We had a dry out morn for our walk yesterday. It was looking promising every bit I got laid upwards to leave. Looking out the window, in that place was the slightest hint of a pinkish heaven too frost on the field. The roads were a petty chip icy every bit I made my agency into town.
Because the Fanno Creek Trail is oftentimes flooded these days...a combined endeavour of the pelting too some naughty beavers...we decided to commencement from the far halt of the trail, close the Tigard Public Library. We've walked hither before, but it's been quite some time...a span of years, I'm guessing. Quite a chip of go has been done hither edifice bridges, clearing out wild blackberries too brush, too opening upwards novel areas of the trail. At this far end, it has been (and continues to be) somewhat disjointed, taking the walker onto populace streets too across highways to the adjacent department of designated trail. Here's 1 of the novel bridges, too a whole novel drainage organisation dug, presumably to foreclose flooding.
Along the way, nosotros passed yesteryear this pretty Sequoia. There are quite a few along the trail.
Here is Fanno Creek. The span at the top of the paradigm is Hwy 99W which is 1 of the master copy drags out to the Oregon Coast. It's rattling busy here, but a novel part of the trail allowed us to walk nether the highway without having to hold off for a walk dot to cross.
That eventually ended upwards inward a neighborhood for a curt distance earlier coming together upwards amongst the trail again. One of the structures inward the neighborhood was this assisted living facility.
We got a kicking out of the sign on the gate. Spring chickens, nosotros assumed.
Also nosotros walked yesteryear the oak savanna restoration expanse where nosotros saw these dead seed heads on some tall weeds. They're pretty inward the morn dew.
Also, this tri-colored blackbird, singing his guts out. He was high overhead, too hence it was difficult to larn a expert painting demo of him.
We walked on, too when nosotros came back, he was all the same there.
These were some petty crabapples...about the size of a marble.
And these blooming weeds...blooming against all odds given the frosty mornings we've had. It only goes to demo that weeds volition receive got over the footing some day.
I had to run some errands piece I was inward town, which meant it was yesteryear noon yesteryear the fourth dimension I was dorsum at the Three Cats Ranch. When I got home, it seemed similar an update on the amaryllis was inward order. The affair has grown to nearly 2 feet tall, too it looks pretty comical.
Yesterday, I noticed that the bud was only starting to open.
While I was icing my knee, I took some fourth dimension to produce some tiresome stitching too filled my hoop. Now I've moved it to the right. It's nearly 2/3 of the agency in that place now.
After that, I spent most of the afternoon downloading patterns from my Craftsy library onto my difficult disk. It would surprise me if patterns were to disappear from our libraries amongst the changes at Craftsy, but I was taking no chances. Mine are all housed on my dwelling figurer now. It took some fourth dimension because some of them were BOM's, too hence I had virtual folders laid aside for them. It meant opening each folder to brand for certain I had all the blocks. It took a span of hours. (I had a lot of patterns stored inward the Craftsy library.) If y'all don't know what I'm talking about, hence only know that Craftsy is upwards to no-good...closing for certain "stores," too deleting for certain designers. I don't know plenty nearly it to tell much, but if y'all receive got patterns sitting inward a Craftsy library, you'd meliorate claim them now. Time is running out.
After that, in that place was only a petty fourth dimension left inward the twenty-four hours to go on the alley cats. There was only 1 left for top-stitching, but I had a alter of pump nearly it. In deference to Sadie, I pulled off its ruddy olfactory organ too gave it a dark one.
Then I top-stitched it down.
That was all I had fourth dimension for, but I left the motorcar laid upwards to larn busy on the hearts too stars. One laid of the iv is already stitched, hence I only receive got 3 each left to do. This should larn much faster than the cats, although it takes the motorcar a piece to run upwards out that double blanket stitch.
After that, only the buttons are left, hence I'm hoping to complete it upwards today. It'll larn tossed on the pile amongst the residual of the quilts to go sandwiched. I'm hoping to larn that done yesteryear adjacent weekend. You powerfulness go wondering whatever happened to Wind inward the Whiskers. Fear not. It's on tap to go finished during the calendar week betwixt Christmas too New Year's. Just the beading is left, too yes, I'm dragging my feet nearly it. I needed the alley cats for a overnice petty diversion.
There was a pretty total Moon concluding night. It's non a corking picture, hence you'll receive got to receive got my give-and-take for it.
Seems to me it ought to hateful something when there's a total Moon at wintertime solstice. Just every bit I wrote those words, I consulted The Google (blessed go its name) too institute that it's rare for the total Moon to coincide amongst the wintertime solstice. According to this article, it's happened only 10 times since 1793! But don't receive got my give-and-take for it, click on that link. The article is interesting. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 total Moon at wintertime solstice is called a "full mutual frigidness moon." Consider that your trivia for the day. You're welcome.
It's nearly to larn rattling busy hither at the Three Cats Ranch. My biggest goal for the twenty-four hours is to larn the alley cats finished for sandwiching, too hence I'll go spending the fourth dimension betwixt forthwith too Christmas inward the kitchen. Since I didn't larn to brand whatever Christmas candy piece nosotros were traveling concluding year, I desire to essay to larn some made this year. Time is running out. Some of it powerfulness receive got to hold off until later on Christmas. Also, I'll commencement cooking ahead some dishes for our Christmas identify unit of measurement get-together dinner on Christmas Eve. Most everything volition receive got to go made on the day, but I tin terminate larn some of the preparations done ahead of time.
Winter is officially here. Time to settle inward too remain warm. I'm a twenty-four hours belatedly amongst this message, but Happy Winter Solstice, everybody.
(Image credit: Nic McPhee)