Busy, Busy, Busy!

Shortly after returning from California my sister and her husband arrived for a week long visit, and we were busy every single day! The first day of their visit, we went to Cannon Beach, one of our favorite spots, and stopped at Astoria en route. (Have you read Astoria by by Peter Stark? It's a great read and has lots of history about the Pacific Northwest.)

While Jane and Ted climbed the 100+ steps to the top of the column, we enjoyed the view and spotted this guy floating toward the Astoria Bridge.

Then we stopped at the beach at Fort Stevens State Park to see the wreck of the Peter Iredale, a ship that ran aground there in 1906. We were lucky to even catch the Ranger's talk!

As you can see, the weather's predictably cool on these beaches.  It was cold and windy at Haystack Rock, too.

Dick even caught a photo of a puffin flying back to its nest on the rock!  Can you see it on the right?

This past Monday we drove up to Mount Baker which is close to the Washington/Canada border.  This time we were able to make it to the end of the road, and it was HOT despite the snow everywhere!

Back home the birds and flowers were very happy in the heat.

With all the car-time, I also managed to finish this project for a certain Little Miss's fifth birthday which is coming right up. Now to think up something else for another August birthday girl......  

Our guests are back home as we head into August.  How did July disappear so quickly?  

PS  On these recent clear nights we've been watching the International Space Station.  You can see the ISS also by entering in your location to find the viewing times where you live!  It's fun, and you don't even need binoculars. (I have a hard time remembering that it's as big as a football field and moving at 18,000 mph!)

Booties Plus

Not too much knitting happened this past week because we were off to California's wilderness with no phone and no Internet! Crazy, eh?  I did finish a pair of booties though for a choir friend's first grandchild though.

I had to shorten the cuff because for the first time ever with this angora yarn I ran short.

We spent four days with Dick's brother and his wife.  Our small abode is behind us with its great view of Silver Lake and not too far from Lake Tahoe.

Sunset on Silver Lake

Dick and Bob went on a 6 mile hike to Carson Pass.

I joined the two brothers for a "short" hike the next day.  It involved lots of scrambling over huge rocks!

I was sure glad to get past this giant and back on a "real" trail!

Here's the only wildlife we encountered.

The lupine was pretty much past its prime on this trail, but we did see some other flowers.

Meanwhile, while we were gone, my older daughter sent me this photo of our oldest grand daughter who is learning to sew. Isn't her apron beautiful?  I am very proud of her, too!

My Not-So-Colorful Socks

Well, I finally finished something other than a dishcloth and had a big surprise. This wild and crazy yarn faded more that any other yarn I've ever used.  The water was dark purple!!

Ans the wild and crazy socks aren't aren't nearly as bright and pretty as they were.  I am wondering whether they will continue to fade with more washings, too.  Sigh!

We saw these Crocosmia on the way home from Newport.  I know a deer that would have loved them, too.

Happily that same critter left us a few day lilies.

Have a great weekend!

A Nice Get Away and Surprises on Our Return ~

We got back late yesterday afternoon from a short get away to Portland for a night and then two nights at Little Creek Cove, which is just north of Newport, Oregon.

The view from our deck

We stayed in one of the lower buildings, a short walk from the sandy beach.

Lots of sand dunes here and so different from the beaches further north.  Note the jacket!  It was very windy and only in the low sixties during the days while the East Coast was sweltering!

I finished my July dishcloth.

We hiked near the Yaquina Head lighthouse.

The trail took us down to Quarry Cove where we saw lots of cormorants and a few people.

Instead of heading all of the way east, we turned off Highway 20 and went back home to Bellevue and found two surprises, a good one and a not so good one.

While we were gone, this wonderful package from from Caffeine Girl arrived.  Don't you just love those earrings?  And the yarn, and the yummy vegetable?  (Oh, you didn't know that chocolate is a vegetable?  I saw that on a pillow once, so it must be true, right?)  Thank you, Deb, I can't wait to make something with this yarn!

As for the not so good surprise, it happened in the dark of night while we were gone....my crocosmia plant flowers, that were finally about to bloom, were devoured by a deer.  All of the flowers and buds were neatly snipped off, and the rascal didn't stop there.  It visited the roses in the side yard and pruned them along with the heuchera out back.  At least we got this photo of the plant about to bloom and also enjoyed a few cut roses before we left. Sigh.......sometimes the wildlife around here can be so annoying!

Have a lovely weekend!

Well, June Flew By, Didn't it?

Another month is almost gone! I find myself wondering who sped up the clock as every day seems to vanish in the blink of an eye. This week marks the end of school for the kids in our area; and little Stella will be "graduating" from preschool on Friday and headed for kindergarten in the fall.  How did that happen?

Speaking of graduation, I made this bracelet for our grand niece who recently graduated from high school and is off to college at UCSD in the fall.

Do you remember this one?  Well, that yarn from Hobby Lobby is most generous, and I got two more dish cloths from that ball.  The first one had a funky corner and the second one was a bit better.

Believe it or not, there was a small amount of yarn left after the second one, er, really the third one!  This pattern  is a variation on Grandma's Favorite.

Because it's been a bit chilly and rainy here this month, one weekend we headed east of the mountains to the Tri-Cities to get warm.  (Can you see Mount Adams?)

On the way back home we stopped at Trout Lodge for a delicious lunch. This tree is right next door and caught our eye!

Back on the home front, this inside plant, a Hoya, decided to bloom for the first time in ages, and the roses are going crazy outside.

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These two have been constant visitors lately.  The Steller's jay has been known to swallow the peanuts whole, and both it and the squirrel have run/flown off with more than one peanut at a time.  We have peanut wars right here on our patio!

Have a great week, Everyone!

How'd It Get to Be June?

It's been busy here!  May and early June are always a bit crazy everywhere, I think.  We had a fun visit at the end of the month with one of my sorority sisters and spent a fun day with her in Gig Harbor.

Part of the family got together on Memorial Day for a picnic in our backyard, and while it was a bit chilly, it didn't rain even one drop! They brought this lovely hanging basket which now hangs on the deck off our living room.

Speaking of the backyard, the flowers (and weeds) have been amazing. First the trillium and bleeding heart bloomed.

As you can see on the header, our clematis is having a great year!  The iris are done and so is the golden chain tree, but the poppies are out in abundance.

There are even flowers inside the house with most of the violets blossoming.

But what about the knitting, you say?  A couple pairs of booties have popped off the needles for the a couple choir Grandma's first grandchildren.

That's about it.  Tonight is our last choir rehearsal until late August.  On Sunday we are premiering a beautiful hymn written especially for our choir.  Here's the link in case you care to hear it. (You can tune in at either 9 or 11 AM PST.) Have a great weekend!