Jobo Designs

Just got home from an interesting adventure in lovely livestock.  Marky's little brother was showing his calf today at the local exhibition, so I went along to see what it was all about.  I must say, I never imagined how much work it is to get a cow ready for that sort of thing.  This was definetly the first time I've ever seen anyone spray paint a cow!  (apparently the ridge of hair on the cow's back along the spine, needs hairspray to look good, and the black dye covers up the whitish marks the hairspray makes)  I got to see a cow get it's hair clipped, and baby powder put on it's knees, and even combed and sprayed... and when everyone was looking in tip top shape, off to the ring, to be paraded pageant style in front of the judges.  Participants were judged on their animal, and also on their showmanship skills.  Definetly a lot more complicated to do than it appears.  Some of the cows were a lot bigger than the kids leading them.  Luckily "our" calf behaved pretty well.  Educational day.

leading Savira carefully around the ring...

Black and White Butts... lots of em!

a young man and his cow

Over the last few months it has become painfully obvious that we should move to the city.  I drive 55 minutes a day to and from work, which isn't that awful most of the time, but is brutal in the winter.  Not knowing if the weather will change and you might get stuck driving in dangerous situations, and missing days because of snowstorms.  Atlantic Canada really is known for volatile weather.  You just never know what you might see.  And then there's the time investment of the drive in it's purest sense - I drive at least 6 hours a week.  Think of all the sleeping in and knitting that I could accomplish with 6 extra hours in my week.  So Bottom line, it makes sense to go.  Now we just have to do it.  It has been a real roller coaster for me looking at houses.  I fall in love so easy, then things turn out to be different than originally expected, or deals fall through.  Mark says I am such a "girl".  I say, yeah?  and?

So we've finally found a house we are interested in...  talk about stressful.  Now there's a barrage of feelings and worries and guilt to contend with.  Trying to get our home ready to sell sounds like such an overwhelming obstacle, but if it doesn't sell right away, then we lose out on the beautiful thing we have just found.  Thats the juggling act I guess... Selling what you have already vs. finding an eligible home to pounce onto.  At this point I am afraid to get too excited, but part of me is just bursting with anticipation.... then theres the other part that is nauseus, has heartburn, and honestly wishes she could go curl up in the corner and take a nap!  I guess I just have to resign myself to be patient, hope for swift simplicity of sale, and go along for the ride....

1. Raw, smelly, about 20 lbs worth packed into a feed bag.

2. After washing.... mucho dishsoap and hot water baths.  The tips are still a bit yellowed,

    but overall, a definite improvement, dont you think? 

3. Finished poof of washed wool.  Doesn't even smell that bad anymore!

   (too bad there's about 99 % of that bag left... I wasn't brave enough

    to wash much more than 2-4 ounces the first time)