The Rain is Raining

It has been raining hard all day.

This is the Big Creek at about 10:30am.

 .

Here it is at 4:00pm higher and wider.

It's supposed to rain tomorrow as well. The creek will not flood it's banks, but it will be pretty fierce I expect.  

Reindeer are in Season

Chart - "Reindeer Sampler" - (kit)

Designer - Heart in Hand

Fabric - 32 count natural linen / silk

Started - 11 November 2001

Completed -17 November 2001

Another stitch from the Cross Stitch Archives.  Can you tell that Christmas is fast approaching?  I have no time to watch the birds right now!

Flash Back Santa

Design - "Wee Santa 2000"

Designer - Heart in Hand

Fabric - 32 count Dirty Belfast

Fibers - WDW

Started - 25 November 2001

Completed - 31 December 2001

Still loving the colors in this stitch after all these years.

Three Years Ago

Three years ago we had a terrible freezing rain / ice storm.  We lost power for almost a week.  Am thankful that the weather is much milder this winter.

High in the Sky

Design - "Celebrate"

Chart - "Tiny Tidings XVII" #155

Designer - Lizzie Kate

Fabric - 28 count French Cafe Mocha linen

Fibers - Crescent Colors, GAST, WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 26 December 2012

Completed - 29 December 2012

Reindeer fly high in the sky and so do these guys...

Late in the afternoon I heard, and then saw a large flock of crows headed home for the evening.

It took two photos to capture most of the birds.  I estimate there were over 150 birds - can you imagine how noisy their rookery must be?

And I spied two Turkey Vultures.  While not rare, it is unusual for Turkey Vultures to hang out in the Willamette Valley in the winter.

Lucky Thirteen

Design - "Reindeer"

Chart - "Christmas Past" #51

Designer - The Prairie Schooler

Fabric - 32 count Black Zweigart linen

Fibers - DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 21 December 2012

Completed - 26 December 2012

I worked a shorter shift on Friday the 13th, so was home to do a bit of bird-watching in the afternoon.

I spied a Ruby-crowned Kinglet flitting about. Then noticed this White-throated Sparrow. 

That's a pretty good bird, and one I'd not seen for several weeks.

But this bright little bird was my Friday the 13th Lucky Bird.

A male Townsend's Warbler.  In my 13 years of living here, I've never had one come to my feeders.  They are pretty common winter feeder birds down on the valley floor, but I've only ever seen them in September migrating through.

I am hopeful that this bird might become a regular, but if it does not, it still was a wonderful gift to get to watch in for 30 minutes or so.