Moose & Squirrel

 Well, not quite, but how about Deer & Fox? Over the last week or so we have spied a lovely Grey Fox. His head is a beautiful bright red rust, fading out to an impossible mix of silver grey ending with a black tip to his, or hers, perfect tail. We've enjoyed our brief sightings as he travels through our property. We also have deer in hefty numbers this year so it was no surprise that I spied one from my bedroom deck. What was surprising was her behavior. She was stomping and snorting and acting not at all docile. Then I caught a glimpse of silver. I thought it might be Juno, but no, it was the fox and he too was  flabbergasted at the does behavior. He wanted to stand his ground, in fact I think he might have even been baiting her just a little, but then decided to continue on as if this encounter never happened. The minute he turned and trotted off, he suddenly had a pissed off doe on his tail and the two broke into a noisy chase through our woods. I imagine he made his escape and 5 minutes later the doe was back to her usual grazing self.



 We suspect a fawn or two near-by. It's about time up here for them to start hitting the ground.

In other news the riding has been grand. The rides themselves have been slow and steady to condition us both, but getting out and about has been a treat for all. Dogs needing baths have been bathed and those with pesky long winter coats have been clippered down to summer lengths. It always amazes me how much fur comes off of one small dog. Doubly amazed at how profusely Jack Russell's shed. I swear I have short white hairs embedded in just about everything.

The sewing room has been busy. Valerie had asked what I was sewing a week or so ago. Mostly summer tops and mostly new patterns. I was inspired by a book I picked up. Shape Shape.  Simple patterns with some very clever ideas. Of course these Japanese pattern books are no where near sized for American bodies and certainly not mine, ( their large equals our size 6-8) but there are some great ideas I can take and copy or easily size up. So, I took a free Colette Sorbetto pattern and added an attached scarf a la
Shape Shape.



 It uses about a yard of fabric and the scarf can be of favorite scraps if you choose.
 Then I tried the Folded Shrug right from the book.



 I didn't need to make it as wide as I did, nor as long, but it was a great way to use a final scrap of brown linen from my living room curtain project and it's fun to wear.



 A new Marcy Tilton/Vogue pattern (8813) was the next challenge. This is her take on a french house dress.



 I made it hard on myself by using two very different fabrics, one as an overlay, but the resulting tunic is cute and unique.



 Cool and loose so perfect for warm mornings spent shopping at the local farmer's market.



 After all that new I needed a comforting familiar pattern and dragged out Burda 7220. I think this really is my favorite shirt pattern and it was only fitting I use it on some favorite fabric.



 I did trick it out using the pretty selvage, printed with Japanese kanji and of course the color dots. Using an idea from Shape Shape, I made a detachable pocket too. Snaps on, snaps off. How cool is THAT!



 In fact so cool, I used the same idea on a new Kwik Sew pattern  I'm doing a test run on with my Mom in mind.



I don't like hoods so I modified mine to be a shawl collar. I suspect my Mother will want the hood but not the pocket.



We'll see. It is a wonderful pattern though, easy, quick and quite comfortable. I've got this one earmarked for riding wear, now I just need to find some dark inexpensive fabrics. So that's what's a happening in the sewing lounge!

Of course it's not ALL glamour. We pulled the horse trailer/donkey shelter out from the wee ones paddock and I have to clean it from top to bottom this weekend. Oh joy......

Parting shot: Toilet Paper rolls, one of Robin's guilty pleasures.

Homarus alpinius- A Rare Breed Indeed

 It's no secret that the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is extremely diverse and home to some rare species. With it's numerous elevations and heavy old growth forest, plant and animal life thrive throughout, but only once has THIS species made an appearance. Hard shelled and not very meaty, it is a cousin to Homerus americanus. The American lobster.

With my new camera I was able to snap some shots of this large and slow moving cousin.
I was so surprised to catch this elusive nocturnal creature at full dawn! I even had time to contemplate how large a pot one might need should one want to try and eat it. No doubt it's protected though, so I can assure you alpinius is still roaming at will. Without further ado, let me share my pics of this strange and wonderful creature.





Searching for small insects and lizards maybe? Very little is known about their foraging
and mating behaviors.



He's spied me.....



Studying me as I study him. What a fearsome beast!



Seriously, this was my one big purchase in Massachusetts. In fact, one weekend, friend Sandi flew out from Oregon so we could both go to the May Brimfield MA antique shows. It was two days of great fun and interesting stuff from junk to fine art. We lamented frequently that we didn't have a box truck to drive some of this stuff back to OR and that we wished for legs about 20 years younger. There was a ton of walking involved but the weather turned out nice, the food and fresh squeezed lemonade not bad and people  watching was fascinating! She crossed something off her bucket list and I got the recycled oil can crustacean. On the way back to Beverly, we even did a stop at Nordstrom's Rack. Win-win all around. ;)

Parting shot: Listening to the call of the Alpine lobster no doubt.

Much Less Than a 1000

In my last post, I mentioned fabric density to square footage. I cited about 1000 feet for Fabric of Vision. Well, I was so wrong. I asked Sandi just how big her shop was and was told somewhere around 600-700+- square feet. Can you hear the fabric getting more dense? ;) So, while I was there I decided to give the new camera a work out and take some pics of this cozy gem of a shop.

Outside in the window there is usually something bright and graphic. Whatever it is, it doesn't last long. These strawberries lasted maybe a week. Some are coming home with me!

As you enter, the table of ribbons and pretty notions, often times a display of some wonderful garment that is part of artist display from First Friday.

Behind the table, rolls and rolls of linens, cottons, hemps and silks right to the front of the store.

Turn to the left and these are the things you'll see as you traverse the 13 foot wide store.

Quilting fabrics, and part of Delaney, FOV newest employee.

And on to the back of the store, more quilting fabrics, many organic, the brick wall again has bolts of fashion fabrics, this time wools and wool blends. The far wall with it's book shelves and thread shelves and yes, under neath, more fabric!

Turn to the right from the entrance and you'll see yet more fabric and of course sunlight pouring in from the front window.

Another table and shelf filled with trims and ribbons and just fun stuff in jars. Somewhere around the shop are small bolts of different types of feathers ,fringe and laces.

And finally, the front of the shop from inside.

The quilts on display were amazing. Here are a few snaps of them.

and yes, that is Sandi, busy working on a sweater repair.

So, there is the nickel tour!

Parting shot: Stella, hackles up and on the move...in reverse!

The Belated Bow Tied Birthday Boy!

On April 28th 2012 I was no where near home to celebrate Robin's 1st birthday, but

on my morning phone call I reminded Gene and there were frozen fresh cheese biscuits just waiting for the event. I'm told it was all good. But of course, there was no birthday shoot either. Lucky me though, on a weekend trip to the market mile of antiques in Brimfield MA ( more on this next post) I found the perfect birthday boy accessory, a vintage silk bow tie collar. So yesterday, we had "Second Birthday" much like second breakfast ;) and while Robin doesn't quite have his sisters chops when it comes to posing, he has his own roguish charms in front of the camera. Just wait until he's two!!!

In other news, the horses and donkeys all fared well in my absence. In fact, the horses all look a bit pudgy now that the winter coats have been shed. It wasn't all hair....We've been riding almost daily and I'm hoping to have at least the two older boys in good shape by the end of June.

The Hollandia has been dusted off and I've started in weaving again on the towel warp.

The sewing machines have been uncovered and Gene picked up the Pfaff 1171 from it's month plus spa treatment on the way to pick me up at the airport. We all came home together! I have to say, while MA is rich in lobster and other wonders, it is a fabric wasteland. My first trip into town included a good long visit at Fabric of Vision to peruse what had arrived ( and sometimes just about gone) in the 5 weeks I was AWOL.

A fair amount of good stuff came home with me too. One of these days (read soon!), I am going to grab pictures of the 1000 + -sq. foot shop and it's fabric and ribbon density! Here are the lovely selections.

There has also been some sewing going on. The quilt is quilted. Nothing fancy, I started with 4 inch vertical channels and then quilted large chevron lines.

The sticky batting was interesting to work with. It is thicker than anything I've ever used but it also held together without pinning, so I think it's a winner for me. It's onto the binding. My least favorite part of quilting as evidenced by the two other quilts that have been hanging around for years waiting for that last step. Time Monday has been set aside for at least getting the binding made.

A first attempt at a New Look pattern,

a simple V necked tunic using a fabric blend of cotton, something, something and likely nylon.

It was a challenge to work with this fiber, but now has received the sleeves and is ready for summer wear. Just perfect over a tank or cami.

Parting shots: So Princely.

Not so Princely.

Travel Reading

While I may not get to reading vast volumes at home, I do catch up on the annual trip to the homeland and this year was no different. There wasn't bad one in the bunch either and I was all across the board in my selections. As I boarded the plane I reread the final third or so of the Night Circus by Erin Morganstern and must admit here and now, it is one of the most creative and well conceived novels I have ever had the pleasure to read. I wanted to be a part of the Night Circus and still do.

I'll run through what was loaded onto the Kindle in order of reading.

1. The Devil in White City by Erik Larson. Well written, well researched and eagerly consumed.

2. The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss. Not his usual type of novel but quite good.

The period and characters richly done.

3. The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It took a while for me to get to this book and I enjoyed the read, but I have to say, I thought the ending was...blah. For me it was a real weak point in the book.

4. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Just awesome, all of them.

5. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Liani Taylor. First novel to be followed by a sequel or two and I sure was hooked. I thought the second book was out and found that it is only available for pre-order. I boo hooed because the first book ends with a real cliff hanger!

6. Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel. I loved Wolf Hall and I loved this one too. No one makes the court of Henry VIII as vivid or Thomas Cromwell as interesting as Ms. Mantel. Write more soon, please!

7. Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn. Chet and Bernie are one of my guilty pleasures when it comes to reading. PI Bernie and his canine side kick Chet always make me smile, doubly so because the stories are told by Chet. This book took me happily through my flights home and I turned the last page just as we were coming in for final approach to Medford OR. Priceless!

So there you have a little list. Maybe something will catch your fancy for summer reading!

Parting shot: I spy with my little camera eye.

Bibimbap

One of the things my Mom wanted to do while I was visiting was go to a certain favorite Korean restaurant in Burlington. I was informed that THE dish to order was the Bibimbap and who am I to argue with veteran foodies like my parents? Indeed. It was all they said and much more. A perfect dish for showcasing veggies, hot, spicy, satisfying on many levels and one thing I really appreciated, not too salty. The first thing I did when I went food shopping Friday was to get an assortment of goodies and try to recreate the dish best I could. For a first attempt I did quite well and as predicted DH fell in love with it.



The dish itself has a medium grain rice, cooked plainly, I added a little unsalted butter to mine, then comes quickly and individually sauteed  (or steamed or raw if you prefer) veggies. I used a little peanut oil spiced up with a little toasted sesame oil. My assortment was bean sprouts, spinach, yellow squash, shiitake mushrooms, red bell pepper and julienned carrots. All this topped with a fried egg. The restaurant version also has a little shredded meat and is served in a large and very hot stone bowl. The rice continues cooking and fries up browned and crisp on that stone while you are eating it. On top of it all you add a hot chili sauce ( made from a special paste) and mix it all in. I couldn't find the same paste but found a Korean sweet and hot sauce substitute which we liked. I also added a little rice vinegar to mine although you could do soy sauce too. As seasonal veggies come and go this simple rice bowl will be gracing our table on a regular basis.

It's worth noting that while I was away blogger went and changed up the format.  I am limping along getting to know the ins and outs that are so different from the old draft version I kept for as long as possible. You also might notice a change in the quality of photos. In the beginning they might not be as good while I get use to the lovely camera I was gifted with.



 I'm over the moon about it and all the stuff it can do compared to my little (and getting tired) old Nikon Coolpix.  It's a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 and is well equipped with a Leica zoom lens.



 Now I just need to learn to get the most from all its wonderful whistles and bells! I can say that the shutter speed is uber fast especially compared to the Nikon, so hopefully no more missed shots waiting for the camera to be ready!



The Nikon will go to the car for on the road photo ops.

Parting shot: Bride of Kong! ( one of the pics Gene sent me while I was away)

About Boats

I'm back from vacation and what a wonderful long vacation it was. The lobsters were sweet, plump and plentiful this year, as were other seafood delights. I'll catch you all up on some of the highlights but today is for one of the most interesting and fun events of my annual trip. The launching of the boat. My Dad's little skiff goes in a few days before the larger boat (and had I had the camera handy I would have taken some snaps of it and a wonderful little sailor Jack Russell Terrier named Bailey). But the main event is always getting BYGONE from her winter being dry docked and into the water.



A forklift is used with a specialized hydraulic trailer for getting her off the jacks that cradled her all winter.





 Two large slings are run underneath and tightened individually around the bottom of the boat via controls on the lift so she is level during the whole lowering process.



 Then the boat is gently lowered down into the water.





 The slings are heavy and lowered further allowing the boat to power out in reverse from the little bay. That's Sailor Tom helping out and waving while my Dad pilots.



 Once she's out they raise the slings, power the lift forward and then it's onto the next boat.



 Here is BYGONE as she motored away for her first trip of the season around the harbor.



 It's a pretty cool thing requiring skill and patience on the part of the dock crew and I never tire of watching them do this. In fact, I plan my annual trip just so I will get to see
the plunking of the boats! :)

Parting shot: Foxy, Queen of all she surveys!