knitting while on vacation. I know you were wondering, but I am. See? I finished one, uh, something (not shown), and I cast on the next, um, thing.
Also remember this?
I hated it. Hated every awkward, ugly inch of it. So I'm unraveling it as I knit it into an EZ's Ribwarmer. It's 100% garter stitch, what's not to love?
In more interesting news--we went to see a waterfall yesterday! It was about 
1/4 mile down a woodland path which we both walked, then down a 100 step stairs which only I climbed down and up, but it was sunny and warm and the waterfall was beautiful and LOUD. It was just lovely to stroll through the woods on such a gorgeous day with Durwood. What a perfect day.
Then we drove through multicolored tunnels of trees to Lake Superior where Durwood pulled over so I coudl walk along the road and then I found a path down to the beach and walked there. It was lovely. Anyone know what agates look like?
We shared a so-so pasty for lunch in Syl's Cafe in Ontonagon and then drove on to Houghton where we are now. More adventures to come.
Finally we got to Lake Superior, Durwood pulled over so I could get out to take pictures, walk along the road, and find a path down to the beach to walk along there a bit. There w
ere people picking up stones, I assume agates, but I didn't get close enough to them to ask for a lesson, and maybe they wouldn't have shared such valuable info with a stranger anyway. So today we're going to seek out a rock shop so that I can learn what they look like and get some tips about maybe finding some of my own. Durwood wants to go to Walmart to see if his old greeter friend is still there and I found a fabric/yarn shop to visit, so that's on the agenda. We also need to see if this motel has a room available with a bigger bed. I got up in the middle of the night to find Durwood had made a pallet on the floor with the spread and extra blanket and was sleeping down there. I couldn't figure out why and figured it was because I was thrashing around. Turns out he thought that when we were both lying on our backs a double bed wasn't roomy enough. We both woke up about 7:30 and after cups of instant coffee (for him) and tea (for me) he asked at the office to find that there's one room with a bigger bed and she'll know in about an hour if they're leaving so we could have it. Fingers crossed (because I am not taking a turn sleeping on the floor tonight).
October 2--Camile Pissarro, The Garden of the Tuileries on a Winter Afternoon. From this height they looked like pixelated blips on an old computer game of Snake. Some were singles going their own way, others were multiples bumping and straggling on the stone paths. Guillaume giggled and tugged at his nanny's sleeve so she looked out the window with him. "We will walk there after our snack," she told him. She like the small misshapen boy with the glittering brown eyes like roasted chestnuts. At first she had been almost afraid of him and she had no way of understanding him. He only babbled but his eyes and hands were so expressive that soon she spoke to him as if he were a normal boy and responded to his babbles as if he'd spoken.
Not where I expected to go but a nice place nevertheless. It's foggy here today, I suspect it's foggy here often since Houghton's in a dip between two "mountains."
--Barbara
We're just barely into Michigan but we're here, and we'll do better today plunging deep into the center of the Upper Peninsula when we drive to Houghton. Last 
night we scurried back into Wisconsin to have supper at the Liberty Bell Chalet, a supper club that Durwood has talked about since I met him. For the uninitiated a supper club seems to be a Wisconsin invention; it's a tavern that's grown into a restaurant, oftentimes in a rural area, where you can sit at the bar to have a drink, order your meal, and the waitress comes to get you when she puts your salad on the table. The Bell Chalet is a step up in that you don't need to sit at the bar (but you can) and it looks like a ski chalet was run over by Italians bearing posters, memorabilia
, and the smell of great food has sunk into the walls. Durwood had the lasagna (which I think was so good he had a little orgasm over it) and I had the (homemade) sausage and peppers over penne. It was excellent, I picked out each and every sausage, pepper, mushroom and onion so I didn't get too full. I also ordered garlic bread (which I've been craving for weeks) of which I only ate one slice because it was so buttery and so garlicky and so cheesy that I knew if I ate more I'd be one sick puppy. It killed me to leave it behind but I did.
October 1--Camille Pissarro, The Garden of the Tuileries on a Winter Afternoon. He stood at his window watching them. The cold radiated through the old glass pane separating them from him, keeping them safe from him. He hated them. Hated their smug superiority as they moved along the paths. Hated their raucous offspring that ran amok as if every space was their birthright. If he leaned too close to the glass his breath fogged his view and he'd wipe his sleeve across it, barely feeling the damp and cold. He felt the scrape of the leafless trees against the ice-blue winter sky as if the branches touched his naked skin. How could they go about their mindless lives when the world was in such pain? He picked up the long gun, stroked the barrel against his cheek and drew the cool scent of the metal into his nose. The muzzle-mouth of it pressed against the glass and its first word shattered the fragile pane sending shards sparkling down with the first of the rain of bullets.
Today we want to get off the highway to see more scenery and mosey our way from Ironwood to Houghton. I'll take pictures.
--Barbara
Durwood's off having breakfast with his Census 2000 cronies while I finish up things like filling all the birdfeeders, packing up this laptop (but not before I post to both blogs), and taking a shower. Oh, and of course, dressing too. Then we're going to drive off toward Ironwood, MI in the far western UP to begin our week of wandering. The weather's supposed to be warm and sunny so we've picked the exact right time to go.
Today is also the first day of Blogtoberfest, a challenge started by tinniegirl in Australia a few years ago to post to your blog every day in October. I've signed up both this blog and my knitting/crocheting/sewing/crafting blog so I have set myself an uber-challenge. Not so uber-y because I usually post to this blog every day, but uber-y enough when you consider that I also plan to work my way through Shut Up & Write (by my friend and teacher, Judy Bridg
es) this month in preparation for NaNoWriMo next month. Oh, I am a glutton for punishment. But only for myself, the rest of you can take the month off.
Mrs. Boss called yesterday to say that one of our customers had dropped off a box of squash from his garden for me. Look! Too cool, right? I can see bowl after bowl of yummy squash soup and hot steamy bowls of lovely baked squash for suppers. Mmmm. Thanks, Merlyn!
September 30--Iran, Ilkhand Period, Necklace. Gia lay on the cool tiles as the daylight faded. The air had been like breathing flames all afternoon but once the sun sank behind the mountains the air cooled rapidly. She heard the musical splash of the fountain in the courtyard and wondered if she had the energy to rise and take a shower. She felt as though sand had filtered into every part of her clothing and even her mouth tasted gritty. Javan had taken her riding this morning out to an oasis where they had eaten with a band of nomads. The men had dark eyes sunken deep from squinting into the desert sun all their lives. Their wives were silent and almost invisible. Gia had hoped to spend time with them but they shook their heads and spread their hands in apology when she poke to them, and then they'd disappeared into the shadows.
Okay, that's it for today. Off to the knitting, etc. blog and then my few remaining chores and then off we charge into the sunset.
--Barbara
t tourist traps or bait shops. We stopped in a rock shop to get some info about identifying agates on the beach. I thanked them by buying a couple of mineral chip bracelets.
Walmart doesn't even have fabric anymore.)
icrowaved ones we had in Ontonagon yesterday. The search continues in Copper Harbor later.
Pure & Simple.
g to write "huh" but we're so close to Canada I thought I should say "eh")
