Holiday Happenings

Though I didn't deck out my house this year, I did put seat to chair and spin up a mile of yarn. Including a 4 oz. braid of jewel-toned green and blue alpaca that I bought in summer, back before I could spin on a wheel. I finished that last night, it's a magnificent skein, 230 yards!

I also knitted and crocheted some lovely gifts. Hats, scarves, and a purple & white snood that was really lovely. That's counting the hat that grew wings and flew away. I'm going to need to replace it.

There are still a few more skeins to spin. Hubby and I carded three batts of fiber: white, chocolate and black, all enhanced with some firestar fiber.

In chicken world, I started a major project: Paneling the walls with wood salvaged from pallets, redoing the nest boxes and adding roost space. There's also the matter of the window that isn't flush against the outside wall. I want to move it inside so it lets in light, not the wind. (We'll see if I can pull that one off. Might be beyond my skill level.)

At present, all the nests are against a metal wall. The hens don't get any relief from the cold or the heat. It's mostly just a wind break. The warm spot is the roost across the way. But not all the chickens are welcome there.

I think this has a lot to do with my losses in the winter. The chickens who need the shelter from the cold can't get it. The eggs get chilled and will crack in the cold, which means I don't get many hatchings in the spring.

So, Chicken World gets a make-over, it might take a year to "get'er done." But it's a worthy project.

I'm not going to promise anything on the writing front, but I have been looking over my WIPs. Winter is always my best writing season. Now that I'm not at the Farmer's Market two days a week, I might just have time to finish up a story or two.

It's good to have goals.