Another Step Forward

Moving forward with my internet experience...including a new wireless broadband connection [and I might add, 3G from time to time]...I will be opening a "store" on Zibbet soon.  This is a handmade site similar to Etsy, except the fee structure is different.  I have lots of handwoven items, tons of hand-spun yarns from my sheep and carded,dyed roving also from the sheep. This will be a totally different experience since I have only sold my items at fine arts and crafts shows.  Doing shows became NOT cost effective when the total fees and expenses of going to the shows were close to the total sales.  I believe my last show was a $500 fee plus travel and lodging costs.  That works fine if you have lots of inventory at a mid-range cost....$45.00 or less....When you are selling truly handmade items, made by one person...you are at a disadvantage.  Actually, I found many shows allowed mass produced items in your 'tent'...that really sent me over the edge.  OK....I'll be working on lots of pix and unpacking in the coming weeks.....hey...not to mention...trying to overcome the below zero and freezing temperatures, breaking ice from water buckets and "looking forward to the next snow"....Till then.......JR

PS...will have a link to ZIBBET as soon as I get my shop started

Wireless

Today, I went to the wireless store and purchased a device to connect my computer to wireless broadband....I installed the software and plugged the device into a USB port and off I went. This seems too good to be true...never before have I been able to watch video from my computer screen....geez....I will try again tomorrow morning just to make sure I have this lightning fast speed.  I actually have 2 weeks ....no hassle trial...all your money back if it doesn't work out....hey...how can you go wrong!!!!

Blogger Interrupted... AKA Slow connection speed !!!!

Interrupted...yes....apparently my internet connection speed is soooo slow that I'm having lots of problems getting around on the internet and also getting connected to my Blog!...lots of OOPS!!! and Sorry your server was reset messages.  Talked to my 'computer guy' over the weekend and he told me about new upgrades to search engines and 're-coding' etc.[computereze stuff] so the bottom line is...I need to find another way to connect to the WWW other than my slow as _ _ _ dial-up.  I'll be exploring satellite and other wireless options as I cannot get cable or any other high speed service here...up in the hills of Pennsyltucky...so if I'm not blogging much in the next week...that's why...my oh sooo slow dial-up.....JR

Snow ...Snow...etc.

Well, another snow and more shoveling....more shoveling!!!!

Noticed deer tracks over by the garden this morning...these guys survived the hunting season...

The hens up on the hill....in the Victorian Camper..[in the chicken trailer park]...didn't seem to mind the snow. Neither did the old ram or the bad goaties taking shelter in their 'dog pen'

My favorite old ewe, Trix [she's 13] was down at the barn begging for a treat while I was cleaning out a chicken cage [actually, an old dog crate used for a chicken hospital]

Another group of hens were sunning and preening, enjoying the noon sun

And icicles hanging on the dead foliage in the window boxes 

And so goes a snow storm....an event up here on the hill...

Holy Jumpin'

Where oh where has this week gone? Got hay, cleaned the barn, made more cheese, went to a First Friday exhibit last night...time seems to be flying into the rabbit hole...Lots of local talk concerning the gas drilling. Personally, I would like to see more regulations concerning the disposal of the 'fracking' waste water...I haven't seen any concrete facts about the safety of this process so I would believe that it doesn't exist!..It would be a shame to have a repeat of the super fund cleanup that we had at the Drake chemical site up-river at Lock Haven..........I suppose a person could go on forever about these issues...I'm not really sure that we [the public at large] have much control ...seems to be all about the $$$$ and who possesses the most!

Since this is the first of this new year...time to get organized...yes, organized!!!!!   I might make a list...maybe.

So many projects to finish....farm stuff, weaving...clearing out the attic or at least re-organizing it and boxing up yard sale stuff for October....I still have stuff in my attic from the time I moved here in 1998!!!!!!

Till later......JR

Tasty cheese

I recently made a whey cheese, called mysost. Since the uses for whey [what's left after making cheddar] are few and far between...I gave it a try.  With the coal stove going 24/7..it made perfect sense to use this heat source to reduce the whey.  Well, it takes 12 hours on the stove to finally see any results.  The last 10 minutes are the best...it thickens to a cooked pudding-like consistency and smells wonderful.  It's definitely not a cheese for the timid....it has a caramel, sweet, salty flavor and after being refrigerated overnight is great on a plain cracker.  I understand the Scandinavians use it on toast..no toast today...no bread!

Time Flies!

Happy new Year to all!

Geez....Time flies when you have a few days of really nice weather [40+ degrees] and totally forget about inside stuff. When you decide to get on the computer...what do I find...but no dial tone...NO phone!!!!  I think I must live in the outer reaches of western Mongolia...I am beginning to think that Verizon should take a look at their service record out here in Pensyltucky...at least once every 10 days the phone takes dive!....and when you call, you get some manufactured 'lady voice' requesting that you check everything under your roof... then 'she' informs you that a service person can respond in 4 or 5 days!!!!...What the he!!...are they just crazy or what!!!!

Oh well...I guess it could be worse. At least the weather has been great.

Now, I have to put up with football on EVERY channel...every kind of 'bowl' that can be imagined...possibly even a 'brain dead bowl'...I just love football!

I'll just cover up, watch PBS with my dog and look forward to Monday