Life With The Crew

Thankful Tuesday - 2.27.18

Today I am thankful for...

~warm sunshine.    

~a car that can transport the little babe and I to beautiful places off the beaten path.

~quiet places where we can sit by a lake and listen to Tundra Swans and Canada Geese.

~a daughter who is happy and content to sit by a lake with her mother and look at birds.

~a hard working husband who provides us with the money and freedom to sit by a lake on a Monday morning in the warm sunshine.

    

The Tundra Swans have started their migration north and when I heard that thousands of them were about 200 miles southeast of us, I thought that a couple early birds might be up our way.  So the little babe and I headed to Black Moshannon State Park on a wild swan chase.  We saw twenty sitting on the ice right by the parking lot.  We tried to creep stealthily out of the car and of course scared them off the ice.  We then sat on the picnic table in the sun and watched them glide on the rippling blue water.  Pretty perfect.  

We walked along the boardwalk to the observation deck.  On our way we discovered emerging Skunk Cabbage, insect-eating Pitcher Plants, and Caddisfly larvae.  If you look closely in the photo above, you'll see a long tan insect shape above the silvery leaf.  That is a Caddisfly in the aquatic larvae stage.  It uses materials in its environment to build a protective case around its body.  The cases can look like works of art.  

This early, almost overnight, transition from cold to warm, snow to rain, ice covered lakes to rippling waves, is pretty bizarre.  At our bird feeder today we had gray squirrels, cardinals, grackles, two kinds of sparrows, juncos, Tufted titmice, a chickadee, a pair of Mourning doves, and we even spotted a vole popping out of his hole, grabbing tiny seeds, and depositing them underground.  It is fun to see, but it just doesn't seem quite right in February.  If the snow flies again, all of us creatures will be in for a shock.

What are you thankful for today?

Rainy Day Beauty

Apparently Spring is in the air.  We have rain droplets instead of snowflakes, birds establishing territories and pairing off, wellies instead of snowboots, and the dog poop-covered grass under my apple tree is looking greener every day.  All that fertilizer, I guess.  I shouldn't be too humdrum however, because I do love walking in the wet woods, squashing on the saturated ground, and taking pictures of raindrops.  Isn't that everybody's idea of a good Saturday?

After a morning of cleaning the Airbnbs, the little babe wanted a hike in the rain.  So we headed to the turtle pond and while we didn't see any turtles, we did see Mallards, a lone Canada goose, and perhaps a pair of Hooded Mergansers.  And came home covered in ticks.  I guess it is time to look through the seed catalogs, however, we are known to have snow in April, so we might still see some of the white stuff.  

Lakeside Slideshow

A Spring-like February morning at the ice covered lake.  The meeting of warm and cold temps created a magic mist.  Add rays of morning sunshine, several flocks of migrating Canada geese, shimmering spiderwebs, signs of animal life, no people, and the little babe and I had a perfect morning.  Oh, and warm chai and blueberry muffins eaten by the lake - without mittens!

It really was a perfect morning.  As we stood there in the mist, five different flocks of geese flew over the lake.  Six geese peeled off from one V formation and disappeared over the ridge.  Several minutes later they circled back and landed right in front of us on the mist.  As they landed, they disappeared and we only knew they were there by their honking.  The little babe was entranced.  We also saw the first Red-winged Blackbird and Bluebird of the season.  Since I missed Thankful Tuesday this week, today will be Thankful Thursday.  So thankful for this morning.

What are you thankful for?

 

Texture Thursday

There might not be a lot of color in the woods right now, but there is certainly a ton of texture.  We took a little side trip on the way home from an appointment - just a quick jaunt beside a stream.   We found Cedar trees with prickly leaves and soft, yet scratchy bark that squirrels use to line their nests.  The gnarled bumpy bark of huge Black Willow trees just had to be touched.  It was full of woodpecker holes and beetle tunnels, parts of it worn smooth by numerous little climbing feet.  Thick grapevines had twisted and twined, grabbing onto anything in their path.  We discovered oak leaves that had been mutated by galls, the leaves exploding in odd shapes from the orbs.

You don't have to disappear into the wilds in order to see fascinating things in nature.  You just have to be willing to slow down and take a closer look.

 

 

Drip-Drop

A rainy Sunday, well above freezing.  The snow is melting, the branches are dripping, the chickens are laying, the little babe is swinging.  The dogs are sleeping, the tea is steeping, I was cleaning, now ready for knitting.

Savor the quiet moments.

A Dose of the Shore in Winter

For the past month I've been knitting with my Christmas present yarn - O-Wool's Local naturally dyed alpaca/wool.  I was working on a project with their cotton/wool mix, but my cold fingers craved those soft skeins, the natural color variations of the alpaca and wool coming through the rose colored background of the madder.  I chose the Shore Cardigan by Carrie Bostick Hoge because it was simple and that is all I wanted.  Nothing fancy because the yarn is pretty enough.  

I've determined that I am a loose knitter.  The sweater turned out several inches longer than in the pattern pictures, even though I followed the pattern.  Though it could also be that this yarn is a little heavier weight than the yarn called for in the pattern; also a worsted weight wool/alpaca blend, but from Quince & Co.  I knew that the cardigan would be a loose fit, but it is a smidge bigger in the body than I would like.  So basically it is not a sexy sweater, it is a comfortable-keeps me warm-feels heavenly-makes me smile-sweater.  And the extra length keeps my bum warm, which is a good thing.  

I haven't even taken the time to block it yet - as soon as it was done, it became my daily uniform.  I thought about buying nice handmade wood buttons, but then I dove into my button stash and found seven that work just fine.  They were my Dad's sister's from the 1970's and they get the job done.

As with most of my projects, I learned something new - in this project it was Sunday short rows.  And as usual, the technique is easier than it sounds.  The short rows were used to create the curved hemline.  There was a lot of stitches to pick up, which isn't my forte, but I think I get a little better each time.  Working my brain, lowering my stress, and keeping me warm.  I'll keep at it! Happy Friday!

 

 

Thankful Tuesday - 2.6.18

Today I am thankful for...

~a winter wonderland.  The "big snow" forecast was reduced to maybe an inch, so we were surprised to wake up on Sunday and see snow falling.  Just tiny flakes, but they were steadily swirling.  After a special breakfast of crepes, we headed up the mountain to the state park I shared photos of last week.  We figured at the higher elevation we had a chance for more snow and we were right.  We followed the Star Mill Trail, past the beaver lodge and through the hemlock grove.  It was positively beautiful.  Just like Narnia.  

I am also thankful for chicken ladies laying eggs - sometimes four a day now!  Friends that have come back into our lives.  Time for knitting - my newest granny sweater is done after a lot of feverish knitting.  Working eyes to see the beauty of a winter wonderland.  And so many more good things.

What are you thankful for today?

 

Snapshots from a Winter Day

The crew on a cold day.  Well, most of them.  All of our pets are now classified as senior citizens, so they are content to hang out as close as possible to the woodstove on these cold winter days.  One dog gets up from the bed closest to the woodstove and another moves into the warm spot.  The Corgis have lost a little bit of their herding drive and will now let the cats sleep on the bed too, which wouldn't have happened in past years.  It is amusing to see a dog walk up to the dog bed, look at the cat lying in the middle of it, and then turn and look for another place to lie down.  Cold weather and old age apparently put everyone on the same playing field.  It is even more amusing to see a dog and cat sharing the bed - backs to each other, eyes closed, enjoying the warmth from the woodstove and each other.  Following the "ignorance is bliss" motto, I guess.