Lucy and Ethel and the Adventure Begins....

The chicks came home Friday evening.  I had a heated plastic tub waiting for them.

Yesterday my hubby made a large wooden brooder box and we have them in our bathroom.  As you can see, Mac has become a mother hen to them!  He's totally fascinated watching them and of course we watch "him" very carefully.  He's only allowed in to see them when we're right there.

This one with the reddish head is of course Lucy.  And since we have a Lucy, there has to be an Ethel, right?  Our oldest grandson wants one named Cluckie, and the other two have yet to be named.  Any suggestions out there?

We added a low dowel for them to start practicing their roosting skills.  So far tho, they just like to lay up against it and climb over it.  Their little peeps are so cute along with the other sounds that they make.  During the night we heard one pecking on the wood side of the box.  Kinda sounded like popcorn popping in the microwave!

So here begins our adventure of raising chickens.  We hope to transition them outside in about 4 - 6 weeks, once their pen is built and we're sure it's predator proof.

More pictures will follow over the weeks ahead.

Hand Knitted Socks

As much as I love to make socks on "Doris" (our antique sock machine), I love hand knitting them, too.

In the Fall 2005 issue of Interweave Knits, Nancy Bush has designed these "Rib and Cable Socks."  The pattern is quite easy to memorize and the heel and toe give you a chance to work a different kind of construction method.  It's always fun to try something new with our knitting.

Now I'm off to wash and block these little beauties...............................

42 Wonderful Years and a Sock Winner, too!

I can't believe that 42 years have zipped by so quickly.  What happened to those young kids?  That was such a happy day, yet we also knew that in 30 days my new husband would be leaving for a one year tour to Vietnam.  Maybe the struggle of that first year is what has made us so strong.

We have a storm brewin' on our anniversary today.  The winds are starting to come from the south and that will mean rogue gusts later on for our wind turbine.  We'll watch it closely the rest of the day and will no doubt have to rush out and put on the brake system.

In a matter of minutes the skies have already darkened.  I'm hoping for a good thunder storm to knit by.  With rain in the forecast we won't worry about lightning strikes.  While I still have the wind turbine on, think I'll go and bake a Hershey's chocolate cake to celebrate our big day!

And now for the knitting news:  Out of all the names, the lucky one drawn was Leslie from Carmichael, Ca.  Leslie, if you'd be so kind as to write me at tehachapisockcompany@gmail.com with a mailing address, I'll place your hand cranked socks in tomorrow's mail.  Congratulations to you!

Thank you all for your wonderful comments on what you enjoy about springtime.  I really enjoyed reading each and every one.

Lilacs and a Sock Giveaway.......

Our Lilac bushes are in bloom and the fragrance is amazing.  Our goal "someday" is to line our entire fences with them.  They're blooming everywhere in town and are so gorgeous.   Don't you just love springtime?

I got to thinking - we haven't had a contest for a pair of socks in ages.  And this week is our 42nd wedding anniversary.  So, just leave a comment on this post and share what you love most about spring with everyone.  On Wednesday, April 25th (our anniversary), I'll randomly select one lucky name to win a pair of women's size medium socks (shoe size approximately 8 1/2 - 10).  Be sure to leave contact info to make it easy for me!  The socks to be won will be chosen by me (I have to have some fun, too), so they'll be a nice surprise for the winner.

Good luck, and be sure to check back on Wednesday.

Spring Has Come to the Mountain

The Clydesdales have another new additon.  Isn't she a cutie pie?

Rarely do I have my camera with me and usually the little ones aren't right up next to the road.
 

This time last weekend we were digging out from a huge snowstorm.  This weekend we've been in the 80's!  In fact, last night we kept one window open all night long - that hasn't happened since last October.  The birds were singing at dawn and the whole mountain has come to life.

Yesterday we even went to the local hay and feed store and got all our supplies for our baby chicks.  Apparently, there's been a shortage of chicks this year and they're having trouble keeping any on hand.  Hopefully, she'll have some on Thursday and will call us.

So, late last night I was reading and re-reading Tilley's Nest blog all about raising baby chicks.  We've got the brooder box all ready to go now, but will have to concentrate on the coop and run.  With predators all around, we will have to build it with lots of safeguards.  Once we get the chicks, pictures will quickly be posted and our new adventure will begin.

In knitting news:  the craft boutique put on by the Bear Valley Pony Club has been rescheduled again to Saturday, May 12th - the day before Mother's Day.  Actually, I'm thinking that will work out beautifully since everyone will be shopping for mom.

I'm still watching our new granddaughters 3 days a week and then our two oldest grandsons once they get out of school each afternoon.  I can tell you, by time 5:00 o'clock rolls around, I'm ready to head back up the mountain for peace and quiet!

Hope your week ahead is filled with great weather and some special time just for yourself.

A Bright & Sunny Day

It took my husband and son about half an hour to clear the drive and the gate areas so that we could head in to town yesterday.  We had drifts up to 2 feet in spots and probably a good foot just on the drive.

The other side of town didn't seem to receive as much snow and the cattle don't seem to mind it one bit.

Since our neck of the woods are all non-county maintained roads, we're on our own to get up and down the mountain.  Thank goodness for 4-wheel drive!

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This morning we woke to clear, sunny skies and the forecast is calling for the mid 60's by tomorrow.  You gotta love the California mountains!

And since the craft show has been rescheduled for two weeks, Heather is right - it'll give me lots more time to crank out some socks and maybe even make some little purses.

Cancelled................

This morning at 6 a.m. my cell phone rang and it was the Pony Club calling to say that the craft show had been cancelled.  She said the snow plows couldn't work fast enough!

I'm sure we're snowed in here on our own property, too.  The ice hanging from our eves is downright dangerous, so we'll go out later and knock them all off as soon as the high winds and blowing snow subside.

Even the windows are thick with snow and ice.

It's so bad out there that we can hardly see across our road.  These spring storms in the California mountains can be more severe than our winter storms.

The good news tho - our system didn't go down and we've been toasty warm and able to cook a nice country breakfast - bacon, eggs, waffles and fresh oranges.  YUMMO

As for the boutique, they're going to try for two weeks from today.  That'll give me more time to make even more socks.

The Pony Club Boutique

I'm just about as ready as I possibly can be for this Saturday's craft show.  The weather will be just like last year - snowy and rainy.  You may think that that's not good, but actually the colder the weather, the more people want warm wooly socks!  

Doris just cranked out one last pair this afternoon, so I think that will be plenty.  About all that's left to do is stop by the bank and get some change and then early Saturday morning we'll load up the Jeep and head over to Bear Valley Springs.  Cross your fingers and toes that we sell oodles of socks and scarves!

A Sneak Peek...................

I thought that you'd all enjoy seeing the finished little felted purses.  I designed the purses but saw these darling flowers that were designed by Brenda K. B. Anderson for her "Powder Room Tote" that is in the current April/May 2012 issue of "Your Knitting Life" magazine.  The minute I saw them, I just had to make some to embellish the purses for our two new granddaughters.

Tomorrow we'll have dinner at our daughter's house and I can't wait to see the girls' expressions when they receive these.  Gosh it's fun to finally have some little girls to knit for!

Little Girls and Felted Purses.......

I thought that our new little granddaughters who are 3 and 5, might just enjoy some little felted purses.  I'm still working on the pink one and then will add some adorable embellishments once they're both dry.  Since the girls arrived with literally only the clothes on their backs, my daughter is playing a quick catchup and doing a marvelous job with them. 

Easter will be especially fun this year and we will have an early Easter dinner on Saturday with them and then attend their church's evening service.

Easter blessings to you and your family.   

A Little Warning................

Sorry there's no picture today, but instead I wanted to share something of importance - especially for you Etsy sellers.  Yesterday on my Etsy site there was a conversation waiting for me.  It was from a long haul trucker saying that he was interested in a pair of our socks and would be at the local Love's Truck Stop around 5:00 p.m.  He wanted to meet there to buy the socks.

I immediately sent the conversation to the Etsy team and did not reply.  Later, I got another one from the same individual saying that he was now at the truck stop and wanted me to call or text him.  Again, I did not reply.

I can't stress enough to all you Etsy sellers NEVER, NEVER meet with a potential buyer.  They can go through the normal channels of purchasing your goods like everyone else - it's called FedEx, UPS or Snail Mail!

It's a crazy world out there with a lot of wacko people, so keep your guard up and listen to that little voice of yours.