a-chick-metic: 1 poor plan + 2 crossed fingers = 0 exotic chickens

My new camera came in the mail, and it was like picking up a brick.  Why hadn't I checked the weight before I bought it?!  My old camera weighed 1 lb 2 oz, and this new camera is 2 lbs 6 oz.  Too, too much.  I sent it back and I'm still waiting for the (15.6 oz) replacement.  But my cell phone is too painfully bad, so when Todd and I went to the Indiana State Fair last week, I brought the point-and-shoot business camera.  

I love the fair.  I used to live nearby and went at least once every season, sometimes many times.  I love the exotic chickens, the vegetable contests, the butter sculptures, the 4H insect collections, the dog and cat shows, all of it.  I guess we timed it poorly this year, though.  The chickens, the pigs, sheep, goats, horses, and cows...either already gone or not yet at the fair.  We couldn't find the butter sculptures or the insect collections.  It was a lot of this:

Thankfully, there were a few sheep, there for a random junior show:

There were a couple of pigs at a birthing exhibit:

There was a small goat petting zoo:

One exhibitor brought a few ducks and chickens:

There was a midday horse race:

Of course, we checked out the quilt exhibits.

The baked goods...

...and the veggies.

I love checking out the oddities, though.  Who has the best antique clock?  The best old record?  The best vintage doll?  Or...what about the best Christmas decoration?  The ugliest lamp?  The best scrapbooking page??  Oh, they've got it.

Todd found some treasures too!

Next year, I will CHECK THE SCHEDULE to make sure that the exhibits I want to see are open.  I need those exotic chickens!!

(past chicken pics)

Have a great week!

puzzle powers and paperwhite flowers

'Tis the season!  I've been working nonstop on puzzles when not working almost non-stop at my regular job.  I've taken a break from working on my quilt and other crafty things and I'm flying through puzzles.  As a rule, I only do 1000 piece puzzles...

...although I finished a 300 piece puzzle in the time it took Todd to eat supper the other night!  I'm a total addict.  It's so relaxing.  I have done one other short and quick (and equally nerdy) project last weekend...made a quick felt ornament of our new guest!

Clotilde is now officially using her new kitty condo...

...and spends the rest of her time on the back deck, sleeping or waiting for food.

Or just peeking in!

She's so sweet!

We saw another adorable outdoor cat at the goat farm this weekend, curled up in a pile of leaves.

I love going to the goat farm.  I'm continually amazed at the beauty of these rooster feathers!

Of course, we saw lots of goats...

...including babies!

We've been hiking every weekend, so haven't made it out to the goat farm for a while.  Last weekend, or maybe the one before, we squeezed in a quick visit to a building demolition before our hike!  It was an old building on the Clemson campus.  Can I just say that those detonators are loud!?!

Around here, it's just been work, busy with the pre-Christmas rush and getting the yard in shape, now that the fire ants are deep underground.  I haven't done a ton of Christmas baking, but did make some chocolate peppermint biscotti.  These twice-baked cookies are really easy to make!

I'm pleased to report that staggered forcing of paperwhite bulbs is incredibly easy.  I keep the bulbs in the basement, in an open bag.  Every 2 weeks, I pull out a bulb and put the end in water to stimulate root growth.  I leave it in a dark corner for a few days and boom!  Roots!  Then I can put it in the window.

There are so many flowers, and so much green in general, here in South Carolina in the winter, it just doesn't feel as festive as I think it might in the Midwest.  I do enjoy them, though!

Have a great week!

Collie Jollies

It's baby goat season, so we had to go to Split Creek Farms to check out the newcomers.  BABIES!!

Of course, I was crazy about the beautifully-colored birds.

Todd made a new friend, and the experience was immortalized in sketch.

Yes, we were able to buy a border collie post card, which I have hanging on our refrigerator.  It reminds me of our happy day!

Many more creatures around the house.  Lots of deer are passing through, looking for tender green shoots.  The first here is female, but look at the little stubs on the second one...definitely male!

A lovely red-tailed hawk, watching the squirrels.

Oh, my favorite...the Eastern towhee!

Lots of bluebirds flitting around.

Check out this downy woodpecker, nicely blending in between these two smaller tree trunks!

I'm bringing in a few of these guys when I gather flowers...a green magnolia jumping spider [look away if you're spider-averse!]:

I see a lot of these, because I bring in a lot of flowers.  We're in the waning days of camellia bouquet season, so I'm bringing in as many as I can...

At least it's almost azalea time!  :)

Have a great week!