Back to The Knitting...

Yes, we'll continue with the trip, but I need to update you on the knitting. Among other things, too.

So - knitting. I got the chiropractor to adjust my wrists (it works but it hurts a bit, because my hands are still tender!). Tonight I got another point done. So it's on to #15... After that, 3 more to go and I'm done with the current "Close to You" shawl. I do want to do this one again, but not right now. I will look at a few other patterns I've stashed in Ravelry and I'm pretty sure that something will strike me when it's time to take up the needles again.

I haven't had a chance to do much on the traveling green sock because I've been walking at work. In between shifts, we have a couple of hours. So the person I work with has decided we need to walk. Only if it's raining do we not walk.

Today, we walked almost 5 miles in a little over 1.25 hours. Lucky for us, it was breezy, but I'm so quick to burn (even with sunscreen) that I carried an umbrella. Maybe I need to carry a parasol! Anyway, I was laughing because of the breeze -- it created a drag on the walk, so maybe I got a little more exercise than I would've done otherwise.

So, needless to say, unless it rains, the green socks won't see any appreciable knitting time till this shawl is done. I'm so close.

You know how, when you're working on a project, you get to "that point" where you're just going to push on regardless of any other project? That's where I'm at with the shawl.

No, I haven't added the fringe to the 2-Hour Shawl. No. I haven't started the other shawl either. But I'll power through the shawl this weekend, and get it blocking. Then I'll start on the shawl that's in the bag.

I don't think this is going to require strong blocking, like the first one I did. Difference in yarn weights. I'll show you what it looks like after I finish it.

The Garden Grows...

My milkweed has taken off. The tomatoes need topping, and I have to get in and thin the radishes. Hubby tried (thinning the radishes), but he didn't get very far. I also have to thin the carrots, while I'm at it.

The dill isn't as tall as I thought it should be. We thinned it out last year, and maybe we went a little too far. But the rest of the front garden is moving along. The brown-eyed Susans are going well in the bed by the gazing ball.

Also, I'll need to get the hummingbird feeders up. It's going to be a hot, steamy weekend, and I'm sure they'll be looking for nectar. I have a large red "cover" for the one feeder, and that should keep it a little more shaded because the front yard faces west.

Otherwise, I do plan to stay inside, with the A/C, and just veg. And knit more.

Red Rock Open Space...

Like a mitten

So. After we'd done Garden of the Gods, we found Red Rock Open Space. It's kind of off the beaten path, but we saw it on the way to Garden of the Gods, and made a commitment to get there afterwards, if there was time.  J. said it was "too open" for her. Well, yeah, but if you're living in the middle of the prairie, like we are? That's "prairie with rocks." We love that!

Grow where you can... 

One of the rocks that struck me reminded me of a big, red mitten. I mean, there's the thumb, and the body. It was laying sideways. There were people hiking with us, but luckily, we had peace and quiet while we were there. The signage said that mountain lions were there, and believe me, some formations made us feel like we were being "shunted" toward what would've been a great place for the big cat to pounce... but the only wildlife we saw, aside from the baby birds, were bunnies.

Foothills beyond the rocks

Standing on one of the rocks, I got a great picture of the long view. I love the contrast of textures and colors. Again, the aridity of the area really kept surprising me. The bright greens, then the rugged rocks, and the dryness of the air. I mean, it was in the 80s for air temperature, but with the dry, it didn't feel like it. The breeze off the mountains also helped.

You'd think that, after hiking all day, we'd be exhausted. Well, we were tired, but somehow, the energy of the place was there. We wanted to go back another time to try a couple more of the trails. Spoiler alert: we never did get back...

But it's definitely a place where we'd go again if we made the trip out.

God lights

One thing I remembered from Montana: when it's near time for the sun to shift, it shifts dramatically. One shot I took, I saw what my great granny used to call "God lights" -- where the sun streaks through the clouds and makes light patterns very interesting. I took a shot as we were leaving, and noticed that the "God lights" were strong in this picture. It's not touched up or retouched. It's just the way I took it.

We were hoping for rain, which never materialized. Not to put a damper on our trip - but because they so badly need it.

When we got home, we learned about a big wildfire southwest of where we were. It's sad to see the devastation, but again - Mother Nature has a way of doing it up right.

The land will recover. I'm sorry for the loss of people and property. I can't even imagine.

Tenacity

I couldn't imagine this burning. But it could. There are Buddhist teachings about impermanence, but I don't think we really have a grasp on that. We all know in our working brains that life is also short. Life doesn't last in its current form. But in our emotional brains? It's a different story. We tend to think it's going to be "this way" for the rest of our lives.

Not "this way" in the current state of unrest, chaos, and dysfunction (and I'm only thinking about Washington, not globally...). But "this way" in that my family will always be constituted the way it is now; nobody gets older or gets ill; everyone is where they are and nothing changes.

Yet everything changes... This park reminds me of it.  Looking at the trees clinging to the cliffs and being as green and vibrant as they are? That's amazing. That's something that I will have in my brain for a long, long time.

As we hiked, we just felt some sort of magic in the place. Both of us commented that we should, by rights, be totally exhausted. But we weren't. 

Stink-eye from baby birds

We found "Contemplative Trail" and thought, "how hard can that be?" Well. It was an "intermediate" trail! Wasn't a walk in the park, after all. We got a shot of a nest that we think may be eagle babies. Hubby thinks not, but I'm still wavering. Didn't see a parent, but the stink-eye one of the babies gave us? Definitely eagle attitude!

I mean, look at this up close. Tell me what you think. I'm going to have to post this to a birder friend and see what she's got to say about it.

I'd love to think they were eagles. They were certainly big babies. And the nest was pretty high up. I'll let you know what my bird friend says.

We got to a part where there was a scent. We couldn't identify it, but it totally enveloped both of us. A mix of floral and spice, like a conifer. I took a shot of a juniper tree, and got some other lovely root shots. It was a real wake-up call to see the trees growing out of the rock. I mean, talk about "bloom where you're planted." This is a true testament to fortitude and willingness to live.

I did have Kid #2 take some "awkward mom doing yoga" pictures. I'm always on the lookout for those kinds of opportunities, and sometimes they work. And sometimes I realize I need to work on my alignment! I drop my back knee in Warrior, if you're interested. I had my Monday night students work on this - lifting the kneecap to engage the quads makes the pose more stable.

Kind of like a tree clinging to the side of a mountain. Rooting down to grow up.

Random Picture...

Tonight, Quinn wanted ALL THE PETS. She was just clingy. I love that she's affectionate. It was hard to knit with one hand, though!

She's still in her Thundershirt, and will be for a while, till a nasty cyst clears up. Poor baby has more, and we're reluctant to get them operated on unless we absolutely have to. We would love to find a magic solution to this problem.

We've tried diet, supplements, medication... It's just the way she is. I'd say that that's the worst part of owning an Elkhound. Some are very prone to cysts, and they can be very obnoxious to deal with. There's been many a time when I've held her head while Hubby cleans something out, and the poor baby is just shaking. But she trusts me. Oh, she trusts Hubby, too, but doesn't like it much...

Tippi is zonked out alongside Raisa's crate. It's almost time for bed; I didn't sleep well last night, and I've got a long day tomorrow.

I need to close. I want to knit, but realistically? I need to hit the sack. That nearly-5-mile walk did me in. I have to teach tomorrow night, so I'm hoping the walk is a bit shorter tomorrow!