Feeling the Wind in My Hair...

I have not forgotten you. I just haven't been able to put fingers to keys for a number of reasons. One of which was, I felt like I had nothing to say. 

I took a walk today. Nothing startling in that, except that we're in that bipolar time of year when we're not really sure what season we're in. And if we hang around for an afternoon, that'll change. And then change back. And then change again...you get the picture. 

Anyway. 

As I was walking, in my sparkly red Dansko clogs (totally unsuited to walk in the neighborhood, but cool for work), I noticed the breeze blowing through my hair. I haven't really shared tons of shots of myself; and I stink at "selfie." But I've been growing my hair out into a short bob, after oh ---- nearly 40 years in a pixie, if not more. At least in some iteration of a pixie, that is. And I noticed the wind blowing through my hair. 

I haven't felt that since freshman year of high school, when my hair was down past my waist. And then I chopped it off into said pixie. And I think I probably should've kept it long, but there you go. One more life achievement dashed. 

Oh well. Life is full of choices. Here's a picture - a rare one, by the way, of your intrepid blogger and her bob... I'm really not a grouch - I just can't smile and focus my phone's camera at the same time. This is a semi-messy station at the doctor's where I work. 

And in the spirit of "oh well, everyone shares," here's a picture of my office, a/k/a "used to be our file room." Seriously. 

The lighting sucks. The room is truly a closet. Thankfully, I have a glass door, otherwise I'd suffer from claustrophobia (worse than I already do). The computer is old and cranky. 

And I sit far, far too close to it. So after about half a shift of this, I need to step away and blink my eyes. And refocus. 

I've already put the type size down to a point where the doctor really doesn't like it, I've gotta be able to see for at least a few more years (ha) -- till I get the knitting stash down to reasonable proportions, so I have to take care of my peepers... 

And I have the oldest computer in the place; so it regularly crashes. Usually when I need it, like today. Trying to get the doc ready for a presentation next week. 

He knows that it's on its last legs; we're just keeping it going by sheer will. 

Beauty School...

So you know how I am about make-up. I don't usually wear it because it feels like I'm suffocating. And I can never get the color correct. No matter how "many shades for every skin" it says. Mine is always somewhere in the middle of "Casper the Friendly Ghost" and "Palest Nude." And it still feels chalky and like Kabuki artist paint.

What's a girl to do? Well, I went to Young Living Essential Oils Beauty School. It was in Lisle, and it was a weekend. And believe it or not, it was fun. That there is my book, along with my beauty kit. 

Lest you think I've gone over to the "girly side," rest assured; I'm still getting the hang of it all. 

And there was the hotel, with the requisite "five down pillows, all of them flat." The mattress was amazingly comfy. The room's fan was adequate (I love my ceiling fan). No, I was a "bad oiler" and didn't bring a diffuser. I did bring my current knitting project and was able to get a nice bit done, all things considered. 

But please, someone, tell me why there are never any firm pillows in a hotel room? Seriously, that bunch there? That's how I had to sleep just to feel like I had my head and neck supported. And then, the pillows tried to kill me. They rose up along the sides of my head and tried to smother me. 

On a good note: for the most part, I was able to stay on my detox plan and had plenty of food to eat. I brought my stick blender and breakfast shake supplies and was able to get that made every morning, though I never did get the fridge quite cold enough to keep the berries from thawing. 

Small beans, considering. 

I got a photo of myself with a special camera that detects vascular damage and sun damage. I was pleasantly surprised that the sun damage wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I got burned badly a couple of times as a kid, and I thought it might have caught up with me. But it was better than I had any reason to hope for. Now to keep it protected. 

I didn't get my make-up till after I got home. Yes, I purchased the bare minimum: foundation, blush and a setting powder. I've managed to get it on to go to work a couple of times, though my blush skills are not good. Bad, actually; gotta work on that. 

It stays on; it doesn't feel like I'm unable to breathe. And it washes off like a dream. 

I'm not sure about the color of the foundation when summer comes, though. Even with sunscreen, we do ride our bikes outside a lot and I do have a slight change in my skin color. But I could just...skip make-up in the summer. 

There's an idea!

The Knitting...

The project I set myself to, a Close to You Shawl by the end of this month, is coming along. I won't quite make it by the end of the month, but first week in April definitely. I've got about 3.5 more repeats of a 14-row pattern. With a 1-stitch increase every row, that means... A LOT of stitches to get through. But I'm mindlessly blowing through it. 

The picture to the left shows the first ridge. The picture to the right shows about 9 ridges; I'm a little over 2/3 of the way done, so it's bigger. I will have to break into that second hank of the MadTosh; just not sure what I'll do with the remainder. Maybe some socks? It is sock yarn, after all...anklets, maybe?

My friend Deanna would love the stitch marker I'm using; it's a set of flamingo markers that I'd purchased from Sonda's shop ages ago. I wanted to use something fun; the functional one I'm using to mark the right side of the shawl.

You can, technically, wear this either way because everything's knitted. But there is a right side for the purposes of knowing when to bind the thing off. The bind off is a picot and it pretty much has to be, just so it finishes the echo of the ridges on the opposite side.

I hope this helps Kristin and Blair raise a lot of money for their IVF treatments. Here's a link to the auction. This shawl will be part of it as long as I get it done in time...

I'm honestly thinking this weekend will see it finished, though, because the weather is going to be crummy and I won't be tempted to go outside much.

It needs to be done. End of discussion. So with a lot of help from some lovely lattes I got turned on to by my friend Lulu, I'm knitting my fingers to the bone. This one is called Red Velvet Latte, and yes, it's on my "ok to consume" list. The Lunar Latte I just had is going to be sweeping me off to dreamland soon.

Here's another link. And no, I'm not being compensated for these. It's just stuff I like that I want to share. This is a company out of Australia, and that's where you'll get your stuff shipped from. Shipping is a tad pricey. But it's all great organic products. And the blog and photography are lovely!

Would I like to be compensated? Who wouldn't? But I don't think I need to chase that particular rainbow; y'all would have to share my blog a lot for that to happen... And so would I.

In the Kitchen...

So this happened: I bought watercress. I have no idea what, actually, to do with watercress. I know I can add it to a salad. I know that at High Tea, you might have watercress sandwiches.

And that's about it.

I didn't want to add it to a salad because when I bought it, unfortunately, it snowed like the dickens that week. I had to use it up, so I made a watercress sauce/dressing.

Recipe for Watercress Sauce

1 bunch watercress, trimmed of most of the stems
Good quality olive oil to cover
Salt & Pepper to taste

Wash the watercress; pat it dry. Pack it into the beaker of your stick blender (or a tall jar if you don't have the beaker). Add olive oil to cover, add salt & pepper, sparingly. 

Whiz it up...add more oil if you need to. Taste it. It should taste of watercress (green and slightly peppery), not oil. Adjust seasonings. 

Use as a dip or sauce. 

And then, at church, Pocket Priest has invited us to all use our Instant Pots...we've been cooking lunch every Sunday after the service through Lent. On St. Patrick's Day, I made a Dublin Coddle. Yummmmmmmmmmmmm-yyyyyyy.... And then I made Guiness Stout Bread (top) and Irish Soda Bread (bottom). Nope, I didn't eat either of them.

I will find you the Coddle recipe and put it in another post. I can't find the one I used; when I was given the bottle of stout, I chose to not use it, but instead, used it in the bread.

That was a better choice, I think. Everyone loved all of the food and we marvel at how hungry people are after church!

See the eggs?? Cool, huh? From a friend of Hubby's who keeps 17 chickens.

They're on the small side, but they're all lovely, and I can't wait to crack these babies into some scones or even just plain fried eggs!

Home-grown eggs are delicious, the yolks seem richer somehow, and I just appreciate someone giving us these treasures.


And just to finish  out the section, a picture of our altar at church; this is the Lenten arrangement. It's lovely and simple.

Our church is well over 150 years old and we love the way it feels, sounds, and kind of embraces us. That altar holds a columbarium. Many of our older members are in there, being cremated and put into little boxes.

FYI, it's not creepy at all. Kind of like they're watching over us.

Random Pictures...

Two of them. First is Quinn, dressed for St. Patrick's Day. The older she gets, the more she looks like Tippi. It's hard for me to tell them apart in the dark, lately.

She's my little snuggle bunny still, and is always smiling when I'm home. Makes me feel wanted, right?

And I finally managed to get a picture of mother and daughter, more or less together. Of course, they saw the phone and ducked...

I tried to get a shot avoiding the little pile under my table...But I failed. It was either that or fake them out. And it's darned near impossible to fake out an Elkhound.

Time for bed; the morning will come early. I have more pics to share and a few more items to discuss, but they'll have to wait for the next time.

Prison Crud & It's Done...

So I've got a touch of "prison crud" going and I'm hoping it resolves itself soon. 

Let me explain...

Old Collins St. Prison

We have an old prison in town; it's been shut down for over a decade, and deteriorating like crazy. Squatters, vandals, the odd kids out for a thrill...the place is a wreck. I was in there about 8 years ago for a special tour. 

Promptly got sick and landed in the hospital. Prison crud. 

Coughing, scratchy throat and eyes. Feeling of "crud" in your chest. And blowing your nose like crazy. At least that's my version of "prison crud." 

So the city bought it from the state and is turning it into a museum. It's been used in "The Blues Brothers," and in the series, "Prison Break" so there's a lot of modern recognition. 

Cellblock 

And in spite of "prison crud," I'm going back as a volunteer to help clean it up. The release form would (or should) scare the crap out of you because you're basically letting the city and state off if you contract anything from rodents, radon, spiders, poisons, asbestos, fiberglass, rust, falling debris, and "any and all" other crappy things that can happen. Or as the supervisor last week said, "Pretty much anything in here will kill you - or at least severely hurt you." 

No joke. Between the poison ivy, the buildings decimated by fire, the mold, the asbestos, the (probably) lead-based paint peeling off the walls...add in some structural instability in parts? Yep, it's an adventure. Oh, and don't forget broken glass all over the place. And razor wire. And the fact that, if you're stupid enough (and people have been) and think you're being funny, you go into a cell (which may or may not have been occupied by a vagrant -- at least it was mostly dry and secure), and slam the door. And you're locked in. Just wait for someone to come, with a bolt cutter, to get you out. 

It's going to be a great museum, once it's done. But it'll be done in stages. Unless some money-fairy barfs a big wad of $$$ on us! Which won't happen. But the buzz is out there, and if they open building by building, it'll keep it in the news. 

Razor wire

I was able to take pictures, which the Historical Society may want to use; either in an exhibit or as documentation of what was and how it will have changed. Then, I got to really work; I ended up in the front garden to do clean-up and spent about 3 hours there. Then we moved to the back to one of the buildings, the Commissary, to clean up for the street sweepers to come through. 

In the front, they asked us to "weed around and clean up." Well - there was razor wire. Galore! We were obviously not going to get very far there, and they're eventually going to get some of the folks in the trades to take care of this kind of thing. Volunteers are enthusiastic, but we're not equipped to do some of this stuff. 

I felt kind of bad removing the thistle plants. I know that butterflies and bees love them, but really - the vegetation is out of control. We tossed a bunch of stuff into a vacant spot and called it "The Compost Heap." Historically, the spot we chose WAS a garden in the way-back time. It just seemed more logical than to fill up trash bags and cans with stuff that really could "recycle" itself. We did sweep up glass and bits of stray metal, but that's understandable. 

Double occupancy

This is a double cell. If you notice the slight brown markings along the white tile, this would be where a set of bunk beds would be. Most of the cells in the cellblock we were in were "doubles." I was in one building with "singles," but for the most part, they doubled them up. In one part of the cellblock, there was evidence that someone had been sleeping there. It makes you think that someone has to be incredibly desperate to want to sleep in a decrepit old prison building, risking getting arrested for trespass, notwithstanding the health issues... 

As you may be able to visualize, the commode is actually partially blocked by where the beds would be - just enough for a modicum of privacy, but still visible. As the prisoners would have looked out, they wouldn't have seen another block of cells. This particular catwalk had cells only on one side. 

Commode

No, I wasn't tempted to step inside that double cell. I'm terribly claustrophobic, and even though I knew the guy with me wouldn't shut me in there, it wasn't something I felt comfortable doing. On the last tour I was on, the guard did suggest I step in. I politely declined - it was a solitary confinement cell - with a solid door with only a peep hole in there. Yeah, that cell was "larger," but still... Nope. 

In one of the single cells, I got a close-up of the commode assembly. You know, it looks kind of like something an airline would use in the bathrooms, given a slightly different configuration. 

I found it particularly poignant to see the carton of milk (didn't pick it up to see if it was full or not) and the books there. You kind of had to wonder about who left it like that. 

Was it a worker? Was it from the final inmate to occupy the cell? 

I mean, literally when they shut this place down, it was like everyone finished their shift and walked away. Never to return. 

Door in Warden's Quarters

Or, if you like the space-invader storyline, like everyone was lifted from their spot and just disappeared. Very creepy. 

The architecture was very much "of the time" for the older buildings. There are some slightly modern ones, but for the main building (photo up top there), it's clearly a gothic thing. When I showed them to someone unfamiliar to the building, he commented that it was "pretty fancy" for a prison. 

Yes, it would have been. The craftsmen hired to build the place, with limestone quarried on-site, would have been expert masons, stone-cutters, plasterers, etc. They were artisans and these jobs fed their families. 

So the very fancy doors, the cove moldings, the fireplace surrounds, the walnut balusters? They were very much the fine craftsmanship of the age. 

Workroom in Machine Shop

The more modern buildings inside the wall were a combination of cinderblock and brick. Still quite substantial, of course, but much more plain and utilitarian. Not that they were trying to show off with the front building - I expect that the front was the first building, and the others came later. 

And yes, in case you're curious, I desperately want to be a docent and give tours! I'm a prison geek, I suppose. 

I took several shots in the Machine Shop. The equipment, files and office furniture are still, for the most part, there. Tools are all gone, as you can imagine. Either taken when the place closed or scavenged over the years. I'm not sure how much of this will be restored, but it will eventually all be cleaned out. 

I tried to not breathe too much, if you know what I mean. Because while some of the places didn't have exposed fixtures, over the course of weathering and time, there was a lot of mold. 

And I'm allergic to mold. Of course. 

Burned out office space

At least 3 buildings were badly burned. One of them was the records room, and it was left with just the shell of the walls. Another one had offices in it, but I wasn't able to discern what the rest of the building had in it. Maybe classrooms or places where the inmates worked. It's hard to tell, and I have to brush up on my prison lore... 

The place has stories to tell. The town is legitimately a prison town, in spite of the fact that the town, for decades, wanted to downplay it. 

Guys, you gotta go with what you have. Joliet Jake and all that... But still, there are 3 prisons in close proximity. Let's just face the fact that it's a prison town. 

While we were there, cleaning up, people were POURING in. It's on Historic Rt. 66, after all. And they weren't coming inside; there are signs all around the parking lot talking about the place. People were snapping pictures and really taking it all in. It will be cool to see how it develops. 

And the next time I volunteer, two things: I will wear a mask, I promise. And one of the supervisors will take me up into one of the turrets to get a set of panoramic shots. I just have to be careful where I step...there's a "safe" way and a way that'll make a quick exit to the bottom...

It's Done...

I got the "help me" hank of Stone Tulips, and I thank my "knitting angel" who came to the rescue. I caked it up today and finished the Close to You Shawl. I think I might've gotten into a bind with the addition of the next ball of yarn, but I hope I can block it out.**

Now, I have to figure out what to do with approximately 390-ish yards of yarn. Actually, I have 4 oz. of it, which doesn't sound like much, but think about it - yarn doesn't weigh much! I figure if I "guesstimate" about 390 yards, I'm safe. I looked for patterns for 350 yards, just to be sure. 

I did find a ruffled shawlette that I could make. I really don't want to do socks with it. The yarn has such a definite twist to it that, quite honestly, I don't think it would be comfortable on the feet. 


Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. But it's a strong feeling I have, so I'm going with it. 

I have to block it out yet, and I have to do a fairly strong blocking to make the picots stand out. When I did this shawl last time, the yarn wasn't quite as thick. It was still sock yarn, but it wasn't as dense as this.

We'll see how it takes to a blocking. I think this one will be bigger, and I think it was about 405 yards. It's kind of hard to tell. 

Usually sock yarns have a put-up (how they're sold) of about 420 yards. Ish. I've seen it at around 410 sometimes, but usually it's a tad more than 400. 

This was 400 on the nose. And I used (I really should have measured this) about maybe a yard or two? Hard to tell with a picot bind-off, because it wasn't the whole length. But I'm going to fudge it and say that I have about 390 yards left, just to be on the safe side. 

Even unblocked, I can see that this is much more substantial than the one I made. I hope the recipient likes it. Not only for the color but for the fact that it should be nice and cozy. 

It's not really a "shawl" that you'd wrap yourself in to read a book, or to keep incredibly warm on a cold day. 

This is more like a foulard or a neck-warmer. You wear it with the point down, and wrap the "wings" back and then in front. 

When I get it blocked, I'll model it for you. Or get someone to model it for me so I can take pictures. I really stink at selfies. 

After spending an inordinate amount of time on Ravelry looking for the next phase of this yarn's life, I went back to the Green Traveling Socks. 

I'm about 2 rows from the 7" leg, and I think I'll get to the heel at lunch tomorrow. It's going to be another scorcher, so I'm planning on staying in for lunch. 

Yes, we were on a kick for walking, but honestly, in the heat? It's not cool to come back to work an afternoon shift when you can't really clean up. I love my Young Living Essential Oils Seedlings baby wipes, but they only go so far. And I can tell you that even with a sun-proof umbrella, my hair is a mess after a walk in the upper-80-degree heat. 

Not worth it. 

But back to knitting... I'm still really loving this green now. Don't even ask me why. But I love it. 

**"I can block this out" is a total fallacy. I'm going to have to do some fancy stepping to make that work. Pray to the Knitting Gods and Goddesses that it DOES work. But don't be surprised if it doesn't. 


 

Lunch Tomorrow...

I actually prepped lunch. Sort of. And no, this isn't my picture but a Google of "tuna salad" that mostly resembles mine. I use celery and I love the crunch. Hubby uses straight Miracle Whip and celery. 

Mine is as follows (at least how I made it tonight): 

2 cans Starkist Tuna in water, drained
1 large rib of celery, diced
1 T. brown mustard
1/4 t. ground horseradish
Salt & pepper to taste
2 heaping tablespoons mayo (real mayo)
1 heaping teaspoon DILL relish (not sweet relish)

Mash the tuna, mix it all together. Adjust seasonings as needed. 

I like this basic recipe because you can add hard boiled eggs. You can add garbanzo beans. You can add pimiento if you want. Dill. Parsley. Spring onions. 

The possibilities are endless. 

This will go on my salad tomorrow, with fresh radishes. Yum!! 

Random Picture...

From the floor in the SAC building. Solitary confinement for the most part. A bit of "prison wisdom" that was included whenever you walked inside. 


I apologize for the hi-res pictures. These were taken with the "big camera" because I wanted the shots to be useful for several purposes. 

When I go back, I'll try to get a picture of the floor from the "Prison Break" opener. I saw it the last time I was here. 

This says, in case you can't read it, "It's never too late to mend."

Truer words were never spoken, whether you're talking about life in prison or life, right now, in the US. 

We're broken. I don't think we're beaten. But we're definitely broken. From the inside. That's the saddest part. The life we had is done; we have to rebuild. But first, we have to excise the cancer that's eating us from the inside out. 

We will all have to work for this cure. Otherwise, it won't work. And Heaven only knows what we'll be left with. 

I don't want to even think about it. 

The Last Leg...

It's been a wild, wild week, culminating with FANTASTIC news. 

We have a priest! 

And that's all I can say right now. A 2-year search has resulted in a selection, and the person has accepted the offer. 

And now we move on; more on this the MOMENT that I can tell you all. 

Knitting...

It was kind of a crazy Friday today. Got a late start at the hairdresser - she was late, not me. And then she took her time, so I was an hour late to the church office. After staying far too late (interruption after interruption), I whizzed home, grabbed a guitar for my lesson, and whipped out to the college to meet my teacher. As I was writing my check, the green pen I had managed to explode in my hand. I now have a right hand with tints of Kermit the Frog...

Got through the Mass parts that we're working on, sped home, and got a text from the mover...he stood me up again. 

I'm in charge of moving the church offices to the next-door building and I've been trying for 3 weeks to get this guy out for an estimate. I gave him an ultimatum and said, "This is it, dude. I have a deadline!" He swears he'll be at the church tomorrow. Hmpfh. 

So, since my plans changed, and I was blessed with some free time, I figured I'd knit. I'm on point number 17 of 18 of the Close to You Shawl. 

I figure I can finish it this weekend, I think. Each point is 14 rows, and then I have a 12-row finish and a picot edging. It has been a fun knit, but I'll be glad to set this pattern aside for a little bit because I have others I'm itching to knit.

The Last Leg...

So as usual, we were eager to get going on the last day of our trip. After breakfast (standard hotel: egg-ish things, sausages, bagel, etc.), and a couple cups of tea for me (one of them in a to-go cup) and we were off. This time, I wanted to make sure my caffeine level was adequate to the drive. 

And this time, we swore that we wouldn't repeat the day before, even though our GPS said about 6-ish hours to home. I didn't want to risk that whole "low energy driving" thing, especially as we were heading more toward "civilization" (read: More traffic!). 

We got all the way to Iowa - and stopped at IOWA-80, which is billed as "the largest truck stop in Iowa." Okey-dokey... It was a mall-ish kind of place; The Kid had a burger, and I had an egg sandwich from a Panera. Bought some Amish goodies for my friend A., gassed up and left. 

We drove a long, long, long, long way on Rt. 88 in only one lane because of construction. It was ridiculous. 

Nope, not even a photo for you. It was that kind of drive! Got The Kid home and helped him off-load his stuff, then headed home myself. 

I hit up a car wash on the way home; I knew I wasn't going to get that sprayed-on oil off, but the car was absolutely bug-encrusted. 

Got back late afternoon, to Hubby and happy dogs. 

And - so far, The Kid and I still like each other! Another successful road trip in the books. 

It sounds maudlin, but seriously - I don't know how many more of those I'll have with him, and I want to enjoy all of them. At some point, he'll date, have a life that doesn't include me - which is fine - and I want to have these memories. 

Strawberry Moon...

Lately, the moons seem to be either "super" or "strawberry" or "orange" or whatever. Whatever happened to just a plain old "full moon" in the meteorological realm? Anyhow, I caught a photo of the supposed "strawberry" moon. 

I know - we're too close to town and lots of lights and lots of buildings. We didn't and we don't see these moons in their full glory. And when I'm going home from the yoga studio, the only places I seem to have a beautiful view are not good to take photos in. For example, the cemetery on the outside of Stateville Penitentiary. They don't like when you're in there in the dark - you'll get a visit from a guy in a car with lights on the top. 

Well, the moon was full. Not so sure of the "strawberry" part, although my students told me a day or so later that, for some of them, it did indeed look strawberry. I'll take their word for it. 

Cookies...

In case you're wondering what the cookies are, they were purchased at the Polish Deli near the chiropractor's office. They do a great sandwich, wonderful soups, and a "hot plate" dinner full of stuff that would've come out of my granny's kitchen. 

These are Liebnitz cookies - a bit graham-cracker with hazelnuts and chocolate bits. Today, I was on the run all day and was thus starving. I even had Raisa eyeballing me while I was chomping on a piece of cheese. I was giving her the eyeball back, with a "no way, kiddo" slant to my side-eye. 

After a dinner of salmon and baked potato (thanks, Hubby), I sat down to watch Season 5 of "Great British Baking Show," knit and munch on some cookies... It's a great finish to the evening. 

Plans for tomorrow...

Tomorrow, I have (in the middle of a heat wave, by the way), a photography gig. I'm taking pictures of the Frankfort, IL "Families Belong Together" protest march. 

I have to figure out how to haul the camera, wear the appropriate hat to protect myself from further sunburn, get sunscreen on and survive the heat. Oh, and keep hydrated!

Today, it hit in the 90s, and it's after 8 p.m. - still muggy and sticky. It ought to be interesting. 

All I hope for, in this environment lately, is that nobody gets hurt and the protest is peaceful. 

With the recent killings at the newspaper in Maryland, and the political hate-fest emanating out of DC? It does make you fearful and makes you wonder what happened to America. What happened to civil discourse? What happened to "agree to disagree" as a way of communication? 

Well, we know what happened. And it can't be gotten out of the White House soon enough. Along with family members, cohorts, conflicts of interest, and co-conspirators. 

We need a broom to sweep clean - a big broom. 

And perhaps the protests around the nation and the unexpected winning of certain primaries - perhaps those will help correct our course. That, and an indictment or two. Soon. Please. I want the country back for my kids. 

Random Picture...

One of the patients at the chiro clinic had never seen a red husky. I had to persuade Madame to sit still for a picture. 

This was the best of the 3 shots. 

She finally figured out that I had a treat in my hand, but she wouldn't deign to smile at it or me. She did decide to put her ears up. You can see in her eyes, "I'm only doing this because I choose to. Not because you want me to or I want to look cute." 

She's such a diva. Right now, she's "banished" to the kitchen. She hasn't done anything wrong; we're just having the Elkhounds in the living room because idiots are blowing off fireworks and the elkies are frankly terrified. 

So here's my PSA for you: Don't shoot off fireworks yourself. The 4th of July is the WORST holiday for dog disappearances. They're usually terrified and they will bolt. And if you don't like pets, think of the vets...PTSD and fireworks? Not cool. 

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!