Friday, July 31, 2009

Last Day of July - White

It only reached 88 degrees yesterday and is supposed to be about that today. To celebrate the cooler temperatures I worked for 2 1/2 hours this morning tidying up all the pots on the front porch while trying to keep the three outdoor predators under control. I had mixed success! The front porch looks respectable once again - all spent blooms and dead leaves removed - the floor swept. Tom-Cat though celebrated the cooler weather with hyper-hunting and he brought me two mortally wounded mice and one chipmunk. The chipmunk appeared uninjured and I help it once more to freedom.









I thought to mark cooler temperatures with a cool color - white!


Thursday, July 30, 2009

Cooler Today




It reached 105 degrees yesterday, and seemed warmer than Tuesday's 106. Very unpleasant to be outside and the house (even with AC) got warm too. By 6:30pm in was 78 degrees upstairs. Needless to say I am thankful, as are all the animals that today is to be cooler. It is supposed to be 95, but I do not think it will get that warm. Thus far the morning was been cool with a lovely little breeze and small puffy clouds scudding along.


With the cooler temperatures, more activity from the birds at the feeders and a quail family on the ground...










and the cats are happier too!



Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Record Temperatures


106 degrees yesterday! Yikes! That is extreme heat for this area. Today we are expecting more of the same. I've been getting up ultra-early so that I can feed the birds and put out water in the birdbaths and fountains while it is still cool and shady. I am keeping an eagle eye on my plants to make sure they do not suffer trauma during this hot spell. So far, so good - no casualties.

Even in extreme heat, the indoor cats, with the luxury of A.C. seek out sunshine!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Garden Update and the Next Project


On the gardening front, yesterday was very hot for this part of the world, 102 degrees; and today and tomorrow are supposed to be every bit as scorching. This morning I got up at 4:15am and exercised, showered, and then headed outside by 6:00am to water all the plants. Extreme heat and I are not good friends, so I wanted to take advantage of the cool weather this morning. I got everything watered while it was cool and shady. I am trying to watch the plants closely to make sure they do not stress in this heat. With almost everything in pots they are ultra-vulnerable to both heat and wind and can dry out in the blink of an eye. So far no casualties.
On the cross stitch front I've chosen "Briar Rabbit" as my next project - continuing my bunny theme for summer 2009. I must confess to having purchased on line a couple more bunny rabbit charts last night. This morning I went down with Lexa on her way to work to look at her three morning glories in the McBeth Garden. I think we stumbled across eight brush bunnies on the way down, and on my walk back I sighted at least eight again; as well as chipmunks and the two California Quail families. So you see this summer is all about bunnies - Lexa thinks we have so many that she refers to at as Plague!
Lexa's morning glory, Heavenly Blue was almost unearthly with its brilliant blue blossoms. It looked like a plant a four year old would create using the brightest Crayola in the box.
Now I'm off to iron the linen for "Briar Rabbit" and get it set up on the scroll I use to stitch.

Monday, July 27, 2009

In the Pink



































Sunday, July 26, 2009

My House in the Garden










Done! Very much like the finished product. Bought the chart for $1.00 on sale at "Friendship Crossing" in Corvallis, a couple of weeks ago. The photograph on the chart is very true to my finished product - that is one of my pet peeves - so often the colors of the photograph are either much darker or much lighter than what I actually have stitched - makes it very hard to know if it is an item you want to purchase.


Anyway this turned out great. A lovely, simple sampler. I used the Needlepoint Silks as charted and I stitched on a piece of 36 count Vintage Light Exampler linen.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Orange













Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Yellow





Tuesday, July 21, 2009

My House in the Garden - A Start

Last Thurday I began to stitch "My House in the Garden" by the designer Elizabeth's Garden. The title and the designer are a great match for me! I am using Needlepoint Silks for the first time. The floss is very soft - much different texture than DMC floss. There are only five colors in the entire design and yet the look is very lush.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Blue




















Sunday, July 19, 2009

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Texture












Friday, July 17, 2009

It's All About Purple, and Lavender, and Mauve, and Lilac, and Plum, and Violet, and Amethyst

Top Center: Agastache

















**
Upper Left:Lantana
Bottom Left:Penstemon
Upper Right: Agastache and Osteospermum
Bottom Right: Calibrachoa, Penstemon and Lochroma






****Above on Left: Heliotrope Right: Calibrachoa











********* Top Left: Lochroma
Bottom Left: Fuchsia
Top Right: Fuchsia
Bottom Right: Osteospermum