I feel like I have a million things to tell you! First, thank you so much for all your orders! I got most of them out Friday and Saturday, and the last few will be mailed today. I have a big bolt of organic cotton gauze and I plan to make more of the head scarves. I’m sorry that I didn’t have more available this go round, but I will start cutting, sewing, and dyeing this week. I’m also planning to dye some full sized scarves. First, one for my sister who just had a birthday and one for my mom! If those turn out well, I’ll be dyeing some for the shop as well. I’m in love with this fabric and think it will be just perfect for lightweight scarves!
Okay, I didn’t meant to write so much about that stuff-I really want to talk about the fox! Do you think the little fox in the first photos looks like the same one in the second set of fox photos? I saw the one in the first photos down the road from our house the day we went blueberry picking. It looked so pitiful it just broke my heart. I googled around and found this article that outlined a plan for helping that I thought might well apply to this particular one. Evidently completely deranged and out of my mind, I decided I would try to treat this one for mange (you sneak medicine in food). A few days in though, and a fox that appeared to be the same one was dead in the road. I was pretty sad. But then the following day we saw a fox that looked identical running across a neighbor’s yard. So, I’m thinking they are siblings? Later that day my girls started yelling, “The fox is here!” And indeed, there was a little fox in our front yard (about a mile away from the one we saw earlier that day) That’s when I took the second few photos. They aren’t as clear as the first ones because I was not as close. (The first fox photos were taken from the safety of my van.) I have no idea who is who at this point. And I suspect I’m not making much sense either.
During the same stretch of days, Seth rescued a juvenile rabbit from our cat, Intruder. It was completely unharmed, which was a small miracle. Seth kept it overnight, not sure he wanted to release it back in our yard just to be snatched up again by a cat. In the end, he decided to take it a bit farther away, but it leapt from his arms near the spot where it was rescued to begin with. Hopefully it will make it!
Speaking of wild things, I asked Jonny to shave Silas’ and Job’s heads (to make it easier to spot ticks) and somehow they ended up with bingo marker dyed mohawks until I insisted that he finish the job. I don’t need my wild little boys looking like little punks, though I’ll always laugh at the photos I have of them with that ridiculous hair, “helping” to milk Greta!
I got bored with my morning weed pulling routine and I’ve replaced it with Bible study and a bit of exercise. Well, just a tiny bit of exercising because I hate it. I’ve been experimenting with “girl” push ups. I can do about eight of them. My boys tease me about the whole thing. The fourth anniversary of my friend Sarah’s death just passed, and it feels appropriate to have recently started (affiliate link) this True Friend Bible study. I’m really enjoying it, and it has me thinking hard about friendship, being a good friend, and feeling thankful for the ones I have.
We have a full house here, as we are taking care of a friend’s three little boys (ages 3, 4, and 9) for the next week. Our friend is a single dad, and he’s struggling right now. I’d so appreciate your prayers for him, his little boys, and for us as we do our best for them this week-and really for the whole situation. We are trying to help find some more sustainable solutions for the long term. Less than 48 hours in, and I am already feeling wiped out. Bedtime has been especially difficult, and well-it’s just going to be a hard week. My head is ringing with a chorus of “Mommys” and “Miss Ginnys.” Jonny commented that life will seem very quiet when the boys go home, and I suspect that’s true, though I would never have called our life quiet! It’s supposed to rain all day today, so I can’t send them outside… Oh, dear!!!
p.s. That colorful granny square blanket was made by my grandmother. It is one of my happy memories from childhood and my Aunt Genie surprised me by sending it last week. I smile every time I look at it!
p.p.s. I forgot to say a word about any of the knitting! I honestly haven’t been knitting nearly as much as I usually do. I’ll talk about the purple/brown cardigan in my Yarn Along post on Wednesday. I am getting close to finishing my South Bay Sweater, though it looks like it will go to Larkspur, and I’ll be knitting another for myself in a size larger!
Laura M says
That poor fox 🙁
Marybeth says
I love love love the photo of the boys. It made me smile. Thank you. I really needed it after the day I had yesterday. You are a wonderful person helping your friend out. I cannot image what he goes through. I had a single dad with 2 girls in my Girl Scout Troop. He tried so hard. I always tried to have a back up snack when it was his turn so that his daughter didn’t feel bad if he forget. He is happily remarried to a wonderful women and now has 3 beautiful daughters.
Theresa Boedeker says
I remember crocheting granny squares while I was growing up. My mom made a blanket similar to yours. Well I had this orange variegated yarn I made granny squares out of and ringed them in a row or two of white yarn. For several years I made these, one square at a time, until I had piles of squares. I remember asking my mom what I could make out of them. She suggested a skirt. So I sewed the squares into two large rectanges–one for the front and one for the back–and made two long triangles for the sides. Then I braided a belt of yarn and weaved it in and out of the top rows for the waist (which I could cinch). Finally my skirt was done. Somehow I never realized that the who thing must have weighed ten pounds, until I put it on. Needless to say after all that work, I never wore it out of our house. Or after that one time. I eventually gave it to the younger kids to wear for their dress up clothes. Maybe five or seven years later, right after I was married, my brother wore it once out to the car as I was telling everyone good by. He was trying to convince me to take my fashionable granny skirt back so I could wear it and be oh so stylish. We had a good laugh over that skirt, and of course I left him wearing it.
karen says
sending prayers to your single dad friend, his children and your noisy house.
Dawn says
I love your intentions to help wild creatures. It is a delicate balance not to interfere with nature’s course but to realize when and if we can be of help. My husband is well known for moving turtles off the road or relocating them – even snapping ones who wold rather bite your finger off. Your bunny photos remind me of the one I released from our bird netting on our garden last year. It had wound itself up horribly – just like Peter Rabbit – and cried in the most pitiful way. I couldn’t get it loose fast enough and delighted when it hopped away. Years ago, I also happened upon a fawn who had been knocked down by the wind of a passing car and was too hot and tired to get up. I moved it to the shade and sat with it until it revived and walked purposely into the woods. Every year, I would think, “Is that our baby?” when I saw a doe or buck. The feel of that fawn in my life and the softness of the bunny’s fur are things I will never forget. It changes us to have these kind of encounters with creatures who are truly wild and brings up all kinds of questions about ourselves and what being civilized and what being human really means. Thank you for all your beautiful posts and photos. They are a joy to me!
Dawn says
Oops! That should read “feel of the fawn in my lap” but I think you get the idea. 🙂
Martha says
your posts are one of the highlights of my week. you had me laughing about your early morning bible + exercise routine. 🙂 🙂 keep us posted on the tales of mr. fox! my husband and i used to live in breckenridge, CO before our babies were born and LOVED seeing all the foxes there throughout the winter, little spots of rusty orange in a white landscape. we always wished we could have one for a pet. also.. the mohawks are hilarious. have you ever thought about dyeing linen tablecloths? I’m sure the litany of things to dye never ends, but you do make such beautiful things!
Eileen says
Beautiful pictures Ginny! Mange has taken all of the foxes in my area and it’s sad! Changes the balance of things.
Do you use a filter on your camera? You take amazing pictures!
Renee Anne says
So I’ve had an interesting thing happen: your blog no longer loads properly for me. I can read all the text and click on any links….but no photos. Not even your little thumbnail or your header photo. Sadness. I have to troll Instagram and Facebook for the photos and I’m probably missing them (I feel this need to see the mohawks on the boys, if only to remind myself that my younger one doesn’t need one).
ginny says
Oh, no! It may be your browser, but it also might be my site’s security certificate. I am working on upgrading it, so try to load again Wednesday or Thursday and see if the photos load for you! Hopefully! Also, there is a photo of the boys with the crazy hair on IG. It’s stacked behind the fox photo. 🙂
Marilyn says
Ginny you are so talented. My maternal grandmother was quite adept at crafts. We have several pictures that she did with needlepoint. She also had a green thumb.
Marilyn
Rita Moeller says
No, I think it is the same fox. The tail is the give-away. Both scrawny and almost hairless. And it seems the amount of white on them is the same to me.
You have a very big heart, Ginny. That is a good thing. For your house guests and as a model for your children. The world needs more people who are open and generous as you are.
Elizabeth says
I love your caring heart. It is so hard to see ones you love struggle… be sure you take care of yourself in the midst of such a week! I will light a candle for you here at home…and for those who you love!!! We still have Sarah’s family on our prayer list, they are not forgotten and of course Sarah is not at all forgotten. Memory Eternal. A HUG and wishing you all of God’s blessings!
Carol Urban says
I hate foxes. Sure, they’re beautiful and they do just what God created them to do but I hate hearing them late at night terrorizing my chickens or coming in during the day and taking one. We don’t have any bunnies because of foxes. Now kittens are starting to go missing. 🙁
Did you do a post on the blog about your head scarves? I must have missed it. I’ll have to go back through and search for it.
Katie says
How kind of you to help that family. One nice thing about houseguests is when they are gone, the house seems very big and luxurious!
Lisa G. says
Your photography is so beautiful, Ginny. We had a fox with mange several years ago, hanging around – why not try to help him? Your conscience will be clear at least, if it comes to nothing. These poor creatures depend on us. We are feeding a feral cat almost every day, who hisses and swipes his paw at us when we put down the bowl in front of him! But, there’s something about him that tugs at our hearts, so we keep on.
ginny says
Lisa, that is the same conclusion that I came to-that I had to help. Especially after reading the article on Sarcoptic mange and knowing I already had the correct drug on hand to treat it with. Unfortunately, I now believe that the one in the original photos was the one that was killed. And I was trespassing to set out food for it anyway, so it wasn’t the best situation. And this other little one is all over the place. I don’t know how/where to feed it, and don’t want to be setting out medicated food for just whomever comes along! Also, I used to work with feral cats! I still have one with an ear-tip. I trapped thousands of them for TNR. 🙂
Lisa G. says
Aha! I may end up emailing you about Mr. Kibble, then!
Jo Shafer says
I’m glad you posted and mentioned the blanket! It looks just like mine that a cousin crocheted for me when I was a baby. Her yarns, however, were predominantly purple. This particular cousin was 10 years old than I, so I’m now thinking this was a learning project for her — just doing little squares, then perhaps my Grandmama looped them together. “Mama” taught me to crochet a simple chain, but I could never remember how to turn around and come back!
Marion says
I love the picture of Mabel holding the wool and thinking what am I supposed to do with this? The photo of the boys made me think well it’s different and colorful!
Prayers that your friend will find a solution for taking care of his sons.
God Bless
Marion
Joan says
Ginny the blanket squares are quite lovely. My grandmother made many doilies,quilts,potholders,napkin holders and many hankies,etc. All of them are precious to me.
Joan
Penelope says
Oh my, what a blessing you are able to help your friend with his little boys. That is a big gift.
I can hardly believe it is four years since your dear friend died. Peace and prayers for you Ginny.
Marienella says
I love all your pictures – small to great all speak through the colors and captions that filter through the lens. Great day, great boys and the pretty little girl with a cake of yarn enlightens us, the viewers. Living in nature and with nature encompasses serenity. Like the Native Americans say, I want nothing but to live with Mother Nature. So true! One day I will retire and move to the countryside. Of course, with my yarn stash, needles and patterns.
Ariana W says
Oh, that poor fox. I’ve never seen something like that. You have such a great heart for helping the fox and those three boys!! Wow, you have your hands full. I’m in awe. 🙂
Emily DeArdo says
I love the bunny photos! I hope the little guy makes it, too.
The photo of the boys is just so funny. When I first saw that I laughed hard.
Tamara H says
Thank you for your kind heart with the little fox or foxes and the little bunny.
Good luck this week with your extra little boys. 🙂
Nancy says
It’s hard to say but I think it’s two different foxes unless it’s the lighting — the face on the first photos look like a little more white on it and the ears look whiter whereas the second photos there seems to be a little more darkening around the face and ears. Definitely I bet siblings though unless it’s lighting. Poor little things. Neat photos though as you don’t often get the privilege to capture foxes. I truly can’t believe it’s been 4 years since your friend Sarah passed away. Wow, it just doesn’t seem like that much time has passed. Prayers for your week with extra kiddos while you help out this single Dad.
ginny says
I think you are right-two different foxes. Thanks for your prayers! We need them!!!
Nicole Spring says
Ginny, you know my heart for foxes. Your fox story made me smile and cry! I had to show the photos to Baby F.
ginny says
You know I have been thinking of him!!!