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 

New Lilies & A Weed

I went out this morning to take pictures of the new lilies blooming and took pictures of three varieties of lily. The newest bloomers are these dark red & yellow ones. There's a few plants in a row on one end of the retaining wall and a couple more near the opposite end.

 

Their opposite counterparts are on the west edge of the lot and have been blooming off and on for a couple weeks. These dark yellow & rust ones are pretty, aren't they? I keep trying to paint them but haven't tried this year yet. Maybe that's what I'll do tomorrow. Or maybe I'll figure out how to do them using the ink & wash technique. It'd be great if there was some help in one of the books.

 

And the pale yellow lilies are blooming intermittently. One day I look out and all I see are the orange ones and then the next day there are a bunch of yellow ones alongside.

 

While taking the picture of the dark red & yellow lilies, I noticed a very tall weed growing out of one of the plants. It must have been pretty small when the weeders were here a few weeks ago or they missed it. I pulled it out. 

 

The black butterfly was back on the orange rind this morning. There were drops of grape jelly on the orange rind which is what I think it was after, since the rind is pretty much dried out. Tomorrow I'll go get the butterfly book and see if I can't figure out what kind it is.

 

After the butterfly left I went out to refill the birdbath, grape jelly, and orange half. I had to laugh at the squirrel. It climbed up the crook and perched there looking at me looking at it. We had a fairly long standoff before I took a step toward the patio door and it dropped to the ground and scampered away. So far the orange is still in its place. We'll see where it is in the morning.

 

The male House Finch visited the grape jelly once I'd filled it. He's a big fan.

 

Today's flower is Bird-of-Paradise. It was interesting and challenging to draw, but I loved coloring it and think it really turned out well. 

 

I learned today that it REALLY paid to make a DMV appointment to renew my driver's license. I registered online, then filled out and printed off the form I needed to take along. I got there early, walked to the desk for people with appointments to check in (avoiding a long line of people without appointments), got my picture taken right away, had barely sat down to wait when they called my number. All I had to do was take a vision test and pay. It took about 15 minutes (instead of the usual hour+) and I was out of there before my original appointment time. You'd better bet I'll be making an appointment next time I need to go there. 

On my way home I stopped at the pharmacy for a prescription and was informed that I was due for a tetanus shot. *sigh* Not what I wanted to hear but as long as I was there I went ahead and got poked. Then I went over to the deli and found cooked chicken breast which I went there looking for last week and they were out. I bought two containers and they're now in the freezer so when I want to make chicken tacos or chicken salad or farro salad I've got the main ingredient. Then I went to a different, slightly less expensive grocery store for fruit, milk, and yogurt. Doing my part to boost the economy, although I did find out that the bag o'salad I like best is from the corporate farm that's ground zero for the current bacterial outbreak. Guess I go back to Dole next time.

--Barbara 

Another Early Bloomer

The yellow mum evidently couldn't be left out so it popped open a teeny tiny flower. It looks like another one nearby is about to open too. What can they be thinking? It's the middle of summer. Aren't mums supposed to be fall flowers?

 

Below Dad's rose, the purple mums are blooming like crazy. I guess it's too late to go out and cut them down or, maybe better yet, I'm not going out in the smoke to cut them down. It's cooler and less smoky today but still smells like fire.

 

And Dad's rose couldn't be left out. It was only after I cropped this picture that I noticed the little spider on a petal on the left side of the flower. I think it's one of those jumping spiders but I'm not ready to test the theory.

 

The squirrel was back on the grape jelly and orange half today. I decided I'm not going to try to set the orange back in its holder when the squirrel is determined to move it.

 

And later this afternoon I saw something black on the orange half. I couldn't figure out what it was so I watched it and a wasp flew down by it and the black thing flapped its wings to shoo the wasp away. It was a butterfly! I guess it was sipping the grape jelly off the orange rind.

 

Today's flower is a Snowdrop. It was easy to draw. I'm not thrilled with the shades of green I chose for the leaves but that's not a big deal. The instructions said to use various shades of green but it doesn't look right to me. Maybe I'll go back in and color over them so they match. My inner-Virgo likes things to match.

 

After supper I drew another gratitude journal page. This morning I drew one for yesterday so now I've got a run of 3 days in a row. I'm taking advantage of the impulse while I've got it.

 

I finished knitting the ribbed brim of the Dark Teal Chemo Hat this morning. I was going to start knitting on the hat body but my knitting friend MW called and talked for 45 minutes and the impulse passed.

 

I did laundry today and also ran the dishwasher so the hot water heater got a workout. The only reason I did the laundry was because I got a new t-shirt yesterday and want to wear it tomorrow without the packaging creases so I did it all. The dishwasher was pretty full so that got run and emptied too. I know it sounds like I was a whirlwind today but there was a lot of rest time between loads and activities.

--Barbara 

I Saw Him

There I was, minding my own business this afternoon, when a male Hummingbird zipped over to the feeder, took one sip, and zipped off. No hanging around for more than one sip, but I saw him and I was so glad. He's little so probably this year's crop but I saw him. This photo from the archives will have to do.

 

I figured as long as I cleaned my Keen sandals yesterday, I should probably clean my Crocs today. I love these Crocs. They don't look like the original Crocs, they look kind of like boat shoes. I think of them as my dress Crocs, if there can be such a thing. Wearing them makes me feel like I look cool. BTW, they aren't that shiny when they're dry.

 

Lilies are still blooming. A lot of the original orange day lilies are popping up all over the backyard. I always think of them as plain orange, then when I take their picture I'm surprised at the variation of shades of orange in them.

 

Today's flower drawing is a Lily. Imagine that. We have a theme. This one turned out pretty well and I especially like the way the coloring came together. I spent less time agonizing over the coloring and I think that might be the secret of today's success.

 

I am happy to say that there is plenty of chicken taco meat and fixings left so I can have one for supper for more days. I use small fajita tortillas so the toppings kind of pile up, making eating challenging, but I managed and I didn't even get any on me or on my pale yellow t-shirt. Whew.

 

After supper I cast on another chemo hat in the soft Comfort yarn in Dark Teal color. I watched an old movie, Sneakers, on Prime while I knitted and, as you can see, got distracted by the movie so only managed to knit 5 rounds of the ribbing. Of course, it took me three tries to get the right number of stitches cast on without having too much or too little yarn tail left when I got to 80. I'm not a very fast knitter, wish I was faster but can't seem to speed up. Maybe if I didn't try to do two things at once?

 

Yesterday I replaced the orange half back in its place but it was back in the jelly when I got up this morning. No squirrels visited today, at least while I watched. Maybe they only visit when the drapes are closed.

The other day I watched The Sheep Detectives on Prime. It's a fun, fluffy movie about a shepherd that gets killed and his flock solves the case. If you've got Prime, give it a watch. You might like it. 

--Barbara 

A Little Morning Rain

It was kind of drizzling when I got up this morning. The rain washed some of the smoke out of the air for a while today. It was still smoky but not as smoky as it has been the last few days. I realized after I took this rainy birdbath picture that the birdbath had turned into a bird-swamp so I went out this afternoon, dumped out the disgusting water, sprayed the daylights out of it with a strong jet from the hose, and then refilled it with nice clean water. Much better,

 

The squirrel juvenile delinquents were active this afternoon. I walked out into the kitchen to find this: the orange half relocated to the grape jelly and a juvenile squirrel have a big snack. I chased it off before taking the picture. It knew what it was doing was wrong because as soon as I stopped by the table, it looked up and braced, ready to have me open the patio door and chase it away.

 

Last night when I took off my sandals, I got a big whiff of eau du feet which meant it was time to wash my sandals. Fortunately Keen sandals are meant to be washed. I could have put them in the washer with a couple towels but decided to just fill the kitchen sink with hot water and Dawn and let them float around for an hour or so, before taking a scrubbie to the inner soles and scrubbing out all the dirt and toe jam. Now they get to sit in the dish drainer and dry, hopefully overnight. It was suggested to put them outside to dry but I didn't want birds to poop on them or squirrels to drag them away, so they're drying inside. It might take longer but it's safer.

 

Today's watercolor is a Swallowtail Butterfly on a Gerbera Daisy. I might have drawn it a little too big for the paper so the flower is kind of crammed at the bottom, but it turned out well, I think.

 

Before coming back here for Friday Night Knitting, I took time to draw my first July gratitude journal page. The basket of markers, pens, and book sits right there by my chair so it's hard for me to ignore it but most days I manage just fine. I don't know what made today special but I'm glad I drew it.

 

 At Friday Night Knitting, first I finished the Antipasto Chemo Hat. I've got more of this kind of yarn in different colors so I think I'll cast on another hat using the same pattern. It's easy to knit and I think it'll make good chemo hats because the yarn is soft and not woolly.

 

Then I got to work on Teddy Bear #2. I embroidered on the face using black yarn, then I sewed the ears across the corners of the head, and finally started sewing it together. I got one side done and will work on the other side before stuffing it, cinching in the neck, and knitting a scarf for the neck to add a jaunty look. I won't know until I stuff it whether dropping down another needle size made an appreciable difference in the size and stitch definition over the first one I knitted. I hope so because I sure like the look of them.

 

I got kicked off the knitting Zoom again tonight. I had to reboot the router and modem so I got on my phone's hotspot and got back into the knitting Zoom. So frustrating.

I have to keep reminding myself what day it is because I'm nervous that I'll forget that I've got a writing Zoom on Sunday afternoon this weekend instead of Monday morning. Tonight's Friday and tomorrow's Saturday. I'll remember. Just keep telling yourself, Barbara, and don't forget to send the Zoom link tomorrow instead of on Sunday.

--Barbara 

Still Smoky

It seemed a little less smoky today but not much. The sun was still a red-orange ball in the haze and it smelled like an old campfire outside. Thank goodness for air conditioning and good filters. There's an air quality alert that runs until noon tomorrow. Hopefully the wind will shift and send the smoke back to Canada. Outdoor activities have been cancelled because of it, so you know it's bad.

 

I went down to Zambaldi Beer this morning to get a 6-pack for knitting tonight. DS was unboxing a new slush machine. The old one had sprung a leak so a new one was in order. Blue raspberry hard slush was the flavor last weekend. I don't know what it'll be this coming weekend but it's bound to be tasty and cold.

 But first I went to T.J. Maxx to look for placemats. I found two sets that came home with me--one made of straw that I set the table with tonight, and the other of linen that I'll use next time. We had good eats tonight. I made chicken tacos with lots of toppings. DM made Mexican corn salad that was cold and very good. She also brought some chocolates because KE couldn't make it and she'd said she'd bring dessert. CS brought queso and chips which were delicious. It would have been easy to just have queso and chips but we ate some of the other stuff too. I've got plenty of chicken taco meat and toppings for suppers for the next few nights. Yum.

 

I saw a flash of blue in the yard and saw a Bluejay hopping around up by the retaining wall. I took a quick picture hoping it'd move closer but it didn't. It flew away instead.

 

The lawn mower came this afternoon. He was wearing a gaiter over his nose and mouth to filter out some of the smoke. It can't be good to breathe that stuff all day.

 

Today's drawing was a Crocus and it turned out! I took my time, erased a lot, and colored carefully and I like it. Several people have told me to cut myself some slack in the art department so I'll try.

 

A Downy Woodpecker landed on the suet cakes. It also visited the square green feeder but didn't stay there very long. It liked the suet cakes better.

 

I've got some lily pictures and a marauding squirrel picture but I'll save those for tomorrow because it's getting late and I'm tired. CS saw a Hummingbird at the feeder while I was in the kitchen so I missed it. Dang it! But I'm glad to know it's coming around so I'll keep refreshing the birdie juice.

--Barbara 

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

And lungs. The wind shifted overnight and smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed Wisconsin and nearby states. It smelled like a campfire outside all day and I'm sure people with lung problems were suffering today. It was hazy and quite a bit cooler, probably because the smoke filtered out the sunshine.

 

I went out to pick up a plastic bag that blew into the backyard and saw that these yellow & rust day lilies are blooming. They're very pretty but I noticed when I looked at the picture on my phone that the whole photo has a yellow cast to it. I suppose that's from the smoke.

 

A male House Finch discovered the orange half and had himself a snack. Later on one of the squirrels was up there slurping up grape jelly and then came back after I chased it off to work on the orange. I want it out there for the birds. The squirrels? Not so much.

 

Today's drawing is Delphinium. It wasn't so fun to draw because I was sure I kept making the petals wrong. I did a lot of erasing but the dark blue and purple coloring hides a multitude of sins.

 

The cleaner, MB, came today so now my house is clean and smells good. There are vacuum tracks in the living room carpet and the bathroom is sparkling. It was perfect timing because I'm hosting knitting tomorrow evening. Can't forget to go get beer tomorrow. And put out the pretty fingertip towels with fish embroidered on them. I wish I had some nice placemats. Maybe I'll swing by T.J. Maxx tomorrow to see what they have.

--Barbara