Backyard Safari

Aunt Amy and Uncle Clint started it. They bought Kate a bug gun for Christmas. For those of you who may be uninformed, a bug gun is used to vacuum up bugs which can then be transferred to an observation jar before being released unhurt. This idea was very exciting to my youngster, as was the accompanying book that was filled other equipment she needed for proper backyard safaris. The Easter Bunny managed to provide the necessities. Here she is all ready to go.

Utility belt, spotting scope, binoculars, tools, butterfly net...the works. We caught a spider, a beetle, a grasshopper, and a moth. She caught the moth herself in the butterfly net. She was so proud.

We also saw a ton of toads in the pond. The were moving kinda slow as they were ummmm...playing piggy back. Right, that's it. I'm trying to teach her about nature, but there's a limit to what I'm gonna explain at this age.

Garden Log

Kate and I planted two Dahlia tubers and cut back the old growth on the frog's tongue, oregano,lavender, sage, lemon balm.
The hollyhock

and veronica

are coming along well, as are the peony.


I still dearly love my perennials because they come back with very little work so far. The bulbs are also paying off well.

and my narcissus are doing well.

However, it is all for naught if the rain never stops. It is pouring now, and the water has no where to go. The ground, cricks, the rivers, the lakes, everything is full. Soon the basement will be as well.

Finished

The Block-A-Month afghan is done. It's been a bit more than a year since this was begun, but at least it hasn't been 2 years.



Also, you will notice, more than 12 blocks but less than 24, so I fulfilled the original idea, but not the personal goal. Still, I think it went rather well. Certainly could have been worse.

It Begins

It is time one again for our annual game of "Name That Sprout." For those of you new to our game, I am the world's most forgetful gardener, and have no idea what these new bits of life will become. In truth, I don't care, I'm just happy they are there, because it means spring is on its way.

This one I know. This is my hollyhock. If my calculations are correct, it will not bloom this year, just grow big and green in preparation for next year.


The mystery remains on this one.


Number three can be solved by looking back to last year's blog. Hyacinths, love them.


Also a mystery.


Day Lilies, I'm sure.

And the final sign that (despite snow forecast for later this week) spring is here,

A few weeks ago this was covered in snow. Plus the spring peepers are so loud we can barely sleep. Yay.

Now we are five

Big weekend at chez bug. We turned five years old. There was much discussion as to what was expected for this birthday party. The biggest conundrum: we planned the party, put it on Kate's calendar, and she then announced she wanted a surprise party. Hmmmm In the end we held the party as planned and Nona simply took her away before the party and we all yelled surprise when she showed up. That seemed to suffice. Aunt Julie came through with a cake that was above and beyond the call of duty.

Pink of course.

I was feeling absolutely terrible from a nasty cold, so I called on Grandma to provide the decorations Kate requested. With less than three hours notice she had the place looking great. Balloons, banners, streamers, the works. I let Sam's Pizza provide the main course because I wasn't up for cooking. (Okay okay, I wouldn't be up for it anyway. It's always pizza and wings for the birthday.) The kids seemed to like it.

We have three five year old's in the family, so this little table with three chairs has always worked before. This time, however, Connor who will be two in April, was highly offended that there was no chair for him. We had to go find something for him to sit on. They grow up so fast.

Kate got lots of presents, including some stylish new house boots.

Pink and fuzzy...perfect for five.

You might remember that at Christmas Kate received a rather large doll house from her Nona and Papa, the plan being that each birthday and christmas, she'll get a few more bits of furniture, and some more walls will be papered etc. For this birthday she got a spiral staircase.
Homemade by Papa. We are in awe. She also got a pie safe, a goldfish bowl, and best of all:

A dollhouse for a dollhouse. How small would the dollhouse for this dollhouse have to be?

A good place

Have you heard the expression, "in a good place?" In general it refers to some kind of spiritual head place. My good place is more geographical. Last weekend, my parents, my daughter and I went to visit my grandmother, who these days stays with my aunt and uncle. And my oh my what a good place. We slept, we chatted, we knit, we ate and we ate and we ate and we didn't worry ourselves much at all, at least I didn't. Not about the weather, not about my job, not about anyone being bored or annoyed. It was a level of calm I don't normally reach while awake. And the food, oh. My mother, as always arrived with two full meals and a desert at the ready, and my uncles are both great with bread (I am not). We had excellent soup, and fresh bread toast every morning, and home made tortilla chips and guacamole that I could have eaten for the entire weekend. Literally. I may have shoved someone out of my way while hanging over the bowl and making a pig of myself. Uncle Erf says I can make them myself if I learn to drink beer, it's apparently an essential part of the process.

Another of the best things about the weekend is that there were 8 adults and only one 4 year old. (I can only call her that for one more day.) Anytime I got tired, someone else easily stepped in to distract her. Kate got this for her birthday:


From her Aunt Nonie and Uncle Hugh. So naturally we showed up at their house book in hand. Kate and Uncle Hugh got right to work.


They made a purple fish out of white bread, but while it baked it turned and interesting shade of blue/green.


Delicious isn't it? Actually it was delicious. The bakers were quite proud of their work.


Clearly I had a wonderful weekend. I'd go back in a minute, for the guacamole alone!

The easy part?

Last year at this time I started a project called the "Block a Month" afghan in which I assigned myself to knit one block each month last year to create an afghan this January. Round about March I had the brilliant idea to knit two blocks per month, each using a different stitch pattern. The idea was to learn new techniques, so each square had it's own challenge, not the least of which was making each of them come out the same size. I confess I didn't really achieve that part. And so...
The hardest part of the project turns out to be piecing the darn thing together. Here's what the process looks like.

It requires blocking, picking up stitches, pretzel pieces, chai tea, and a very large mess. I'll let you know how things go.