Hot Days Call for Watermelons

Design - "August"

Chart - "A Prairie Year"

Designer - The Prairie Schooler

Fabric - 32 count Lambswool linen

Fibers -DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads - watermelon seeds 1 strand smyrna crosses

Started - 15 August 2016

Completed - 19 August 2016

It's supposed to be 97° today - I think that calls for a watermelon for dessert.

With the hot weather , I'm not having much bird activity.

I haven't seen a Downy Woodpecker since August 12th.

I am hearing Hairy Woodpeckers, but they are not frequenting the feeders.

This female did stop by for a quick bite.

The Acorn Woodpeckers are AWOL too.  I have been watching them in the evening when they sit on a branch and then sally out to pick off a flying insect.  They are eating insects right now, not suet or peanuts.  Last year by this time, they had brought their newly fledged youngster to the feeders.  I am hoping that I will soon see a young bird or two and increase my Acorn Woodpecker population from two to three or four or even five birds.

The Flickers are coming by for a drink, but not eating at the feeders.

With all that negative stuff, it was great to have a Pileated Woodpecker fly in.

The bird did not come as close as I might have liked, but I still got some good looks.

Here you can compare the size of the bird with the jays watching below.

Looking right.

Looking left.

At 16"-19" long - this is a BIG bird! 

Blue and Yellow

Design - "August"

Chart - "Year Book - July and August"

Designer - Lizzie Kate

Fabric - 28 count Light Mocha Cashel linen

Fibers - WDW & DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 19 August 2016

Completed - 20 August 2016

I'm really taken with the gull on the pier post and the starfish charm. And being me, the blues used 'sing' to me.

The Cedar Waxwings have also been 'singing' to me - their high-pitched whistle.  most days now I see a small flock of 8-12 birds.  They momentarily perch in the distant trees, but are not coming in close as of yet.    

It was thrilling to have this female Western Tanager 'come in close' for three mornings running.

Last year I had a female and young male that I saw regularly in the late summer.

I will gladly 'make do' with this female, but also hold out hopes of other Western Tanagers coming by.

Wednesday Walk - The Dahlia Garden

It is supposed to be quite hot again for the next three days.

I suggest we go down to the Dahlia Garden.

Lots more plants have come into bloom since the last time we visited.  

Asia

Pee Gee

Crazy for Jesse

Fidalgo Julie

I like how this dahlia is one color on the front of the petal, and another color on the backside of the petal. 

Weston Spanish Dancer

Embrace

Camano Susan

Tioga Autumn

Lolita

Sandrine

Sir Richard

Hollyhill Margarita

Lakeview Illusion

Kelsey Kristi

Tiny

It's always good to have happy pollinators hard at work in the garden!

I hope you enjoyed our stroll through the garden.

Sunflowers

Design - "August Stamp" (Flip It)

Designer - Lizzie Kate

Fabric - 28 count Light Mocha Cashel linen

Fibers - GAST, WDW, and DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 14 August 2016

Completed - 20 August 2016

This was a fun stitch.  Love the bright sunflowers.  I ran out of WDW 'Curry' and had to wait to get another skein that was complimentary.  It all worked out.

After breakfast, Parvati spends an hour or so checking out her world.  

She went nose to nose with a doe the other morning, and even ended up 'popping' her in the nose a couple of times!

I thought that since I'd stitched a couple of sunflowers, it would be appropriate that they take center stage. 

To be honest I am 'borrowing' these - they belong to a neighbor's garden that I spied over the fence when I was keeping Pickles the Cat company.

They had at least two different kinds of sunflowers.

Pale yellow and a brighter yellow. 

I heard lots of goldfinches, and expect the birds will devour the seeds when they ripen.

There is something iconic about a sunflower.

I am amazed at the size of the leaves on these plants.

August and sunflowers go together like chocolate and peanut-butter!

Summer Birds

Design - "Summer Bird" (Wee One)

Designer - Heart in Hand

Fabric - 32 count Summer Khaki linen

Fibers - WDW & GAST - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 13 August 2013

Completed - 13 August 2013

I figured that "Summer Bird" was an appropriate, if not almost perfect stitch for August.

Here are some of my local Summer Birds.

My flock of Band-tailed Pigeons has diminished to just 10-15.  That's just fine by me.  The smaller group does not wreck havoc with my feeders.   

The number of Black-headed Grosbeaks has also declined from a high of 18-24 birds, to now just 6 or so.  Those six are usually females / juvenile birds.  It is rare that I see a mature male.

The opposite is true of the American Goldfinches.

I am now seeing 20-30 birds in the morning.

This Goldfinch appears to be a bit puzzled by the Rufous Hummingbird scratching an itch!

My male Lesser Goldfinch is molting and looks a bit tatty.

For a true pretty yellow bird the last 1/3 of August I have to rely on my female Western Tanager. 

On one of our ultra-hot days, I had quite the gathering at a bird bath - two Flickers and two Steller's Jays.

The California Quail number peak at this time of year. I have a family with 12 tiny babies, a family with 4 babies, a family with 12 large kids, and a family of 48 or so!  That's a lot of quail!

No wonder the bunnies begin to feel a bit crowded!