bee creative

citizen scientists

After being intrigued by Nancy's post mentioning the blue hour, I've been taking some pictures of the sky just before dawn. 

I first discovered the term citizen scientist (more information about this here) when I was reading A Sideways Look at Clouds, found it again in Ways of Being, and then had someone mention the term in the pigment class I've been taking.

The term reminds me of a book I didn't read but was intrigued by and plan to read someday, The Scientist in the Crib by Alison Gopnik, Andrew M. Meltzoff, and Patricia K. Kuhl.

The scientific method:  Observe, research, hypothesize, test, analyze, and report.

The last instructional/discussion group meeting for my pigment class was last night.  While many of these things can be done without knowing the science, there is so much science involved.

It makes me think of the layer of science that is part of all that we do as humans, of how we experience the world and participate in life.

Field notes:  27 F/17 with the windchill.  Winds NNE 11 MPH, gusts to 20.  Clear skies.

 

play

Today's 15 minutes of making:

Cat toys.

For the cat, who needs her nails trimmed.

It's hard to catch her at the right time though.

And really, the flowers are just going to keep coming...

it's that time of year.

Spring.

fieldnote blanket, spring

The tulips were a gift.

The wool was already on the table.

Meant to be...

on the line

White yarn for the field note blanket.

Now if I could just remember where I hid it from Widget.

replacement

First, for Mo:

It doubles as a hat.

 

And then the snow...

I will be spinning white yarn for the field note blanket today.

Yesterday was a good day for baking.

No chocolate chips so I substituted Cocoa nibs, coconut, and walnuts.

I usually replace the vegetable shortening in the recipe I use with butter.  For something different I replaced it with coconut oil.

Very different texture. But good.

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Like others I am wondering if it's time to try something different for blogging. I don't want visitors struggling to leave comments.  While I haven't had trouble loading images (well occasionally I've had to try twice), they don't always appear without having to open in another window. Frustrating....

 

 

moon inspired

A cat toy was also required.

She loves the keyboard.

in the journal

It's cold this morning, 28 F.

The yarn I pulled out of the indigo vat last night and put outside formed icicles.

The yarn on the top is my "creek water" yarn.  The bottom, with bluish purple a good match for twilight right now.

This morning, looking at the winter stripe I spent some time with this section that holds more thin yarn than most.

I have never spent much time working on creating consistent yarn with my drop spindle.  Mostly because this is the way I like it, bumpy and lumpy and changing. The amount of twist often reflects my mood because of this.

When I don't pay attention, that's when the yarn becomes a consistent strand.

After visiting Jude this morning, there was the thought that it is a lot like handwriting.

The spinning of yarn.

In my current journal I have embraced my messiness. Spent some time letting go of legibility.

And the funny thing is that the handwriting is becoming more legible...

And yes...I need new glasses.

 

 

winter walk + kitten update

I could have named her flash or zoom...there she goes again! 

Lola ignores her mostly, except when she comes zooming out from under the bed. After the second time I think Widget decided it might not be a good idea...

She does stop.

And she does sleep a lot.

Lola is sleeping well too (kitten sleeps in her "retreat" otherwise known as the bathroom). 

It's the exercise. 

It goes something like this..."Hmm, I wonder if I could just sneak in to the bathroom and eat the cat food? Oh darn, busted again." Repeat.

Today's 15 minutes:

A walk in the sunshine to collect winter colors...

Thinking about systems.

thinking

I've been spending a lot of my home time reading for the last couple days.

And trying to write in my journal.

And spinning and knitting because it gives me time to think and process. 

(Today's knitting.)

I was not shocked by what happened on January 6, 2021.

Not at all.

I am thinking a lot about privilege, anger, fear...

about the stories we tell ourselves.

And about how we live with each other.

As always, it starts at home for me.

 

spin

Dried hydrangea colors.

15 minutes of spinning.

Thinking about tension.