Garden before

Before we left for our vacation to Trinity our garden was looked like this ...

Keep bees and save the planet

On the second Monday of every month, Thomas and I attend the Sonoma County Bee Keepers Association meeting. The association is meant to help new or would be beekeepers find resources, support, and education. If you are thinking about being a beekeeper you are in the right County. There is a great deal of support. Just make the decision, after all keeping bees is a way to save the planet.

What is on my needle

Of course if you know me, these are just some of the projects I am working on... yes you can say I am not a monogamous knitter.

In progress: Seascape Stole by Kieran Foley knitted on Kidlin.


In progress: This is the first sock project of the Sock Club Class at Cast Away yarn store. I am almost done with one sock, but am struggling with the second. My Seaweed socks are knitted in Malabrigo sock yarn. This yarn feels like soft velvet in your hands.



Finished: Ysolda's Ishbel knitted on Fiddlesticks wool/silk lace weight yarn.

I made this shawl much larger than the pattern suggested. I just added another AB chart repeat.

Looking at the SUN in a different light.

Today on Science Friday they had a guest scientist talking about the sun. It was a great show. Curious to see what they were talking about on the radio I found the following video on the ScienceFriday.com website.

Flowers

I Love flowers. So one of my favorite things to do is walk through neighborhoods and take pictures. Most of the time people are cool with it. Only once I had someone stare me down from their front window. Once they saw my long lens pointed at their rose bush they smiled.

Critters

On hot days the bees remain outside the hive for a while until the temperature cools. They like the hive to be 93 degrees Fahrenheit. If it is a cold day they cluster into a ball and on a hot day they spread out.

Perfect landing every time!

These guys needed some privacy but I couldn't stop looking.

Praying mantis require good vision for hunting; that is possible due to their binocular field of vision and their flexible head movements. Can you see him staring at you. Yah you.

I think this one is a swallowtail butterfly.

This dragon fly visited our garden last year. It was a lucky photo shot. One click he was there a second later he was gone.

June come and went in a flash

Wow, next week June will come to an end.

I greeted this month in Ashland OR. As part of my visit I wanted to check out the local dog park. More curiosity led us (Quin, M and I) to find this creek. A hidden treasure behind the dog park.

This year I have made a commitment to shop second hand. The blouse that I am wearing cost me $2.99 at the local thrift in Ashland.


As soon as school ended I pulled my sewing machine out of it's case and started quilting. This summer I am taking a garment sewing class at the JC. My idea of fun before RN school starts in August. My grandmother Adela was a talented seamstress and for years I watched her work. Now I feel her presence when I am sewing.


This month we attended a memorial for the Ocean and a protest march. It was a sad evening for me and one full of reflection.

We celebrated several birthdays at M&P's. Arthur, K&D's baby, is now one year old. Happy Birthday!

Another addition to the long arm photography club.

I have been attending a 40 hour Medical Interpreter course through the St. Joseph's system. Very cool stuff. I had forgotten the word for gallbladder (vesicula), good thing I took this class. With my certificate of completion in hand, I am safe and ready to interpret for Spanish speaking patients. If I want to get certified I would need a much longer course, but this is a great start.

Last night on my way home from jamming apricots with a friend, I stopped on the side of the road to take this picture. I had no tripod so was lucky to get a decent full moon shot.