Sarah, I just love your process of discovery and its generous nature. You have completely nailed the amazing things about the herding dogs -- I think esp the cattle dogs - reliable off-leash but man o man, they have their own reactions to new things (like me as well!). What a summer for you both.
Isn't it just amazing how individual they are (herding dogs), and also how alike in their intensity and depth? As you say, an amazing summer of discovery for us both.
Doing anything beyond breathing and looking while walking is beyond my powers of coordination. I have a neighbor who crochets on her walk around the neighborhood. I bow down.
And beryl and I (pushytext tried to make that beryllium) have similar feelings about water. We'd go in except it makes us wet.
ha! my phone still tries to write beryllium whenever I start writing her name. or Berry...Weirdly, for all its smart phone-ness, it can't quite believe I named my dog Beryl 😂
I love the quote 'hot-steep-cool-sweet-stingy-pokey-yummy-bitey-poison-beautiful-wildness of this place.' That is quite an accurate description. I also have a few fleeces I have been working through and after reading this post, I need to scour some. Thanks for sharing your adventures.
All I can say is that you are a treasure to our world!
Oh and Beryl isn't alone on the water thing... my girl Buddha isn't going for it either. She steps in it with a look on her face that clearly communicates "this is gross!"
I had to teach my last heeler to cross creeks because sometimes we had no choice-- and eventually he got pretty calm about it. At the same time I had a dog of unknown history who LOVED the water, and would walk in and wallow no matter the temperature. And now Beryl -- who doesn't even like puddles much!
Blackberries and beautifully scoured fleece! Two of my favorite things. And you did a fabulous job keeping the locks intact. Perfect for spindle or wheel. I have great memories of blackberries my mother grew in her garden. We would eat them on Blue Bell homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert after supper. Good times good memories.
Another excellent post, and it makes me feel so better in my horrible little patch of my life that such nice things are happening elsewhere. It's a dark tunnel here, but the end will turn up eventually. Thank you for so much Beryl - I do rather feel that she's an old soul that I've met before. And I must clear some freezer space for our brambles, soon to be ripe here. I wonder what your woods smell like in that walk with Beryl? Very different from my local woods, I'm sure.
OH golly Freyalyn -- I'm so so sorry things are hard and the tunnel dark. Though situations are always different, I do indeed know that place smh continue to be amazed that I am on this side of the tunnel myself. Like ice cubes, I cannot take it for granted. Sending you all the good stuff I have now --and adding extra Beryl content just for you. (Indeed, I took the video of our walk in the woods with you in mind).
A lovely post, as always--and I love the tech feature that lets me read your message in the email but link to the website when I'm ready to get a closer look at the wonderful drawings. I'm loving the discussions with Young Sarah. Nice to see her again--and you, too!
Thanks for the reminder to check in with my YS (younger self).
Beryl reminds me of my old girl (whose body lost a battle to disease in May, but whose sassy spirit is currently somewhere in the Universe). Pretty much any change in her environment was met with either terror or grumpy disapproval. And water? Fuggitaboutit, unless it was a tiny bit of delicate rain.
The area you live in looks heavenly and I remain absolutely blown away by the way creativity just pours out of you. These posts are a gift.
It hasn't rained much since Beryl came into my life (apparently one of hte driest summers in decades), so I haven't had a chance to learn her feelings about a good old downpour. Wonder if she is going to want me to knit her a coat! So sorry about your dear old girl. Though I agree-- a sassy spirit continues . And thank dog for that.
Scrumptious Blackberries! My brother and I as kids would each get a plastic bucket with wire handle from our Mom, and go picking! There was a huge BlackBerry patch with a footprint the size of a small house, out a ways in the pasture. We’d pick... well, four for the bucket, one for my mouth kind of picking, and go home with bleeding scratches and tons of mosquito bites. With buckets full, my mom would make BlackBerry Cobbler, along with vanilla ice cream! The scratches and bug bites were all worth it then! Thanks for taking me back down my own memory lane!
Blackberry Cobbler! OH YES. yum. And it is the whole experience that makes the cobbler even better of course. The FULL memory including the size of hte berry patch, the itchy mosquito bites and the taste of the ice cream. Thanks for this lovely image.
I love the pictures of your beautiful, fluffy, clean locks! It brings to mind that my daughter and I obtained raw fleece from some generous cashmere goats several years ago. We keep saying we need to get together and wash it...something we’ve never done yet...because we aren’t sure how to do it. Well, now I know how, after reading your Kookaburra Scrub process. Thanks!
Sarah, I just love your process of discovery and its generous nature. You have completely nailed the amazing things about the herding dogs -- I think esp the cattle dogs - reliable off-leash but man o man, they have their own reactions to new things (like me as well!). What a summer for you both.
Isn't it just amazing how individual they are (herding dogs), and also how alike in their intensity and depth? As you say, an amazing summer of discovery for us both.
Doing anything beyond breathing and looking while walking is beyond my powers of coordination. I have a neighbor who crochets on her walk around the neighborhood. I bow down.
And beryl and I (pushytext tried to make that beryllium) have similar feelings about water. We'd go in except it makes us wet.
ha! my phone still tries to write beryllium whenever I start writing her name. or Berry...Weirdly, for all its smart phone-ness, it can't quite believe I named my dog Beryl 😂
I love the quote 'hot-steep-cool-sweet-stingy-pokey-yummy-bitey-poison-beautiful-wildness of this place.' That is quite an accurate description. I also have a few fleeces I have been working through and after reading this post, I need to scour some. Thanks for sharing your adventures.
Thanks Eileen, for getting my attempt to get across the weird juxtapositions of this place.
And have fun with your fleeces. I hope they are thrilled to be washed.
Love when you talk to your younger self. Fabulous post.
Thanks, Sarah!
All I can say is that you are a treasure to our world!
Oh and Beryl isn't alone on the water thing... my girl Buddha isn't going for it either. She steps in it with a look on her face that clearly communicates "this is gross!"
I had to teach my last heeler to cross creeks because sometimes we had no choice-- and eventually he got pretty calm about it. At the same time I had a dog of unknown history who LOVED the water, and would walk in and wallow no matter the temperature. And now Beryl -- who doesn't even like puddles much!
Blackberries and beautifully scoured fleece! Two of my favorite things. And you did a fabulous job keeping the locks intact. Perfect for spindle or wheel. I have great memories of blackberries my mother grew in her garden. We would eat them on Blue Bell homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert after supper. Good times good memories.
OH my--blackberries on home made ice cream. Deeelish!
Sarah, are you blessed or what! Lovely post, great photos and Beryl to lead you with her nose! Have a good rest of the week and summer.
I love Beryl's cadence on the trail.
Another excellent post, and it makes me feel so better in my horrible little patch of my life that such nice things are happening elsewhere. It's a dark tunnel here, but the end will turn up eventually. Thank you for so much Beryl - I do rather feel that she's an old soul that I've met before. And I must clear some freezer space for our brambles, soon to be ripe here. I wonder what your woods smell like in that walk with Beryl? Very different from my local woods, I'm sure.
OH golly Freyalyn -- I'm so so sorry things are hard and the tunnel dark. Though situations are always different, I do indeed know that place smh continue to be amazed that I am on this side of the tunnel myself. Like ice cubes, I cannot take it for granted. Sending you all the good stuff I have now --and adding extra Beryl content just for you. (Indeed, I took the video of our walk in the woods with you in mind).
I adore every little bit of Beryl you share with us - thank you so much.
A lovely post, as always--and I love the tech feature that lets me read your message in the email but link to the website when I'm ready to get a closer look at the wonderful drawings. I'm loving the discussions with Young Sarah. Nice to see her again--and you, too!
I love that young Sarah knew young Pru. What a magical thing. And THANKS Darlin'!
Thanks for the reminder to check in with my YS (younger self).
Beryl reminds me of my old girl (whose body lost a battle to disease in May, but whose sassy spirit is currently somewhere in the Universe). Pretty much any change in her environment was met with either terror or grumpy disapproval. And water? Fuggitaboutit, unless it was a tiny bit of delicate rain.
The area you live in looks heavenly and I remain absolutely blown away by the way creativity just pours out of you. These posts are a gift.
It hasn't rained much since Beryl came into my life (apparently one of hte driest summers in decades), so I haven't had a chance to learn her feelings about a good old downpour. Wonder if she is going to want me to knit her a coat! So sorry about your dear old girl. Though I agree-- a sassy spirit continues . And thank dog for that.
Ooh la la so wonderful!
“ Astonishing, really — the pleasure of doing the same things again and again.” 😀😃😃
Scrumptious Blackberries! My brother and I as kids would each get a plastic bucket with wire handle from our Mom, and go picking! There was a huge BlackBerry patch with a footprint the size of a small house, out a ways in the pasture. We’d pick... well, four for the bucket, one for my mouth kind of picking, and go home with bleeding scratches and tons of mosquito bites. With buckets full, my mom would make BlackBerry Cobbler, along with vanilla ice cream! The scratches and bug bites were all worth it then! Thanks for taking me back down my own memory lane!
Blackberry Cobbler! OH YES. yum. And it is the whole experience that makes the cobbler even better of course. The FULL memory including the size of hte berry patch, the itchy mosquito bites and the taste of the ice cream. Thanks for this lovely image.
I love the pictures of your beautiful, fluffy, clean locks! It brings to mind that my daughter and I obtained raw fleece from some generous cashmere goats several years ago. We keep saying we need to get together and wash it...something we’ve never done yet...because we aren’t sure how to do it. Well, now I know how, after reading your Kookaburra Scrub process. Thanks!
Hurrah! Cashmere locks will be scrumptious all washed and fluffy. Have fun.