Artistic raking

One really MUST

have fun while raking leaves, right?

I did feel kind of nerdy

when I took a photo of it, though.

 

{29 October 2012}

Kayak Jax

 One fine

(but slightly chilly)

morning, five women headed out

on a fall kayaking adventure.

 After a few close encounters with

lots-o-knots

slippery gravel

mud

excess layers

fall colors

kingfishers

cool water splashes

flying goldfish

sandhill cranes

and

dead deer

 the trip came to an end.

Kayak Jax was a fine planner once again.

I vote her hired!

 

{October 2012}

Orchid enjoyment

The newest addition to the collection.

And its even orchid-hued.

 

{September 2012}

Yardening

If you look closely,

you'll be able to tell that this photo was taken

awhile ago.

Believe it or not, though,

it was just one month ago...

that the trees were this leafy.

And green.

 

 

The photo was taken to show how much

greenery came off the

flower (my dad called it a bush!) on the left.

It WAS as big as the one on the right.

And FLUFFY!

Check out how full the wheelbarrow is.

Ah well, the outdoors entertains me well.

 

{September 2012}

Yarn chandelier in situ

Yes!

One Pinterest project finished

and installed.

 

{October 2012}

May the Longtime Sun

For those of you who don't already know,

I'm in the midst of a class

to be a Certified Yoga Teacher.

 

We had a nice ending to class last time I was there...

a song.

 

I liked it enough I asked for the lyrics.

Here they are:

 

May the longtime sun shine upon you

All love surround you

May the pure, pure light that's within you

Guide your way home.

 

If you'd like a little sample from the crooner herself,

check out Sara Thomasen

 

{October 2012}

 

Yarn chandelier...continued

Here's the yarn chandelier...

I added an additional ball of yarn.

Its looking much more pleasant!

 

{17September2012}

New toy? tool? GADGET!

Yep. I got a new gadget.

I had a few points left on my Apple account at the travel agency.

So...I used them.

On something useful.

Will I get to try it out before MN hiking?

 

{September 2012}

Gnocchi

YUM!

Its always pleasing when a new recipie turns out well.

And yes, its green.

Because it has Popeye food in it.

 

{17September2012}

Number Nine

 Its a Toothless cake!

(the boys are a little obsessed with How to Train Your Dragon.)

Nephew #2 was pretty happy with his cool cake!

 

{8 September 2012}

Hangout

This here is my Thursday night hangout.

With...some of the Thursday night group.

Thanks, Serendipity Yarn Shoppe!

 

 

{September 2012}

Pears!

Our neighbor told us to help ourselves to her pear tree.

I just picked these guys up off the ground...

but the tree is loaded down.

So much that the branches are brushing the ground.

My sis would like to use some of them,

so I decided to try an experiment today...

wrapping them up in paper

and putting them in a crate for her.

{18September2012}

Knit a Long

 

We did a knit-a-long in September.

It was fun stuff!

I think my favorite part was interacting with the

crazy group on Facebook.

Knitters are just a little bit craaazy!

{September 2012}

Larvae?

I'll look it up momentarily,

but we saw what looked like a mud dauber

nest on our eaves.

When we scraped it off, this is what was in it.

Are they larvae?

Every single one was different!

{1September 2012}

Update: It looks like it WAS a dauber nest,

and they like to eat spiders...they stock their nests

with them.

Who knew??

Thanks Wikipedia!

Bad growing season?

I've been hearing this and that

here and there

off and on

about it being a bad year for gardens

in our area of Muscatine.

Well, the tomatoes must like this guy...

They're taller than him

AND all over the garden.

{September 2012}

Geocaching

Mex, Karmex and I did a little caching on our IL hike.

The first cache was a multi-cache to look at small IL cemeteries.

And figure out hints.

We skipped the rest of the cemeteries, but had an interesting time looking around the first one.

After that, we found some genuine caches.

And saw some interesting scenery along the way.

This one was a little difficult to find.

I almost fell into the mine.

I may have squealed when I DID find it!

Earth cache.

Bushwhacking.

And..someday I need to learn to log these caches right after I find them!

{28 July 2012}

Hiking in the N. Illinois Lake District

 A-hiking we will go.

Well...some of us.

Mex, Karmx and I went hiking near Karmx's abode.

On a glorious day.

 And I say SOME of us...

because Mex did some running, skipping, hopping, jogging...

and maybe a few pushups

while Karmx and I walked.

Here, she sees how many times she can run around the bench

before we catch up.

 The hike...we'll rate it easy.

But the path wasn't paved.

And there were lots of trees.

 Some water.

Some flowers.

 And plenty of opportunities for discussion.

This is the list of things to look up later.

The end.

{28July2012}

Back at the hive {nest?}

Well,

It looks like a beehive hairdo.

So. I shall dub it hive.

Yes.

This precious little creation

is hanging out in the crabapple tree.

Literally.

{August 2012}

My short-lived modelling career

 Serendipity was having a trunk show.

And all the ladies wanted to see the sweaters on.

So I obliged.

I decided to make this one.

With perhaps some sleeve alterations.

{26July2012}

Great River Days

 Down by the river,

In the summertime

 Muscatine puts on a festival

called Great River Days.

They have all the carnival foods.

 All the carnival rides

And really pretty night-time (and day-time, too) sights!

{July2012}

Leftunders

Sometimes, leftovers can be inspiring.

And pretty, even.

{July2012}

Garden friend

I found this dude in the garden

one night while I was watering.

{July2012}

Ski show

 For something different to do,

we went to see the Backwater Gamblers

last time the 'phews were in town.

 Look who met us there!!

 The ski show was pretty amazing...

imagine one boat pulling this many people!

 And that many people

piling up into pyramids like this.

Oh, and here's what the boat does when its NOT pulling.

Lots-o-power, perhaps?

{July2012}

Kitty-kats

 My sister has a gargantuan cat.

His name is Sylvester.

Even though he's huge,

he's pretty much a ragdoll.

Welll...during my nephews' birthday party,

we discovered some kittens next door.

And this one is a mini-Sylvester.

Hmmm.

{21July2012}

Nephew #1 turns 10

 My sister makes the coolest cakes.

Currently, my 10-year-old nephwe has a snapping turtle in his room.

Its tiny.

So...his cake said 'Snappy Birthday'.

And we got to watch him open presents.

The pile was a little smaller this year.

{21July2012}

The Last Day (in Michigan's U.P.)

I was up early on Sunday.

Big surprise, right?

But it was worth it.

 To see the sun rise over the lake.

Hear the seagulls cooing instead of sqwaking.

Enjoy the quiet with my Bible.

And a good friend.

 After meets, 4 of us headed west and one headed south.

The westward-bound got a good view of the bridge,

so we stopped to wave Mex on.

Well, three of us did.

Shax just got attacked by the gulls.

They must like M&M's

and be able to recognize the package.

She ran screaming back to the car.

{15July2012}