Life With The Crew

A New Knit for Your Neck - For Sale!

I have a new handknitted item for sale - all proceeds going to The Pony Fund for the Little Babe.  It is a sweet little cowl made of 100% Juniper Moon alpaca in a lovely green color.  Grass green?  Shamrock green?  The pattern is called the "diamonds in moss" lace stitch.  The cowl is very lightweight and slightly droopy (it is alpaca after all) and would squish up very softly against your neck when worn with a warm winter coat.  The cowl is brand new, just worn for the photo shoot.  The little babe was trying to earn her money, so please excuse the blurriness.  The cowl is for sale for $25 and buyer pays shipping.  Contact at lifewiththecrew@gmail.com if interested!

 

The End of January

The last week of January has been a good one.  The coat of slick ice in the backyard is slowly melting.  Chip, our old dog with sensitive feet, gets carried to the small patches of grass every time he goes out.  He shivers and whimpers miserably, but wouldn't tolerate us putting boots on his feet.  The babe and I went to the arboretum yesterday, on a sunny winter day, and were surprised to see that all of the perennial "pollinator gardens" have been torn out, leveled into a construction site in the process of making a better pollinator area which will attract "all of the region's native pollinators".  A lofty goal and a worthy cause, but still, it is hard to see gardens reduced to nothing.  I wonder what they did with the perennials - goldenrod, bee balm, and wild sunflower-like plants that rose 8 feet tall.  It was a fantastic place in the height of Summer - I always imagined how many insects were moving around me when I stood there. 

The gardens were pretty barren, cut down and cleaned up, waiting for Spring.  Compared with my gardens, where I let most of the stalks and leaves remain until Spring (critter habitat), this was almost eerily bare.  We did find a lot of Praying Mantis egg cases (about a dozen) and the glass house was open, where they have wonderful displays about nature and small activities for kids.  It is a really nice (warm!) place to visit on a sunny Winter weekday - we had the place to ourselves.

I will leave you with two pictures from the homestead - homemade soft pretzels and January's harvest of parsnips.  I made the pretzels the right way this time, boiling them first in water and baking soda, and they got really good.  However, the thing about soft pretzels is that they are really only good first out of the oven, so partaking in a carb overload is required.

Spiders, Woodpecker Poop, and Plenty of Fresh Air

This morning was one of those days.  One of those wrong side of the bed days, complaining and moaning days.  Not for me, but for the babe.  So after ignoring her while I did my chores, we then did what always makes us better - we went into the great outdoors.  With the backpack set with snacks and my camera, we left town and headed out to check on the lake that was drained, awaiting dredging.  We ignored the Wrong Way sign to avoid the icy hill and parked on the quiet side of the "lake", though it is all quiet at this time of year.  We didn't go far today, just up a small hill, out onto the drained lake bed, then back around to the other side over the dam.  Enough to sit in the quiet, soak up the fresh air, and regain our balance.

As I was taking a picture of these grasses (I liked the silky white tufts), something crept into my view and I realized a tiny spider was traveling from one stalk to another.  The temp was just above freezing in the high 30's.  Can you see him?

On the lake bed, there was this large downed tree that we realized must have been half in/half out of the water.  There was a patch of vegetation that had been growing upward from the side of the tree with the roots that I think would have been hanging in the water.  Isn't that neat?

In a stand of oaks, we saw a bunch of fresh wood chip debris on the ground.  Looking up, we saw this.

Looking down again, we saw this.  Pileated Woodpecker poop!  We have seen a lot of Pileated activity in the woods, but never their droppings.  He must have hit the jackpot and had quite a meal.

Not very big finds, but we do always manage to see something interesting.  Hope you find something interesting in your weekend too!

As It Should Be (Almost)

Cold with at least a dusting of snow so that we can pretend it is a normal January.  That's how it was on Friday.  One of those fantastically beautiful blue sky Winter days and the bog is a great place to enjoy it.  Hardly any people, hardly any noise, and plenty of fresh air and trees.  Just the way I like it.  Luckily, so does she.

Burls, Bikes, and a Sweater for the Babe

As I write this, the snow is swirling outside in a slightly lazy way.  Small flakes, not too many, but enough to look pretty in the light of the porchlight and to make me appreciate the cranking woodstove and soft sofa.  We are supposedly waiting for several inches on Saturday, our first "real" snow of the season.  We shall see.  Yesterday, it was in the 50's and so the babe and I went on a bike ride.  On a January day that felt like early April.  We passed green moss covered stones sitting in a trickling stream dappled in slanting afternoon sunlight.  Doesn't really get any more picturesque.  

The beauty dimmed for the little babe when she realized that the entire road had a slight incline.  A granola bar and chocolate was required to boost morale.  Singing didn't quite cut it.  However, on the way back we zoomed, enough so that my hands were numb by the time to made it back to the car.  I'm glad the little babe is not yet at the stage when she cares about looks, because her mother was sitting on a plastic bag that covered the torn and crusty big seat.  She was just happy to have me there beside her, cruising, us "Biker Babes".

And not to forget the burl that is mentioned in the title, this is the biggest burl I have ever seen!  Crazy big!  If you don't know what a burl is, check out this article.

Oh, and I almost forgot the sweater!  Made with a bright coral pink color (not my choice!), the babe put it on as soon as I finished.  I made a quick colorwork pattern with leftover yarn.  Simple and sweet.

2020 Beginnings

It's now January 2020.  6pm.  My daughter is outside in the snow under an almost full moon.  Waxing gibbous is the technical term, which we both learned in one of her workbooks yesterday.  The moon is high above the giant pine, casting its light onto the white ground.  She is out there doing who knows what, shoveling, talking, imagining, just being.  

We had some good snuggle time today, sitting in her room under a pile of pink blankets, reading books that we haven't read in months, looking at her baby books.  Snuggle time is good.  I think a lot of kids don't get enough of it these days.

This morning she was an almost grown up girl, cantering around the ring, smiling, learning to steer on her own and she'll be there by Spring.  Her horse is very patient, gentle, and her instructor is awesome, encouraging.  

I am content with my senior gentleman Thoroughbred, looking handsome and healthy coming into his 30th year. 

The family Airbnb business is going strong, with achievements and the associated stresses.  This year we have partnered with 1% for the Planet, which means that we will be donating 1% of our gross revenue to a verified environmental organization (or multiple ones).

“The intent of 1% for the Planet is to help fund these diverse environmental organizations so that collectively they can be a more powerful source in solving the world’s problems.”
— Yvon Chouinard in his book “Let My People go Surfing”

After seeing footage of the devastation in Australia, the images of suffering animals which brings me to tears, we have decided to kick start our year with a donation campaign. For every reservation placed at one of our three Airbnb cottages in State College, Pennsylvania during the month of January (the reservation can be for any date during the 2020 year), we will donate 25% of the nightly rate to WIRES, which is an Australian wildlife rescue organization that is treating wildlife affected by the fires.  If you plan on coming to the State College area this year, please consider staying at one of our homes.  THIS LINK showcases all of our homes for rent.  The three cottages are The Warm and Cozy Cottage, The Bright and Cheery Cottage, and The Charming Cottage (our newest!)  And if staying at one of our Airbnbs doesn't fit into your plans, please consider donating directly to WIRES.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope your New Year is starting off healthy and happy.

~Katie (with Lola, 14 years old and still a bossy Corgi)