This morning while I was going through my e-mail, one of our sons came into the room and turned on the radio.  The current selection was an instrumental version of The Flower Duet from Lakmé by Delibes.  This version seems to be done with a synthesizer but it still is very nice. 

Still earlier, just prior to sunrise as I was walking, I saw two deer, probably yearlings, and a rabbit.  The sunrise was not spectacular, maybe not even ordinary but how could it complete with the deer, rabbits, and singing birds?

I really ought to finish this one as quickly as possible.  I am almost done with the stitching.  The finishing will take a day or two.

Knitting Progress

Taaa-daaa.  I made my first mitten.  It is getting more and more difficult to find nice wool mittens.  After longing for a pair of my grandmother's mittens, I took matters into my own hands.  I wanted a pair of mittens that had right and left hands and that looked like the ones my grandmother made.  I found a pattern that looked just about as good as I could hope for.  The knitting went fairly easily considering that I had never made a mitten.  There are some flaws but I think that I will improve as I knit more mittens.  One of our sons saw my mitten and tried it on.  He thinks it would need to be just a little wider for him.  He thinks I ought to make him a pair to go inside his chopper mitts. 

I set my sweater vest aside so I could make my mittens.  The sweater vest is nice to have but the mittens are a necessity. 

Back Again

It is so easy for me to get out of the habit of writing and so very hard to get back into the habit.  I have been busy.  This afternoon I finished the red, white, and blue hat. 

The buck continues to visit us.  He has nibbled the tops of some of the onions.  We assume that he ate all the phlox blossoms before they opened and some of the lily buds.  So far he has not touched the raspberries and blueberries.  We will let the birds have some of both but expect to enjoy as much of  both as we possibly can. 

We Are Back

We left a week ago yesterday noon and returned this past Thursday afternoon.  I did have internet access while we were gone and we did bring the laptop but the internet connection was a little slow and actually went out just before we left for home. 

Do you remember this fellow who visited us before we left?  

Well he has returned.  We saw him on Saturday and Sunday in approximately this same place.  On Saturday he showed up while neighbors were hosting an open house for the high school graduation of one of their kids.  They had an awning out in their backyard and lots of people making lots of noise.  No one even realized the buck was out nibbling in the park.  On Sunday he showed up while people were playing on the softball diamond in the park.  By the time the buck stopped eating and returned to the meadow, all of the people in the park could have seen him but no one did.  We suspect that he has been showing up almost everyday but we just do not see him every time.  We feel reasonably confident that the park and maybe our yard are officially part of his territory.  A quick check revealed that he has been eating crab apples that have fallen as well as my hostas and daylilies that are on his side of the fence shown in the picture.  It may be a fine line; I truly hope he does not decide to eat everything in our gardens inside the fenced yard.  We may be able to fence the rabbits out during the winter but there is absolutely no way we can fence him out. 

Iris and Peonies

We just heard that there will be a strawberry bumper crop.  There are several nearby pick-yourself strawberry fields; I wonder if we should get some.  We do not grow strawberries, just raspberries.  Today I planted seeds for nasturtiums, Alaska Mix, and Cardinal Climber.  I will need to put in more nasturtium seeds; I just thought this variety would be an interesting choice with its bicolor leaves.  Last year the hummingbirds were all over the Cardinal Climber so I planted more seeds this year on two trellises. 

Deep Pacific

Wine and Roses 

 

 

Festiva Maxima

Highlight

Lotus Queen 

Pillow Talk

Pink Lemonade

More Iris

Our weather has been difficult, very heavy rain and/or very heavy cloud cover.  It has not been the best for pictures.  Here come the pictures some of which have been delayed. 

We had a visitor in the garden yesterday.  We think he is looking for his own territory.  We also think he is 3 or 4 years old.  They live within the city limits and are very healthy; in addition, they have very good food sources.  So far this year, they have eaten some of my phlox buds and the tops of two lilies.  I have had the phlox for a number of years and am yet to see any flowers; it remains to be seen whether I will see any this year.  You can see that the velvet is still on his antlers.  

In the raspberries

This picture was taken from inside the house.  The buck knew we were watching him so he watched us.  He seemed reasonably comfortable with us. 

I am watching you. 

He stood under the apple tree outside the back fence.  The deer like to eat the apples in the fall. 

Down in the meadow behind the house 

In the thicket watching us 

Back in the meadow  

General view of the flower garden 

Can Can Red, I think 

 

 

 

Cranberry Ice - Check out the bug on the fall. 

Peach Spot

P.T. Barnum - The falls really have a lavender cast.  

 

 

River Hawk 

Supreme Sultan   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swazi Princess

The Knitting Is Done

Yesterday morning I thought that I had decreased enough stitches in the vest front that I could knit ten rows instead of six rows.  When I sat down to knit, I had thirty more rows to knit to finish the right front. 

I knitted ten rows and thought that went quickly enough so I knitted ten more rows.  At that point I realized that I had to do some useful work around the house, specifically clean one of the bathrooms and that if I did that, I could reward myself by knitting the last ten rows.  By the time I had finished the first twenty rows yesterday, I knew that I would have enough of one of the yarns to complete the front; it really is not yarn but cotton tube tape.  I was so afraid that I would run out of it that from time to time the thought paralyzed my progress.  I think that the knowledge that I had enough to finish the pattern enabled me to progress even more rapidly. 

Bathroom cleaned equaled completed right front and now I have pictures to show you. 

Right Front 

Both Fronts Side by Side 

 

 

 

 

I think there are supposed to be three buttons on the front.  I would like to find some unusual and distinctive ones, maybe bone or wood.  On Tuesday, I will go to a local knitting shop that specializes in very nice yarns for some advice on how to finish it.  If they do not have buttons, perhaps they can direct me to some.  This shop actually carries the brand of yarn and fibers used in this kit.  I am not certain if they carry any of the kits or not but I know they will recognize the yarns.