September passed in a blur! It feels like we went from August straight to October due to wildfires and smoky air that kept us indoors for days and days this month. It started off beautifully enough but ferocious windstorms coupled with high temperatures and no rain made for a treacherous Labor Day weekend.

The wildfires that sprang up across Oregon following the windstorm devastated many communities. The closest fire was only a few miles away from us and our blue sky quickly became covered with thick smoke. We paid close attention to the fire’s movement and set up animal enclosures and processes to be able to evacuate them (and us!) if we needed to.

We thankfully never had to evacuate our farm but many nearby properties did. It was heartwarming to see people come together to transport, house, and care for thousands of displaced animals.

The smoke in the air made it feel like dusk even in late afternoon and we kept our farm as well watered as we could. Eventually the air quality became so hazardous that it was recommended people stay indoors as much as possible.

We made brief forays into the outdoors into the eerie orange light to care for our animals but everyone who could stayed inside. That even included the rabbits who got to spend several days indoors. They weren’t too happy about the small cages since they’re used to their bunny condos but they got to hop around the house and breathe cleaner air. If we could have explained it to them, I think they would have understood.

sheep chickens and garden - oregon homestead

angora and dwarf rabbits in travel cages

With over a week of terrible air quality, we all felt a little stir-crazy. We are so accustomed to using this wide open space around us whenever we feel like we’ve been inside too long and it was really difficult to adjust to not being able to spend more than a few minutes outside. We’ll never take clean air for granted again!

I tried to take advantage of all the indoor time to organize my product listings and packaging. I love how these cards with information about my naturally dyed embroidery floss came out! I had fun arranging rainbow colors for photos and decided to offer gift sets that include a rainbow assortment of colors. At least one good thing came from the bad air days!

rainbow+silk+embroidery+floss+plant+dyed

As soon as the smoke cleared we said good bye to Eamon, our ram lamb. He has really changed from the dark brown color he was when he was born! He’s a cute little guy and he seemed to be happy when we left him at his new home near the Oregon coast. His new owners are lovely people and there are lots of sheep and chickens to keep him company. His new owners make the most beautiful handmade, handpainted paper lights. Check out their work at Hiih Lights. A farm property that blends raising fiber animals with creating nature-based art and hosting workshops to connect with the community sounds a little familiar, doesn’t it? I think it’s the perfect home for a Cedar Dell lamb.

We didn’t just drop off Eamon, but we made a trade! We came home with Spruce, this very handsome ram. He made some really nice looking babies for the folks at Hiih and we can’t wait to see what colors of cute lambs we get next spring!

Spruce isn’t the only new animal on the farm! This little Holland lop rabbit joined our farm family in September and came all the way from CKC Rogue Rabbitry in southern Oregon. His name is Squid and he’s only 5 months old. His new owner is smitten with him, as you can see in the photos, and there are hopes for 4-H ribbons in their future.

Aside from his 4-H career he will also join Bramble and Happy Waffle as an education bunnies for our visitors to care for and snuggle with. Squid is proving to have quite a big personality and we think he’ll love it when we can have programs here again.

Once the air cleared and and the new animals settled into their new home, I went a little nuts with dyeing things. When the air quality was hazardous, it wasn’t safe to dye anything. Often I work outside and that wasn’t possible, and dyeing indoors would have meant simmering things inside without any ventilation. I certainly didn’t want to add anything unwanted into our indoor air so once the smoke cleared I had a lot to do. From playsilks for the Waldorf school community to cotton baskets for my online shop, indigo to goldenrod and dahlia flower dye, it was a colorful ending to the month.

naturally dyed cotton rope drying outside

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And end-of-month highlight was participating in Lake Oswego’s Lakewood Center for the Arts' one day art show. It was so nice to participate in an actual, in-person event! Due to social distancing, artists weren’t permitted to stay, but it was so nice to browse during setup in the morning. I am very thankful for virtual events but saying a socially distant hello to artist friends and seeing art in person was so good for the soul.

It also felt really nice to have some of my work out in the real world, even for just a day!

With the passing of September, autumn is truly here. It feels like the wildfire haze shepherded us right from hot, sunny, summer weather to the crispness of the next season. I can’t say that we’re quite ready for the cooler weather but we are embracing the beauty of the forest as it constantly changes.

You can find all of our monthly Forest Path posts and more by clicking here!

And, as always, catch up with us throughout the month on social media.