The High Points

Another week has galloped past.  I swear there's a Doppler effect for time - I see the week right ahead, feel like I'm all ready to pack every day with productivity, then - bam - it's gone by, trailing a lingering list of  "oh yeah, I was going to get those finished up, and I thought for sure that would get done, I did do part of this....".  Here's some of what went on.

Dyeing wool.  This is Salmon which goes into a colorway of ours that is depleted - Twilight Time.  I know - not very 'twilight/dim/end of day' feeling, is it?  The other colors will mute it, honest.

The annual fabric sale at the Gunlocke outlet store was a good opportunity for me (and lots of other people, apparently!) to take advantage of truly garage sale caliber prices on bolts of high-end upholstery fabric, real leather, faux leather and other odds and ends.

The shorter rolls were on the shelves, the longer rolls - some over my head - were standing against the walls.

The office furniture was all on sale too.  New but humdrum items like metal file cabinets, but also tables, chairs, sofas, lecterns, cabinets, bookcases, etc.

The fabric was selling for $1 a yard but you had to take the whole bolt as it was, some large, some only a few yards still rolled on.  On the other hand, they didn't actually measure the yardage, just low balled the likely figure.  I bought one bolt for the quoted $30 when the roll clearly said fifty-six yards!  For less than $50 I bought three coordinating fabrics that are destined to be the new backdrop and table coverings for my vendor booth at fiber festivals.  After all these years my 'look' will be cohesive!  (Some assembly required.  Heh.)

If I'd had a brain in my head I would have looked for fabric to reupholster our aging living room couch.  Oh well, next time.

Early in the week the honey bees swarmed again!  Or, it may have been the first swarm taking another try at actually leaving.  I've heard that sometimes a swarm changes its collective mind and goes back to the home hive to try again in the near future.  Maybe the queen has to go back and check that the stove's off or something.  But this hive seems big enough that it could really have put out two broods.  Either way, it was a good day to swarm.


They pretty quickly clustered on a lower branch.

Just a couple of hours later they had gone.  And two days later I looked out the window just in time to see another swarm from who-knows-where roll through the yard headed south.  Amazing. We've been trimming hooves in the yearling and geriatric group.  We can't do it all in one go - doing the math we have 47 animals in that bunch which means 188 cloven hooves or 376 actual toes to clip.  We're about one-third done. And today while running errands I rescued a kitten.  Reader's Digest condensed version:  Pouring rain, miraculously unhurt in the center turning lane of a busy town road, male, 5-6 weeks old, tests negative for Feline Leukemia and FIV, has one eye ruptured from infection and which will be blind so have ointment for that, very scared but ensconced in Holly's puppy crate pending acceptance at the Finger Lakes SPCA for eventual adoption.   Do not. need. another. cat.   Sigh.  (The eye should resolve on its own the vet says, and scar into safe uselessness but hopefully not need to be surgically removed.)

Guess who's taken over guardianship?

"Good grief, something else for me to be in charge of!"

What a good girl.

Momcat and Kittens

Kitten season started early this year and pleas from the local humane societies center around the need for funds to care for kittens who have ended up there through one avenue or another.  We have had kittens dropped off here previous years by cowardly or stupid people who figure any property with a barn is a fine place to dispose of their irresponsibility.  We have adopted our share of waifs over the years, but we can't afford any. more. cats. and hold our breath when we hear cars slow down and then speed up in the middle of the night. 

This time some piece of dirt dropped a young momcat and 3 little kittens just past my neighbor's house in the brush past the hedgerow.  Holly actually found the first little furball cowering in the weeds six inches off the pavement while we were walking (this dog has a nose like you wouldn't believe) and long story short my neighbor (and my cousin!) Diane is now caring for a momcat and 3 kittens.

Here's their story -

On June 19 a brown tabby cat and her 3 5-week old female kittens were dropped off on the side of the road.  They were tame, starving and two had infected wounds.  As of 7/11 they have been to the vet twice and are healed and doing fine.  The kittens are now 8 weeks old - healthy, friendly and playful.  THEY NEED HOMES.  If you have room in your heart and can give any of them a forever home please call Diane Galletta at 607-522-5694 (home) or 516-732-3700 (cell).



As everyone knows, there are already too many homeless pets for the shelters to house and so none around here will admit them.  Lollypop Farm is a fine facility doing a fantastic job, but the reality is that if animals come in the front door and the cages are already full, someone else has to be put down to make room so she really, really doesn't want to take them there.   Diane fears that she's already teetering on the edge of being the local Crazy Cat Lady and just cannot keep these kitties (we won't divulge the number of 4-footed residents at her house). 

Please consider adopting any of these sweeties.  Any of them, including the mom who is very loving and gentle with people, would brighten any household.  Let's get these little guys into new homes and help balance out the actions of the piece of crap that dumped them on the side of the road.