Dramatic sky viewed from my Shear Bliss booth at Lemon Canyon Ranch in Sierraville. What a beautiful location and our hosts, owner Lucy Blake and ranch manager Eveline Larrucea, treated us so well!

My son, Josh, regaled visitors with fascinating shearing stories, Feather River Fibershed and Four Winds Farm information, and was also tempted to make up a story about the 1870s barn we were in!

Josh and I manned Pete Rhode's booth of his wonderful stone sculptures, as he was out of the country,  and enjoyed sharing the ranch location with Jenna and Greg Gatto and their Sierra Valley Yaks.

Many thanks to my customers who came into the barn drenched yet ready to learn about our sheep and the processes of working with wool! Another fabulous year at this extraordinary event!

It is bittersweet wrapping up a season of Saturday spinning at Plumas Eureka State Park, truly a treasure of Plumas County.  Adding to the authenticity of spinning demonstration for the public was my serendiptous find this May of an 1800s great wheel, or "walking wheel," that is still in amazing working condition. I wish this wheel could tell her story, as I bought her from a woman who bought it as an ornamental antique. I am ever in awe of our ancestors who made everything from scratch. Who was the maker of this wheel? Who was the woman who toiled at it to create clothing for her family? I love passing on my passion for history and for the future of textiles to the wonderful array of folks who visit the museum. Many thanks to the Plumas Eureka State Park Association for welcoming me into their fold!

The loss of three precious ewes within a couple of weeks left me in deep sorrow and questioning my shepherdess skills. The circumstances of old age and cold weather conspired to take their lives; it was not really in my control.

The birth of four healthy lambs was a reassurance of nature's cycles and helped me past my grief.

Perhaps life wanted me to meditate more deeply on earth's magic. Tehya, left, was my oldest ewe; she, too, succumbed to the ravages of old age. Aiyana, one month shy of Tehya's age, birthed twin ram lambs yesterday. Her first did not survive. Somehow, the loss of new life is even harder. Yet, life is cyclical and one must flow where the journey goes.  I accept my grief. I celebrate that Aiyana has lived and feel  joy of her surviving lamb. Sorrow and joy exist. We feel deeply because we love and have compassion. All our emotions are part of a balanced whole of life. We bear our sorrows until dawn awakens us to the possibilities and hope of this new moment.

Llewellyn Beckett Schmidt, possibly the cutest grandchild ever...

...and busy with explorations to expand our Feather River Fibershed goals.

Met the yaks yesterday out in Calpine at Sierra Valley Yaks. Several babies (calves) have been born in the past couple of days. I'm anxious to try spinning some of their fiber I took home. We have an expanding and unusual array of fiber animals in our region!

We had to scramble to get Zuzu out of the breeding area; she and Shyla had been up there with our breeding ram, Sherpa, and we didn't want to lose her, also. Thinking we would have no lambs this year, we were pleasantly surprised to discover Zuzu's udder filling last week.

Zuzu delivered a healthy, 8-lb ram lamb yesterday, whom we're calling Zephyr. Welcome a new life after tragedy!

During a fabulous visit with my daughter in Massachusetts two weeks ago, I had the special opportunity to meet Sheila and Jonathan Bosworth at their home, and to browse spindles they had on hand. Oh boy, was it hard to choose. And to limit myself. I took home only three (not the ones in the picture).

Another recent favorite is this tangerine wood spindle, harvested and made in southern California. So beautiful!

With my fondness of the phrase, "whorl peace," of course I had to have this spindle!

Several exquisite support spindles have also been added to the collection this year.

And another Turkish spindle.

What is the appeal of the spindle? Why so many types? Why can't I stop?

It is an ancient tool, as efficient as a spinning wheel, and in many ways more elegant. Each modern spindle maker reveals the intrinsic beauty of the unique wood and applies their study of the physics of spinning to create a work of art.

I love slowing down, to create the geometric pattern of yarn on a Turkish spindle.

There is deep immersion in the heart, nature, and history that happens when I spin using a spindle. By the fire on a winter's day...

...or on a hike in the woods.

And a spiritual connection with my animals.

And there is the dreaming of the next spindle to, maybe, add to the collection...

The pasture hasn't looked like this in longer than I can recall.

The drought here in California has taken a mighty toll.

Trying to look on the bright side, exposed earth like this allows me to find all sorts of crap that folks before us left on the ground. I generally find several dozen rusty nails, a handful of broken glass, and other treasures each time I walk through. It's part of my shepherdess job to remove these hazards to sheep feet.

Despite the dearth of grazing, the sheep anticipate with excitement the rotation to the next paddock. It keeps them happy to have a routine.

They don't find much, but are content with searching. their bellies are full from the morning's alfalfa hay, but they are sheep and need to follow a rhythm of graze, rest, graze, rest.

Meanwhile, we look to the sky and pray for rain...

and after.

This is Yahtzee, contractor and lead carpenter.

This is Onslo. He's a hard worker but he messes up from time to time.

After this accident he had to spend a half-day at a safety seminar.

So Gene-o just had to ask, "Hey guys, how's it going on that remodel; are you finished with the demo phase yet?"

Story by Gene Nielsen

The murky yellow of the dyebath gives no hint of the marvelous blue that will emerge as each skein of yarn is carefully removed from the pot. It is truly magical. Most of these skeins will go to people who have purchased yarn shares through the CSA High Altitude Harvest.

I've still got seeds; I may try again, though it's late in the season. It makes me happy, having the blues!