Groundhog Day - What in the World?

Groundhog Day is a holiday celebrated on February 2. It is held in the United States and Canada. According to folklore, if a groundhog emerging from its burrow on this day fails to see its shadow, it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter will soon end. If on the other hand, the groundhog sees its shadow, the groundhog will supposedly retreat into its burrow, and winter will continue for six more weeks

Why The Groundhog?

So, how did Groundhog Day get started?

The tradition is associated with Candlemas Day, an old Christian holiday commemorating the presentation of Jesus in the Temple. On Candlemas Day, clergy in Europe would bless candles and distribute them to the people in the dark of winter.
Candlemas Day was based on an even earlier pagan celebration called Imbolc,which marked a milestone in the winter (midway between winter solstice and spring equinox). There were numerous rhymes to

indicate that the weather on that particular day was important.

"If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, There'll be two winters in

the year."

 

The Teutons (Germans) decided that if the sun was out on

Candlemas Day, an animal would cast a shadow, predicting six more weeks of bad weather (the "second winter"). The animal used then

was either a either a badger or hedgehog. But when German

settlers took the tradition with them to Pennsylvania, they used

the groundhog (a type of woodchuck), which was abundant in the area.

Some Groundhog (Whistle Pig) Facts

The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where crowds as high as 40,000 have gathered to celebrate the holiday since at least 1886.

Did you know that Canada's Groundhog Day relies on an albino groundhog named Wiarton Willie?  New York City's official groundhog is called "Pothole Pete". 

Funny Groundhog Pictures

There actually is a Groundhog's Day website with games, contests, and fun facts that might be fun to visit.

 There are even Free Groundhog's Day E-Cards!

HAPPY GROUNDHOG'S DAY

Cookies and Storybook Alpacas

I do like cookies, better than cake or pie or candy.  Of course I'll eat anything that has sugar in it, but cookies are my favorite.  Then there are Girl Scout Cookies, oh don't get me started . . .

I just listed this Alpaca Kitchen Gift Set in The Farm Store.  The stainless steel baking sheet was fabricated by alpaca breeder and metal fabricator, Joe Matern.  The alpaca cookie stamps, one is a suri and one is a huacaya, and "Keep It Softs" were designed by his wife Reba.  The mold is a one-of-a-kind so you won't find these anywhere else!  All were made in the USA and make a great gift set, complete with recipes and tips. 

Or bake alpaca cookies for your next alpaca event!

I love what Reba writes about their alpaca farm.

About Storybook Alpacas . . .

Once Upon a Time there was a man who worked hard at his small business and was under a lot of stress. The man had a wife who liked to write stories for their grandchildren. One day she wrote a story about an alpaca and, along the way, discovered a lot about the quizzical critters. So the man and his wife went to visit an alpaca farm. The man said Ahhhhhhh! And his wife said Ooooooo! And the man and his wife were hooked!


And, Once Upon a Time, there was an old dilapidated horse barn with a little bit of land near where the man and his wife lived. It was very dreary looking. But then Sunshine and Annie came to the barn and brought their pals Coco Moco and Little Ricky. They brightened the barn and warmed the hearts of everyone who came to visit. Soon Carmeltina and her cria (baby) came to join the others. They all played and ran around the pasture together and delighted everyone who came to see them.

Every day the man and his wife came home from work and went up to the barn to visit the alpacas. They gave them some fresh water, some hay and a little feed. Then they watched the alpacas jump and run and play. And the man said Ahhhhhhh! And his wife said Oooooooo! The outside world melted away and their happily ever after began.

Play with alpacas this winter, play

 Alpaca-opoly(TM) in the comfort of you own home! 
This is another item available at Storybook Alpacas or Alpaca Meadows. 

 
Joe Matern came to the United States from Austria as a child with his parents in 1955. They settled here in Mansfield, Ohio and lived where Storybook Alpacas now reside. Reba came to Mansfield in 1979 where she met Joe and they married in 1984. After a few years of raising children and running Joe's custom metal shop, alpacas captivated their hearts and their world has never been the same. The couple now looks forward to retiring some day amid quiet days and the gentle hum of alpacas.

Need metal fabrication done?  Call Joe at 419-589-3745.  Alpaca breeders, here are a few items that might interest you!

Premium Skirting Table

Matern Fleece Tumbler

Locking Aluminum Show Box

Personally, my favorite cookie is not chocolate chip, but oatmeal raisin.  I REALLY like them all full of stuff like nuts, butterscotch bits, cranberries and more . . .

What is your favorite?

My New Yarn

So, here is where it all starts, with happy, healthy alpacas!

Stress does affect fiber quality - see the smiles on these two? Meet Unlimited Joy and Ariella!  There are two different breeds of alpacas, suri and huacaya, and the difference is their fleece.  A suri's fleece grows vertically to the ground, in dreadlocks, and will grow clear to the ground if not shorn.  A huacaya has more of a teddy bear look and their fleece grows horizontal away from their bodies.  I think of a suri as being majestic and a huacaya as cute!

Huacaya Fleece

Suri Fleece

In the Dye Pot with Gaywool Dye

Carded

Carding is the process of combing and blending fibers together - an art form in itself.  This is a blend of hand dyed suri and natural brown huacaya.

Rovings Wound Into A Ball for Spinning

Hand Spun Into A Single Ply Yarn

Finished Two-Ply Yarn - Food For The Soul!

Click here to buy now!

Farm Fresh Eggs

I love, love, love farm fresh eggs.  They actually have color and taste.  Hard boiled farm fresh eggs also can be very hard to peel!   They kind of just get torn apart, sometimes a whole layer of egg gets wasted, and the egg looks like it's been through a war by the time you eat it.  Someone told me it is because they are too fresh.  Eggs from the grocery store are much older and easier to peel when hard boiled - now that is a scarey thought!

Anyway, it turns out there are instructions on the world wide web on how to hard boil the perfect egg - who would have guessed!  There was a point in my cooking career that I could have used that information!!  An interesting tidbit that I do know is that in Colorado, where I once lived, it takes seven minutes to hard boil an egg because of the higher altitude, versus three minutes here at home in the midwest.

I'm so easily distracted, especially on the internet.  Wouldn't you know, I also found information on peeling those hard to peel eggs.  I think I'll give it a try - How To Peel/Shell Hard Boiled Eggs Perfectly.   

We actually have tried raising chickens (among many other species including ducks and rabbits and goats and guinea pigs and mice and geese and puppies and kittens and cows and of course, alpacas) but every darn time, they have met their demise thanks to predators, the chickens that is. I'd like to try it again sometime as I love the eggs, enjoy gathering them, and like just having chickens around.

The first time we raised them they were free range, big mistake. Even our shitzu became predator to those chickens - she was so proud the day she dragged one through her doggy door to show us!  My daughter will never be the same after being chased by the rooster.  It was hysterical to watch but not at all funny for her. 

Another chicken story, who would have thought I'd have chicken stories, was when we were having our barn built. The builder drove a red pick-up truck and one of our hens layed an egg in the back of his truck every day while he was working - how's that for take-out service!

It was too funny the first time our alpacas saw chickens in the pasture! This is Shining Star, one of our vey first alpacas, still on our farm today.  We bought her at a show, watched her take a blue ribbon in the show ring, then followed her owner back to her pen and bought her! 

When I was looking for this picture I was reminded she has had five beautiful babies (called crias) for us.  King James was the first, we sold him and repeated the breeding because we liked him so much.  Thunderstruck is in our breeding program today and making awesome babies, as is his half-sister Crassy, out of our Grand Champion, Accoyo Matterhorn. Rebel is a Rocko baby, not on our website yet, yikes I'm behind, but he has taken some ribbons and is definitely show quality!  Ranger is her latest baby and he is looking every bit as nice as the others.

  Shiny makes awesome babies - she is a keeper! 

I told you I get distracted . . .

Besides predators, our chickens decided to roost in the alpaca barn, which became a problem because they were pooping in the feed trays. Back to the chicken shed they went.

Sometimes I feel like it's a zoo around here!

The Jack Russell had to go back where he came from . . .

More later on the jackass/pony that my husband received from my son on Father's Day.

What Is Needle Felting?

Needle Felting is a craft that is easy to learn, inexpensive to do, and fun!  You can create flat objects or three dimensional objects. 

Felting Needles are straight needles with barbs cut along the shaft. When repeatedly pushed into a tuft of wool fibers, the barbs pull the fibers down, compressing and locking them together. The barbs are cut in one direction so that felting or matting together of the fibers will occur when the needle is pushed in and not when it is pulled out.

These were done in a heart cookie cutter shape with fiber I cleaned out of my drum carder - waste not, want not. So very easy!

I ran across a website called The Silver Penney.  She has posted some helpful Needle Felting Basics for Felting a Flat Shape, (without a cookie cutter) and a very helpful video on Needle Felting a 3-D Object.

This is Alpaca Felting Fiber in some shades for your Valentine's Day projects!  It has not been carded but only needs pulled apart slightly and works great on small projects.

I've added a pin to the back so that it can be worn.

Or given as a Valentine.

Prayer Shawls

Ice and a two hour school delay - enough to put me in a tizzy!  I'm involved in a Prayer Shawl Ministry and the group meets at my house once a month.  Today was the day.  When my husband reported on the condition of our driveway - sheet of ice, I e-mailed the group and cancelled our get-together.  I moved on with my day, but no one got the e-mail, and at 10am they showed up anyway!

Our small group has given away close to 200 prayer shawls in a little over a year's time.  The following pictures are just a handful of them.

We have gals that knit and crochet, and we have a gal that weaves.  The maker of the shawl prays for the person who will be receiving the shawl.  Sometimes we know who that will be, but usually we don't.  The prayer shawls become a tangible reminder that we are wrapped in God's warmth, blessings, and peace.

We have received so many notes and stories of how these shawls have arrived at just the right time - God's time I think!

Free Prayer Shawl Patterns for both knitting and crocheting, are available on the Lion Brand website.