Weekend Widow

Well, we knew it was likely to happen. I saved the piggy bank a few weeks ago when Gene didn't get called out by the State Fire Marshall's Office, but about 10 minutes after I got home from my sanity trip into town, the alert came to be on notice and within an hour the "Green Team" was officially called up and dispatched to the Portland/ Mosier area to provide support for the Microwave Fire which started Thursday and had already consumed 600 acres by Friday morning. This isn't a huge fire but it is in a populated area and I guess with grassland involved and heading for the town of Mosier, it was best to play it safe. A lot of western resources are down in California fighting some fearsome blazes outside of Los Angeles.

Now I love Gene but what followed after the official call out can only be described as a Chinese Fire Drill. Gene is not the most organized person I've ever known and to keep some semblance of neatness I take it upon myself to keep everything in some reasonable place. If I let Gene do it, all under the sun would end up by the door where he dropped it. Case in point, his realm, the basement. Anyway, I had put his tent in the back of a closet, neatly with other stuff like his sleeping bag and tarps and soft camping gear. Coolers and camp cooking items live in the basement, the one part I try to keep from being junked up. The man couldn't find his tent. I told him where his tent was and he went to get it. Then accused me of moving his cheese! Imagine, me organizing his tent out of existence. I think not! Well, after I tossed the closet and a few other places, I was stumped. My eyes narrowed and while I didn't know where the tent was, I know who moved it and his initials are GD. He showered, I searched. Seems he left the tent in a large stuff bag he took when he picked up my loom and never unpacked. I found it, and point was made. The sweatshirt he couldn't find a couple of weeks ago was also discovered she adds...dryly.

So out he goes; excited, with tent and a small measure of humble pie tucked under his arm and I am left with Pogo who is bereft his person has abandoned him.

Now, I don't mind being alone, I rather like it sometimes but the Pogo problem does put a twist on things. Pogo curls up at night with Gene, I get a few others who have set spots with me. When Gene isn't home Pogo is like a little restless waif at night.

Jack, Peter and Charlotte are not generous of spirit when it comes to bed real estate.

So, for the first half of the night Pogo moves about between my head and feet, muttering and moaning because he wants Jack or Peter's spot. After about 20 trips either under the covers or over the covers I'm ready to take the little black bundle down and toss him in a crate. We have a discussion, I'm not sure he's listening but I manage at great cost to scoot Jack and Peter and carve out a little prime space . Finally, he circles about 100 times, getting it just so, heaves as big a sigh as his 9 pound body can give and we at last all head off to dreamland.

But back to town, and all things fibery. The fall fibers are arriving in daily and all sorts of beautiful things are starting to appear in baskets and cubbies around the shop at Webster's. Now my yarn budget has been a little tight. Hay and Miss Bea's surgery coming up have prodded me to practice some form of fiscal responsibility. Now that form allows for small purchases, so this certainly fell under that category. What could be thriftier than a scarf I ask?

The hefty skein of natural is Plymouth's Yarn Dye For Me baby llama glow, 95% llama and 5% stellina ( a little sparkle throughout). I love it just the way it is and have no intention of dying this. It's very soft and plush feeling and the skein is large at 273 yards. The mocha and white yarn is Louisa Harding Willow Tweed 40% Alpaca, 40% wool and 20% silk, 128 yards. We'll see if we can't put together a pretty soft scarf with these two yarns.

Hey Baby is ready to go and sporting a plain beam and apron rod.

I have yarns spread out on my little worktable trying to choose what to put on. I'm leaning towards some silk but need to look at some 8 harness drafts before finalizing her next warp and at least 3 uninterrupted days to putter as I see fit. Oh, the possibilities!