Can I be honest? I was kind of dreading getting back to the farm today. I missed my flock and my dogs and even my bed, but the lack of electricity and company were daunting. (Paige is in California visiting her father this week.) I not in the mood for roughing it in my own home.

But once I pulled into the driveway I felt my equilibrium was restored. The farm looked absolutely beautiful and it was so quiet and peaceful.

We have a few trees down.

Our driveway still hasn’t been plowed, so I had to park by the road.

Of course, my first stop was the barn to check on the lambs and kids. Dimples was modeling some serious hay-head.

The dogs were super-happy to see me.

We brought the little lambs into the barn during the storm. They don’t have as much body fat as the big sheep and they were looking a little miserable.

They were happy to see me too,

but only because I had a pocket full of animal crackers.

I love the chicken footprints in the snow.

The snow hasn’t stopped the hens from laying.

Alabama (right) is now officially bigger than his mama, Daisy (left).

It was so great to be home that not having electricity or running water didn’t seem like such a big deal. Which is good, because it doesn’t look like I’ll be getting power back tonight. And tomorrow? More snow!

As you may have read, Central Virginia got 30+ inches of snow this weekend. That was on top of the 12 inches we already had on the ground. Everyone at the farm is fine but we’re going on day three without power. I was lucky enough to be in DC for the weekend, although the snow was out of control there too. In fact, I couldn’t get over how shut down the city was even today.

I’m sleeping over at Kris and Charlie’s house in Arlington, VA tonight so I can get up bright and early to head back to the farm.  There’s a pretty good chance we could be without power for another three or four days. So no internet, no phone, and no water. We do have heat, thanks to the woodstove and the delivery of wood we got last week.

I think I might have a case of the Day-Three-of-the-Storm Blues. Not at all looking forward to going home to no heat but very much looking forward to getting home to my flock and my dogs. I’ll blog when I can, but I might have to drive in to C-ville to find electricity and WiFi.

Hope you are all some where warm snuggled up to someone you love.

So, we are getting between 26-40 inches of snow if the next two days. Yes, you read that right. Up to four flippin’ feet of snow. Enough already with the snow.

Yesterday, Paige and I took Lucy for her last post-accident check-up with Dr. Johnson.

Paige trying to get Lucy into the car.

Lucy loves everyone at Fork Union Animal Clinic; she just hates riding in the car to get there! Maremmas get very, very car sick. In spite of skipping breakfast, Lucy managed to throw up in the way back of my station wagon.

You’ll be happy to hear that Miss Lu is, according to our vet, 100% gorgeous and amazing. The tenderness on her abdomen is gone, so we can finally take her off the NSAIDs that replaced the steroids she had been taking. Her lungs and heart sound perfect. In short, Lucy is healed.

Lucy celebrated her clean bill of health by playing with Sabine in the snow, her favorite past time.

Sabine is such a good girl. She’s just good-natured and so very patient with Lucy. She also appears to need her nails trimmed.

And Cini? Cini is the hardest working dog in show biz. He always protects his flock, even the jerks like Roquefort.

This picture totally reminds me of the beginning of America’s Next Top Model.

I am in love with this awesome snowman that my neighbors up the road built. Isn’t he great?

I am also in love with my flock. From left to right: Dakota, Delaware, Colorado and Cosmo.

Sweet, enormous Alabama.

I am feeling a little bit achey and feverish today. It’s weird, cause last year I was sick ALL THE TIME. I got every single cold and bug that went around. But since moving to Virginia I haven’t been sick once. Not so much as a sniffle.

But, seeing as how this is the time of year that I always get pneumonia, I’m going to try to fight off whatever I have. Nip it right in the bud. Going to bed with a large glass of OJ and am going to try to sleep this thing off.

Unfortunately, it means I won’t be able to post the Fall 09 colors until next week. Don’t worry; they will be worth waiting for.

Kind of loving the NY Times Skimmer.

Absolutely in love with the Wall Street Journal’s Photo Journal.

Giant squid invade Orange County, CA.

“It is what Edgar Allan Poe might have called “a mystery all insoluble”: Every year for the past six decades, a shadowy visitor would leave roses and a half-empty bottle of cognac on Poe’s grave on the anniversary of the writer’s birth. This year, no one showed.”

Lots of great toys at The Wooden Wagon, but I especially love these hand-carved farm animals. And, OML, the arks!

Did I already blog about the Tea Sub? Can’t remember but it’s worth repeating anyway. (Via SwissMiss)

I flat-out stole this picture from Crush Party. Does anyone know who’s work it is? LOVE!

Pitchfork Coat Rack (Via JellenP via casasugar)

JK Rowling speaking at Harvard commencement on the fringe benefits of failure. (Via ChappysMom)

The NY Times interactive map of Holden Caulfield’s New York. I love this so.

A rare interview with Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson.

Difference between $100 men’s dress shoes and $500 men’s dress shoes? | Ask MetaFilter. (Via NotMartha.) I find this discussion absolutely fascinating.

Love this!

Prince Charles is leading a wool fashion come back!

Can’t tell you how much I love the Story of Saxxon Wool. The video is 10 minutes long but totally worth watching.

Okay, you’re up. What are you reading, watching, listening to and crushing on? Link us up, please.

The Fall Shares are moving along and will be ready for distribution before you know it. But before we can do anything though, we must have your correct address.

If you have moved since your ordered you FALL 09 Share, please email us at: addresschange AT fiberfarm DOT com ASAP.

By the end on the week I will be able to let you know how many skeins/ounces of yarn/roving the share distribution will be. I will also have photographs of the colors available for purchase posted on the blog shortly afterwards. Dyeing will cost $16 per share this year and is only available for yarn, not spinning fibers.

If you purchased a knitting share and would like to switch to a spinning share, please email us at the address above. Regretfully, we cannot change spinning shares into knitting shares this season.

PLEASE make sure you have a FALL 2009 share before emailing us with questions or changes. We spend hours every year trying to sort out shareholders that are confused about which share they purchased. If in doubt, please search your Paypal account for the info before emailing.

Thanks!

Yesterday, 13,000 of my neighbors and I lost power for about 12 hours. Honestly, it wasn’t a huge deal. I spent the day reading and napping instead of sewing and blogging. Our house is new and very solidly built, so it didn’t even cool off all that much.

Losing power at my house also means losing water and phone service. Unfortunately, I hadn’t yet called Tosh to ask him to plow when the power went out, so I was stuck at home for a bit. Because Tosh is my hero, he showed up on his own around three, but by then it was to close to time to feed the animals for me to go into Charlottesville.

It was a lovely, quiet day here. Luckily, my camera batteries were charged and I can share some of it with you.

I am so full of gratitude these days. That I get to live in such a beautiful place. That I get to live this life. I’ve never felt more at home.

I woke up to three inches of snow this morning. We could get as many as 12 inches, but I’m skeptical.

Paige is off this weekend so it was just me and flock.

Amazingly, our flock is still grazing on pasture, but not today. I couldn’t get the hay to them fast enough this morning.

Ernie looks like the Abominable Snowman.

We’ve been putting Sabine in the small paddock with Lucy during the day to stave off the depression Lucy was starting to suffer. The two of them play for hours and you would never know that Lucy nearly died a little over a week ago. It is so good for my spirit to see them together.

Things were so nutso-bananas last week that I feel like some things may have slipped through the cracks. Just to be sure no one misses out I’m going to recap a bit.

Apropos of nothing. I just love this picture.

-Last week, I asked y’all what you thought about diverting some of the money we had been raising for the Heifer International to a Haitian Earthquake fund like the Red Cross. Although most of you agreed, Susan in Katonah pointed out that Heifer has it’s own Haiti relief fund. I think it’s a fantastic suggestion! We get to support Haiti and Heifer at the same time. I hope y’all agree.

-I am extending the deadline on our Finished Objects Photography Contest after hearing from some of you that have a special project very nearly finished.

Send us your pics of the coolest/prettiest/most lovely sweater/scarf/socks/whatever that you knitted up with Juniper Moon Farm yarn. We’ll chose a pool of finalist for all the blog readers to vote on and the winner will receive a $50 Juniper Moon Farm Gift Certificate.

The fine print: At least 75% of your project must be Juniper Moon Farm to qualify for entry. By sending us your photo you’re giving Juniper Moon Farm permission to publish your photo on our website. Send your photos to susie AT fiberfarm DOT com. PLEASE put “photo contest” in the subject line of your email. If you used a published pattern you MUST include the name of the pattern in the email so that we can credit the designer; if it’s an original pattern, indicate so. If you remember the name of the color and which yarn you used please include that info in your email as well. Also include the name you would like to be used with your photo on the site. You may enter as many FOs as you like but please include all the info above for each photo. All photos must be received by February 15th, 2010. Spinners, you will not be left out! Send us pics of your finest JMF handspun. We’ll have a separate category just for you.

-Big Shepherding Camp/Farm Stay news! After much conversation and planning, Paige and I have decided to convert Erin’s former room into another guest room for Shepherding Camp and Farm Stays. We are really excited because a second room will allow us to host families with children and larger groups. We will be taking more reservations this year than in the past, and offering weekends that focus on yoga, cooking, cheese making, photography and more. We’re lining up the instructors now and will publish a schedule ASAP.

If you prefer a more private weekend, we can arrange for private spinning, dyeing and knitting classes, as well as private yoga instruction and massage for an additional fee.

Reservations for Kidding and Lambing Season- March through May- are filling up fast. For more info, email paige AT fiberfarm DOT com.

-The 2010 Shearing Day Celebration will be April 24th. Mark your calendars and make your reservations.

- We still need YOUR suggestion for names for our 2010 kids and lambs. Please leave your entry in the comments on that thread so we can keep them all organized.

-I was a little bummed that this blog post about eating meat got lost in the shuffle last week. I was really enjoying hearing your thoughts and I’d love to hear from more of you.

-Finally, Juniper Moon Farm will be taking on one, possibly two spring/summer apprentices this year. These are unpaid positions but room and board will be provided. To apply, email me at susie AT fiberfarm DOT com with a resume and cover letter explaining why you’d like to live and work at Juniper Moon for a few months. We are especially looking for individuals with production garden experience but will carefully consider all applicants.

Lambcam is back up and broadcasting live from the Juniper Moon Farm barn. Currently it is set up in Linda, Dimples and Jasmine’s stall but we will be moving the nannies and ewes into the picture when they are ready to kid and lamb. In the meantime, I will be readjusting the camera from time-to-time to figure out the best location and shot.

Last year, the volume of traffic during lambing overwhelmed our website server, forcing us to purchase a second, lambcam-dedicated server. We’re gearing up the live feed early this year so that we can ramp up the traffic slowly and make adjustments before lambing and kidding begin.

If you are using a Mac you will need to download the Windows Media Player here. Firefox users may need to download this Windows Media Player plug in. For reasons so technical they nearly make my head explode, Lambcam is best viewed in Internet Explorer.