Thursday, July 30, 2009

Hotter than Hades

Remember when we were complaining about the cold ?


(photo courtesy of Karen C.)

103F
39.44C

What a heat wave. Anything over 72F/22.2C I'm usually whining. This is way too much, it needs to cool down. There is nary a fan to be found in Western Washington. As soon as more arrive in the stores I'm stockpiling !

Don't knock the weather. If it didn't change once in a while, nine out of ten people couldn't start a conversation.
Kin Hubbard (1868 - 1930)




Fiber related exercise !
At Karen's a few weekends ago to dye with Kool Aid.



Three Black Cherries and an Orange reminds me of Antique Rose.























Started a simple sock pattern with this KA multi-color skein. Looks pretty interesting for a first try at variegated. Thanks Karen !




My sweet little Betsy






I claim this fan !

How ladylike !

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Karin's Folly


The east side of my new little home situated on three acres.

The mudroom
My parent's old Kitchen Queen with Luciano sitting atop.















I am the crazy person who's first priority is to fix up the barn ! Tim jacked up the north side and the roofers are working on it this week. I'm assuming it was built around 1914 when the house was.
I always wanted an old barn like the one on my great grandparent's homestead in Custer. I loved playing in the hay bales with my brothers, the heart shaped face of a barn owl peering down upon us from the rafters. Never in a million years did I think I would actually own one. Helluva way to get one.





My "Nightmare Before Christmas" tree which I think is an ex cherry. I've planted the climbing rose "Paul's Himalayan Musk", Golden Hops, and Clematis Montana at the base hoping they will cover it in a blanket of color in years to come.


The previous owner planted lovely flower beds. The red Monarda (Bee Balm) is very popular with the hummingbirds. Last Sunday I sat under the mountain ash for an hour watching them dive bomb each other and zoom from flower to flower.

"I feel the breath of the summer night,
Aromatic fire:
The trees, the vines, the flowers are astir
With tender desire."
-Elizabeth Stoddard
(1823-1902)

















Beautiful sunsets (which are hard to capture on an inexpensive digital camera !)



Mari and her kid Marc.












She's discovered that the new fountain/birdbath provides her with another means of refreshment during these hot days !









The barn has a henhouse so the next logical step was to get two bantie hens and twelve eggs for them to sit upon, which they did with fierce determination. Twenty one days later these cute little Silkie chicks made their appearance.



I love living here.