Author: Caryn

Different reactions

On By CarynIn dog
Griffin and Missy in bandage wraps

My dogs are not fans the New Year’s fireworks that go off in our neighborhood. I decided to try elastic cloth bandage wraps this year. Griffin, who is my calm one, loved his wrap, came out from under the table and laid in the living room with us. Missy, the high strung one, hated the wrap and tried rubbing and wiggling and scraping the offending cloth until we took it off. She has the same reaction to an actual Thunder Vest type garment. She is easily distracted with a ball, so that worked for her. They both went to their crates for the worst of the big badda booms.

Sponge bracelet

On By CarynIn Craft

For spinning flax, author Stephenie Gaustad recommends wetting the point of contact between the leader and fibers to be drafted with moistened fingers. To facilitate this, I made a sponge bracelet. I cut a rectangle of sponge, sewed on some swim suit material, and slipped it over a metal cuff-style bracelet.

Bracelet mounted sponge

Before I start spinning, I wet the sponge. My favorite spit substitute is alcohol-free lens cleaner. I usually have a spray bottle for cleaning my glasses, so it is readily available for spinning use as well. And yes, I did try actual saliva, but since this is flax roving it has many short fibers that get caught on fingers and tongue. Yuck.

Spinning flax in the car with a drop spindle, distaff, and sponge bracelet

Three days

On By CarynIn chickens

We recently went on a three-day trip, and set the chickens up so they could be on their own while we were gone. Well, I noticed the day before we left that they had not been accessing their food in their feeder. Not sure if the cold metal was too much for their feet, or if there was something else going on with the feeder, I set up a supplement hanging feeder for while we were gone. I layered grubblies (since they usually get some daily when I go out), scratch (since it was going to be cold), and their usual organic chicken feed.

Hanging feeder layered with their usual variety

The hens had nearly emptied the hanging feeder after three days.

Hanging feeder after three days

You may notice in the picture above that not only are the detested seeds from the scratch on the ground (see yesterday’s post), but so is a significant amount of pelleted food. Hm. I think my hens have been surviving on dried grubs and cracked corn, enough so that they prefer not to access their regular feed. Busted.

Leftovers

On By CarynIn chickens
Chickens going after scratch grains
The grain left by the chickens

I give my hens scratch grains in the winter to help them maintain body heat, since the whole grains are harder to digest. The chickens love the mix, except for one kind. I’m not sure if the offending seed is oats or barley (or both since they look similar), but they certainly don’t care for them. Maybe they will sprout in the spring?