Hodgepodge Coming to a Close

Design - "Old Friends"

Designer - The Goode Huswife

Fabric - 30 count R & R Light Espresso

Fibers - DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - August 2012

Completed - 20 August 2012

I must say that was one BIG rug to cross stitch!  The cats approve of the finish and I'm happy to have stitched another of the Goode Huswife's cat series.  With one more day life of my "Dealer's Choice - Hodgepodge" I'm in a dither.  Do I start another random project, or kit up my first September project?  What to do?  

I spent Tuesday afternoon on the back patio at my aunt's home.

She had Nuthatches coming to her feeders.  I like how they are able to walk down fir trees. 

She also had a couple of Douglas' Squirrels (Tamiasciurus douglasii) pigging out at her bird feeders.  Douglas' Squirrels have a wide-ranging diet. In spring, they eat the developing shoots and pollen cones of Douglas-fir. Later in the year they eat green vegetation, fruits, insects, fungi, berries, and seeds of both conifers and deciduous trees, such as big leaf maple.

Back at home I watched a group of swallows 'mob' this hawk until they drove him away.  Kind of a David and Goliath story! 

We've also seen a couple of Grouse. This female appears to be nesting right along the edge of our driveway in a blackberry thicket. 

Nature Along the Journey

Design - "October" - Flip It - A Year with Charm

Designer - Lizzie Kate

Fabric - 28 count French Country Mocha - maybe

Fibers - GAST - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - Several Years Ago

Completed - 29 August 2012

My Mom has been stitching along with me in keeping with my theme of Hodgepodge August.  She picked up an old WIP, and finished it up last night.  After Mom had cataract surgery, she found it difficult to work with linen.  She had this all stitched except the word 'October'.  With some help from me getting each of the letters started, and stitching outside in bright, indirect, natural light, Mom was able to finish the piece.

Oops!  Someone just pointed out I mis-stitched the year as 2102!  I just fixed it to say 2012.

I have still more to Sunday Outdoor Adventure photos to share.  Our trip to Crater Lake began by travelling south to Roseburg, Oregon. 

From Roseburg we travelled still further south and east following a road along-side the Umpqua River.  The Umpqua is a lovely river and home to lots of raptors.

As we drove I saw several large nests in the tops of trees - those of Bald Eagles and Osprey.

We stopped along side the road to watch (and listen) to this pair of Osprey.

They were extremely vocal - and loud!  You can hear their "typical voice" here.

Our next stop was at Diamond Lake. 

(View is of lake and Diamond Peak). 

Though sunny, it was quite windy - but the ducks did not mind.

We ate a picnic lunch at Crater Lake.  We were watched by a group of Clark's Nutcrackers and Steller's Jays.  The Clark's Nutcrackers begged for food - alighting on the table and staring at us inquisitively.  

Crater Lake is home to Golden Mantled Ground Squirrels...

AKA Chipmunks!

This guy was busy filling his cheeks with the seeds of some alpine plant.

The Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel has lovely coloring and a pretty pattern along his back.

As we left the park, I noticed these sparrows sweetly singing into the blue, blue sky! 

Quietly Walking

Yesterday I switched over to "Quiet as a Mouse".  Right now it reminds me of the Cheshire Cat - a bit visible - mostly invisible!

It's Wednesday and I'm going to invite you to take a drive with me.

We will get out of the car and walk too. 

Today we'll drive around Crater Lake National Park. The park was founded in 1902 and contains over 183,000 acres - more than 20 square miles.  The road around the rim of the lake is 33 miles long.

The lake is more than 1900 feet deep and incredibly blue.  It was formed 7,700 years ago when Mt. Mazama erupted.  It was a truly catastrophic eruption.  The Mountain was over 12,000 feet tall and lost 5,000 feet of its height when it blew.  If all the ash from the eruption were spread evenly over the state of Oregon (400 miles by 360 miles) it would be 8 inches deep!  It took over 800 years of snow and rain to fill Crater Lake and Crater Lake gets up to 45 feet of snow a year!

  

There is a lodge for those of you who'd like to spend the night.

There are so many lovely views of the lake.  It's safe to take pictures as the road has lots and lots of turn outs.

  

Let's not forget to admire the views of the mountains and forests surrounding the park.

This part of the park is called The Pinnacles.

These are fossil fumaroles and project from the Sand Creek Canyon floor.  They were formed under the sheets of volcanic pumice that preceded Mazama's collapse.  As the surface of the hot pumice cooled over the years, steam and gases were released by the hot rocks underneath through vents and tubes that were welded into cement hardness with their passage. The vents now stand alone due to the erosion of the surrounding softer materials.

Much of the park is pine forest as that is what grows best at over 7,000 feet elevation.

At lower elevations there is a mix of fir, pine, hemlock, and spruce.  The forests east of the Cascade Mountains have little underbrush - they are much more open than those west of the mountains. 

This is Plaikni Falls - the water comes from a spring, though my sister maintains that it comes from a leak in the lake!

It has been such a wonderful day.  I hope you enjoyed visiting Crater Lake National Park.  We are blessed to have it in our state.

Back to Bev's Garden

I'm working right along on "Old Friends".  I've finished the wallpaper, and the two cats are stitched.  I'm about half way done with the monstrously large rug!

It's time once again to join the Tuesday Garden Party over at an Oregon Cottage.
I've blogged about this garden before, but like all good gardens, it changes from month to month.  So let's take a look and see what is happening in Bev's garden in late August.



Each time I am there, I see something new and remarkable.

This time it was a cascade of Sempervivums.  Enchanting.

And Bev's garden is awash in Hydrangeas...

Here is Lacecap Hydrangea maresii variegated.

And another Hydrangea - Lacecap Hydrangea "Nightingale".

Oh the color on this Euonymus "americanus"!  Smashing!

I really like this Scabiosa.

Bev has a native Hazelnut as part of her garden.

Late August is 'Astilbe Time' in her garden. 

No flower, but how can you beat the color of this Blue Spruce?!?

I hope you enjoyed today's garden tour.

To Market to Market

The cats are interested in this stitch too!  I enjoyed 'Happy as a Lark', so I decided to stitch 'Quiet as a Mouse.'

To Market To Market to buy a fat chocolate goodie (not a pig!)  I was happy that my French Patisserie lady was back from her five weeks in France and selling her wonderful confections once again.

The last Farmers' Market of August - and the theme - melons.

Watermelons...

and Canteloupe...

...and Petite Gris melons...

...and small pale green melons...

...and Tuscan melons...

..and a mix of melons!

Garden Lust Sunday 8/26

Each and every time I go to Down to Earth I am encouraged and inspired.

I tend toward David Carruth-style garden art - but these heads are awesome! 

Isn't this the cutest froggy rain gauge?

Here's the object of my desire - a lovely potting bench.

I'm so in love I could write a "Sonnet to the Potting Bench".

Yet more interesting garden art.

Update on the state of the garden in Eugene, Oregon.

Oh wow - this matches the potting bench!  

Such a pretty bird bath!