Guest Post

"Hi!  My name is Boots.  I am guest blogging today."

"I and my human live in an apartment
on the third floor of a building.  That's our
balcony ... the interesting one."

"Sometimes our balcony feels a bit like
a prison.  La sigh!"

"My human grows some stuff for me
on our balcony ... like these tasty
sunflower plants."

"Most of the time, I enjoy our balcony.
I can manage any wildlife or humans
that trespass in our back yard from
the comfort of home!
But sometimes, I feel like expanding my horizons."

"My human grows some stuff up high
on our balcony railing ... and it might be tasty."

"I don't know why my human frowns when
I jump up to check it out ... do you?"

Getting excited!

July 3 today ... 3 more sleeps (until launching off on my innovative European vacation)!  Hope you're going to follow my adventures!

So how was YOUR long weekend?

Cloudy / rainy here.

 The Boots and I enjoyed balcony time together and caught up on our reading.

"Hey!  Get your thumb outta the way ...
I'm still on that page!"

Sometimes I really need a couple of quiet days to just hang out on the balcony with La Feline.  It recharges my batteries!

I did manage to get myself dressed and out once over the weekend ... took myself on a Saturday night movie date. What a waste of money and time! "That's My Boy" ... an Adam Sandler thing. I find Adam Sandler's brand of humor thoroughly obnoxious. Had I realized he was in it, I would NOT have bothered ... I bought my ticket based on a brief synopsis about "a teenaged father reuniting with his grown son" ... thought it sounded like an interesting story line. NOT!  I have to admit, however, inflicting this movie on myself was my own fault.  Usually I take the time to check out movie trailers on line and read multiple reviews before heading out to the theatre.  That will teach me not to be spontaneous (in the movie-going department)!



Then, just to add insult to injury on Saturday, I missed the last bus of the evening and ended up WALKING HOME. I don't mind an hour long walk, but after NOT enjoying a movie date with myself, wasn't such a happy camper. Of course, once I got home, I was AWAKE and energized ... not a good state to be in after 11 pm!



I guess The Boots was too busy reading (and snuggling) to cause further gardening havoc.

What's left of our lettuce is growing well ...
I'll re-seed the middle of this pot AGAIN this week
(shhh!  Don't tell Bootsie!)

I have no idea what this happy little plant is
in the planters on my balcony railing ...
but it is sure PURTY!!!

I just heard there's a weekly Scrabble thing happening at our local book store ... YES!  I've been feeling Scrabble deficient lately.

Cheers!

End of June

Our province has been experiencing sporadic but significant rain and spring run-off at the same time, so there are floods and danger of floods all over the place.  My heart goes out to anyone who is negatively impacted by rising waters.  I remember catfish swimming in the ditch beside our driveway when I was a little girl, and that was scary enough!  (Later, we found dead catfish in our alfalfa field ... my Dad figured they tried to take an overland route back to the river cuz our alfalfa field wasn't ever under water.)

Although there have been homes evacuated around our city, Miss Boots and I are safe and dry as we live well uphill of any running water.  The rain combined with some great sunshine has contributed to blooms on my balcony!

Planter boxes on the balcony railings.
(Yes, I know ... that date stamp thing is wrong
... yet again!)

These little geraniums are the MOST VIViD
and brilliant happy SCARLET!

 Other stuff is growing well too ...

Thanks to my 'kitty deflectors', the Sweet
Peas are finally prospering!

The Parsley and Thyme is finally producing
enough to contribute to my kitchen.

Even the Sunflowers are starting
to shoot up!

 Yes, I overplanted ... that's way too many Sunflowers for one plant pot.  But there was a reason ...

... a very good reason like "WHERE DID ALL THE LETTUCE SPROUTS GO?"

Hmmm ... wreckage ...

"Whaddya mean 'DID I DIG UP THE LETTUCE AGAIN'?
I'm GARDENING here ... don't you get that, hu-mum?"

"Now PUSS OFF!  Cuz I'm going to have a NAP
in my garden!"

 Life with La Feline is sure never dull!

So I've been having fun planning my innovative European vacation.  Departure date is Friday July 6!

I had a tough time decided exactly where to start, and finally settled on SPAIN.  I've been brushing up on my Espanol in preparation ... ¿Dónde está el baño?  Cuánto cuestan estas agujas de tejer?  ... I'll be blogging as I travel, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, I have a CRAZY work week happening ... 2 staff members away on holidays at the same time (who was IDJIT that allowed THAT to happen?!?!?!), a Board meeting, a monthly newsletter to get out, and so on.  If i didn't already, now I REALLY NEED A VACATION!

Happy July Long Weekend, y'all!

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!

Mysteries solved

No, the mystery of my dead home computer has not yet been solved.  Well, it sort of has ... I know how much it's going to cost to repair it, and I'm now in the throes of contemplating buying a new laptop instead of having the repairs done.  So I'm posting via a friend's computer.

Today's mysteries are:

1. WHO KILLED JOHNNY JUMP-UP?
2. HOW AM I GOING TO SATISFY MY SUMMER ICE-CREAM CRAVING?
3. WHAT DISH SHALL I USE TO TAKE MY FIG/ONION/CHEVRE DIP TO TONIGHT'S PARTY?

Serious stuff, oui?  Oui!

First, WHO KILLED JOHNNY JUMP UP?

I have never had this happen before!  Normally, I start a bunch of Johnny Jump Ups, and a few months later, I curse both their longevity and productivity.  These guys simply could not have just up and died, so I want to know ... WHO DONE IT?  A Murder Mystery right on my own balcony!  Was it ...

... the BUTTERFLY hovering next to the corpse?  Or was it ...

... TOMMY THE TURTLE from down in the Basil Fields?  Or was it ...

... MAEVE THE MOOSE from over in the Norfolk Pine Forest?  Or was it ...

... the ANGEL lurking in the Rosemary bushes?  Or was it ...

... LARRY THE LOUNGING LIZARD down on his sunny rock?  Or was it ...

... HUMPER AND THUMPER THE BUNNY BROTHERS over by the Chives?  Or was it ...

... RHONDA AND RHODA THE FLAMINGO SISTERS from Sweet Pea Corner?  Or was it ...

... MISS BOOTS ON THE BALCONY WITH A WATERING CAN???

Hmmm . . . . . . . .

Second, HOW AM I GOING TO SATISFY MY SUMMER ICE-CREAM CRAVING?  Since I grow less tolerant of lactose with each passing year, AND I seriously love my ice cream during these hot summer evenings, this is a MAJOR mystery.

Well!  I did better at solving this one than the previous mystery.  I found this stuff ...

Oops ... sorry!  Fuzzy photo!  I was so excited about getting it open and chowing down when I snapped this picture.  This stuff is make out of COCONUT MILK ... nothing in it to disagree with me, and it tastes DARNED FINE!  Mystery solved!

FINALLY, WHAT DISH SHALL I USE TO TAKE MY FIG/ONION/CHEVRE DIP TO TONIGHT'S PARTY?  Serious mystery, folks, honest!  This is a VERY yummy dip, and not just any old dish will do!  I'd been pondering on this mystery for days.  Well!  I happened to be out of my office for a meeting this afternoon, and noticed this delightful little dish in a shop window on my way back to work after the meeting ...

Mystery solved!  It's perfect!

Okay, now I have to go get myself bee-oo-tee-ful for the party.  Laters . . . . . . . .