Well it's been a long time since I have posted and many, many changes have taken place at Taylor Ridge Ranch. We are now Schacht Loom dealers and have had tremendous success selling the Cricket Looms. What a wonderfully portable loom. It's a ridgid heddle and perfect for making scarves, placemats, belts and so forth. I am amazed at the products the women that purchased them have turned out!
We also have changed the source of our fiber - the alpacas were sold to a good friend of mine and fellow fiber enthusiast that lives at a higher elevation where they are much more comfortable. We have extended our Pygora flock and have lovely greys. Our fiber harvest was fantastic and we are working with the local fiber mill, Mill Creek Fiber Works, designing a line of yarns and with a very talented knitter, Babette at Unravelled in Oakhurst who is producing protypes for our line of products. So, things are moving forward, pictures are being taken for the blog, the store is being revamped and we are planning awesome classes for the Spring!
As I arrived home to the ranch after running errands this morning I noticed tons of birds landing in tree tops then taking off and landing in another - tree hopping. As I was watching them I saw dark clouds and billowing white clouds come together and as they did the winds started. We were in for some rain I assumed, the temperature was in the high 30's to low 40's - chilly but not cold enough for the rare snow we receive. Boy was I wrong. I bundled up to headed to the barn to get the animals set for a night that was forecast to have a 'hard freeze". Well the freeze didn't wait for nightfall but began with a slight sleet, which progressed to a small hard hail, which progressed to . . . armaggedon! Oh, it continued to to hail, the pellets were getting larger and larger bouncing off the barn's metal roof. Did I say bouncing - that's an understatement. It was if the hand of a giant whipped the hail down in a fit of rage. How hard was it you say? The cows down the road out and of sight were calling out making whatever sound distressed cows make loudly enough that I could hear them over the rachet of the hail hitting the metal roof! The horses ran in circles refusing to come in under cover while the goats looked out at them like they were idiots ( I had to agree) and the sheep . . .well they just stood there. One can never be too sure what sheep are taking in or maybe not. Anyway, the winds kicked in and the hail changed to smaller lightweight little balls, like styrofoam that just blew into little banks of white. Finally, the storm ended when I heard this low rumbling that sounded eerily just like a rock fall. I'm still not sure what it was but I do know it was followed by claps of thunder echoing in the canyon and then it was gone. Deep cold had replaced the temperate day and piles of hail pellets of all sizes lay around. It was an incredible storm and it had me thinking how much I really miss of mother natures awesome powers when I'm tucked away inside my little house and storms rage.
