decision to move my alpaca boys to a new farm. The GOOD news is they are going to a wonderful farm in Windsor CT and will be cared by for by two wonderful people who have seemed to just fall in love with the alpaca boys.The farm itself is called The Foster Family Farm. You can view them on FB. Its a gorgeous setting, beautiful grass paddocks, corn fields, they produce their own hay and they have miniature donkeys. Sheep will be added to the farm when the times is right. I'm very happy with this home for my boys. I don't thing I could have found a better place. My work load will much lighter with the boys gone. They are a strong animal that needs to be handled every 6 weeks for worming injections, they produce much manure that I clean and haul away each and everyday and the hay that they eat needs to be brought from our bottom barn up to the top barn for storage. So you see, the work will be less. My Babydoll SOuthdown sheep will still be here, my two Nigerian goats, the two llamas and the miniature horse and the pony will remain. The additional good news is I will continue to have access to alpaca fiber for spinning and dyeing from a farm here in CT. So alpaca supply will still be available. I may even seek out some more CT wool growers that would like to sell their fiber.
Its a bittersweet decision and a necessary decision. My boys will be missed not only by us, but by their barnyard friends. It'll take a few weeks but all will settle down around here and we'll know that the right decision has been made. I'll always have a spot in my heart for the boys. My other barnyard friends will help me through the adjustment.
Dream Come True Farm will still be here, thriving and enjoying life. We're a tough bunch!

We will miss our boys but they are leaving us with some great memories and now they will bring some great memories to a new farm. Enjoy the boys Foster Famil Farm!! I know we did.

OHHH what a weekend!

Another Monday! This was a great weekend for farm work. The farm is dried out for the most part which the two legged are grateful for as much as the four legged! Everyone spread out this weekend and found their spot to bask a little in the sun. We brought hay up to the hay storage near the barns, grain was also stored and all the paddocks raked out. No more twigs, snow or manure of any kind in these paddocks. The alpaca and llamas were so funny as Mike brought up the hay, steeling a little when they could. I fed carrots all afternoon while working, so we all bonded very well after a long winter. I cleaned out the cold frame getting it ready for early lettuces. I also had the shop open on Sunday for a few hours and as always had the nicest folks stop on by to see what this farm is all about. Ended the day with a baked whole chicken seasoned with garlic and thyme and a half of acorn squash each with butter and brown sugar. Watched a Netlix movie and went to bed a bit early to catch up on the hour of sleep we lost when the clocks were pushed ahead this Saturday! Loving day light savings already after only one night of it!! Happy Monday to all and have a great week!

Happy Monday news from the farm

Monday morning with the sun out and most of the snow melted! Today has been a great morning so far. The snow is gone from the paddocks and the water is draining nicely. With only a few bad muddy spots the critters seem quite pleased with things. Fed and cleaned early today and came in to get some things ready to go into the shop. I took a skein of soft beautiful medium gray Babydoll Southdown of the wheel, skeined up an absolutely gorgeously cloud soft rose gray alpaca and finished the second handpun yarn, hand dyed Babydoll neckwarmer which is just the right touch for early spring. SO all in all we're having a good day here on the farm. Next on the agenda is more knitting (finishing up a spring shoulder shawl) and more spinning. The sun has given me a new out look! Im pondering what the warmer months will be like, what I'll be doing, planting in the cold frame maybe, seeding bare grass spots, cleaning out the gardens, and how lambs will be romping around on many farms that I know. I think its finally here! And if not quite yet, well it's just around the corner! Ahhhhh Spring. Clocks will spring ahead this coming weekend making days a bit longer and happier with more light. Happy Monday and Happy sunny days!

Im Ready And Dreaming.....

Remember when you looked out the window and saw all this? Im dreaming of those days now. Its been a long winter and Im ready for a change. Im ready to be outside digging in the dirt getting my cold frame ready. Im ready to hang with the animals for hours at a time and feed carrots slowly. Im ready to sit on the deck and look out at the animals wandering around their paddocks. Im ready to open the doors of my shop and let the fresh spring air swirl around inside, and sit and knit with friends. Im ready for some cold lemonade. Im ready to open my windows wide! Im ready to pick some wild flowers. Im ready to watch the birds fly in and out of the bird houses building nest. Im ready to shear the animals. Im ready to sit in the rocking chairs on the front porch and do nothing but listen. Im sure dreaming of these days.....What are you ready and dreaming for for?????

Wednesday January 26th, 2011

Well, today we had more snow, with more expected tonight. Most likely a total of possibly another 14 inches! I must admit I'm getting quite use to it. Its very pretty, with mounds of snow and paths shoveled all over the farm. In the first picture I'm sharing my winter arrangement scene of snow covered pine trees that sits on my mantel. I just love this little arrangement. Its Wednesday and Luke my grandson was here sharing in a very productive day! We had a fire in the wood stove which kept things warm and toasty. I made a big pot of chicken soup, worked on some crochet jewelry, spun and completed some yarn and spent some time out with the animals. I just love their snowy little faces, they eat the snow like it was a treat! They have heated water buckets but they enjoy shoving their little faces in the snow! This evening Mike went out to plow the driveway to get a head start on the pile up that is predicted. The barnyard is quiet and peaceful with no signs of the animals, but with all that straw to lay in and hay to eat why would they come out into the cold night? As I look at my little shop in this snow I wonder when I will be able to open it again. The driveway is just to dangerous to have folks up. But when I do re-open be assured it will be filled with lots of new items. I'm planning a crochet jewelry party at my daughters house this winter with some of her friends to see how they like the new jewelry. I have lots of fun choosing glass and stone beads for making this jewelry, there are such beautiful beads to choose from. I'm spinning lots of alpaca up for the shop. I have not done much dyeing lately but will get to it soon. So today, January 26th was quite a wonderful day. It ended with me toasty warm and relaxed in my fleece snowflake slipper socks! Happy sledding, snowshoeing or skiing to you, whatever your winter pleasure may be.....
















THE END TO A WONDERFUL DAY!

Winter Class Crochet And Bead A Necklace

I have decided to offer the crochet and the beading as a mini session. I have had a few request and thought the winter would be a good time to meet and make necklaces. So my idea is Wed. evening of your choice 6:00-7:30. We will meet here in the kithen because the shop is just to cold and the heater cannot do its job with these temps. You will learn to crochet the chain and add the beads as you go along. You will make a crochet single strand choker necklace, add beads, and learn how to attach the closure. We will use cotton for our chain which is the beading 101 class. I also use wire which is great fun and changes up the look of the jewelry. That can be jewelry making 102! I will supply everything you need for the evening. You will also learn exactly the supplies needed to go home and start adding to your crochet beaded jewelry.

Below is a picture of some of my favorite items, some in wire and some in cotton. I use glass beads and natural rocks such as volcanic rock, quartz or maybe turquoise (which is my next project) Mix and match your beads to go elaborate or use all the same for simpler look. There are endless possibilities. Lighter colors with glass for the hot summer months, go darker with a heavier look for the winter. I know you would enjoy this. No crochet or knitting experience necessary.......

The cost of the class is 25.00 Wed. eve. 6:00-7:30
Call to choose your class spot 203-736-2630