out in the storm

A few days ago, as the sky darkened and the breezes kicked up I put a leash on Beulah and we headed out into the weather. I love walking around when rain threatens and more sensible people head indoors. Familiar sights look strange and new and you appreciate everyday beauty through a new set of eyes.


As we entered the nearby park the friendly stream I have started letting Beulah play in reflected the surrounding trees and weeds.


The dry grass rustled in the wind, anticipating the rain. Although we had quite of precipitation in the late spring, it has been so hot and humid that the landscape is already beginning to dry out. What was emerald green just a few weeks ago is now brown and brittle. This grass here reminded me of childhood drives past wheat fields in Rottingen.


Train cars idled, providing a color contrast with their surroundings and contributing to the quiet, empty feeling of the evening.


Newly grown Queen Anne's Lace looked so delicate as thunder began to growl and lightening flashed in the distance. Odd how the most tenacious weeds would produce such fragile-seeming blooms.


One would think Beulah would have been frightened or skittish, but that was not the case. After some initial starts when the thunder thudded around us she was happy as a clam to be able to run free in the wind for a moment or two.

We headed home just as the lightening started getting too close for comfort. For the rest of the evening I think both the pup and I felt a little bit of that wild storm-fast-approaching excitement as we watched the rest through a window. Despite all the anticipation, in the end there was very little rain. Just a sprinkling really, not even enough to wet the road completely. The first dry thunder storm of the summer.

travels through other worlds

Lately there's been a lot of good book reading going on. Perhaps this is due to the summer lull, where the sun is up past 8:00 p.m. and the porch is more inviting than the couch. That, and I think I've actually seen every episode of "Law and Order," soo...

As I've been working through my huge (and always growing) stack of books to read, there have been a few duds, but most have been well-written, interesting, entertaining and thought-provoking. Here's a little summary of some recent nights well-spent in the garden:

• Travels with Charlie in Search of America, John Steinbeck ~ This book was recommended by an older gentleman at the dog park because I have a poodle, and well... John Steinbeck had a poodle. It was fascinating to read Steinbeck's observations and opinions on the state of the nation as he traveled across it gypsy-style.
• Greenmantle, Charles de Lint ~ What can I say, I love this author. He makes the ordinary world magical and weaves tales that make you feel you are experiencing yourself.
• Eva Moves the Furniture, Margot Livesey ~ Lately, ghosts have been on my mind and this novel treats them in an unusual and interesting way. It is nice to be pleasantly surprised by a book you weren't too sure you wanted to read.
• A Good Dog: The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life, Jon Katz ~ I cried, yes I did. I loved reading about how this man's dog was the catalyst for a major lifestyle change.
  

tinkering around

Lately I've been spending a bit of time tinkering around my little garden of pots. It's so exciting to see all the little plant hopefuls begin to flourish and grow.

There have been some failures, like the original pot of petunias. Note to self, don't even think about using a pot with no drainage. It never works. Never. I've replaced the first batch with these lovelies:


My tomatoes, you ask? They are humming right along. As the summer gears up I am seeing little fruits pop up almost every week. Now, I have no idea when any of them will actually be ready to harvest (I like that term, harvest. Just saying it makes me feel like a "real gardener.") I'm keeping a close eye on them, though and the moment they are ready ~ they will be chopped up with some olive oil and basil before those tomatoes know what happened!


With basil from my herb garden, of course. The basil, rosemary, parsley and mint (not pictured here) are thriving in their multi-colored pots. The cilantro was another fail. The first plant grew, no problem, but when I cut it to use some I must have cut it wrong. Cilantro plant, the elder, was exchanged for a younger model. Which I shall be more careful with the next time I need some in a recipe.


My first experiment with actually growing something from seed is turning out well! I'm pleased to introduce you to my fair nasturniums-in-training. This is the only patch of dirt inside my little patio space and has been enhanced with some potting soil as topsoil. I did exactly what the package said to do; soaked the seeds for 24 hours, planted them into the soil so they had enough darkness... and here they are! Hopefully they will continue to grow and will produce pretty (and edible) flowers.


I find myself sitting outside of an evening, Beulah chewing on a bone at my feet, enjoying the growth around me and dreaming up idea for the rest of the season. What comes next? Any ideas?


The plan is to continue to grow something or another outside my door throughout the year. As the seasons pass I want to swap out the plants that die for seasonal ones. Mums in the fall, maybe evergreens in the winter, bulbs for the spring. An ever-changing garden to watch and enjoy.

time to go to work

Oh Kong Toy, how I love thee! First discovered after listening to my new puppy cry and cry every time I left the house (almost a year ago no), the Kong toy saved my booty - or at last my sanity. You stuff that thing with peanut butter, smooshed up sweet potato or treats, make sure she's interested and beat feet out the door before she realizes I'm gone!! Beulah has actually learned the "time to go to work" routine now. I fill the Kong, she watches and when I'm done runs to the couch and jumps up on it, I offer the treat, she looks at me forlornly and then digs on in, I sneak out the door. Another potentially-neighbor-enraging incident averted.

one year old

Beulah, the day that I picked her up. She's grown so much!

love?

Or hate? I mean, I like this sweater and I don't even mind the color (a little greener than in the photo), but I'm tired of knitting it! But no. I'm turning a new leaf. I'm finishing things now. Knitting projects (like this), books, letters, etc. I need to finish things before moving on to the next. No matter how boring it is.

I'm sure this will be great when it's done. If it ever gets done.

summer knitting

I've been (re)bit by the knitting bug lately - nothing says "summer" like knitting with wool! - and here's the latest result. It's from a pattern entitled "Sugared Violets" by Rose Beck. Pretty, easy, fast and still pretty! When I saw the name of the pattern I just had to whip it together for Esther. She's been on a violet kick for a while now. That, and as pretty as this yarn is, it's just not a color I would ever actually wear. So, yeah. The knitting needles are back out!

beulah's got a brand new ball

And she Loves. It.


It's not just any ball either. It's a ball on a rope.


Which can be stuffed with treats. Oh yeah baby.


Supposedly "indestructible," this ball was marketed to dog owners like myself as providing "hours of entertainment."


I don't know about all that, but this contraption has certainly given me a little breathing time at home. Providing the treats are broken up so every once in a while one actually comes out of the ball.

And so our world turns.

the anticipation is killing me

Do you see it? Can you believe it? Behold, the bounty of my garden, ripening on the stem.... Lets just say, my patio garden is doing nicely. The two tomato plants I have out there are actually forming tomatoes, which I have to admit I wasn't sure would actually happen.

On the other hand I "harvested" my first "crop" of cilantro all wrong apparently and so have purchased another starter plant to replace the old one. And my petunias... well, I've learned my lesson once and for all. Make sure the dang pot has a drainage option already! I think I drowned the suckers. They are still there, but looking a little peaked.

But the tomatoes, the basil, the rosemary.... beautiful! Maybe I'll look around for some kale and give it a go too.

endpaper mitts

I'm terribly excited about my new knitting project! Presenting... the beginning stages of my very own Endpaper Mitts!


This is my first project attempting color work and I'm already hooked! It's not easy per-say, but much easier than I would have thought. Also, you don't get bored, cause you are always changing colors and working the pattern! AND the neato patterns make small projects, like these soon-to-be fingerless mittens, so special.

Pardon my fuzzy photos, but if you'd like to see some much nicer ones - and a view of the way these babies are supposed to look should I manage to do them correctly - click on this Ravelry page. More photos to come when I have gotten a bit further along.

let's kickstart june

It's Friiiidaaaayyyy!! And this little gnome is pretty happy about the whole situation. A certain pup and I have to agree. And this is at the end of a short work week, made even shorter by the fact that I got sick yesterday and stayed home from the office. Sheesh, we really need to re-examine the four-day workweek. No, what really needs to happen is I need to be independently wealthy! Maybe that little gnome can help a sista out; he's got to know a leprechaun somewhere or another!

I'm very excited about a knitting class I'm taking this weekend (more to follow once I have some photos) and the weather is BEAUTIFUL, so it looks like Beulah and I will be heading to the hills to do some quality hiking.

All righty then, this is Emily - signing off for the weekend. Preparing to (hopefully remember to) take lots of photos this weekend to share with you!

the view

Every morning I see a lot of beautiful things on the morning walks with the puppy... Flowers and the morning sunshine being two examples that spring to mind. But most of my view consists of just this - dog butt. The whole way!