Remember the Luna-See??

Back in September we found a large, green caterpillar which we mistakenly labeled a luna moth caterpillar. (See Luna See )  We have luna moths around here and they are big and green as caterpillars.

Here is a picture of a luna moth.  Very pretty, I think.
Well, today was the day that the caterpillar turned into a moth and look--

Here it is fresh out of the cocoon.  It's a polyphemus silk moth!!It's beautiful.

Very friendly little guy.  Actually, I'm not sure if it's male or female.  I did a little research and found that they don't eat anything in this stage.  They only live a few days to mate and then they die.

We're just enjoying him while he lasts.  He wasn't supposed to emerge until spring.  He's a bit early.  God's creatures are so fascinating.

Come Exploring-Lots of Pics

First thing I would like to do is to direct you to a wonderful blog written by a Godly young lady.  Her name is Elizabeth and she has become a friend to my daughter.  This woman has such a heart for God it's a blessing to read about. Elizabeth's blog

Second thing I'd like to do is to take you with me exploring our property.  We've been here five years and there are places I haven't been yet.  Remember last weekend when Ollie hit the dirt?  Well, before that he was busy clearing fencelines along our property lines.  With the ground good and frozen, I took the opportunity to walk some of the cleared lines and discovered some real treasures.

We start out heading east toward the back of our property.

My Newfie, Jenny, breaking trail.

We head straight back to the big birch tree and find the trail Ollie made.

This is Jenny posing.  It's a picture for my daughter who loves this dog.

Now we've headed north.  I discovered a whole mess of cedar trees on our property that I didn't know we had.

And look!!Blueberry swamps and Labrador tea!!  I know where I'm going picking this summer.

Found some tracks back there.  A lot of fox tracks like these, a few mouse tracks, tons of deer tracks and....

A lone wolf traveled through here today.  By the size of the track it looks like a Timber. (No they're not Jenny's. :)  )

Heading back west you can see the wold and the fox tracks side by side down the trail.  The fox tracks are from a day ago.

I think Jenny got pooped out.  You can see our barn in the background.

Coming across the fields towards home, I thought I'd try to be artsy and take a good picture.  :)  Our plow at rest in front of the oat field.

It was a beautiful day for a walk today.  Temp was 30 and the sun kept peeking out.  I hope you enjoyed yourself.  Time to put on some dry socks and have a hot cup of coffee.
From Glory Farm

Poor Ollie

My honey buys me many presents.  There was the Mack truck, the Bucyrus Erie dragline-two of those-a Ferguson tractor, very cute, and an Oliver crawler/loader, also cute.  Because they're mine, I do develop a slight fondness for them.  So when I saw what had happened to my Oliver on Saturday, I felt sorry for him.

Honey took him out to clear property lines.  He did a good job, loaded up on the trailer and was starting for home when...

He went and jumped off of the trailer!  There he lay, helpless...

A view of his injuries.  He suffered four broken bolts and a dent in his hiney, not to mention the embarrassment.
Honey went back to the house, got a high-lift jack, and a come-a-long and had him up on his feet in no time.

Back on the trailer and hunkered down this time, notice the chains.

You know what really made my day?  That Honey would take pictures of the whole process so I could blog about it. 

A bit of repair and Ollie will be back in the field next weekend.

Making Tea

Sometimes I think I'm hard to live with.  Last weekend I wouldn't have wanted to be in the house with me.  :)

So once clear thought returned, I decided to make some tea.  Not that it will really help, but maybe a placebo effect is all I need.  I threw together some rasberry leaves, red clover, bee balm and stevia.  I had heard that red clover is good for PMS.  I did a little research on each of the ingredients and found that:

Red Clover:  May reduce cholesterol, reduce bone loss, and help PMS.

Rasberry Leaves:  May alleviate cold symptoms, help get rid of cancer and cold sores, and have Vitamin C, Vitamin A, calcium and phosphorus. (Also good for pregnant ladies.)

Bee Balm:  Tastes good :), May helps treating colds, headaches, fevers and help digestive problems.

Stevia:  I put this in just as a sweetener but it also may help treat high blood pressure, digestion, heartburn, and osteoporosis.

( It's best to check with your doctor before using any herbal treatments.) 

The tea tastes good and I guess it's good for me.  I think I'll rummage around through my dried herbs and see what other concoctions I can come up with.

From Glory Farm

Making Rugs

I finally finished!  I started this rug last year and just got tired of looking at it sitting on my cedar chest waiting to be finished. I made it out of t-yarn .  I just made granny squares and put them together.  It's not laying flat yet, but it should after laying on the floor for a bit-

I made this one last year-

There are so many ways to make rugs.  Both of these are crocheted, but you can use the toothbrush technique if you want a more heavy duty rug.
You can braid t-yarn- http://sewliberated.typepad.com/sew_liberated/2011/01/the-rainbow-rug.html

Isn't this beautiful?  It's from the above website.

You can weave it on a hoola-hoop- http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/crafts-by-type/sewing-fabric-projects/no-sew-projects/hula-hoop-rug-995304/

(picture from Family Fun)

Or make a latch hook rug- http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/crafts-by-type/sewing-fabric-projects/no-sew-projects/hula-hoop-rug-995304/

(photo from e-how)

One more thing, if you've gone through all of the dressers and closets in your house and people are starting to complain because they can't find a t shirt, thrift stores are a great source for more supplies.  Our thrift store sells a whole bag of t shirts for $2!

 I think the braided rug is next on the list.  I love the colors that she used.



Kitchen Walls

Finally got my computer back on line.  You don't realize how much time you spend on this thing until it's down for a couple of days and you find yourself finishing all of those craft projects that you started last year.  It's all good.

Wanted to share the blessing of kitchen walls with you.  We've been building for four years off and on.  Mostly off.  But for Christmas this year, we got the kitchen and livingroom sheetrocked and taped.  I was able to get at least one coat of paint on everything before company showed up for Christmas.  These are pictures of the kitchen.  Keep in  mind that we don't have floors or ceilings yet, so I tried not to show those parts.  :)

The walls are "Vanilla Bean" yellow.  A happy little color.  It makes such a difference in the room.  We are so blessed. 

The next step in the kitchen is to put in a center island with the sink and dishwasher.  Eventually.  Slow and steady works for me.  :)

From Glory Farm