Felted Disaster

I was attracted to some purses on display at the Great Lakes fiber show and the knitting pattern came along with the purchase of the roving used to make them. The pattern was easy to knit and I had no problem with it but the felting looks nothing like the original.  Either I messed something up or this batch of roving is different than what the display purses were knitted from.  The owner of the booth said she had just gotten it back from the processor. I emailed her to ask if the hairy results were typical. In the mean time what do I do to salvage it?  Give it a shave?  Of course Elisha likes it as it. Are you kidding? Can you see me walking around with this on my shoulder?   It's like a cake wreck only worse because I can't eat it. Maybe I should get some more roving and make some mohair boots...oh wait that's electric boots and a mohair suit. Well it's definitely too hot for a suit. LOL

  

wool/alpaca blend roving

 felted purse with drawstring

Close up of the hair

Lounging About

It's a tough job mowing down all the hosta's in my mom's garden.  I think I'll have a rest says Pip. Andrew captured these images this evening as it was finally cooling off.

Radishes!

Andrew's colleague, a gentleman in his mid-70's,  introduced him to giant German radishes and also gave him some seeds to plant.  The cool rainy weather has been ideal for growing radishes and we harvested the remainder of the crop today. I'm not a radish fan but I do love their deep red inviting color.  I ate one; it was pretty good but a little on the hot side.  Next round will be watermelon radishes, named for their appearance that is similar to...yep a watermelon.

Eyed Click Beetle

Found in eastern and central North America in deciduous/mixed forests and woodlands this Eyed Click Beetle with its large size and eye spots is an intimidating and interesting looking insect. Watch the video below to see it in action and hear the clicking sound for which it is named.

Edited to add photo of click apparatus (a stiff chitinous spine), a defense mechanism used by the insect when it is disturbed (the individual is alive and laying on its back in this photo).

(This is a super short clip and the action and sound happen very quickly)

My Kingdom

Well I was hoping to have baby news this evening as Pip's nest is prepped and ready but it was still empty when I checked it a few minutes ago.  These photos were taken last night. Andrew says Pip is 90% tame.  She was very social last evening- following us around the yard and foraging for greens in her own personal kingdom.

 

 Getting a hand out

Foraging in the garden

 

Hangin On'

The maple tree in our back yard has seen its better days. There was a girdling root around the base of it when we moved into our house 13 years ago. Andrew removed as much of it as he could but most of the damage was already done. He informed me this spring, long before the buds appeared, that half the tree would not be coming back to life. He was correct.  Yesterday he took out all the dead wood. Poor thing looks pathetic but we don't want to remove it until this fall because it still provides some shade for the rabbitry.  While Andrew was up in the tree he spied an unusual insect so he had to stop what he was doing and take a photo. We haven't identified it yet but I thought it was interesting so I am including the it for your viewing pleasure.  Anyway everything in the photo is hangin' on-the tree is hanging on to what life it has left and Andrew and the insect are hangin' onto the tree. 

 

Taking out the dead wood

 Following proper safety protocol (note hard hat,  rope and harness)

A cute little bug

Edited to add-Horntail Wasp

Miss Garnet

My beautiful red Grand Champion doe Garnet has an abscess on her face from a chronic eye infection. It is not visible (on purpose) in the photos below because it is not something most people will want to see. I'm treating her and she is doing well so far. I'll write more about this if the treatment is successful and at that time possibly include a link to some photos. Otherwise there is no point. Anyway she's a bit scruffy from molt but is very good natured and tolerating her treatment quite well. Today I brushed her and let her gave her some time out in the yard. As you can see we are getting a lot of mileage out of the Clematis flowers as a backdrop. Incidentally Garnet is the only one of my rabbits who tried to eat a flower when I put it next to her for a photo.

 

Enjoying the beautiful day.

 Posing for a photo

and letting my mom know what I think of my medical treatment...

Sunshine...

on my shoulders makes me happy...

Lucy I'm Home

Per my prediction Pip came home this evening. It's been three weeks since she started digging a nest in the backyard.  During said nest building she was interrupted by the neighbor kid who was trespassing in our back yard (long story made short-he choose poorly and I think it's safe to say he'll never be back). Anyway she and her mate disappeared right after the incident and we haven't seen them since until Pip met me at the rabbitry this evening at the usual time waiting for her dinner.

A Living Jewel

Andrew went to get some swamp water last night, seizing the opportunity between bouts of rain.  What's he going to do with swamp water you ask?  It is teeming with microscopic life that he feeds to the dragonfly larvae being studied and photographed in our garage lab.  He found this little guy, a fork tail of some type, in the water when he got home. It has now become a study specimen. The reason we don't know the exact species of fork tail is that a key is needed, which we do not have on hand at the moment, to type them. Tiny color or structural differences unseen by the naked eye can tell the researcher what species he/she has acquired. Me - I am just fascinated by these creatures and love the bright colors.

A Puddle Club

" Puddle-clubbing is a gathering of bachelor male butterflies, usually of the same species, at a moist spot on the ground." If you've never seen a puddle club be on the lookout-it's as Aristotle would say-something of the marvelous (and occurs in the spring). Elisha had to make a 2D work of art for her Design class this winter. She chose to construct an abstract of a puddle club. I thought it was pretty creative. Her professor thought so too. She got an A.

Art in abstract

 

Art in life

Finishing Touches

It's raining again. Just thought you might want to know. If there any readers out there who did not experience rain at some point today please post a comment. This past weekend we finished landscaping our yard.  This project, which consisted of delineating a bed and transplanting several trees, and procuring ferns and bluebells, concludes 13 years worth of home improvement efforts. We plan on staying for awhile. The west end of fence ties into an existing 6 ft section which shields the rabbitry from the view of our neighbors to the north and the east end of the fence ties into an existing corner section and gate to complete the entire section and to shield chain link and give additional privacy to both us and the neighbors.  We are finally finished! 

Finn Cross with Silk Accent- Felted Purse

I spun up all my Finn cross/silk roving this week and knitted and felted a purse. You might remember earlier this month I posted a picture of the roving that I got from my friend Dustin.  It was very nice to spin and softer than some of the other kinds of wool I have used in the past. The brown trim is also wool but I'm not sure what kind. This was a super easy pattern which called for a sewn in strap; instead I just pushed the strap through the sides of the purse and knotted it for a different look and easier finish.  I chose a vintage button from the grandma and mom collection to add some additional interest to the piece.

An Evening without Rain

What to do?  Well I let Duke (lop rabbit) out for a run around the yard. He must have needed it because I had to coax him back (aka trap him behind the rabbitry) a couple hours later.  Daisy had her sniffer in high gear and was on the trail of something which provided for a few chuckles.  And a few more species of flowers were blooming, including my tiny lilac, whose color was previously unknown, and some really pretty Columbines which I decided to photograph. Altogether not much going on but better than slogging through the rain or sitting in the house. Both Pip and the male rabbit have completely disappeared.  I figure they are off tending a nest somewhere and should reappear around the 21st.

Lilacs

 Columbine

ooh an interesting scent

 I'll just coat myself with it

 Now I'm happy

Dandelion seed head

Columbine

P.S. I just looked out as I have finished writing this and it has started to rain....figures...

Fried Snickers

I was bad. I ate a fried Snickers bar and icecream for dessert at lunch time today. It was divine. A couple times a year we have a staff luncheon at work-today's was at Old Bag of Nails Restaurant. It's somewhat of a business meeting that the executive board bribes us to attend by offering lunch.  It's a nice chance to visit with co-workers on other parts of campus and get news about what's going on in other offices as well.  Anyway back to the Snickers. If you ever get an opportunity to indulge I highly suggest that you do. You only live once....

Sisters

Mom's (top left) sister Mary Jeanne (top right) gave each of their sisters a sisters pin. Uncle Rick suggested that they wear the pins on Mother's Day and have their photo taken. Mom asked me to make a composite and include their mom and sister who are deceased.  I thought it was a nice idea.

Happy Mother's Day

Lovely weekend. Yesterday we went antiquing with Andrew's mom & dad. Today I visited with my mom and family. This evening Elisha came over and we all sat outside and enjoyed the sunshine. 

 Elisha

Me & Mom

He Sang to Me

I found my lovebird dead in his cage when I came home from work today. He had a seizure in February so I knew that he was likely failing. Lovebirds, when not in pairs, will bond with their human caregiver. He sang to me everyday since my friend Donna gave him to me in 1996 when he was three years old.   Sometimes he would talk too, and a lot of times he would chirp for hours (and drive us nuts) but he had a sweet personality and was colorful part of our household in many ways. We will miss him.

Nesting

Pip's building a nest. We saw her and a mate cavorting in the yard on April 7th so the timing is just right. Below are photos of the two of them taken this evening. Pip did most of the digging while he stood guard.  The nest in under our Norway Maple just next to the rabbitry.

 The male.

Pip

When Gourmets Get Together...

Before we left the beach we stopped at the local seafood shoppe and I bought a dozen blue crabs, and a couple pounds of shrimp, scallops and grouper which we iced down for the journey to my uncles house at Badin Lake, NC.  Later that evening we enjoyed fresh seafood and dirty martinis (the house specialty) on the back deck.  My uncle made this outstanding bean soup to go with the seafood and veggies.  There wasn't even a crumb left when we were finished. Our family is known for cooking up some good eats and we have fun too while we are at it.

 Yum Yum

 Me and my uncle enjoying some spirits.

 Steamed blue crabs.

Andew and my uncle eating Hawaiian style (until you are tired).

Pleistocene Era Fossils

These are fossils that we have collected on our trips to the beach over the past 13 years.  We've got tons more of them and I have only included photographs of the most distinct and identifiable ones. It has taken us hours to collect these and we have ridden miles and miles on our bicycles to reach desolate places on the beach that haven't been picked over by the masses. We've loved every minute of it!

How do fossils end up on the same beach with modern shells? Sediment from Pliocene to Pleistocene times (about 3 million to 10,000 years old) are exposed offshore along some parts of the southeastern United States coastline. Waves from large storms (particularly those in the winter months) rip up the sea bottom and deposit both fossils and large shells on the beach. That's where we come in.  See something shiny and black. Better investigate what it is....

 Sting ray barbs, sea robin skull plates, various teeth

Horse hoof and various other bone fragments -mastodon to bison

 Turtle shell and various bone fragments

 Deer antler pedestal,  horse tooth and fragment, alligator and bison teeth

Sharks teeth from a variety of species. The largest ones are mako shark.