Winter Weather

Design - "Warm Wishes"

Designer - Val's Little Stuff

Fabric - 30 count Northern Cross linen

Fibers - WDW & DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 29 September 2009

Completed - 30 September 2009

First pattern I ever stitched by this designer.

After a couple of years with no snow, we received between 6"-8". 

The snow began late at night on the 25th of December and continued for most of the 26th.

I like the bowed tree tops.

The deer fence at the front of the house.

The trees are all festooned. 

A snowy day.

Falling snow

I am young at heart.

As long as we have power, I truly enjoy the snow.

Snow and Crows

 

Design - "Helping Hand"

Designer - Val's Little Stuff

Fibers - WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads

Fabric - 28 count Khaki Cashel linen

Started - 28 September 2009

Completed - 29 September 2009

The only snow I have to report, is that which I've cross stitched.  It's been extremely mild thus far in 2021.

As for crows...

The other morning a very large flock of cawing crows flew in.

They gather atop a couple of tall old second growth Douglas fir trees. 

They yelled a lot.

And squawked a lot.

And then they all flew off toward town.

A Happy Ending

Design - "More Snow"

Designer - Val's Little Stuff

Fabric - 32 count Mushroom Lugana

Fibers - GAST

Started - 1 January 2011

Completed - 4 January 2011

Here's a bird story with a happy ending.

A few days ago at work a co-worker noticed a bird dangling upside down from the top of a tree at the edge of our parking lot.  She called a bird rehab place in town and they connected with the city's Urban Forestry department.  

Urban Forestry arrived with equipment to reach the male Brewer's Blackbird.  They cut the branch and discovered that the bird had become tangled on thin line - they thought it was fishing line - I thought it was thread.  

The bird was taken to the rehab center to be monitored.  It was successfully released back to our parking lot two days later!

Here Kitty Kitty!

Design - "Long May She Wave"

Designer - Val's Little Stuff

Fabric - 32 count Summer Khaki linen

Fibers - WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 18 July 2014

Completed - 22 July 2014

I added the red and white striped button as a final touch.

The past couple of days we've had some Rare Cat sightings including the Extremely Rare - Two Cats (Brother and Sister) Sharing the Same Space and Not Fighting! This may have been because...

...both were pretty intently Bunny Watching!

See what I mean?!

As of Tuesday eveming I'd counted quail families with the following number of babies: 17, 13, 8, 4, 2, and 1.  

Some of the babies are pretty big now.

As this group is.

These babies are a bit younger and smaller.

Playing King of the Compost Pile!

They seem always to be on the move!

This group is rushing out of the garage from under my father's truck.

Around 7:00pm Tuesday evening as Tom-Cat, my Mom, and I were on the Back Patio, the three sets of quail parents became highly agitated. This time of year they get territorial and run off other families if they get too close.  So I did not think much of it to begin with. 

Then I spotted this! 

The reason for all the clucking cries of alarm!

A lone baby Bob-cat! 

First off I picked up Tom-Cat and tossed him inside then I grabbed my camera. By the time I got ready to take photos all the babies were gone. 

The six parents remained bravely confronting the Bob-Cat as a group hoping to lure him away from the hiding chicks.

There was no sign of other members of a litter or a parent cat.

The small Bob-Cat did not stay long and did not engage the quail.

He quickly dunked into a bunny hole in the thicket and disappeared from sight. The quail spent the next 30-45 minutes clucking and pacing. I assume they were continuing to communicate with their chicks.  One set of parents stayed very close to the bunny hole, never venturing in.  They were the last set to reunite with their baby.  I was about in tears as dusk was approaching, when finally the smallest of little chicks popped out and the little family briskly set off to safety.  I saw the group of three again Wednesday morning thank goodness.  

So how's that rate as a First Class Nature Adventure?

One year ago today Mom and I visited Hidcote - a lovely garden in the Cotswolds.

Mid-July Garden Delights

I'm stitching away - it just does not seem that I have much time to devote at the present.

It part that's because it is Gardening Time! 

This weekend I had three big projects.

The first was to finally plant (after six years in a 20 gallon pot) this Japanese maple. 

This poor tree had a very rough winter and lost about 1/3 of its branches to our snow and ice.  It is deserving of this shaded spot on the north side of the house.  The birds love to have it as a waiting room for the fountain, and suet and peanut feeders.    

The second project was to finish tidying up the plants on the Front Porch. I looked at each and every plant and pot - assessed the health, trimmed and dead-headed, and rearranged as needed! And finally, I gave the porch a good sweeping. 

Once again everything looks nice and tidy.

My ferns and hostas a doing very well.

As are the begonias.  

On Saturday morning I worked on this end of the Front Porch - the long end!

Now when I sit out here, I don't see "What Needs To Be Done".  Instead, I have a shaded pleasant reading spot.

My third task was to pot up these 7 succulents which reached out and grabbed me as I walked into the grocery store to by a picnic dinner for an evening concert!  Darned plants! 

They were my reward for working so hard helping to plant the tree, and getting the Front Porch back into shape. 

They are living in the front row of this grouping of agaves and succulents.  It is a west-facing grouping that gets lots of heat and is impervious to the deer - perfect! 

After all that I took a walk around to see what caught my eye.

An ice plant.

Helenium just now coming into bloom.

Prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) and verbena bonariensis.

Frilled poppies

And a volunteer nasturtium!

I hope you've found plenty to enjoy and delight in your own garden.  Why not hop on over to the Tuesday Garden Party and take a look at what others have to share.

One year ago today Mom and I visited my paternal ancestral stomping grounds - Wakefield in Yorkshire and we delighted in the birth of baby Prince George.