A storm, groceries and art

I dropped off mail behind the Post Office and picked up my online grocery order.  It is always an adventure to see what they are out of...this week it was ham, dish soap, a cheezy bacon dip and Cara Cara oranges.  Everything was disinfected and put into our own grocery bags...I take ice bags along for the small sub zero cooler and an insulated grocery bag.  This was my 18th online order...my computer printout keeps track of such things.

I headed over to Goose Poop Park...my timing was perfect as it had rained the night before...a heavy rain so most of the goose poop was gone!  ( they had 75 mph winds in town...lots of leaves down and a few branches and one tree that landed on NJ's new pickup...ouch)

There are five new sculptures in the park and three new ones downtown.   Since downtown is a tourist trap I will wait to photograph those sculptures after the tourists leave.  There were several bikers that came by on the trail...I just walked in the grass most of the time I was there...staying far away from everyone.  It was sad to see that the Little Library that used to be there was gone.

Goose Poop Park

This one is called "Dimentomorph"  

If you ask me it looks like a leaf on a stool.  What do you think it looks like?  

Oh well...

I had a nice stroll through the park and was on my way to pick up Far Guy when he called for a ride...so it all worked out! 

A branch at Goose Poop Park.

We got 1 and 4/10 inches of rain at our house, it was very windy.  Some leaves were down.  The storm hit about 2:30 AM...it was thundering and lightening almost constantly.  The power went out a couple of times but always came back on.  I watched the trees sway in the wind for awhile and then read until the storm passed.

Far Side

Off Track

I got off track yesterday.  Yes I got my two ornaments wood carved and made the ornament list for 2020...so I can check them off one by one.  I painted a few ornaments after wood burning names and dates on them....I may paint them differently..still pondering that.  I need a small paint booth and Far Guy is helping me with that.

It was very warm in the late afternoon, I came in from outside and started watching some old episodes of Little House on the Prairie...Christmas episodes...well that got me thinking about the Christmas Card for this year.  It needed to be  stamped...it is a tri fold design so it has four stamps.  This is a sneak peek at one side...it will be colored and glittered and the blank part of this side will be cut away to help reveal the other stamped parts.

Well the Misti that I bought last winter sure came in handy...it stamps in the same exact place every time (it is idiot proof)...I did  7 or 8 to begin with...it will give me something to color.  I must find a Christmas Box to put these in...since I am a box hoarder that should not be a problem! Major production on the cards will begin some day...I need more watercolor paper and a thinner bone folder.

I had a stamp I had never tried...so I had to try that one too!  Sheaves of wheat and a pumpkin and some vines...very fallish.

I missed nap time...before I knew it ...it was time to pack up my stuff and clear it off the table for supper....our garden lettuce and  a freezer meal...a Chicken Enchilada for Far Guy and a Vegetable/Hamburger Hotdish for me.   That was the last of the Chicken Enchiladas...so one cooler day I will make up another pan...cook once and eat several times!

Far Side

Unexpected gifts

I got  a box from Wyoming!  Always fun to get something unexpected!!

Long time blogging friend Nancy mailed me a hanging kitchen towel and two dishrags!  Thank you so much! Nancy is a marvelous crafter...she knits and quilts...mostly Quilts of Valor for Veterans.

We got a text message yesterday afternoon inviting us to a social distancing supper with friends.   We ate outside on their back deck... that overlooks their pasture.  It was a perfect evening to be outside. We enjoyed brats and lettuce greens from their garden and some delicious rhubarb kuchen.

We even got in some dog time!

Buddy was happy to see us too!
Far Side

Small stuff

The smaller Milkweed is blooming. 

I believe this is Asclepias ovalifolia or Oval leafed Milkweed...it is one of the first Milkweeds to bloom.   I saw some Monarch Butterflies...and will go check for eggs soon...the Common Milkweed was in bud.   Its thick leaves have lots of food for larvae.  Milkweed is a host plant for the Monarch larvae.   The eggs laid on the leaves begin as tiny tiny black balls.

I mowed most of our lawn before it rained just enough tiny drops to be called rain.

Scrumbles...that is what the small pieces are called in freeform crochet..  I am watching some videos...it is all very interesting.

I have finished with phase one and two of the milk can project.  Jen turned up her nose and gagged when she encountered the project last weekend.  Phase three is almost done and then phase four can begin...then maybe even phase five...then six...it will take me all summer.  I am still not certain I can do it all...but I am giving it a whirl!

I did not wood carve yesterday...I am behind on my goal of two ornaments a day.  Thinking I will woodburn the names and date on these ornaments...I can do that outside...before I paint them...I have to do a sample.

I tell you what...if I didn't have lots of projects in the works during this isolation...I am certain I would go nuts or worse yet drive someone else nuts!

Far Side

Just one

Just one Lupine bloomed this year.  Here in Minnesota at least in our wild gardens the Lupines can die out from the frost heaves during the winter or freeze in early spring...I have see a number of seedlings in early spring and then a freeze will take them out.

So we appreciate this bloom ever so much as it was the only one!

We had a quiet Sunday, we listened to church, we carved on the Christmas Ornaments and I took care of some weeds.  I did some laundry and in the late afternoon I watched Ride like A Girl on Netflix...a wonderful show I enjoyed very much...I give it a 9 out of 10 stars...my kind of show!

I crocheted for awhile, I have several projects going at once...which for me is not always a good thing especially if I am watching TV and they all use different stitches...sometimes my fingers don't get the correct message from my brain.

Far Guy made supper;  BLT's fruit and potato salad.

Last winter when I was checking out the canned goods in the pantry apparently I missed a can of sauerkraut...who knew that just one can could go that bad and mess up a shelf and be so smelly.  I checked the expiration date...2011...that was certainly on the shelf for more that one pantry clean up.

Far Side