Still Thankful

Keeping in the spirit of the week, I'm going to start "Thanksgiving" by Heart in Hand.  As this is small piece, I'm hopeful I'll have it done and ready to share shortly.

A storm moved in yesterday evening.  All night long the wind howled and the rain lashed at the windows.  It was a good night to be tucked in safe, and warm, and dry. 

This time of year, everyone is thankful for sunflower seeds.

Bunny #1 safe in the Brier Patch.

A Steller's Jay assessed the situation...

...while Bunny #2 hopped closer to the cache of sunflower seeds.

Steller's Jays make for loud sentinels - nothing escapes their notice and they are very vocal with their cries of alarm.

The deer also are big fans of sunflower seeds.

Thanksgiving Week

Design - "Thanksgiving Sampler" (kit)

Designer - Heart in Hand

Fabric - 32 count Clay Belfast linen

Fibers - GAST & WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - November 2011

Completed - 20 November 2011

I liked the whimsical turkey with his multicolored tail feathers.

I'm making good progress on "Pumpkin Pie", and I have a new start ready to go that I'll post about tomorrow.

Our rain gauge was full to the brim when I emptied it Saturday morning.  Two inches or more of rain.  Now we have a couple of more storms coming ashore - the first early this morning, the 2nd and stronger storm is to arrive Tuesday morning.  

This kind of weather makes for lots of mushrooms.

These are Shaggy Mains.

I like the striped effect on this little charmer.

Here's one that has 'over opened' for lack of a better term. 

I found this cluster of small mushrooms growing on the side of a stump.

After the Rain

With the rainy weather, I've had lots of time to work on "Pumpkin Pie". The fabric photographed gray and it is not - it's a wonderful bright yellow.  I'm hopeful the scan I take when done will show off the true colors. 

We had over 2" of rain the last couple of days.

On Friday and Saturday mornings, most everyone was out and about during a break in the weather.  

I know we have at least two Anna's Hummingbirds as I've seen them chasing each other.  Apparently 26 acres (and two feeders) is not enough territory to share peaceably!

This little one clicked at me non-stop defending a feeder.  I did try to remind him that I'm the one who fills the feeders!

And I was pleased to see a group of about 10 Quail on a Hawk-free Saturday morning.

I managed to capture this Rufous Sided Towhee awaiting his turn.  Towhees are ground feeders and mix freely with the Mourning Doves.

Palo Alto Farmers' Market

My parents were in Palo Alto, CA last week of the University of Oregon / Stanford football game.  We won - GO DUCKS!  Palo Alto has a couple of Farmers' Market.  One takes place on Saturdays, and this one runs year-around on Sundays - The California Street Market.  They close off one block to traffic and there are stands on both sides of the street.

The milder Bay Area climate allowed for a mix of poppies and pansies in mid-November.  

At the market, the cut flowers had a decided autumnal theme.

Persimmons and Pomegranates

Colorful Peppers

And Sunflowers

Any good market should have a bakery or two or three.

This rotisserie chicken place had a never-ending line of customers.  It had a great foodie idea too. The stationary bottom tray contained rosemary potatoes.  The juices of the roasting chickens dripped down on the potatoes.  I'll bet they were divine! 

And aren't these bags of potatoes pretty?

Like the Persimmons, the Artichokes are something we don't see at Eugene Farmers' Market. 

I'll leave you with a photo of the Stanford Shopping Mall.

I love their plantings - miniature evergreens and white cyclamen.  



Odd & Ends

I've made a nice start on my "Thanksgiving Sampler".  A storm moved in Wednesday afternoon with wind and rain.  It knocked down most of the remaining leaves and lots of fir needles too.  Today the wind and rain continues...good "Stay Inside and Stitch" weather.    

One of the pretty native shrubs this time of year is the Oregon Grape (Mahonia).  The leaves are holly-like.

And like holly, Mahonia has berries too - but they are a pretty sky blue. 

I potted up my Begonia cuttings a few days ago.  I applied a rooting hormone and now it's a matter of wait and see.

On the Quail front, the news is hopeful.  I saw 4 or five late yesterday afternoon, and again today mid-morning.  They are sticking very very close to brushy, thicketed areas.  And as we still have lots of hawks in the area, I think that is a good strategy. 

This and That

"Pumpkin Pie" is coming right along.  It is a fun use of colors and pattern (checks & stripes).  I think that I'll be able to post it as a finish on Thanksgiving Day.

Now Some Sad News

On Monday morning I found a dead male Quail near our house.  I would be surprised if the cats got it, if only because they've not been outside much the past several days.  Nor did they haul it to our doorstep as they normal do their "presents".  But it does not appear that a hawk got it either - I'd expect to see lots of stray feathers in the area from that kind of attack...and not find a body.  The biggest bummer is that I've not seen a Quail since Sunday evening.  Early on (2006-2009) the Quail disappeared during late Autumn and then returned in the Spring. The last couple of years though, they have been present year-around.  And after just 48 hours AWOL, I miss them!  I don't know if there is a correlation between the deceased Quail and their disappearance.  We did have ALOT of Hawk activity in the three preceding days, maybe they decided to move to more forested and safer ground. 

Our Mallards are still around though.  I got a decent shot as they flew to their favorite pond one morning.  I'm now guessing these guys are year-around residents. 

Here are a couple of the Hawks that have been hanging about.

A Red-Tailed Hawk.

And a smaller, but more aggressive Cooper's Hawk.