Not For Lack of Trying

This squirrel tried its best to get up to the jelly and orange half by climbing the feeder pole, but that's one of the ones I reattached the Slinky to, so it would grab and the spring would sag. It would let go, then try another feeder. Same story. Grab, sag, let go. It went around about four or five times and never got up on any feeder. Oh too bad.

 

This morning I drew a gratitude journal page for yesterday. Sometimes it's easier to do it for the day before than to carve out time in the evening. 

 

After it stopped raining, I went over to the birdseed store to see if I couldn't find a new feeder to replace the one that gets gunked up with wet seed. Turned out it was wet and moldy seed. Yuk. Anyway I found this 3-tube feeder that seems like it'll empty faster and be easier to clean. Some Sparrows landed on it but I wasn't fast enough to get a picture. Next time.

 

Today's watercolor is a Ladybug. It was fun to paint. While I was painting it, I realized that this book is kind of like paint-by-numbers without the numbers. One of these days I'll go back to painting without the sketch to fill in, but for now I'm having fun.

 

I sat down after supper and knitted a few rounds on the Scrap Hat #5. Only two or three more ribbing rounds before it's time to knit a few rounds even for the hat body and then the nine rounds of crown decreases. I should be able to knit faster with big needles and a big handful of yarn, but wrangling five yarns is a bit of a challenge.

 

Once I turned off the TV, I sat down and drew a gratitude journal page for today. Look at me! Two in one day! My biggest gratitude today was getting to give LC a ride to her trombone lesson this evening. DS and DIL1 had an unavoidable meeting so I got to be the designated driver. I don't get to see her often enough so it was a real treat.

 

There are a couple more tiny yellow mums on the plant in front. The purple ones are about the size of silver dollars but the yellow ones are smaller than dimes. Pretty color, though.

 

Every day I have a little mandarin orange with my lunch. They're usually seedless. Today's was not. In an orange barely bigger than a ping pong ball there were 29 seeds. 29!!! Yes, I counted them because I couldn't believe how many I had to spit out. That orange should have gone to Svalbard to the seed vault to preserve the species.

 

--Barbara 

I Refilled Them All

The other night I said I planned to be stingy with the bird/squirrel feeder filling. Well, I haven't seen many birds over the last few days and I miss them, even the bratty little Sparrows. So I filled everything today. It was time to refill the Hummingbird feeder too. I pulled up and repositioned the Oriole feeder. It was leaning forward from the weight of marauding squirrels so I made it stand up straighter. I didn't get it as deep into the ground but it's not going anywhere.

 

The first squirrel I saw, actually, the first squirrel part I saw was this tail hanging out of the square green feeder. I think I need to replace that feeder because when it rains the seed in the ports gets wet and kind of solidifies so the ports are effectively blocked. I'll go over to the birdseed store tomorrow or Tuesday and see what they've got.

 

Then another squirrel was hanging on the suet nuggets and having a lovely snack. That squirrel sniffed the orange but didn't stay long and didn't move over to the jelly. We'll see how long it takes for them to realize that the sweet goodies are back. While I was filling feeders, I reattached two Slinkys on the crooks. Maybe they'll deter the squirrels a bit. Probably not, but I have hope.

 

Today's watercolor is a Fern. It was more tedious than fun to paint. All those tiny leaves and I don't think it looks very fern-y. I like the brownish greenish paint color though.

 

When I was going through my emails this morning, one of them was a Book Funnel sales promo offer. I looked at it and my books qualify for the promo--clean and wholesome--so I signed up Better Than Mom's and Anneke's Legacy. Even though I didn't sell any ebooks or audiobooks in the last two promos I was in, I'm not giving up. It doesn't cost anything to be in them and all I have to do is send the info to my email list and advertise on social media. I can do that.

 

Dad's roses are still blooming a little. The big flush of flowers is past but there are a few still out there looking beautiful and smelling awesome.

 

After supper I sat and watched TV and knitted on Scrap Hat #5. Two of the strands I was carrying ran out so I had to dig around in the bag to find other yarns to add in. One I had to just join by knitting it into the next stitch, leaving a nice tail to weave in at the end, and the other I could tie the two together with a magic knot and have no tails.

 

I spent hours working on adding a sidekick to Three Cheers for Murder. I dreamed her up yesterday when I was following the worksheets I printed off, so today I wrote a page about her in her store and talking to the main character. Then I skimmed the manuscript to find the parts that I'd highlighted in red that needed big changes and put them in separate documents to work on at my leisure. I really like the sidekick. Her name is Juno Windsong and she sells crystals, herbs, and Tarot cards in her shop The Queen of Wands. It's next door to The Alchemists, the main character's lotion shop and across the street from another character's bookstore. She'll be fun to write and insert into the story. I also have to dumb down the detective. Maybe dumb down is the wrong way to put it. He has to be a little bumbling so the main character/sleuth can figure out the culprit before he does.

--Barbara 

The Great Orange Rind Heist

When I opened the patio door drapes this morning, the orange rind was on the patio and it was empty of any pulp. Soon a squirrel came and shoved its head into the rind and started gnawing on it. The squirrel was working hard at getting all of the good out of it.

 

After a while of gnawing away, it picked up the orange rind, scampered across the lawn, and scaled the privacy fence. It sat on top of the fence eating the remains of grape jelly off the bottom of the rind. The next time I glanced out, the squirrel and the orange rind were gone. Evidently it took it back to its lair. Or dropped it and gave up. One or the other. I prefer the lair idea. (Sorry the picture's blurry. It was far away and I knew if I opened the patio door, the squirrel would skedaddle.)

 

I love my new watercolor book. It's like a coloring book, except for paint instead of crayons or markers. I can see I'm going to have a lot of fun with this. And the good news is I've got a flowers book just like it. When I got that first book I used separate paper taped to a board and sketched the flower, then followed the directions to paint it. If I get tired of the In The Woods book, I can switch to the flowers book. Or maybe do one and then the other. Anyway, today's picture is a Caterpillar. Cool, huh?

 

When I finished painting, I picked up a packet of worksheets I printed off yesterday from the website of the author of How to Write a Cozy Mystery. I know that cozy readers have specific expectations so I got the book and worked through planning the sleuth, community, sidekick, law enforcement figure, and world of the book. Since I have a partial manuscript, I didn't have to make up some of the stuff she said to figure out but some of it was new and other questions helped clarify things. It felt good to sit with paper and pencil to write out my thoughts instead of typing them on the computer. I should do that more often.

 

A Robin visited the birdbath this afternoon. I thought it might take a bath and Robins are enthusiastic bathers so they're fun to watch. But it only hopped around, took a sip of water, and flew away.

 

I spent a lot of the day listening to an audiobook that had me in its thrall. I'd listen for a while and then turn it off to do something else, something more active. But soon enough I'd have the audiobook on again. I finally gave up and just listened to The End and then drew a gratitude journal page for today.

 

It feels like I go to the grocery every other day, but I really don't. I only go when I'm out of bananas, which works out to every 5-8 days, depending on how many I buy and how green they are when I get them. I went to the grocery today for bananas and a few other items. At least it gets me out and walking around every few days.

Oh, after my shower this morning I got out a clean pair of capris. When I unfolded them to put them, on a sock fell out of them. A sock that has been missing for about a year. I knew it had to be stuck somewhere. It was a nice surprise to find it and reunite it with its partner.

Do you realize that a week from today it will be August 1? Where does the time go? 

 --Barbara

And It's On The Ground

Look what was looking back at me when I glanced out the patio door this evening. That's right, the juvenile delinquent squirrel was back on the Oriole feeder, rearranging things, and eating as much of the grape jelly as it could reach. It also looks like it's daring me to chase it away.

 

Then it jumped down, leaped onto the perch of the square green feeder from a patio chair, and scooted into the feeder for a seed snack to top it off. Having dessert first before the main course, I guess.

 

Just now here's what I saw when I went to draw the drapes. The orange rind is now on the ground with its sticky bottom full of grape jelly on the patio blocks. I am not going to hurry out to refill that feeder tomorrow.

 

One of the House Finches managed to find some grape jelly that wasn't stuck to the orange rind. There's no way I can keep the dratted tree rats out of the sweet jelly and fruit. I've got one orange half in the fridge and a new jar of grape jelly but I'm going to be stingy with it. I'll get another couple oranges next week when I have to go get bananas. If they're lucky.

 

I went over to Michaels for a picture frame this morning and bought extra stuff. Of course. My big purchase, aside from 2 frames, was this watercolor book. The pages are watercolor paper with pale gray sketches on the left page and instructions and illustrations on the right page. You're meant to paint right in the book.

 

So I tried the first one. Acorns. I had better luck with the acorn cap on the left. I struggled with the crosshatching on the one on the right. It's kind of fun not having to draw before painting, just slap the paint on, but I still need to practice patience to let the paint dry between layers. I have a hard time with that.

 

When I turned out of the frames aisle I was faced with a display of cotton yarn. This Bright Jewels Ombre caught my attention. It jumped into the cart. I had a coupon.

 

Friday Night Knitting was cut short this evening because the California knitters went to bingo at Ikea so they left after only an hour of knitting and the other Wisconsin knitter is out of town so that left just me and I wasn't going to sit on Zoom with myself. I knitted a couple rounds on the Dark Teal Chemo Hat and called it a night.

 

Then in the living room, I caught sight of a tote bag of yarn and couldn't remember what was in it. It was filled with random yarn of various thicknesses and big needles that I'd used to knit Scrap Hats. So I cast on a new one, just because. I only knitted the first round after the cast on but it's a start. What else am I going to knit now that I've finished the teddy bears?

 

I drew yesterday's gratitude journal page this morning and eked out time to draw one for today after supper and before Friday Night Knitting. My big accomplishment today was taking a walk.

 

--Barbara 

Now They Did It

For the last couple days the orange half has stayed in its place. I've watched squirrels climb up and eat the grape jelly but they left the orange half alone. Until tonight. Here's what I saw when I went to close the patio door drapes. Somebody moved the orange into the jelly. Hmm. I wonder who that could be?

 

I spent time this afternoon working on a short story. I thought it was done, but added a page and a half and I'm still not sure it's done. Last time I eliminated a character thinking it'd end the story. Nope. His mother showed up today and had to have her say. Sometimes those stories just don't want to quit.

 

In the morning I drew a gratitude journal page for yesterday. I'm putting it on here because I didn't draw one for today because I had to go watch Jeopardy! It's been exciting this week. Every day there's a new champion. Yesterday I got the Final Jeopardy! question and none of the contestants did. Today, not so much.

 

I took the time to make myself a WW snack this afternoon and not just a cut up apple. The dip is made with powdered peanut butter, water, Splenda, and plain yogurt. You stir it all together and scoop it up with apple slices. It's pretty darned good and only 1 point. The original recipe uses honey as the sweetener which makes it 3 points but I'd rather use the points for other things.

 

After supper I finished knitting the teddy bear scarf for Teddy Bear #2. It amazes me how much smaller #2 is than #1 just by dropping down a needle size. The scarves are the same length and there's a lot more tails on #2 and I even redid #1's neck, pulling it in tighter. 

 

A little bunny was having a snack when I was closing the patio drapes so I took its picture. It's wild how quickly they grow. Two weeks ago it would have fit in a teacup. Not anymore.

--Barbara

 

A Taste of Jelly

One of the juvenile squirrels has a taste for grape jelly. It clambered up the feeder pole and perched there looking around, finally digging into the jelly. This one didn't get into the orange half, which surprised me. Its compatriot stayed on the ground looking up in admiration the whole time it was up there.

 

Then the House Finch had a turn on the jelly. I'd rather the birds eat the jelly and orange than the squirrels but I'm not guarding the feeder all day. And I for sure am not getting up at the crack of dawn to shoo away the morning marauders.

 

Today's flower is Calla Lily. I thought they were always white but evidently there are colored ones. These are pinkish with orange overtones. I have to say I like the leaves better than the flowers this time.

 

The dark red & yellow lilies are still blooming all across the top of the retaining wall. I was going to make another stab at painting them today but just wasn't in the mood.

 

I went down to visit DS at Zambaldi Beer He was making a batch of Good Dog Porter, cleaning the hoses and the tank where he was going to put it once it was mashed and boiled. I meant to take a picture of his hops vines because they're growing almost up to the roof and forgot. *sigh* I should have done it when I drove in and thought of it. My brain is such a slide area. 

 

Tonight's supper marked the end of the chicken taco meat. That was a very full little flour tortilla. It had a difficult time staying in one piece while I was eating it but I managed to get it in my mouth and not on my white shirt. Score! 

 

Last night I cast on and started knitting the scarf for Teddy Bear #2. I'm making it the same size and color as the one for the first bear. They're going to the same grandmother but not the same house so it doesn't matter if they match. The bears don't match.

 

In the afternoon, I finished reading through Three Cheers for Murder, the mystery I want to work on after my current project is done. It's pretty much of a mess. I am definitely going to have to rewrite it all using this first draft as a jumping off place. I also need to get back to reading the how-to book I have about writing cozy mysteries. I suspect I've got a lot of learning to do.

And I'm happy to report that my tetanus shot arm is almost completely pain free. Just a little twinge when I move it. Whew. I'm very grateful. 

--Barbara 

All-Squirrel Wrestling

There are these two juvenile squirrels that chase each other around and wrestle all the time. They went at it on the patio but by the time I got the camera up and ready they were on the patio table. I can't decide if they're litter mates or just like to wrestle. But they're fun to watch.

 

I was just quick enough to catch a picture of this Chickadee on the suet cakes. It looks to me as if its starting to fly away but I caught it. Gotcha!

 

More of Dad's roses have bloomed. I came back from my walk (since it's finally cooled down and the smoke went away) and stuck my nose in this cluster of roses. Smelled so good.

 

I searched through all of the flower books I could find, drawing and painting ones, and found a lily in 10-Step Drawing: Florals that I could copy. I'm pretty happy with it. The rust red isn't as vivid as the actual flower but I think it's a reasonable substitute. 

 

And before supper, I drew a gratitude journal page for today. This morning I drew one for yesterday which I didn't think to do until I was back here blogging last night and I didn't want to stop and go do it.

 

I wasn't able to identify the black butterfly out of my Insects & Spiders book so I went online and I think I've found it. I think it's a Common Sootywing Skipper which it said is common in the Midwest (hence the name) and likes nectar so it makes sense that it would be interested in the jelly droplets on the old orange rind.  But isn't that a cool name?

I can't stop myself from reading my Sailing the Seas manuscript and today I found a part that was out of sequence. I couldn't see how to rearrange it so I printed out the chapter and used the old-fashioned way of cut and paste--scissors and tape. That worked.  I got it rearranged, fixed it in the computer, and even cut down a very long chapter into two.

My tetanus shot arm aches when I move the muscle. I knew this would happen and even checked with the tech that "this is the one that hurts, right?" before I agreed to get the shot. But then all vaccine shots hurt at first. Hopefully it'll get better quickly. 

I have enough chicken taco meat for one more supper. I've been enjoying one overfull taco each evening since last Thursday when I served them at knitting. I'll miss them when they're gone. But something else tasty will come along.

--Barbara