Eeeewe

The corpse flower in the local zoo conservatory is blooming.  The conservatory has extended hours to allow people to see it, maybe that is more accurately to smell it, during its short life span.  I think I will pass on that one. 

Our yard is teeming with wildlife.  Chipmunks are living in the garden shed or maybe the wood pile.  They run around in the backyard and are extremely cute.  Humming birds are occasional visitors to the feeder. 

Last week we discovered a set of four little squirrels that were sheltering in a gap between the brick facade and concrete blocks on the front of our garage.  We called them the Downspout Quads because they sat on the downspout and ran up and down the brick front.  Today we discovered that there are a minimum of eight little squirrels.  Yes, we saw them all at one time scampering back and forth between the ash tree and the downspout, the downspout and the neighbor's evergreen tree and sunning themselves on the grassy bank. 

This afternoon, I took this picture lying on my stomach.  Only one member of the Downspout Gang put in an appearance. The squirrels are less than 6 inches long and are so very cute.  We just hope that they do not make nuisances of themselves. 

MIA

First I had to concentrate on the model I was stitching .  I finished it just in time to leave for a few days.  I have been home trying to catch up on everything that was not done.  I missed picture time with the iris and now the peonies.  We just picked up a couple annual packs and a fair number of individual perennials at clearance prices. 

While we were gone the garden was growing including the weeds.    ;-D

The hardanger is done.  I actually finished it abut a week ago.  That means that the sampler is done except for the backing. 

The sampler which I am stitching for my publisher is back with me.  I also have the remainder of the design and am supposed to finish it by 1 June.  That has made it difficult for me to drop in here to write a post. 

Yesterday I added the eyelets on the sides, cut the threads, and stitched in all the woven bars and dove's eyes with wrapped bars. 
Wrapped bars with Greek cross filling go in the bottom section. 

And such a good thing I did that much because late yesterday afternoon, the sampler arrived for me to finish it.  Fortunately, there is not much left.  I need to finish some of the bands in the upper section.  It should go rather quickly. Unfortunately I will not be able to show you my progress as I cannot show it off before publication. 

In the afternoon a little hummingbird visited the feeder.  I could not see if it was a male or female as it insisted on feeding with its back to the window. 

Because one of our sons was not going to be home for dinner, we decided to order take out Chinese.  The package was identified as ours and we were asked to pay the amount that it should have been.  When we got home and opened the package, we discovered we had someone else's order.  It turned out that someone else with the same last name ordered takeout yesterday too.  They got our order and we got their order.  It did not matter much for us but I think it made a difference for them because they ordered more food.  I would guess that the other people went back to pick up their order.  We decided to just eat what we had and declined a credit to compensate for the "inconvenience". 

Following a New Little Project

This is the final part of a new little project I started this week.  It is a small birth sampler.  I have finished all of the stitching to this point with the exception of stitching on some beads but I may decide to make French knots instead.  I will have to see how it works out. 

The row of seven eyelet variations replaces some wording that did not work well.  The sampler was not designed to be a birth sampler but can be adapted.  I have changed the colors to clear, strong pastels.  The hardhanger section is at the bottom.  I have finished the kloster blocks and will now begin to cut the fabric. 

Sunday and Monday the little hummingbird fed at our feeder.  We are convinced that it was just one.  We have not seen it since nor have any others come.  We feel that it was definitely a transient bird on its way further north. 

They're Baaaack!!

No pictures yet and I am not certain whether or not I can get pictures. 
Yesterday I made sugar syrup for the hummingbirds and put a little out in the feeder.  Within a couple hours there was a hummingbird.  We think it was one hummingbird and that it was staying close to the feeder, coming up to the feeder, eating and then going out into one of the trees.

I would like to believe that it was the last hummingbird that stayed here so long in the fall but chances are it is a hummingbird that is going further north. 

Yes I am still here

It has been extremely difficult for me to sit down to write.  We have had a couple late season snowfalls as well as some cold rain.  The day today is warm and pleasant.  A week ago I bought three packages of lily bulbs which I planted today.  At the time I bought them, it was cold out and I thought it was not worth frozen hands to get the bulbs in the ground promptly. 

The daffodils are blooming and so are the tulips.  The peonies are growing wild.  The iris are growing but are not showing buds yet so I still have to guess whether or not they will.  There is still some doubt because we had some frost after I uncovered them. 

When last you saw this, it was in progress.  I have finished the pocket with co-ordinating scissors fob and needlebook.  It is a gift for a dear friend.  Now I must decide when to send it.  I had finished everything but the needlebook when I received a sampler to stitch for a publisher. 

Just a week ago, I returned the sampler to the publisher for the editors to check it out.  They are still working on completing the design and it all may be returned to me to finish stitching. 

The point is that when the model arrived, I had to put this down.  Now it is finally finished.