Rain

I woke up to thunder this morning and within a hour it was as dark as evening and pouring rain.  The drops were big enough to make waves in the birdbath.  It rained off and on for an hour or so and then it dried up and the sun came out.

 

As soon as the rain was over and the sun was out, the chipmunk was right back in the platform feeder scarfing up the safflower seeds, the greedy little rodent.  It must have cleared it out because by afternoon it was back on the ground sifting through the blades of grass for fallen seed from the round feeder.

I knitted a few rounds on the latest toe cap.  I need to find something more interesting to knit again.  I've got another skein of yarn like the one I just used to knit the Flausch mitts, only in different brighter colors.  Maybe I'll knit another pair of mitts?

 

I saw a Nuthatch, a Downy Woodpecker, a Goldfinch and a Hummingbird today but none of them held still long enough to have their picture taken.

Today's toss was another sleeve of holder napkins.  I've still got the holder but I'm considering tossing it.

The prompt today said to write a menu for a fictional fast food restaurant so I made a list of all the foods I'd like to eat every day starting with Crab Rangoons through a cheeseburger, sweet potato fries, ribeye steak, all the way to chocolate ice cream.  I made a nice, long, drool-y list of foods I wish I could eat every week but avoid so I fit into my jeans.

--Barbara

Happy Labor Day!

I've always thought it was amusing that we celebrate Labor Day by not laboring.  I was lured out by the beautiful day and spent a happy hour weeding along the retaining wall, except around the sedum that had the most bees on it.  Those weeds can stay.

There were plenty of bees on the mint flowers too when I went by.  I know I should probably weed out most of the mint from the garden before it completely takes over but I don't want to and don't want to battle the bees.  If I decide to put in a garden again then I'll weed out the mint.  As if I could eradicate it.  Mint is the cockroach of the plant family.  I suspect that even Round Up would have trouble getting rid of it.

 

In the "How Do They Know?" category, I refilled the platform feeder with safflower seeds and within an hour a chipmunk was up the crook inside the Slinky and onto the feeder.  I even broadcast some black oil sunflower seeds on the grass to try to keep it occupied and give the birds a chance at the safflower seeds but that didn't work very well.

 

A Downy Woodpecker came to the suet cakes but landed on one of the Slinkys first for a little ride before flapping over to the suet and getting busy.

 

And one of the Hummingbirds came to investigate the nectar feeder.  I think each one will be the last of the season so I'm posting any pictures I get.

 

Today's toss was a sleeve of napkin holder napkins.  I have an antique napkin holder but don't need all of the napkins that I have.  I should probably toss the holder too.  Maybe I will.  Tomorrow.

The prompt today said to write a short story that takes place on the bottom of the ocean.  Ha!  Something easy for once.  I wrote a little piece about a couple staying in an underwater hotel but ran out of page before it got very interesting.

--Barbara

Chippie

The chipmunks are in full getting-ready-for-winter mode.  They dart across the patio to the seed fallen under the round feeder and stuff their cheek pouches full.  They also take turns sitting up on the patio step to survey their domain.  I think a hawk landed on the patio this morning but I was reading the newspaper and only saw it fly away.  Rats.  It was quite a while before either birds or chipmunks returned.

I noticed that Dad's rose is blooming again.  These little buds are just perfect.  So soft and sweet smelling and red.

Next to the rose is a dome of chrysanthemums that is just starting to bloom.  I love this bronzey copper color flower.

Hummingbirds are still coming to drink at the nectar feeder.  It's getting to the time of year when I'll realize that I haven't seen one in a week and figure that they're all gone south.  *sigh*

I finished Flausch mitt #2 this evening.  I spent the afternoon sitting on the couch finishing it while I watched Miss Fisher's Murder Mystery and Midsommer Murders that I had DVR'd from PBS.

Today's toss was another stack of paper bowls.  I went downstairs to get some more paper plates and realized that I had a huge stack of them.  I don't think I'll be needing a hundred paper bowls anytime soon.

The prompt today asked what is your favorite store and does the name give a clue as to what kind of store it is.  My favorite store is Meijer, which is a big box superstore kind of between Walmart and Target.  Then it asked what kind of store you'd open and why.  I'd open Barbara Sue's Socks because I love socks.  I'd have all kinds of socks, matched and mismatched, adult and kids, summer and winter.

--Barbara

Drizzle

The day started overcast and drizzly, segued to only overcast, and finally the sun came out as it was going down.  Lot of good that did but it made a cheerful end to the day.

I saw a lot of Hummingbirds today or I saw the same one many times.  The males have mostly left already to migrate.  The females are still drinking nectar and filling up for the trip.  I can't imagine such tiny birds flying so far, over water, to their winter homes in the tropics.  It's about as unimaginable as Monarch Butterflies flying to Mexico for the winter and yet they do it.

I made a batch of chicken egg drop soup for lunches today.  I put in cabbage, mushrooms, and scallions along with the diced chicken and eggs.  I can't wait to have some tomorrow or the next day.

One of the Stella d'Oro lilies bloomed today.  Just a single blossom, not a cluster like the one
the other day.

I caught sight of a Nuthatch on the suet pellets this morning and managed to capture it when it moved out from behind the crook and Slinky.

I made progress on the Flausch Mitt this afternoon.  I watched TV so I got distracted a lot but made it through the thumb gusset, put the thumb stitches on a holder, and started up the hand.  Twenty more rounds and the hand will be done, then it'll be onto the thumb and done.

Today's toss was a bag of frozen corn on the cob dated 2016.  Since it wasn't vacuum sealed I am confident that it was terminally freezer burned.  It got lost on the bottom shelf.

The prompt today asked for ten winter words.  Ugh, I didn't really want to think of winter just yet but I managed.  Let's see--snow, frost, blizzard, ice, skis, snowshoes, snowdrift, icicles, toboggan, fireplace.  That's ten.

Thanks for the birthday card, Aunt B!  It's a hoot!

--Barbara

Just Missed It

I had a Hummingbird picture all lined up and just as I depressed the shutter button the danged bird flew away.  And didn't come back while I was looking.  So there's no Hummingbird picture today.  All I got was an empty feeder and green grass.

A Downy Woodpecker flew to the suet cake feeder this morning but landed on the top, rode the Slinky down and up, and moved around a bit.  Never went down to peck at the suet though.  I wonder what it was thinking.

One of the squirrels spent quite a bit of time nibbling away at the suet pellets.  It leaps up onto the birdbath, then onto the suet cake feeder, and finally up to the top of the crook before draping itself down the feeder and getting busy.

I made a lot of progress on the second Flausch mitt at Friday Night Knitting tonight.  The cuff is done and I'm working on the thumb gusset.  Pretty soon I'll put the thumb stitches on a holder and get working on the hand and top cuff.

Today's toss was a cartridge pen that I can't find any cartridges for.  Out it goes.  It'll be someone else's problem.

The prompt today said to write a billboard slogan for an award-wining public restroom.  !!!  The only thing I came up with was "Don't Worry, Pee Happy."  Not my best work.

--Barbara

Flutterby

I think it's really a moth but I captured a white moth or butterfly on the sedum this morning when I went out to take flower pix.  I like the one black spot on the wings.

A whole cluster of Stella d'Oro lilies bloomed on one plant today.  I can't wait until they spread out and join up so that there'll be a whole row of yellow blossoms to enjoy.

Still got a few orange day lilies blooming too but they're looking a little scraggly.

There was a hang tag on my doorknob when I got home from supper last night.  DD sent me a bouquet for my birthday and I missed the delivery so I popped over to the florist this morning and picked up this beautiful vase of flowers.  Thanks, DD!  I love them!  Such a lovely surprise.

I captured a Nuthatch on the suet pellets this morning.  It stayed there for long enough so that I got its picture.  Unless, of course, if it's a Chickadee masquerading as a Nuthatch.  It was hard to tell.

I spent most of the day knitting and watching Grace and Frankie episodes.  As usual, I got caught up in the show so my knitting took way longer than it should have.  I'll have to start the second mitt tomorrow.  Don't want to slow my momentum.

Today's toss was a pair of kids' fake Crocs.  The kids' feet have gotten way bigger than these shoes so it's time for some other feet to be in them.

I didn't write today, I knitted.

--Barbara

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today I am 70 years old.  Whew!  That's a lot of years old and old is how I feel some days.  But not today.  Today I feel happy and lucky.  I got lots of birthday cards in the mail and birthday texts and birthday ecards and birthday wishes on FB.  Made me feel special all day.

DS and his family hosted me for supper tonight.  We had pork chops, potatoes, and Sunny Hill Farm corn on the cob, with caramel apple crumble a la mode for dessert.  It was all delicious and I'm still full.

I got homemade cards (the very best kind) before supper and lots of hugs before, during, and after.  Then when I got home DD called to sing me Happy Birthday.  A wonderful day.

 

I also got a "Love" note from OJ.  The spelling's a little flexible but all of the letters are there. It's the thought that counts.  Hey, he's 5 and today was his first day of school.  He's doing great.

This afternoon I caught the chipmunk climbing the crook inside the Slinky.  It jumps from the crook onto the platform feeder to fill its cheek pouches with seeds then leaps down to run into its burrow to store the seeds.

This evening I worked on Flausch Mitt #1 and got to within three rounds of binding off the top cuff but I slowed down because the yarn turned almost black and it was very hard to see, even in the bright light of the lamp so I put it down and will finish it tomorrow.  Then I have to knit the thumb and then make another one.

Today's toss was a long, knit tank dress that I've had forever.  It still fits but I can't wear a bra with it.  That's not a good look for me so out it goes.

The prompt today asked what home means to me.  Safety, security, and peace.  Home has been and continues to be a haven in this turbulent time.  It's a place where I can hear myself think.

--Barbara