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I've learned more about air quality than I've wanted to the last few days.
Thinking about all the people, animals, and spaces effected by the fires.
Sunrise: 6:14 AM
Sunset: 8:11 PM
Rain in the forecast.
Adding a bit of turquoise/blue/aqua to the shawl.
There is a definite shift...shorter day, a change to the way the air and light feels; not just the smoke from wildfires surrounding us. The hot stretch of the day doesn't seem to last as long.
It was a very busy work week. Each year we host a party for our families at the childcare where I work that includes a farmer's market. This year we made raffle baskets packed with an assortment of goodies that the children made, grew, or harvested. The projects included scented play dough, salve, flavored vinegar, bath scrubs, seasoning mixes, flavored baking sugars, and baking mixes. So much fun to see it all laid out on tables....
Most of my garden is dry and quiet but I am harvesting: tomatoes, beans, zucchini, cucumbers, pears and herbs.
The bog garden is one thing that is thriving. One night when I let Lola out I found a chickadee perched on one of the pitcher plants that had flopped over. It proceeded to hop over to the rim of the dish that holds the water and get a drink. I'm hoping I can catch this in action again.
The heat has been good for dye projects.
I love this photo but it's not actually what the fabric looks like now. I'll post more pictures for a better sense of color. I am very pleased with sumac as a plant for dyeing. Also used hollyhock, rose galls, and coffee grounds in the bundle. As a second (or maybe third) layer of color I poured some of the indigo from my vat over the top of the gear.
It's been washed and is ready for a bit of sewing tomorrow.
This morning, going out the door, I decided I really wanted something to knit. I grabbed a ball of yarn and some needles.
On the bus I pulled the needles and the end of the yarn out of my bag and paused for a moment. My neighbor, who I ride the bus with most mornings, asked what I was making.
"I'm not quite sure," I answered. A moment later I cast on three stitches, looked up and said "A shawl."
Shawls are like wings to me...
I might be revisiting my alphabet challenge here...this post brought to you by the letter "p."
Random thoughts, some I am surely revisiting:
Fabric leftovers from nine different articles of clothing I made for myself, from other quilts, one piece a gift from a friend, and fabric from my grandfather's work shirts. Originally I was going to make a quilt of pieced squares using the shirt fabric + scraps from my collection. It's been in process for a long time and I decided enough of that, time to do something with it.
The quilt square is called "Peace and Plenty." I chose it partly because they seem appropriate when I remember my grandfather. He was, among other things, a gardener and a musician. Somehow these things go together in my mind.
I wonder how long it will take for Lola to nest in it?
It was cool enough to bake this weekend and there were prunes at the farmer's market.
A simple prune crisp (recipe from Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen Cookbook). The topping freezes well, making it easy to make a small crisp if desired.
But it's going to get hot again, so I tried out my new popsicle molds (love them!).
Plain yogurt that I sweetened with just a touch of powdered sugar and plum/prune jam, inspired by this recipe. I've continued to make a small batch of jam each week with about 2 cups of fruit and about 1/3 cup sugar or honey.
I think I'll try peach next, or maybe blackberry...
It might also be called the quarter cup salad...
1/4 cup cubed cucumber
1/4 cup cubed feta
1/4 cup olives (kalamata)
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup spinach pesto
1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup cous-cous (cooked)
As usual my measurements are rough, but this is close.
Hazel is being tormented by the little birds, mostly bushtits, in the butterfly bush. I am debating how I might put water out for the birds with out it becoming a cat feeder. It hit 89 degrees today. This is the third week of 80+ degrees weather here, one more week of it in the forecast. I read today that it's been the hottest July on record for Washington state. All counties on high fire alert except one (over on the coast).
The birds left, a butterfly arrived. I pulled out my ID book to be sure, a Lorquin's Admiral. It was mostly keeping it's wings tucked up straight, looking a bit like a colorful sail.
1. There were two rabbits on the corner this morning. I've never seen rabbits in my neighborhood before this summer. Do rabbits have territories? Something to research.
2. Can a story exist without a conflict? Yes, but is it an interesting story?
3. Stitching by hand is nice in hot weather.
4. I have harvested 4 peaches off my tree. The squirrels got the rest.
5. The days are definitely shorter. It's especially noticeable in the morning when Lola wants out and I have to tell her no, it's raccoon time in the garden.
6. I really want it to rain.
The raspberries in the garden are done, so raspberries from the farmer's market.
Next year I'm going to water more.
The scarf that inspired me to start knitting again needed some mending. I crocheted an edge around the biggest hole. Kind of a crazy mending project for a hot day but it was a quick one.