Ain't No Sunshine...

That's been the theme around here for a few days now.  I understand all about "April showers bring May flowers" but I'm tired of the gray and dreary.  I know I say that every time we have a string of dreary days but this time I really mean it.  I think I've got Spring Fever; I have that restless feeling that I want to do... something and don't want to... whatever.  My grandpa would say that I can't tell if I'm afoot or on horseback and that would be an apt description.  I want to do things but I don't.  I want to lay around but I'm not happy if I do.  I think this is what Aunt B calls "the bots."  Maybe it's "the gray sickness," Mom had that (whatever it is) quite often.  Whatever it is I'm absolutely certain that a few sunny days would fix me right up.

It's been windy as hell the last couple days so our yard is full of stray trash.  When I went out to get the paper I snatched up a couple pieces of trash tangled up in the sprouts out front and, lo and behold, there was the first squill blooming.  Squills are those little bulbs that make tiny flowers, some are all blue (we have a few of them under the lilac bush in back), some are white with blue stripes like these, and they're supposed to spread like crazy.  So far mine aren't doing that but I sure like seeing their tiny little flowers in the Spring.  And there're buds on the daffodils.  Hooray!

I didn't finish the sheep parts yesterday (see "the bots" and "the gray sickness" above).  I did manage to make the second leg, the tail (which looks like a, well, it looks odd), and one ear.  I thought I followed the ear directions to the letter but it didn't look right or even in proportion so I frogged back a few rounds til I had something acceptable.  Now I just have to make another one today (hopefully I can replicate the made up thing), then I can sew it all together.  Baaa!  I'll be glad when it's done, it's cute but it's always a pain to sew all the parts together and get them securely affixed so tiny fingers don't pull them off.  I keep doing it though, because they're so cute and somebody small really likes them.

I did manage to knit a few rows on the Tribal Coaster #2 even though I didn't find my lost needle.  After completely emptying and reorganizing my knitting basket one more time and digging through the couch cushions and project piling area in the living room I came to the conclusion that whoever swept up where I was knitting on Friday swept it up and threw it away so I ordered 2 more pairs to replace the lost needle (that makes sense, right?) and knitted the coaster onto a substandard pair of the same size needles so I can continue my project while I wait for the new ones to arrive.  Not substandard really, these are perfectly good Clover bamboo needles, they're just not as pointy as the Knit Picks Caspians, and I like pointy needles, the pointier the better.

April 8--Michael Sewell, Northern Spotted Owl in Flight (Threatened).

Who?  Whoo?
Gliding on silent wings
an owl from the park
a block away
swoops down
on the midnight snack.
of a tasty mouse
nibbling spilled birdseed.
~~~~~

To complete this dreary day we get to go to a funeral this evening.  I'm not a fan but I know how much it means to the family to have friends and neighbors show up and share a memory or two.  More and more I see in the paper that people aren't having any sort of funeral.  I think that's a mistake, it denies the survivors the support of their community.  I suppose in some cases it's for economic reasons, funerals aren't cheap, but still it's good to see friendly faces when you're so sad.  Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox and going to get ready for work.  I'm running late today.
--Barbara