It's Happening...

That magical time of year that seems to sneak up on me is about to happen. The ridge behind my barn is dotted with red here and there, then the orange, then the yellow of the birch trees that look just like quaking aspens, and we are in the full blown colorscape of upstate New York. The air is clean and crisp and the stars are so vivid I could pick them out of the sky. I come alive this time of year. Suddenly the woolly animals I have all around me take on an enhanced purpose - keeping us warm in the coming harsh winter! I'm in love with wool. Sure, alpaca is nice and the animals are cute. Angora bunnies are adorable creatures with lovely, soft warm fiber. There's just nothing like wool. It's strong, it breathes, it's got crimp for elasticity like none of the exotics, and it's beautiful - dyed or in natural colors. It's this time of year that I understand why I am in the wool business. Sure, there are pressing problems...like how I'm going to feed all those wooly creatures over the winter. But God gave me two hands and 24 hours in a day, and I'm not afraid of hard work. Matt tells me I was doomed from the start, but I don't feel that way. I asked him if he reads my blog and he said he doesn't have time. So how does he know what I'm thinking? Once I asked him if he ever wonders what's going on in my head, and he had no idea what I was talking about. It's the Mars/Venus thing again. When I go out and wander among my sheep, and they gather around me and press their hot, wet noses against me, I feel a bond not many people understand. I'm in touch with that ancient bond between woman and beast. I want to spin and knit like crazy...but this weekend I have to go out once again and work to feed my sheep - and be grateful that I have the opportunity to show the world what I can do. If only there were more than 24 hours in a day...