We Haz Bloomz!

Last Thursday afternoon on my way to a work-related presentation, I happened to walk down a street that is not usually included in my regular travels.  It was a blossomly lovely experience!  So I felt obligated to share ...

What a delicious fragrance!

pls ignore date stamp ...
i haz a mental block against
remembering to change it
when i recharge the camera's battery ...

Oh so pretty!

I don't like the smell of lilacs,
but the new blossom clusters are such a nice colour!

A few trees in blossom is probably no big news to folks in other parts of the world, but it is exciting to me ... only a week had passed since our last snow showers!  Here in "the north" (which is really the geographical centre of the province of BC, not the FAR north), it feels like spring/summer will NEVER get here, then you blink once and IT ALREADY ARRIVED!

Over the weekend, I also found blossomly loveliness in a few other places around and about my own neighbourhood ...

This tree (my apartment building is behind)
isn't the nicest shaped specimen ...
it was run over by a truck two years ago ...
poor thing ...
but the blossoms are SO PINK!

They look so nice ... a long row of them
right down the middle of the street!

These poor beauties are drooping
from the effects of an unexpected rain storm ...
So was I ... I got caught several blocks away from home
and without a sweater or jacket!

I have no idea what this prickly little bush is ...
but the blooms are interesting!

Real good crop of these indestructible beauties!
(They're going to populate the earth
along with cockroaches and earwigs
after the nuclear holocaust ...)
My Dad used to batter and deep fry the blooms ...
yummy!
We also ate the new greens in salad ...
double yummy!

There is a short cut that I often take on my way home which runs behind two churches, across a green belt, and comes out right beside my apartment building.  Here is the entrance to that short cut path ...

It was about 8:45-ish in the evening when I snapped the picture above.  There was a big steaming pile of VERY fresh bear poop at the other end of this path ... I didn't hang around to take a picture of THAT!  Didn't see the bear that left the "deposit", but guess I'll stay away from this short cut on any early morning / late evening walks now!  Foolish of me to walk there at that hour ... I knew there had been a bear in the neighbourhood just a few days earlier.  Mizz Bootz was quite excited to see it from our balcony!  She spent an hour racing between our bedroom window and our balcony door trying to see it again after it disappeared, and was "chattering" and gnashing her teeth like a deranged Siamese cat all the while!

Here is the cross-stitch picture of the winged lion I have been working on.  Now that I've "de-stressed" myself, I'm finding it hard to focus on this project!  I know ... totally weird ... I can focus on counted cross stitch when I'm over-tired and over-stressed, but not when I'm relaxed and healthy!

This past week has been graduation/convocation time for a variety of people in my work and personal life.  I was delighted to attend one of the ceremonies at UNBC as "rent-a-mom" for one of this year's graduates.  Being back around the academic community makes me wish I was a university student again.  Maybe I will be ... I haven't totally abandoned ideas of completing my Master's degree ... but for now, I'm enjoying a non-academic Aromatherapy program (in my spare time).

Do you have a "bucket list"?  My list of things I want to do/learn/experience before I die is SO LONG that I'm either going to run out of lifetime or have to live to 120+ to accomplish everything!  I think I should retire soon so I can devote more time to my bucket list!

Falling Leaves

Have I mentioned this is one of my FAVOURITE LYSes these days???  If not, let me mention so now!  They have an ever-growing selection of goodies for yarnaholics like me (yes, I confess this openly!) and are just plain fun to visit.  And visit I did yesterday afternoon.

Check them out on Facebook ...

 You see, these fun and very wise people give their customers these wonderful cards ...

Two 'smooches' towards my next big project already!

 I've been knitting socks all summer and fall, collecting 'smooches' bit by bit, and finally decided to use my 20% off for enough Galway Heather wool to do a cozy cardigan for myself.  (Sorry, no pix of the wool ... camera battery sputtered out ... next time!)  The Galway is a lovely stormy turquoisy blue.  Not as dark or grey as these clouds ... more like a clear but broody lake at the beginning of winter.

Ah!  The colours!  The golds and greens!
My FAVOURITE time of year!

 This has been a SPLENDID October!  A nice gradual slide into freezing temperatures accompanied by a GLORIOUS display of autumn colours.

This pix is looking from my 3rd floor balcony ...
geraniums still blooming bravely a week ago  ...
cottonwoods turning to gold in the distance.

 After a few nights of minus 5 degrees there isn't quite so much colour to admire.  Leaves are dropping fast.

One single marigold on my balcony ...
poor brave little thing just won't quit!
Looks like Rhonda the Flamingo is saying
"time to fly south, you foolish little flower!"

As always, I've truly enjoyed my little balcony garden ... especially the fresh herbs ... all summer and fall, but it's officially finished now.

Lemon Balm can't survive minus 0 temperatures.

While I look forward to cooler temperatures (can't imagine any more how I ever survived Okanagan Valley summers!), Miss Boots is NOT a fan of the chill ...

Hey!  What's that mysterious lump under that afghan?

Miss Boots:  "Do you mind?  It's warm and cozy under here!"

Every fall, I admire the autumn colours and wish for some creative way to capture their glory and preserve it to enjoy during other seasons.  I can't paint, so that's out.  I've tried quilting with little pieces of autumn colours ... but truth be told, I'm not that big of a fan of tiny fabric pieces, especially when it comes to matching corners perfectly!  I've thought about knitting, but have never been able to come up with a suitable design to do all the amazing shades of autumn justice.

Until yesterday.

Did I mention that my latest favourite LYS is above a book store???  How convenient (for bookaholics like me)!!!  Even better, said book store has a delightful little coffee shop!  Naturally, after spending my 20% off upstairs, I HAD TO stop downstairs for a gander at the books and a refreshing soy chai.    

I found (and of course bought) this book.
Yes, I have a rather large knitting library ...
and yes, it keeps growing!
Yarnaholic/bookaholic, remember?

I happened to flip the book open to a random page, and this is what I saw ...

Fair Isle knitting designs BASED ON AUTUMN LEAVES!!!

This really is a great book.  Not only is the author a Shetland Islands "local" with "inside" understanding of Fair Isle knitting ... she has included all kinds of fabulous technical information, including tackling those frightening steeks.  I'm really looking forward to exploring me some Fair Isle knitting ... but alas! It will have to wait for my next completed 20% off card.  I still have a few pair of socks to knit, and, of course, my Galway wool cardigan.  I also have an Aromatherapy course to finish over the next two months, and that includes a research paper and final exam.

This working for a living seriously gets in the way of all the fun things I'd rather be doing!

Miss Boots:  "Seriously, hu-mom!  This studying and stuff
sure gets in the way of all the fun things I'd rather be doing!"

Cheers, y'all!