Little Black Jack Rabbit

Well my new little bunny has been here a week now, and he seems to be adjusting to riverrim life just fine. He has a very nice personality, a little shy, but very gentle. We had a very nice day last Sat. when we went to go get him. The ride to Hudson was quite scenic. We traveled all along the Delaware for the first leg of the trip, and enjoyed seeing all of the ice jams. In some spots, it was jutting out of the water like icebergs! The ice was 3 to 4 feet thick in these spots. The view from the Hawks Nest was beautiful as always. Here is a shot that was taken last Jan.

Looking at all the ice had us thinking about the days of old, and how they used to harvest the ice for the ice boxes in the city. I have seen some wonderful pictures from around here, where the men are cutting the ice into chunks and loading it onto the sleds for the horses to cart it to the ice houses. They used to pack it in sawdust and store it until they needed it in the summer. Just amazing to think about. I have an old pair of those giant cast iron ice tongs that they used to use to handle the ice with. I use them to weight my yarn sometimes when I am setting the twist.

After about a two hour drive, we approached the Rip Van Winkle Bridge that crosses the Hudson River. Now the scenery was really getting beautiful. The Catskill mountains were so pretty with the snow all over them. They make the Pocono's Mountains look like little foothills. Finally we arrived at Countrywool. I had a chance to meet with Claudia and the other new bunny owners. We were all talking about where we lived and how far we had driven to pick up our "wee ones". I was sorry that I could not attend the shearing clinic that had been going on that morning, but perhaps another time. I had a chance to walk around the shop and see all of the beautiful yarns for sale. I brought some roving, a 50% mohair & 50% merino in a soft raspberry sherbert pink....not sure what I am going to make with it, but wanted it for Valentines Day! Then Claudia brought my little guy out, and gave me a pouch of his favorite oats blend and a bag of hay (comfort food) for the transition period. She also gave me a nice folder with papers that include his lineage on both sides, as well as instruction on feeding and caring for Angoras. All in all, it is a nice packet of information that she puts out.

On the way home we stopped to see cousins that live in the Hyde Park area. We had not seen them in a long time, so we had a wonderful visit over dinner. So nice to see everyone again..where does the time go? We drove home in the dark, and the little bunny slept in the car in his cage the first night.

And so, his full name is CW Black Jack Haslein (which means little rabbit in German). He is only 67% German, but he is a beautiful animal with a long staple. I will get pictures when I get a chance.

This week was topped off with a surprise gift of some beautiful rhomney roving and a double lucet. Judy gifted me with the roving for showing her how to weave on a tri loom...and Curt made the double lucet, just because he is such a nice guy (and talented). How blessed I am to have these kind friends. Here is a picture of the single lucet in front of the square loom sample that I made. Can hardly wait to try the double lucet....Already started spinning that rhomney!