Random Meanderings at Middle Age

Fibery progress...

with pictures even!

This is the 2-ply yarn I made with the very yummy roving I received from Knitspin this past winter.  I enjoyed spinning it (and really it mostly spun itself with very little prep from me) and plying it was as always nerve wracking because I've never "learned" how to ply and just wing it but spinning in the other direction and hoping for the best.  When I read about Navajo Plying and other nifty methods I feel very, very stupid.

That said I like how this came out and expect it will make a nice winter hat!

This isn't a great shot, but here we have the singes I am currently (and with great delight) working on.   This is the Cuckoobatt (another Etsy purchase from the winter) and I've been having a blast spinning it and throwing on some angelina or silk every once in while for giggles.  I don't have a lot of this so plan to use the singles and use them as the cuff on gloves or brim on hat.  (This is a theme with my spinning because so far I've not spun enough of one thing to make a sweater!)

And here are my randomly striped cotton tube socks.  About 3 inches along and they are knitting up quickly.  This was a kit I received for the holidays I think from Blue Moon Fiber Arts and I finally started them, given that there is no heel to make these should be a snap. 

And finally I've made a little progress on the Summertime Tunic tank.  This is not a great picture because I stretched it a little too much.  I want this to be somewhat loose and beachy because I am planning for it to worn over a bathing suit.  Isn't the ribbon (from Amber and her wonderful store The Ribbon Jar) wonderful?

So there you have it, a little spinning and some WIP despite recent illness.  As my daughter likes to say, "Yay Me!!" (clap hands).

Stuff and things in a random kind of way.

(yeah.  I continue to suck in the clever blog title department.  I keep thinking I should come up with a gimmick and stick with it-song titles, book titles, rip off of book titles ("A is for Amysue Babbles", "On Monday Amysue Babbled"), puns, flower names-something, but no, I continue with the sucky titles.)

So on Sunday we had some friends over for your basic all American cook out.  Steak Tips, Chicken, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Thai Mango Salad, Grilled Veggies, Hummus and Veggies, Corn Muffins w/ Roasted Corn and Pumpkin Seeds, Green Tea Muffins w/ Dried Cranberries, Artichoke Dip, Shrimp, Chips w/ Salsa and Salsa Verde and Potato Chips for the purists-you know, the usual.  Oh, I also made a really yummy Mango Peach and Ginger Soup (chilled) and a Fruit Crisp w/ Peaches, Strawberries and Blueberries (served w/ vanilla ice cream).  As always I took pictures of some of the food.  I'm weird that way.

The soup was served in one of my favorite purchases ever!  It's a cute Hedgehog Casserole from Simon Pierce in Vermont. John reminded me that I purchased it with him in 1993 or so.  I thought it was pre-John but there you go!  We used to have a pet hedgehog named Crumpet so it makes a certain amount of sense I guess.

Today we celebrated my niece and nephew's 6th birthday at their house with another cook out!  The twins made their own cakes and they did a fabulous job!

The cakes were placed in the fridge and freezer to "set" after being decorated.  I think I've reached a new milestone in my obsession with food photography in taking a pictures inside an appliance.  Sigh.

There was a good deal of knitting over the week end but no pictures of WIP.  I mostly knit either on the Summertime Tunic (despite being teased by my friends yesterday about knitting in public, knitting in general and knitting a cotton tank tunic to be worn over a bathing suit.  Non Knitters are so annoying.) or my cotton tube socks with the random stripes (I'm deciding how randomly to stripe them).

Oh and last week Noah decided he wanted to learn how to ride a bike and basically got on his bike and rode it after a bit of assistance from Dad.  He's a little shaky on the turns but enjoying himself and I remembered to document it today. As always he and his sister (roller blading as per usual) found my documentation of their every move to be ever so tedious.

It was a lovely week end and the kids even went with their dad to see Pirates 3 while I took a pleasant (though very hot and humid) walk this afternoon. Oh and the rhodies are blooming.

Nothing much to see...move along.

The recent need to recuperate from the whole poison ivy (and a few other health related) thing and the attendant medications, reactions and so forth has pretty much sapped any minimal creative writing skills I might have.  Luckily, I have been creating in the sense of kntting, spinning, sewing and the like.  I've even done a little gardening, but haven't been feeling energetic enough to wax amusing or eloquent or even get a good rant on. 

I have been reading, resting, working and enjoying time with my family.  I suppose in reality these things are all a lot more important than nattering on in a personal blog about the same activities.

Still, I feel bad.  I'll take a bunch of pictures this week end and try and get them up by Sunday or Monday.  The iris and the rhododendrons are starting to open and there's the silly and flawed but quite functional sunhat I made to document.  I think I've knit enough inches on the Summertime Tunic to take a wip picture as well.

Right now though I'm going back to sleep.  Have a lovely week end and please, please remember all those who have given their lives in defense of our country.  Locally, one of the churches in the town next door has placed a flag on the lawn for every soldier lost in the recent war in Afghanastan and Iraq.  This sea of rd, white and blue, fluttering in the breeze is a moving reminder of the cost of war and the bravery of these men and women.

Insomnia..but socks finished and blocking!

It's 4am and I woke up about 30 minutes ago and am unable to get back to sleep.  I am assuming that I can blame the prednisone for this, but who knows? The good news is I finished the Tropicana socks (pattern from Magknits) before I went to bed. I know I just linked to all this a few posts ago but the yarn was from Sunshine Yarns (an Etsy shop) in a hand-dyed colorway she named (perfectly) Beach Day.  This pattern is fun and knits up quick.  I don't like short row heels (ok, they confuse me) so I did my standard heel flap and kitchnered the toe as always.  I made rudimentary blockers from wire hangers and they're just about dry now so I may wear them with my pink knock-off crocs tomorrow  later this morning.

While I do a little online updating and surfing to try and keep busy during this period of insomnia I am knitting away on my Summertime Tunic (Summer07 Interweave Knits).  I'm about 4 inches in and so just half an inc away from the 1X1 ribbing of the waistline and then it's basically another 6.5 inches from there of stockinette until it's time to divide the front and back.  It really is a perfect mindless knit and when I get a an inc or two past the ribbing I'll take a WIP picture.  It's not all that interesting to look at right now.  I am enjoying the 2nd Time Cotton a great deal, it's soft, knits easily and has the exact beachy sort of look and texture I want this tank to have!

OK, a little more knitting and then time to try and sleep again!  I do want to try and work a few hours tomorrow, the poison ivy and related drama has kept me from work a lot and while things will be a little slower paced with the religious school year over, we do have some important events happening this week I want to make sure everything is set for. 

And a little bit later that same day..

there was enhancement of the garden with annuals (marigolds(safari queen),cosmos,coleus, morning glory), another Coreopsis and movement of the peony that had been overshadowed by the rhododendron.  All tomato plants (Brandywine, Sweet 100s, Patio, Best Boy) were moved to the wine barrel.  John nuked the vines and anything else that got in his way out back.  Em played some bball and Noah was off running with a pack of feral wild playful boys playing some elaborate game the rules of which I could not follow (and no pictures of them because damn they move fast!).  The ice cream man came.  There was cooking on the grill (classic:burgers and hotdogs). I bought some yummy tomatoes at TJ's. Oh and I refilled the little vase with more lily of the valley and pansies from the garden. And now, I am exhausted but happier than I've been in quite a few days.  I leave you with pictures from the afternoon in no particular order.  As always for full size/impact/glory click on the photos.

The end of the poison ivy road in sight?

I slept a great deal yesterday (having been restarted on higher doses of prednisone to eradicate the poison ivy reaction) and for the first time in at least two weeks slept through the night last night.  I have to say I had no idea that poison ivy could have this kind of effect on a person.  I've been miserable, missed work and other obligations and the "cure" has been tricky in that it seriously effects my insulin control.  I've got it under control and am finally responding to the steroids and was even able to take a 30 minute walk last night after dinner (I had to do something-I feel like a sloth).

Tropicana Sock #2 has benefited greatly from my downtime and I am just a few inches away from the toe.  Soon it will be time to decide what I will be knitting for my next pair of socks.  As much as I'd like to start something new, I think I will be a good girl and knit sock#2 of my Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Socks That Rock Bobble Socks.  #1 has been finished and patiently waiting for a mate for a few months now.

It was so much fun to knit and the socks are so pretty and fanciful that I think it's time to do it justice.  Of course, that means this isn't a simple sock knitting project that can be easily pulled out and worked on a row or two at a time (at least not by me!) but I have my Summertime Tunic to work on and that is very simple, knitting around and around and around.  My plan is for it to be my dvd watching, meeting going, waiting around project for the near future.

And I am also hoping to finish plying my singles today and getting a picture or two of them.  They are looking delightful.  I'm thinking that the next spinning I do will be with the 2 oz of cukoobatt I picked up on Etsy awhile ago. I think she has more and I probably should have asked for at least 4oz or even 6 so that I could make a fun floppy brimmed winter hat with it or something, but the singles might be fun by themselves.  I'm gonna experiment a little with how I draft and spin this.

While gardening is a subject that due to recent itchy events strikes some fear in my heart these days...I do want to mention that the flower beds are looking lovely and many of the newer perennials are returning and look lush.  I am especially pleased that last years new peony has done so well.  I plan to take pictures if I get out for that walk and John picked a bouquet of my favorite spring flower, lily-of-the-valley and it's in the small vase my friend Monte made for the kids to bring their moms handpicked posies for Mother's Day in (it's nice having a glass blower for a friend let me tell you!)

  Time to take a little rest and let the recuperation process continue.  I am feeling more and more like my self however.  Yay!

Oh merciful heaven..a knitting meme!!

My poison ivy reaction has reflared and I'm pretty miserable.  I'm also zning out on a full dose plus half of benadryl in the hopes I get some sleep, if not relief.  And so, via Knit and Purl Mama I prsent you with yet another fun knitting meme!

Bold for stuff you've done, Italics for stuff you plan to do one day,

and Normal for stuff you're not planning on doing.
Afghan
I-cord
Garter Stitch
Knitting with Metal Wire
Shawl
Stockinette Stitch
Socks: top-down

Socks: toe-up
Knitting with Camel Yarn
Mittens: cuff-up
Mittens: tip-down
Hat

Knitting with Silk
Moebius Band Knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop Stitch Patterns
Knitting with Recycled / Second Hand Yarn
Slip Stitch Patterns
Knitting with Bamboo Yarn
Two End Knitting
Charity Knitting
Knitting with Soy Yarn
Cardigan

Toy/Doll Clothing
Knitting with Circular Needles
Baby Items
Knitting with Your Own Handspun Yarn
Slippers
Graffitti Knitting

Designing Knitted Garments
Cable Stitch Patterns
Lace Patterns
Publishing a Knitting Book
Scarf

Teaching a Child to Knit
Knitting to Make Money
American/English Knitting
Buttonholes
Knitting with Alpaca
Fair Isle Knitting
Norwegian Knitting
Dying with Plant Colours
Knitting Items for a Wedding
Household Items (Dishcloths, Washcloths, Tea Cosies...)
Olympic Knitting
Knitting with Someone Else's Handspun Yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday Related Knitting

Teaching a Male How To Knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a Living
Knitting with Cotton
Knitting Smocking
Dying Yarn
Steeks
Knitting Art
Knitting Two Socks (or other small tubular items) on Two Circulars Simultaneously
Fulling/Felting
Knitting With Wool
Textured Knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/Bags

Knitting with Beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac Knitting
Maching Knitting
Knitting with SelfPatterning/SelfStriping/Variegating Yarn
Stuffed Toys

Knitting with Cashmere (wasn't 100% though)
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with Synthetic Yarn (yuck)
Writing a Pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with Linen
Knitting for Preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform Knitting
Short Rows
Cuffs/Fingerless Mitts/ArmWarmers
Pillows
Knitting a Pattern from an On-Line Knitting Magazine
Rug
Knitting on a Loom
Thrummed Knitting
Knitting a Gift
Knitting for Pets
Shrug/Bolero/Poncho

Knitting with Dog/Cat Hair
Hair Accessories
Knitting in Public

Random Malingering.

Well, I decided to keep myself benadryled into  minimal itching and much of the sleepy today.  I think I am improving but not fast enough for my liking!!  I really hope I can resume my hydro class at the Y on Monday (and get back to my 3-4X a week walking/treadmilling).  I'll be done with the prednisone by the end of the week end.  Of course, now John is covered in poison ivy and taking steroids as well.  Sigh.

There is joy in rainy,sleepy, Poisonivyville however, John had to see the doc and pick up his prescription and he stopped by Border's and bought me my eagerly awaited copy of Charmed Knits , written by Alison of Blue Blog fame!!  Yes!  An entire book of Harry Potter inspired knitting patterns!!  I am trying to hold strong and not start anything from this book until I at least manage to finish the tropicana socks .  However, I suspect the first item will be Errol (the owl) using some of my stash.  I also fully intend to knit myself a mismatched pair of Dobby socks.  I'd like to make a House Sweater for the fall as well, but no sweaters will be started until I manage to make the Summertime Tunic and more importantly finish John's Icelandic.

I am hoping to reread the entire series before Book 7 comes out in July.  This necessitates finding the series of course.  John promises to start hunting for me real soon now.

I can't afford it right now, but I am so happy that Beauty and the Beast one of my all time favorite tv series is beginning to be released on DVD.  Season 1 is already available and Season 2 will be out in July.  I was so addicted to this show it's embarrassing!  It had everything a fantasy geek of a 20-something year old (as I was at the time) could want: romance, pathos, cool underground gothy/victoriany/steam punky underworld and....Vincent.  Sigh. 

I managed to do a great deal of spinning the past couple of days.  I'm spinning some roving I got from KnitSpin back in November.  The colors remind me of rainbow sherbet ice cream and spun it all up-two bobbins of singles.  I began plying it last night and while I haven't taken any pics yet it's looking good enough to eat!  I'm fairly certain it is destine to be a winter beret of some sort but it may surprise me and become something else!  I'm about to start the heel on my tropicana sock and have knit about three inches on the Summertime Tunic. 

OK, one more restorative nap for me and then it's time to get ready for dinner and services!!  Here's hoping I get lots of knitting and spinning (and stay tuned: I may have rescued my "failed" wide-brimmed hat sewing project!) I'm hoping I have lots of pictures for you next update.

Summer Knitting Plans '07

Skeins Her Way  is having a contest on her blog and the rules on on the post linked to, please go there and mention you heard about it here!

My goals this summer are, I hope, manageable. 

1. Finish the Tropicana Socks.
2. Make at least one other pair of socks, probably two.
3. Finish the Summertime Tunic from the new issue of Interweave Knits.
4. Finish John's Icelandic so that he can wear it in the fall.
5. Pick one or two UFO from the stash and either finish or rip back to fiber for the stash.

Another Day. Another KAL.

John basically gave me (relatively) free reign to pick out my own Mother's Day gift and seeing as how I am a little "off" the garden these days I decided to postpone my typical trip to the local nursery and instead pick a knitting pattern and make something for me  (other than socks) now that I've lost so much weight.  I'd fallen in love with the Summertime Tunic in the latest Interweave Knits and so a trip to the local LYS was in order.  I still have not looked at anything in the magazine besides this pattern!  I didn't want to knit it up in DK and wanted to make it larger (to fit my..um..ample..um..girls) and roomier because I intend to wear it over a bathing suit or tank.  Happily we found K2Ctoo's, 2nd Time Cotton to be the perfect worsted weight substitute and in a lovely beachy colorway called Nantucket.  I cast on tonight and am already an inch in and happily knitting in circles-except for when I am itchy.  Nothing completely takes my mind off the itchy.  Sigh. Oh and the other neat thing is at only $6.50 a skein and 180 yards on each  it's a very reasonably priced tank at that!!  The fact that someone started a KAL is  just a bonus and I can't wait to see what other folks are doing.

Mama. Mother. Mom. Mommy.

Anne Lamott's latest collection of personal essays, Grace(Eventually):Thoughts on Faith is as perfectly crafted and astonishingly relevant as every other book she has written.  In an essay she titles, Chirren, she writes:

"...being a parent means you go through life with the invisible muzzle of a gun held to your head.  You may have the greatest joy you ever dreamed of, but you will never again draw an untroubled breath."

This is one of the truest statements I've ever read.  Being Emily and Noah's mother is probably the best thing in my life but no amount of pre-parenting homework prepared me for the fear that comes with being a parent.  One of the biggest struggles I have in life is balancing that fear with the need to allow my children to grow into healthy, happy and independent human beings.

Mother's Day is an odd sort of day.  I almost always work on Mother's Day because it falls on a Sunday and religious school is usually in session (albeit only until 12:45).  Today I actually had to leave a little early because of my ongoing battle with the evil poison ivy reaction, but I left the house a little before 7am for work and did not get the "breakfast in bed" treatment of Mother's Day fame!  I did however receive a planter from Emily, which she did a great job of decorating with ribbons of pink and green and planted with a white geranium.  Both kids picked flowers from outside to fill a small bud vase and this afternoon presented it to me with the cards they had made.  Noah's  was a mixture of Hebrew and English and tells me I am the best ima ever!  Emily, as always wrote me a long letter and also a line for each letter in the phrase "Mighty Mom" (one line reads "moves swiftly with a needle"- heh).  She ended the letter with this:

"I love you to the end of the solar system and all the way back to where ever you stand."

So, how sweet and wonderful is that?  Later today we'll be at a cook out a friend is hosting (and Grandma will be with us, because she's a mom too!) and in the meantime I plan to take more benadryl and sleep off more of this horrid allergic reaction.  Right now though, I am looking at the table in my bedroom which holds an African Violet, scented geraniums  and the plant and flowers from the  kids and I feel very blessed.

Knitter's Treat arrives and what a treat it is!!!

I was feeling somewhat glum this afternoon, given that I have essentially spent the past three days on a continuous (double) dose of benadryl, combined with rubbing the high-octane prescription steroid gel over my rapidly spreading poison ivy.  Oral steroids would help me get through this a lot quicker, but they are really not a good idea for diabetics as they cause the glucose levels to go very high.  In addition, steroids as a rule make you..I'm grasping for the clinical term here...ah, got it: "nutso".  The downside of the hazy,drowsy and sleepy world of benadryl is that after 3 days the brain is not pleased and you feel somewhat depressed and blah. 

Just as I was contemplating a good cry in John came in with the mail and it included a huge box from my Knitter's Treat Exchange pal who turns out to be a lovely woman in New Zealand!!  I was totally amazed at all the wonderful goodies it contained.  There was an assortment of bath and body lotions and soaps with lavender (one of my favorite fragrances), including sachets for my closet or drawers.  In addition there were too lovely lavender candles.  There was another assortment of sugar-free candies and I am, even as I type deciding between trying a piece of the mint dark chocolate or the orange dark chocolate....oh....yummy-I went with a taste of the orange dark chocolate and it was delicious.  The most amazing infuser pot for chai was included along with Morrocan Mint chai and Chai Nova.  It is stunning to look at (and is lime green, one of my favorite colors) will be put to use later today I promise you!  I was delighted with the stack of bright, vibrant fat quarters and seeing as how there was also a Japanese quilting book included I may already have a project in mind for them!  She also enclosed a magazine from New Zealand with healthy and very yummy looking food recipes (the Thai dishes look great!).  Finally, I was absolutely bowled over to find two skeins of sock yarn and not just any sock yarn, but amazing sock yarn! Vesper Sock Yarn  from Knitterly Things in a self-striping colorway called Sherbert which is so bright and cheery you can't help but smile. Brooklyn Handspun  hand dyed the other lovely merino superwash sock yarn I received and it is in a sublime and so beautiful colorway called Rusted Root.  I want to wind both of these up and start knitting now but will be strong and finish my Tropicana socks first. 

I really want to thank Kellie for making my day with this box of goodness, It was above and beyond anything I expected but more importantly I was truly touched by the amount of thought behind each item, because she really had to have read the blog and totally got my taste in every item enclosed.  Once again I am truly grateful for this wonderful fiber community we're all a part of!

Gardening is dangerous work.

Remember our foray into the little garden bed, overgrown with "weeds".  Apparently some of the weeds I tore out were poison ivy or sumac or something.  What started as a small rash on one arm has now invaded the rest of me.  My dermatologist is on the case and has prescribed high test cortisone gel and we're monitoring things but yech!

However, I managed to get some creativity in.  I worked on my Tropicana socks.  I made banana-pecan muffins (w/ Splenda).  I also altered a plain lime green tank top.  Now, the benadryl is kicking in and I'd better get to sleep.

No, no. I'm going about this all wrong.

I really, really, tried to knit the STR club yarn that arrived at the end of April in the actual pattern it came with with the actual method (toe-up on circs) recommended.  I ripped and started again when the sock was too big.  This morning I admitted defeat.  The sock is still too big, the pattern is off (and one of the gals on Lime and Violet had the right idea when she suggested it be knitted with "yo K2tog" instead of "P2tog") and the heel was horrible looking.  As the years go by I am getting better at ripping out and returning a yarn to the stash.  I ripped this out completely  and started a new sock, thinking I'd figure out a pattern after the cuff (needless to say I went down to size 1 DPNs). However, I suddenly realized that I am being foolish.  I have a finished sock in a lovely pattern that I knit up last summer.  It really needs a friend.  It's knit using a Magknit's pattern: Tropicana.  The yarn is from Sunshine Yarns and called Beach Day and is simply a perfect, fun summer color. Long story, a little shorter?  I'm giving myself a mental slap and starting that second sock today.  The STR yarns can wait and I do like the grasshopper pattern in general and so should wait until I have time to adapt it to my knitting style.  In the meantime, I will complete another pair of socks for the summer and then, if I remember and am very, very smart I will wind up my STR tube sock kit yarns (sock candy which is 96% cotton).  The colors are so cool and I cotton is great in the summer. My plan is to use the random stripe generator to assist me (although doing it in a Fibonacci sequence would be cool too.) I think this is all under the heading of "keep it simple stupid".

I did set myself a goal of having at least three finished pairs of socks by the end of July.  I have the Sunnydale bed socks all finished.  And one sock to go on the Tropicana so, three socks in 2.5 months is pretty easy.  Oh and John's Icelandic sweater.  It just needs one sleeve and a yoke.  Of course it's Spring now and he won't need to wear it until at least Fall, but still, I should actually finish it at some point.  I also have, somewhere in the stash, a tank I started ages ago.  The pattern was from Knitters and it was made up of strips of knitted fabric that would end up being seamed together into an asymmetrical top. The fun part was the fact that you could be random in the patterning of the strips and it's portability.  I want to have that finished before summer too.  Although, let's be real, I hate seaming things and the thought of 20 pieces of fabric needing the be joined is a little daunting.

However, today's goal is to pull out the Tropicana socks and get going on sock 2.

 

Random Yard Work.

I cleaned out a small neglected bed I had made several years ago in the back yard.  The only thing besides viney weeds that had survived were my chives.  I pulled and raked out all the unwanted plants and then added soil, manure etc. and even decided to be daring and planted some cheap tomatoe plants I picked up at WalMart (yikes, I felt guilty): Brandywine, Sweet 100s and Best Boy.  I also planted some lemon thyme and oregano and a few marigolds.  It cost me maybe $10 to fix it up and I then plopped a chair there and sat down a read for a little bit.  I also "hand" mowed (used a push mower, not a gasoline powered one) the entire lawn but avoided the violets in back. Phillip the fish (the lone survivor in my water garden last year) is back in the water garden.  My new peony seems to be sending out shoots!  The lavender is greening up.  Things are looking promising for the transplanted iris.

All this is to distract you from my lack of crafting progress today.

Lotta Rocks!!!

Lotta Jansdotter and her new book, Simply Sewing absolutely rock my sewing world.  I posted the tote and placemats I made the other day.  Tonight, I decided to try and take my mind of feeling so yucky and dug through my fabric stash for something to make her cafe apron with pocket with. I found a 1/4 yard of of a fun black and white canvas print I picked up somewhere and another 1/4 yard of something bright to complement it and voila! in less than two hours an apron I want to wear 24/7 I am so pleased with it!!

I think that tomorrow I will make either another simple tote or the cool picnic placemat pattern.  The mats are 20x15 and have pockets for utensils and ribbon on the end to roll and tie them up.  I want to make four, they'll be perfect when  we go to the beach. 

I also have a book by Francesca Denharthog called Sew What! Skirts. It doesn't use patterns (yay!) and has some wonderful ideas.  My plan is to first make Em and I some beach wraps for the  summer.

That's it for today.  I was really wiped out and just didn't do much.

Springy, spring, spring.

I'm feeling decidely unwell today but had a pleasant day yesterday.  I worked on my STR club socks and had two nature walks, one in the morning with my husband and another in the afternoon with my daughter.  This post is just an excuse to post some pictures from the day. (As always click on them for a larger and better look)