CARNAGE

I woke up this morning to this:


Our robin's nest turned asunder, and initially, no babies to be found
.

I did eventually find two of the three babies, and thinking they were dead, tried to scoop them up very gently. Turns out, they were both still alive, barely, so I righted the nest and (never touching them, because I don't know if it's a myth or not) tucked them both back in, hoping beyond hope that their mom would show up.

She has. She's been in the nest with them since I put them back in.

Fingers crossed and good vibes...

Look who's moved in to the neighborhood...

We found them because Charlie was making every effort to climb up and into the shrub where the nest is - not sure if he wanted to eat them or snuggle them (he caught a bird a while back and we found it nestled between his HUGE paws, trembling, while he licked and nuzzled it), but there they were, with their mom in a nearby tree.

They grow fast

and like typical babies, all they seem to want to do is eat

and eat...

and as if that's not enough, we also found this last night, in a lilac bush right beside our dining table:


Mama cardinal sitting on, I think, eggs, with the dad always lurking nearby...

Gosh, and we were feeling sad that the mourning doves hadn't made their usual nest over the front door this year - now it's like a nature show in our own backyard...


We have finally been able to start eating outside, and the flowers? Oh, the flowers...


I love spring...

Happy Birthday, Maggie!

Maggie turned 7 yesterday, making her (technically) a senior.






Somehow, I doubt that very much...

A moment of silence, please...

as seen in our local newspaper...



Fare thee well, Mr. Squishy...

Wow

I mean, really, WOW!!!

My Loopy Ewe sock club installment arrived today, and well,

WOW!

Live, in person, Wollmeise sock yarn (people, do you have any idea how hard it is to find this stuff??!)

And a new (to me) gadget - Lord, how I does love a good gadget....


So, WOW...

I was looking at the socks I have on the go right now, and have finally come to realize that I like small - small needles - 2.25 or smaller -
I currently have three pairs in action, and I got to comparing the yarn and needles...

First are these Toe-Up Monkeys, for which I have either totally buggered up the pattern, or made up my own design. I am using red Darn Pretty Needles made by Grafton Fibers (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these needles), 2.25mm, and Sock Pixie yarn in the "Toni Morrison" colourway. I love this sock - I love the needles, which are very firm, very smooth, and look awfully pretty with the yarn. I don't think I've really appreciated the aesthetics of yarn and needle together till now, and I have to say, this one pleases my eye. Both eyes.


This is the first sock for the first installment of Woolgirl's Seven Deadly Spins club. 4 colours of Verve by The Unique Sheep put together to make rainbow socks. Again, I love the yarn, and LOVE the needles - more of Grafton's DPN's, size 2.25mm.


My second pair of socks from Flat Feet by Conjoined Creations, made with 2.5mm Brittany birch dpn's. These needles have been my stand-by for years, but now, compared to the others, I am finding them rougher on the surface, and, well, a little large. The yarn actually calls for 3mm needles, but I just couldn't... and the yarn... well, it's totally fun watching the pattern unfold beneath your hands, not knowing what exactly you'll end up with. But the yarn itself is almost plastic-like, not nearly as soft, or firmly spun, as the others I'm using.

So, I guess what I've learned about myself is that I like small knitting. Very small knitting. I like fine, tightly spun fingering weight yarn and 2 - 2.25mm needles, preferably needles which are made from hard, smooth wood. And looking good with the yarn is a bonus.

I have also learned that I belong to several sock clubs. And that I like to knit socks.

Wow.

Well...

well, where to begin?

We are recently returned from two (uh-huh, TWO) weeks of this

and this
and this
,
where I was also able to to this
,
and to read all this .

I have never, in my life, read 5 books on vacation - and that doesn't count the two audiobooks I listened to ("Tweak" by Nik, Sheff, and "Change of Heart" by Jodi Picoult).

Why, yes, I am a little more relaxed, actually... thank you for noticing.

And then we came home to this

,
and these


Lord, how I love vacation... and as glad as I am to be home, I want to know where the guy is who just knows that, by 3 or so in the afternoon, I am in need of a dose of mango daquiri... we don't seem to have those here...

sigh

on the plus side, we have a long weekend coming, so a little more recovery time is planned...