Hi friends! How are you? We’re good. Last week was a little rough for both Anna and me. Mostly due to the move. Even though it’s not a huge move and we’re moving to a great place, it still takes a lot out of you. I’m still working but trying to figure out how to navigate the transition while working, moving, and getting settled. But we are settled now. And it was great timing!
Sheep
The sheep were sheared on Tuesday and Anna and I were there for all the fun and festivities! My friend, who owns the sheep farm, invited some people over to help and watch. The ladies who sheared (the shearers?) did 15 sheep in just over an hour! That’s amazing. They knew exactly how to handle the sheep, get them out of the stall, flip them over, and get the job done. I was amazed. I was also amazed by the wool. Depending on the sheep and their breed, the wool could be brown on top, but black on the bottom. Some of the wool was so gray that it had a blue hue to it. Oh my goodness! I have so much to learn about sheep!
Life
I haven’t been doing much other than working and settling in. Here’s some snapshots of us settling in. I’m hoping to get into a good routine now that we’re settled. I have a freezer and pantry full of food so I’ll be in the kitchen more now. I didn’t really cook when we were at the river cabin. I don’t know why. It’s hard to cook for just one person, but it also didn’t feel like a place to cook and make. But that’s okay. We’re here at the farm now and I can make all kinds of things. I have a plan for making some soup, grain bowls, and cranberry bread today. I did find this recipe for blueberry lemon bread pudding. I’m mighty tempted to try that too! I’m feeling more like ‘me’ lately. Actually, I’m feeling better than the old me. The old me wasn’t happy. I see that now. This new me is working on slowing down. Taking time. Reacting less. Figuring out what I want and not what I ‘should’ be doing. I lost myself for a long time. But I’m finding her again. And she’s a much better version of my former self. And I’m so happy to have my Anna Lee next to me!
Photography
I did sneak out yesterday and take a photography course! It’s the first in-person photography course I’ve ever taken. It was a lot of fun. It was hosted by two local photographers, Jill and Amanda. They were great! I learned so much more about shooting in manual mode. All the pictures below are from the class (the first picture was one I took back at the farm after class). They’re all shot in manual mode. I just love them! I especially like that some of them are brighter than I normally like. It’s fun to try different perspectives and different aesthetics. I normally like the more moody photos, but something about that bright, cheerfulness is soothing too!
Something about the class has reignited my passion for photography. I’d lost most of my passions over the past few months (no surprise there) and have had a hard time reigniting it. But the passion for photography is still there! I love that photography is something that can be carried around from place to place without too much equipment. Obviously if you’re doing it on a professional level that’s not entirely true, but for us hobbyist, all we need it a camera. I do hope to keep improving my photography skills. We talked about starting a photography club so we could continue to grow and learn. I’m excited for that!
And I wanted to share what I’ve been reading lately. I read The Christie Affair. That was really good! I’m currently reading Vanishing Fleece. After the shearing party last week, I decided I needed to read as much about sheep as possible! Other than that, I have a couple of classes coming up (seed saving! Tis the season!). I hope you are doing well friends!!
I’m having some back office issues so I’m going to leave us here today. I’ll be back soon with another update (and hopefully no more back office issues. Sigh)….
’til next time
-k
xoxo