Half done things and some more fall pretty

I have one of the fingerless mitts done. Need to weave in a couple of ends and find buttons. I cast on tonight for the second one and have 26 rows done while at the Barony Business Meeting. Having my fingers wrapped up in needles and yarn didn't keep me from active participation, much to the chagrin of some people I'm sure. ;-)

My Spring Green Mitts(you'll get to see what Ravelry is like, if you aren't a member):

Pre-soak and blocking

Blocked out. I did it at an angle and now, looking at this may have to re-do it.

I'm also more than half way towards 50,000 stitches on my Hitofude. I do have pics, but I'll save that for tomorrow I think and another update.

While letting Leeloo outside this afternoon, the sun shining through the remaining leaves caught my eye. Their glow. I don't think the camera fully caught it:

Caught a squirrel in this one ;-)

Some Fall Color and a little bit about books

Have popped my head outside in the backyard a few times this last week, during the rain breaks. ;-)

The Sunset Maple, we got it for the colors for fall. Red-orange, or sunset colored:

You can see some of the leaves are their normal dark purple color, but then it turns yellow-orange. It's been fun watching it grow over the years:

I bought this at the Norm Thompson sample sale a few weeks ago. I love owls and this was quirky. Trying to get enough sun during the day to recharge the solar cells. Did you know that some solar cells don't charge on cloudy days? They truly need "sun" to charge. It's a little green light when it does come on at night.

Isn't he fun?

Looking over the roof to the front yard, you can see the two sweet gums on either side of the driveway. I think its funny how they change at different rates. This is the one on the left side of the driveway as you look at the house:

The one on the right side of the house. It's always behind the others in the cul de sac:

The nasturtiums went into hibernation when I forgot to water the box. With all the rains, they popped up and went green and have been throwing out blooms and being all cheerful. I love that they reseed themselves and return each year.

No comments about the sweater posts, but I have one or two that I'll write up and post along with another new project.

I have been an avid reader since grade school. Family will tell you that I was often found deep within the pages of a book. I've had problems reading the last couple of months. It's really weird. Authors that have usually sucked me into their world I've struggled to read their books. I'm at 75% for my goal of 100 books for the year. I've had books that I've had to return to the library unread because of struggling to finish a book. A couple of times I admit I just gave up and left it as something to possibly be read in the future. Others, have been put back on request to be read.

Have you ever had this problem? Does anyone pay attention to the little bookshelf over on the right? Read any of these books? Did you know if you hover over the book it will show the review I gave it?

Sunday Afternoon

I contemplated giving Mike a call and saying I wasn't going to make it to the Grange Initiation this afternoon so I could spend a quiet lazy Sunday afternoon plying the cormo/silk. The boys were going to be gone so it would just be me and the dogs. Instead, I was a good girl. ;-) I got dressed and ventured forth to find the Forest Grove Grange - the hosting grange.

Upon arrival I learned that I was the *only* initiate to show up. All these people that had spent time setting things up and decorating and also taking time out of their Sunday afternoon and I was the only person to show up. Very humbling. So because I was there, things went on. There were four levels that we progressed through marching counter-clockwise round the Grange and then a special fifth. We started around 1:30 and wrapped up just before 5pm. My left knee wasn't too happy by the middle and by the end of the afternoon my left hip was sharing its displeasure.

Sorry, I was sworn to secrecy about the actual proceedings and I'm honoring that. It was very interesting and fits in well with spinning and all the animals involved with acquiring the source for spinning. ;-)

Afterward we adjourned downstairs to their basement for a potluck provided by everyone, but me. As an initiate I wasn't obligated to bring anything. Deviled eggs and sandwiches, sub sandwich, an apple-raisin salad, tomatoes and freshly made hot or cold apple cider. By that time all that marching around had worked up a pretty good appetite. ;-)

So this wouldn't be a picture free post, I took photos of some of the trees in the backyard and their progress in showing fall colors:

Maple tree & Hazelnut orchard over fence; mini-chyrsanthemum (snowball); Grape arbor with blueberries and honeberries

Japanese Maple; Dragon bush and Ginko tree; Maple trees

Last fall about this time I made a couple of felted pumpkins. One went to Tiggywinkleknits and one I kept for myself. The one I kept is being shown off by the designer as a remembrance of  the pattern creation.