Creativity Gone Walkabout

A whole month? I have never gone a whole month without posting here. I'm blaming it on my creativity. It has decided to meander off on some walkabout and left me high'n'dry all the month of June.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

But I have not been dead, you know - just ... um ... uncreative.

How I spent the Last Day of June

I have tried to be creative, but mostly I have been trying to wind up all things fiscal at work while wallowing in Michael Connelly novels at home. BD started reading him a year ago and in a rare alignment of literary stars, I began reading him this spring. We never read the same books unless we read them out loud, but this author was an exception. We're both laughing at each other and ourselves, as we succumb to the torpor addiction to a detailed, skilled, mystery writer.

Of course, June was was the last month of the fiscal year and though I believe I've tied up all the strings, I have a funny feeling that maybe I did not. It all seems too easy this year. Of course, there have been huge personnel changes this year, both in the library and in the county government - so maybe that's what's giving me that odd sensation. Or maybe I screwed up royally - a lowering thought for someone who's had her job as long as I've had mine. At least I know the changes are for the better, so I will just throw out my blessing hook and expect the best.

A wee bit of creativity displayed itself in the kitchen during June. I purchased two good sized pots of lavender this spring. While the brief strawberry season was in flush I managed to get a single batch of Strawberry/Lavender jam cooked up. This is a delicate flavor blend - neither lavender nor strawberry but something unique and heavenly. There is never enough S/L jam and I pot it up in tiny  jars so that I can share it. This particular batch did not set very  hard but it's jam. It doesn't have to be gooey and it set up enough to take it out of the syrup category. I wish I had 10 times this much.

 In the middle of the month BD had a chance to go sailing in NY. It coincided the first week of Summer Reading Club as well as Bess' Girls Camp. Cousin F is such a big girl now and Cousin A makes everything twice as much fun. The weather gods decided to bless us with Perfect Weather so there was lots of outdoor fun - horseback riding, canoeing and hiking - it's a rare week in June when every day is the right weather for doing stuff outdoors. Last year we nearly died in triple digit temperatures. This year was the reward.

I took the Friday of that week off and we went for a hike in the woods. Just down the home path and back by way of the rim path - not that far - but always beautiful. I took that same walk on Saturday only starting out on the rim path and coming back on the home path. When I got home I told BD how proud I was of him for fixing the bridge over the middle swamp last week - when the weather was so wicked-hot. He stared a moment and then said "I fixed that weeks ago".

"No Way" I argued - claiming that I'd just taken the girls down the home path last week and I would have noticed.  I see now that, though I did not notice, I did photograph it. A lowering senior moment here. Isn't this the most magical spot, though? Deep in the woods - like an emerald tunnel?

ThePrince had told me about a tree that had come down right on top of a tree that had come down several years ago. This is a spot where trees tend to blow down - perhaps some vortex builds in this southern stretch of the fields - and the fallen giants are all exposed to the north and north east winds. What I do know is that there can not be a tree down in the woods and TheQueen not itching to climb it. It turned out to be a bit harder to get up onto it than I thought but of course - triumph was inevitable.

Just in case you were wondering how Callie is doing - she is much improved. She still has a row of dimples along that femur where the screws were, but she has completely forgotten the cage and collar.  Here is a picture of her tormenting Jack on a walk. Whenever we reach this spot on the lane she always grabs his cheek and tries to pull him along. He has never snapped too hard at her even though she is digging sharp pointed teeth into his face. Evidently it's a dog thing.



Here they are in action:


 Last Friday evening there was a wine tasting in our local wine shop - She does these about twice a month on Friday evenings and they're like little parties. Afterwards there was a free bluegrass concert down the street at a riverside park. These are sponsored by our local main street organization and this is their second season. Last year I bought tickets for all of them and then never got to go to one - and gave my tickets away. It was fun to stroll down the street and listen to the music after sipping my wine (carefully calculated to fit within the days calories/points.)


And that's something I rarely discuss here at TheCastle - the calories/points/weight loss thing. You can't be an American Woman without having weight issues: weight loss, eating disorders, aging bodies, expanding girth, osteopenia  - you get the picture. I am no different from your typical (gasp 60 year old!!!) woman and have fought the good fight against Fat most of my adult life. It's just that I yammer on about it in a blog on a different website - Spark People dot com.

The weather turned hot almost as soon as the girls went home. Not killer hot, but in the low 90's. This week we are promised rain. Rain rain rain rain rain. I know some of my neighbors have had Enough Rain Already - but if I had to choose between enough rain and not enough - I'd take the rain every time. This is how green it is around here after the rainy month of June.

And so.  And so that's what's been going on at TheCastle. The year is half over. Time for the second half to begin. July July July July July

The Wintergreen Springtime of 2013

The equinoctial spring arrived last Thursday with a beam of light down our upstairs hallway. TheCastle is built on an east/west axis perpendicular to the North Star and we can mark the seasons by the sunlight coming up in the windows of the east bedroom and setting into the window of the west bedroom.  Stellar observations notwithstanding, it is a chilly spring if it is spring at all. Even yesterday, with it's blue skies and bright sunlight, had a breeze with a nip of winter in it. There is some greening around me, but it's a winter green and the air smelled as if there were some gusts of snow not far away. 

Still and all - Callie was not to be ignored yesterday. She'd gone 2 days without a walk and she was either getting a walk or getting into trouble. BD was working on the boat, taking advantage of a brief day of paint-drying sunshine and Callie was eager to help. In the interests of peace and safety I took her for a walk instead.

She couldn't wait to dash out on her three good legs into the barley. See how she gleams in the sunshine.

But she's a good girl and comes when she calls. In fact, she's called so often these days that she's much better behaved than she was before the broken leg. Shes also much more attuned to me than she was. It's common for a Lab to have a Special Person and then to be merely friendly to the rest of the pack and since BD is home all the time he was and is her Special Person. Even before her break I had started taking her on a Girls Only walk in the morning to form a closer bond with her. In fact, we continue to do that. Also, she's glad for more cuddling from Mama - which is giving me more status. 

I hadn't intended for Saturday's morning walk to be just us girls but Jack was very comfortable, thank you, underneath his bush so we started off without him. Lots of opportunities for sniffs and squints and peeks.

But at the big bend, Jack joined us. Fortunately, Callie, way out front as usual, did not see what I saw - way up ahead.

You probably can't see it either but if I use my maximum zoom and stand very still look what Jack sniffed and I saw.

I called Miss Callie back before any stray breezes could carry their scent to her but later that afternoon she did sort of follow a rabbit. She will walk much more closely supervised from now on. And she's not allowed to wrestle with Jack either, though she tries at every opportunity. I'm not sure if he misses that or not, but we are not taking any chances on a tussle turning into a tumble and undoing all the good work Drs. L and L did  2 weeks ago.

Instead, we went out and got the mail - and looked back at the beauty that is a spring day; even a Wintergreen spring day. Don't you just want to drive down this deliciously pretty lane?  And imagine how beautiful it will be in a month when all those trees have leafed out?

Of course, Jack and Callie take it all for granted - but in that good way a dog takes things for granted. Not callously but all-accepting - like some Buddhist priest.

The afternoon continued all blues and white clouds. Callie prefers to stay outdoors when she's not sleeping on the couch and she looked so cute out front that I had to go play with her. I will hand wrestle with her while she's lying down so that she can't get hurt. She's good for only about 5 minutes and then, since it's not the real thing, she grows bored. But Mama is always good for a cuddle and a snuggle.

Just so long as I don't try to take her picture.  "Mo - om! Don't take my picture with that silver clicky thing!"  just like a teenager.

Here she is, like Gollum, guarding her precious(es). Goodness - can there be a plural of Precious when it's a proper noun? 3 leg bones and a skull - what more could a dog ask for in life?

And here she is at her most noble. She looks like she's about to burst into Brutus' speech to the Romans. 

Yesterday was also a great day to dry clothes on the clothes line. I actually hang clothes out all year 'round and only use a dryer in town if we get extended rain. Most of the time I prefer this but one of these days I'll get up off it and buy a dryer. It's more laziness and a bit of miserliness but I am sure Mother Nature will one day push me into Lowes with a credit card in hand.


We took another longer walk through the woods in the afternoon. Once we got to the lane Callie was hot and thirsty and since her stitches are healed, she got to take a swim. Ahh. how sweet that cold water is.

See my shaddow? And BD's? and the very top of Jack's head? Yes. He has entirely too much dignity to get all wet like that while Mama is holding her silver clicky thing.

Today is a completely different day. It's colder and grey and it's also Sunday which means everything starts back up tomorrow. Back to werk and it's Budget Time, and time to get the summer reading program on it's feet, and oh la - just so much.  I will certainly have to think about it tomorrow - even if I am not at Tara.  And now - it is snowing.

Jack Helps Out

Jack offers to help

  Inches of Adobe colored knitting were added to the project yesterday but there is nothing that will convey the shape of this dress as yet. Jack offered to help but we all know the dangers of letting someone else knit on your project - and they all have to do with gauge, don't they? Yes.

Jack finds stockinette so boring

Besides, he soon found stockinette just too too utterly boring. "If I can't knit cables I'd just as soon nap" he complained.











Fortunately, I don't find it boring - it's fun. And the fabric that's developing is yummy to the touch. Just the right bouncy feeling but with a stability to it I really like. I could imagine knitting something else out of this very nice yarn ... so long as I can keep getting it at this very nice price.

Hmm. Feeling strangely unchatty today - but I am sure that won't last. Look for photos of dress bodice this weekend.  Ta.