The Flags Are Back

That means that the diggers aren't far behind. I thought (silly me) that the mess they made last winter was it, but no, I got mail saying that they're coming back and the flags and the paint on the grass tells the tale. The sad state of my grass as evidenced in this picture also speaks to how much rain we need.

I was thrilled to look out this morning and see a Bluejay on the crook. It actually stayed long enough for me to take two pictures. The flash flashed on the first one so I think that's why the bird is looking at me quizzically in this one.

The day lilies are still blooming away as are the weeds behind them that I'm too short to reach so I get lily flowers and yellow weed flowers in the same photo. Oh well. I guess flowers are flowers.

In this perennial salvia picture, very hard to see, is a tiny green bee. It's right in the middle of the stalk of the flower.

I finished up the next draw-through of 20 Ways to Draw a Butterfly today. I like the way the penguin turned out and I like the spare drawing of the swan.

In knitting news, I'm about halfway through the toe decreases of the Kestrel Sock. One more decrease round and then an even round before the rest of the rounds are decrease rounds. It'll go faster, much faster from here, but my right shoulder is hurting from all of the computer mousing I've been doing so I'm taking it easy.

I took a little walk today hoping to jar loose a few words and I managed to eke out about 500 before the well ran dry. Then just as I was going to call it a day I got an email from Harry that there were another three chapters to be reviewed. Woohoo! That took me past the halfway mark in the manuscript, page-wise. I probably shouldn't say this out loud but maybe it'll take less than 6-8 weeks to get this book ready to be published. I talked to my pal, Lala, this evening and her book of short stories is supposed to be out at the end of October. I can't wait to get a copy and read it. She's a really good writer, much more literary than I am, and she writes amazing stories. She said that she's going to start a blog because her contract with her publisher demands it. I wonder if I should start an author's blog or if this one will suffice? Don't know. Maybe if I talk more about writing or my process or something that sounds more writer-y than pictures of birds, flowers, and drawings. I'll think about it.

--Barbara