Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Windy Days

 

Hello Gentle Readers. Here, the unfolding Spring is marked by many windy days. I have no scientific documentation but this April seems like one of the windiest ever. Now and then we have a quiet day but more often the wind blows a gale. Dead branches and twigs are being cleared from the trees. This must be part of nature's spring cleaning. It should be so easy. Could we turn on a fan and magically dust the house? Just kidding.  

Sunday was a rare day of bright sunshine, temps in the high sixties, and no wind. Lance and I drove to a trailhead east of town and spent a few hours walking. The air was full of bird song and wild plums bloomed. Every now and then, I caught a hint of their fragrance. On our return to the parking area, we surprised a coiled bull snake sunning himself in the middle of the trail. He raised his head and gave a loud hiss. We got out of his way. It's surprising how fast two 70+ year olds can move when motivated.  

This Wednesday with Kat and the Unravelers finds me working on the same projects. I'm knitting on the Sophie Shawl. This weekend I learned to pay attention to catching the thin strand of mohair, especially on the i-cord edge. I took out an inch or so - twice to correct that mistake. Otherwise it's a sweet project. I've worked on the shortie sock in odd moments and decided to try ribbing around the instep to keep the sock in place inside my sneakers. 

I've done a bit of stitching on the table runner. I have no grand plan but am just playing with some free hand embroidery in the spirit of "slow stitching." Next time I'll try to take a close-up of some of the embroidery. 


I'm almost finished reading North Woods by Daniel Mason. The structure of the novel, twelve chapters each representing a month of the year, interspersed with poems, other articles, and artwork is interesting. The nature writing is elegant and Mason is quite witty. The novel reads like loosely connected short stories with some having more appeal than others.  As usual, I sometimes wish for more about a particular character or story. The house and the woods are the constant and sometimes more important than the human beings who come and go. I've enjoyed the book but I know reviews are mixed. 

This week I hope to finish cleaning up the garden beds. I'm going to try sowing salad green seeds in a large pot, covering it with some kind of mesh to keep out the critters. It's an experiment. Because readers asked, so far forks in the pansies have kept the squirrels out of the pots. They aren't fool proof but a bit of a deterrent. Last year, they jumped the forks.

Take good care in these last days of April.    


10 comments:

  1. A bull snake would have sent me scurrying very fast!! I am just so loving your runner with the constellation fabric and the appliquéd moons. The embroidery will be sweet. Thanks for your recommendation and review of The Seed Keeper. I finished it last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. North Woods is on my list (I'm in the long queue at my library).

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  2. Yikes, I would not want to come across a snake on my walk! I know there are snakes in my region, but I don't typically see them (thank goodness). Your Sophie is looking lovely and elegant. I know that that mohair/silk can be easy to miss when you're knitting it along with another yarn, and I hope tinking back was not too difficult given how much the mohair likes to snag on itself.

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  3. I've had to pick up sticks quite a few times this month so it has seemed windier than usual here, too. I might be tempted to hiss if my warm nap had been interrupted. Sophie looks very springlike and I do like your table runner. I hope the forks continue to deter the critters!

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  4. Lovely projects Jane. It’s been quite windy here too but that’s normal for Arizona this time of year.

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  5. Your writing brings your day to my desktop... and it is delightful! I love your stitching!! (But walks with snakes are my least favorite thing of all!)

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  6. We've had a particularly blustery April here, too, Jane. (But never as windy as the windy days on the plains. . . ) I really like your mohair Sophie scarf -- and think you are a knitting-saint to rip back that single strand of mohair. (It is not a task for the faint of heart. . . ) I have been looking forward to reading North Woods, but haven't quite gotten to it yet. Here's to more lovely days in the garden -- and no snakes. XO

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  7. lol your fork deterrent reminds of the time (years ago) people used to put soft toys beside their rose bushes to deter possums from eating the lovely new green Spring leaves.
    And with our cooler weather now snakes are just starting to move away - slow down - they don’t actually hibernate. Come September (spring) they’ll be back again.
    Big long waiting list at the library for North Woods so it’ll go onto my big long lists of books I’d like to read😊

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  8. Just wondering if any of the wild wild ‘rather scary’ weather we’re seeing on tv is anywhere near where you live. Hopefully it’s not.

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  9. Your knitting is so pretty. I hope the wind settles down. My reading is quite dull lately.

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  10. we are going to be in the mid 80s and I am not happy about it. Why can't we have 60s and 70s for a while??? Anyways I'm hiding inside my house and catching up with blogs after being with the grands this week :)

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