Lovely Weekend

This was the view Thursday evening as well as Friday eve. This pic and the following were taken Friday as the full moon was rising. I was surprised that my camera caught it - it was pretty dark out when I took it.



Anyway, I had a great weekend. I met my family up in So. Lake Tahoe for 3 days, including my brother and SIL who were able to come up from Phoenix. It was a lovely time, relaxing and hanging out. We all got to know my brother wife a little better, since they live so far away, we haven't had much time with her.

Lots of knitting has happened in the last couple of weeks. It has been busy around here, as well as getting over that nasty flu/cold that was going around. I still have a slight cough, but not nearly as bad as it was at the beginning of last week.

The folllowing shawl is a Christmas present for a good friend (who I'm pretty sure doesn't read this.) I hand dyed a hank of KnitPicks Merino Lace earlier this year, and finally found a pattern that works good with the color variations. And the pattern I used is a variation on a couple of patterns from "Folk Shawls." I used the basic shape and shaping from the Feather and Fan Triangle, but used the pattern stitched from the Highland Fircone Square. The edging I did in the same yarn, un-dyed. I am pretty pleased with the out-come! :-)

Of course, Kitty wanted to help me with the process! (Isn't he cute!) ;-)


I also finished this over the long weekend. This is the Hemlock Ring doily, a free pattern found here. There is also a variation on this - a larger size made into a blanket. I want to try that one also. I used DMC Cebelia with US 0 needles. Finished size is about 12" in diameter.


This will probably be a Christmas present. Not sure for who yet, but I have a couple of people in mind. I will be making a couple more doilies - small gifts as thank you's.

Speaking of Christmas - now that Thanksgiving is over...welcome to the present knitting frenzy!! Well, not really. For me anyway. This year, I've got most of mine already done. The list for completion before the final day is as follows:

3 1/2 pairs of socks (have 1 sock completed - thus the 1/2)
1 1/4 scarf (almost done with 1)
2 doilies
1 runner or tablecloth (very simple and small)
Couple of hats (just in case presents)

That's it. Last year at this time this list was a little longer, with bigger projects. I think I will be able to do this with very little stress. Yeah! And that's what I need right now - low stress.

Anyway, got a couple of performances coming up. A performance of Handel's Messiah (the Christmas part.) That's this weekend, then the next weekend is my church's Christmas cantata. After that - it's all downhill. Every time I think about how much I'm doing - I have the words "Serenity Now" running through my head. And of course, depending on how frustrated or stressed I am - the volume increases! :-)

May the Lord grant you peace and serenity this CHristmas season. Remember - He is the reason for the season!

One Year Blogiversary

Actually - its tomorrow but I'm writing this today! One whole year since I started this blog. When I first started doing this - I never really expected that I would continue with it. I've never been good at the journaling/diary thing, so this was just something to pass time with one day. Well, it hasn't been very regular but it has been consistant.

I know this started as a knitting/fiberish based blog with some personal ramblings included for spice, but in honor of this auspicious occasion, I am going to some where totally opposite, somewhere so outside the normal realm of me that you will wonder - WTH!!! Did someone else take over this blog? (Now anyone reading this who knows me keep in mind that I grew up with 2 brothers and a father who walked in the forest everyday, and saw stuff like this a lot.) Not to worry - normal fiber content to return at the end of this episode. ;-) (Note - If I offend any environmentalists with this - well, it my blog and I can do what I want with it. I think that this was pretty cool!)

Last Friday my brother and I were driving to Susanville in his new car. It was dark and pretty windy. Just before the 2nd Red Rock turn off something off-white appeared to blow off the side of the road under the tires. There was a pretty loud "thump" but we didn't think too much of it. I thought it was a box and there was no apparent damage. However, when we got out and looked later, this is what we saw:

Yeah, nice, huh? At first I thought it was a hawk, but when my dad looked at the feathers closer he thought it was some sort of owl. Either way, cool! Hoping there wasn't too much damage - either to the car or the bird, we pulled it out. BTW - in the pic above - that's all wing. The body was stuck horizontally into the opening in the grill there. The owl must have been startled from the side of the road, flew up, been blinded by the lights, and upon impact, simply broke it's neck. There was no other damage except for a couple of bent feathers and a mangled eye. My dad has a friend who does taxidermy, and hopefully he can use it.

Anyway, that was late at night so we put in a bag in the garage, washed our hands really, really well, and took more picutres in the morning. I have never seen and owl up close, and chances are neither have you. They are pretty cool birds of prey. You've heard how silent owls are - there's a reason for that. Almost all of their feathers are outlined in down. Even the main wing feathers were so soft and light to the touch. If you click on the pics they will go bigger for better detail.


As you can see this is a pretty big bird. Due to the 2 tufts of feathers on either side of the head (sort of like ears) my dad's pretty certain this is a Great Horned Owl. Get this! The wingspan - 44" wide. The body - approx 20" long. The only reason it didn't do any damage to the car, is because it was so light.


Above pics are the outside and inside of the claw. Check out those talons! There are at least a couple inches long, and super sharp. Neither mice nor rabbits really stand a chance. The padding on the inside is very nubbly. I wonder how tactile it is. A far cry from the feathering on the outside. If I hadn't know better I would have thought the leg was furred.


This is the inside of the wing. Fasinating, no? The whole construction boggles the mind, that something so light and fragile will keep a bird of this size in the air.

This is the underside of the body - the patterning is almost striped.

That beak is almost as deadly at the talons. Interesting how even around the beak there are the fine, fine feathers. From certain angles this definitely dead bird looked almost cuddly. But when you see the talons and beak, even the eyes, created for seeing in the dark - you know this bird would be far from cuddly.

I am sorry if this grossed some of you out. Personally, I thought it was really cool. God created owls for a purpose, as He did everything. But even a predator such as this has great beauty and structure. For example the structure of the wing. I imagine the angels in heaven have such wings. If I had wings, I would want them to look like that.

Now for some promised knitting:



I finished this up about 2 weeks ago, but have been so busy that I haven't had time to post pics of it. I don't know what's up with the color, but my camera didn't capture the changing colors at the bottom. It shades from pink into white.

Anyway, if I don't post next week - Happy Thanksgining! I love this time of year. We should be giving thanks every day of every week, but this time of year we remember it best. Thank you, Lord, for everything you have blessed me with.