Proximities

The proximity of these three hens fluffing in a sunny spot is not random. They are the pullets I got from a friend, who raised them from chicks. Toffee Bits, Honeybun, and Snowcone  (L-R) are my friendliest girls and still hang together.

Proximity has been on my mind. Two of my good friends have had close calls recently, one with a near-heart attack (she had lifesaving quadruple bypass surgery) and one with heavy police activity (culminating in SWAT team and K9 involvement) right next door. Having these things happen to those you care about is unsettling (more so for them, of course), a good reminder to take the time and effort to connect with them while you can.

I mentioned the proximity of this year's Christmas tree in my last post. On a related note, several landscaping plants in close proximity to our house look like they are decorating for the upcoming holiday:

Given the proximity of our first frost, time in the garden was on today's to-do list. I knew I had a couple young zucchini in there and probably some small green peppers, but found a lot more of both than I expected, plus a couple of tomatoes to ripen on the counter. So delighted to have this late bounty of fresh produce to cook with! I also pulled and stored all the tomato cages and water lines, and pulled some of the plants. There's a lot more left to clean up and clean out, but I'm hoping to recruit some help for that.

I joined my first-ever knitting club, a birthday present I gave to myself. Knitting Wester Ross by KDD (Kate Davies Designs) features a pattern release every Friday, and an essay about this mesmerizing area of the Scottish Highlands, complete with exquisite photos and video, every Sunday. I will likely never get to visit Wester Ross in person, but these offerings and the associated  Ravelry group have me feeling a proximity to it. Right now I'm too busy knitting my Dala sweater, spinning my Inglenook fiber, and anticipating the arrival of my holiday fiber snacks to think about knitting any of the patterns, but the two released so far are beautiful and will be tackled in the future.

first half done

second half well underway

That's it for now from . . .

Fall's siren call

I know, I know; I said I'd try not to get caught in an avalanche of photos/topics anytime soon. But my favorite season draws my eye a thousand times a day, and I can't help but try to capture some of its beauty.

But I did promise a spinning and knitting update, so I'll share that first.

I swatched for my Dala Sweater on November 1, did the maths for my skinnier yarn, and started knitting soon after. I dyed my white yarn with Tropical Punch KoolAid and am currently working the charted section. I've found knitting with fine yarn on 2..5mm needles isn't as challenging as I feared as long as I wear my bifocals and have good light.

I've also been spinning the Inglenook Fibers Bat-In-A-Braid (BIAB) that I'm going to ply with my silk hankies single. This project is way outside my  spinning norm, and I am curious to see how the finished yarn turns out. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the spin!

I've also accumulated more IF fiber (My Preciousssss) thanks to the gift certificates some sweet people I proxy-shopped for have given me. Lots of lovely spinning to look forward to – some day!

The next spinning project, after the IF singles in progress, will be the Jenkins Junkies Holiday Snacks I signed up for on Ravelry as a December spin. This was such a fun project last year that I wanted to do it again. I also signed up for my very first 'knitting club,' Kate Davies' Knitting Wester Ross. Call me crazy if you want, but with the release of just the first pattern and blog post, I'm already thrilled.

Now back to Fall's siren call. Pertinent info in captions.

Our power went out for several hours on November 3. We enjoyed the quiet evening!

On a street in Salem, traveling from my PT to visit someone in rehab.

Poppy getting cozy.

A stereotypical fall scene from our deck: bright green, gold and gray.

First look at dawn from our bedroom window; more from deck below.

Our front Japanese maple in full flame.

Another look towards the valley.

I meant to transplant this fir years ago. Now it's too big and will be our Christmas tree.

My view when Poppy stands on me to look out the window.

Mt. Hood seen from Stella's back higher up our hill.

View from our bedroom.

Rick and Brian have continued to work on the shop, laying slope-stabilizing blocks outside, and building a storage loft inside. Rick moved the remaining milled wood purchased last year into the woodshed.

I think all of the above – the fiber, the spinning, the knitting, my animals, appreciation of the Creator's beauty – are semi-conscious mental health exercises. And I'm okay with that!

That's all for now from . . .

Life as avalanche

Reminder to self: pick a limited topic and blog (like the 'flock and fiber' of my last post). When I 'collect' a bunch of topics to blog about, usually because each one seems insufficient for its own post, it turns into an overwhelming avalanche, picking up more and more subjects and accompanying photos, until the task of covering them all buries me – hence the lapse in weekly posts. Time to start shoveling.

My favorite change of seasons always inspires a flood of photos, some of them related to other topics. For instance, we celebrated Rick's birthday at his mother's house so she and her husband didn't have to drive at night, and I took a walk around her neighborhood and the nearby park while waiting for the birthday boy to arrive.

My birthday gift to DH were tickets to the Fellowship for the Performing Arts' The Screwtape Letters, followed by dinner at a favorite restaurant. No photos of the production were allowed, but the Portland venue (NOT a war zone as those trying to distract would have you believe), inside and out, had lots to appreciate.

As for the colors closer to home....

I finally put the canner away when I filled my available space (on the bottom shelf) with applesauce.

Then there are the sunrises, striking light, cloudscapes, and rainbows visible from our deck,

the colors around the house,

the colors on and from the hill taken during walks and rides,

and the color taken along I-5 on our way back from Eugene yesterday (my son drove Stella and me to a horse show there). The setting sun made the colors glow!

I'll try not to get caught in another avalanche anytime soon. I'll save spinning and knitting for the next post.

That's it for now from . . .