Things I Learned in 2013

Here it is -- February 2014 -- and I'm just getting around to a year in review.  I decided what I'd write about is what I learned over the past year.  I'll try to keep the list short...

1.  For my birthday, I had spinning lessons and was able to purchase a spinning wheel.  Yep, I started to learn to spin.  This is the third time I'd taken a beginning spinning class, but this class was on the wheel I purchased and over two days, instead of trying a bunch of different spinning wheels during a one day class.  My efforts produced my best yarn so far, but mostly what I learned is that it takes practice, practice, practice to get proficient at it.  Since I've only spun twice since being on my own, my goal this year is to take another class (I am better at meeting other people's expectations than working on my own) and then look into a spinning guild that meets once a month so I will keep working at it!

It's a beaut!  I purchased an additional flywheel so I can practice spinning fine to heavy fiber -- now I need to practice, practice, practice!!

 2.  I learned about hatching emu eggs.  After having emus for several years and trying to let them hatch their eggs with no luck in spite of trying different ways to keep the eggs viable until Wisconsin had decent weather (emus lay eggs from the end of October to March since they are from the Southern Hemisphere and it would be summer there -- their biological clocks do not change to accommodate Wisconsin winters).  It was no easy thing to keep the temperature and humidity just right.  We also had to remember to turn the eggs at least three times a day. Being the father figure for the emu eggs was no easy task, though we did not stop eating and drinking for the eight weeks it took - and it took longer than the normal eight weeks since the first egg hatched in February and the last one the end of April -- we put the egg in the incubator as we found it (you can see the difference in size in one of the pictures!).  We also loved watching the eggs hatch and the emu chicks grow!  We hope to have this experience this year, too.

3.  We learned how important it is to have the right 'tools' for the job!  Though we have had a website and business cards for a couple of years, this was the first year we hooked up with Gigsalad and Partypop. What a difference THAT has made.  These party planning sites make it a lot easier for people to find us and we are grateful for that!

4.  I learned about BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds).  My goats didn't shed out like they should have last year and I was worried about them.  I did research and found that I should give them BOSS.  They loved it, they shed out, they were shiny and healthy looking.  I am grateful for people who know more than I do and add their knowledge to the Internet!

The next two things my cousin shared with me!

5.  I learned that avian respiratory systems are completely different than mammal respiratory systems.  Learning about this explains why many things that don't affect us (at least not immediately) can kill our avian friends!

6.  I learned that there are no blue feathers!  Who'd a thunk?!?  Those blue feathers of blue birds and blue jays are made to look blue from tiny air pockets in the barbs of the feathers that scatter incoming light. 

My cousin holding Asimov, the umbrella cockatoo -- hmm, need to get a bird with blue feathers, David?!?

There are many other things I learned in 2013 as I've purchased new animals, met with a lot of different groups and talked to new people.  And I've learned skills that I need to practice!  I can't wait to see what I learn and start perfecting in 2014.  I hope you are here so I can share what I learn, and I can learn from you!