Global Warming

It was 50 degrees here today. Hooray for global warming. At least that's what I say til the poisonous snakes and giant insects from the southlands move in here. And 50 degrees also means black flies will be with us shortly. The husband and I placed bets on when we'll hear our first wood frogs--historically Not in March. More like right around April vacation. But it's supposed to be in the 40s this week, the ice is going fast and frogs are a possibility. I've seen them emerge and float among icebergs.

Remember James Herriot? All Creatures Great and Small? I have re-read all of his books in the past three or four weeks and am now on his illustrated book about Yorkshire. If I could beam myself anywhere right now, it would be there. The pictures were all taken in the 70s, which doesn't seem that long ago, but good Lord, it really was. Ah well, at least if I can't travel, I can watch the TV series through Netflix. Time travel + armchair travel = cheap vacation.

Rediscovered contra dancing this weekend. Good fun. Again, more time travel, this time back to colonial days. I sense a theme.

The chickens have turned into criminals--trespassing left and right. They have started sprinting across the field behind our house to the neighbor's whose leaf pile seems to have some narcotic hold on them. The boys have had a workout herding chickens home. The sight of six chickens streaking across the field is better entertainment than the Oscars. Never an Oscar lover, though, I find most things are. Are my chickens turning into vagrants like some guinea fowl I know?

In the knitting department--am on my fourth pair of socks since Christmas. I'm using Misti Alpaca (merino, alpaca, silk and nylon). It's looovely.

A Few Knitting Photos

I finally have photos of my pinwheel sweater which I hope doesn't make me look like a walking bull's eye. I am wearing it to death because it's warm, funky, and soft. I no longer fear short row shaping, I can tell you that.

Here's the shell scarf I'm giving my sister for Christmas/Chanuka aka the Annual Gift Exchange. It's made of Ball and Skein either merino and silk or alpaca and silk. I've lost the label, but any way you fondle it, the yarn is softer than butter.
I also finished my second gecko, this one for a little friend of ours. It's almost too cute to send. It's from a Morehouse Merino pattern and is fairly mindless tv knitting. I learned how to make pockets from this project, though, so it's best not to zone out completely.

Time Flies and So Does the Snow

I can't believe it's November and I haven't posted since last spring. Time flies as they say. And what fun we had this summer and fall. We spent two weeks in paradise, also known as Perrydise, also known as Perry, Maine in late July. The weather was pretty bad, but we didn't care. We had a snug little cabin overlooking the water, complete with woodstove, which we fired up. The boys weren't as interested in dam building and rock skipping as they were last year. Instead they were into daredevil biking that involved pretty much freefalling down the biggest hill they could find. The trail started in the woods, then fell sharply into a field. They took advantage of gravity until my younger son wiped out in a spill worthy of wide world of sports "agony of defeat" footage. After that we biked more moderately.

I forgot to mention the birding in my original post (those of you reading this for the first time wouldn't know that). We had phenomenal birds here, including Nelson's saltmarsh sparrow, otherwise known as the hissing bird. Warblers were moving around in family groups (predominantly black throated green and redstarts), and there were irrupted finches including white winged crossbills. Shorebirds were just starting to arrive. We watched bald eagles several days (like having our own bald eagle channel). Also had various flycatchers, including alder. Highly recommend this spot for avid birders.

I love my new teaching job. I like working with GT students, I like the autonomy and flexibility of being on the road, I like helping other teachers, and I especially like being able to pee when I need to. It has given me a new lease on my professional life. It's not without challenges. I am not connected to a staff. Sometimes I feel like I don't know what's going on in the buildings. But mostly I don't care about those things and if lunch is quiet, I remind myself that I am not correcting bags of work every weekend. Shhh. I'm afraid someone will find out and make me start again.

We built a porch this fall, which I hoped to show you, but I'm having trouble uploading the picture. It was sort of a leap of faith that we plan to stay, at least for a season, to enjoy it. But we have a history of porch building and leaving. It's been the kiss of departure for two buildings now. Hopefully we'll be able to work things out so we can stay here a while longer. Work issues are what would uproot us. Vibing for good work for good pay.

Today we had noticeable snow flurries, bitter winds, and all in all midwinter conditions here, yet we haven't even had Thanksgiving! Where is the windmill when we could really profit from it? Winter snuck up so fast this year that I haven't done the usual boot sorting and snowpant purging that I usually do. Playing catch up now.

I have been knitting Morehouse Merino geckos for the boys. They are adorable and easy. Still working on a shell-patterned lace scarf from Barbara Walker's second stitch treasury. The yarn is merino-silk from Ball and Skein in Vermont. Lovely stuff. Itching to make another foliage hat out of my second ball of Malabrigo and/or a Center Square hat (both knitty patterns). I also finished the blessed pinwheel sweater, which I have been wearing to death. I ditched the pattern and had to cut and sew to make it work, but all in all it's not bad and I learned many valuable things. Among them are picot edgings, short row shaping, and to trust myself enough to freewheel something when it's not working. Not that this sweater will *ever* win any awards at the State Fair, but I like it. The yarn is buttery soft (though already pilling) and warm, lovely in lace and texture patterns, but the folks at Crystal Palace would be well advised to pull the pinwheel pattern.

And finally, one political note. I am, for once, proud of America. For once we have done the right thing and elected someone who I think is a good man with the right vision. I'm ashamed of Maine's latest bout of public racism, yet sadly not surprised. I have heard some sad things from my kids at school. They have no exposure to people of color here, especially in central Maine, and apparently no one to stand up and counter their misperceptions with tolerance. I guess I know what I need to do. But still I'm hopeful for the first time in eight years. So here's to new hope in the world and to peace in the new year.