Friday's Fauna

Just for a change of pace, I thought I'd make today Friday's fauna instead of Friday's Flowers. Last week you had Grand Canyon flowers, this week you get the critters. Last week was practising with the new camera's macro, this week's shots were taken practising with the zoom. I love the detail I was able to get from a good distance away from the creatures. I especially enjoyed being able to capture the condor riding the early morning thermals over the canyon. This camera is going to work out great when we leave for Vancouver two weeks from today!

P is for...

Psalm 100.

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before Him, singing for joy.

Know that He, the Lord, is God.
He made us, we belong to Him.
We are His people, the sheep of His flock.

Go within His gates, giving thanks.
Enter His courts with songs of praise.
Give thanks to Him and bless His name.

Indeed, how good is the Lord.
Eternal His merciful love.
He is faithful from age to age.

O is for...

Original Occupants.

The ancient settlers of Arizona, a thousand years or so ago, are quite fascinating, at least to come across what is left of their ancient civilizations. The stone walls of their homes...

The ceremonial structures...

The pottery...

And the weaving...

How they survived, and did so well at it, is still amazing.

Shades of LittleLace

The LittleLace Saga (see sidebar) took place in a number of locations, the primary being Arizona's Grand Canyon. Last weekend, to celebrate our anniversary, Joe and I traveled back there again, and this time to also debut the Cherry Leaf Shoulder Shawl. Certainly an appropriate place for me to photograph more lace!

When I first saw the multicolor yarn Roxie, generous soul that she is, had gifted me, I thought that it was the perfect Arizona yarn. It is all the colors of the canyon, and then some. It blends perfectly with the towering rock walls and stone crevasses. I followed the pattern in Victorian Lace Today precisely, except that I left off the crochet on the top edge. Just a personal thing. The pattern was easily memorized and involved enough to keep me from falling asleep while knitting it. It was in the sleeping category for a while, when the lace mojo disappeared, but in the general melee this summer to finish up WIP's I finally saw the return of the missing mojo. I am very happy with this light shawl and will get many years of enjoyment from it, I'm sure.

And here's my sweetie, messing around with his new pair of binoculars. How many guys would agree to photograph their wife on a crowded Sunday afternoon at Moran Point at the biggest Arizona tourist attraction? Especially if said wife was wearing a wool shawl on a hot, sunny day? I think he's a keeper, even if I may be a little "touched" from the heat and the wool. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Friday's Flowers, Canyon Edition

There has been an obvious delay in posting, due to some computer issues which are not totally resolved. At least, I don't think they have all been resolved, but at least I am now able to upload pictures. I could not resist sharing pictures of the flora at the Grand Canyon. We have never gone before in August, and I was pleased to see many blooms that I had not encountered before. I don't know the names, but all the rain has certainly brought forth much beauty.

Little Blocker Cat

What do you know? Mommie finished the Cherry Leaf shawl. And she's blocking it on the bed in the spare room.

I like to sleep on that bed. I think it's my own bed. Nobody bothers me there. Now Mommie's got all these pins sticking up on the bed. And my blankets and pillows are gone.

I guess I will help Mommie block the shawl, so she can hurry up and put the pillows and blankies back on the bed.

Mommie and Daddy are going away for the weekend. She says that she will have pictures of the shawl next week. And I'm going to sleep on my bed all weekend long.

Blooming Friday

It's time for another meander around the back yard.

Lantana.

Isn't the macro nice on the new camera?

Zinnia.

Dianthus.

Joe's lemon tree has blossoms.

Have a great weekend!

Project Update

There's less on the needles these days. Something of an attempt to not have too many knits on the needles at once. I am quite confident in predicting that this will not last.

After the Foliage hat was finished, I wound up that wonderful bamboo yarn that Roxie sent me. The colors are very similar to the Malabrigo used in the hat. Only this is going to be another scarf. I've been dredging the Ravelry files and I think I've found the one perfect pattern for this. But I'm not telling, yet.

The Cherry Leaf Shawl (from Victorian Lace Today) is nearly done. About another hour's work or thereabouts, and it will be ready for blocking. There's a special photo shoot planned for the finished product as well.

This was yarn sent to me by Roxie as well. I anticipated that the shawl would use up more of it, but there is quite a bit left. Enough for another lace scarf, if I so desire. VLT and Ravelry have plenty of patterns, and there is so much more new on the Internet these days. Sometimes I think that I need to stay away from the computer, or else I get caught up in links and sites and searches. Already my Ravelry cue is greater than life expectancy. Oh, the choices, the choices!

Something for Alaska

I finished another little project on Sunday. This is the Foliage hat pattern fron Knitty.

The yarn is Malabrigo, colorway 176, a mix of darker reds and browns with touches of gray and yellow. The darker pictures are truer to life.

I love the Malabrigo. I love the softness and the colors. This will be a nice warm hat for those evenings in Alaska next month.

Oh, and by the way, this is something else new for Alaska.

Friday Flowers

The Bird of Paradise bushes are going nuts. The good rains have scored again.



And there is an unprecedented third group of blooms on the cactus. Here is one just getting ready to open.

The desert becomes a true garden when the rains show up.