Busy August

How do you exercise without getting hot?

We have been so busy around here this past month. My dad was given a used above ground pool. So we have been clearing an area for our new-used 13'x25' pool. Spreading sand, making repairs, setting up, and filling.

After all our work we all enjoy a nice swim most evenings.

I don't know about you, but I think it's the most enjoyable form of exercise out there.

 This might not be a very good picture, but I had to crop the people out of it.

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My mom and I tackled the job of shearing Bogart.

For those of you that don't know, angora goats have to be sheared twice a year, because there fiber grows really fast and is really heavy.

 A few hours and several pairs of dull scissors later and here is our finished product.

We also had to pen him and his son up since we don't want babies in February.

Here is his son that we are keeping, because Bogart is getting old. He is 1/4 LaMancha and 3/4 Angora. I call the crosses llama goats because they look allot like a llama. This cross produces very soft fiber like the Pygora goats.

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 I finally got my first embroidery project complete. I saw in a craft movie, a lady who made embroidered portraits of famous people like Elvis. They looked pretty neat, so I decided to give it a try.

I printed off a picture of Julie London (I like her music), used tracing paper and traced all the main lines in the photo with a hot iron transfer pencil. Then ironed the picture onto the fabric.

Then it was time to practice embroidering. Here is my finished project.

It's not great, but it's a start. There was a lot of stitches that I just didn't like and had to re-do, or I just couldn't get to look right, so I removed it all together. The shading on the neck I couldn't get to look right. It was definitely a good practice. I was thinking it would be nice to do family portraits.

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Seed saving.

Canary Melon, one of my most favorite melons.

Some lovely Rosa Bianca Eggplant. I got my seeds here.  I picked all the seeds out of the over ripe fruit with my fingers and it stain my fingers brown. Very Brown. It was also very time consuming. If you know of a better way of getting the seeds out of eggplant please let me know.

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My brother brought his twin boys over to visit a couple days ago. Of all the things on our place to play with the rope hanging from the tree seems to be the most entertaining thing of all.

As soon as they found out I was going to take there picture they started posing.

OK, I'll admit it.... I have some of the cutest nephews ever.

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I awoke this morning to the noise of hot air balloons flying over. I grabbed the camera and ran out the door.

I don't think I have seen so many fly over so close together before.

Well, that's just a little bit of whats been going on around here lately. Just to much to put in one post.

All for now.

Kimberly