New Knowledge

When turkey buzzards are roosting, they do so with their wings spread.  They used to hang out on a creepy dead tree near my house that has since been cut down.  I'm glad to see they have found a new if not as aesthetically pleasing home.  They are, in fact, one of the many banes of Liza Jane's existence as she believes they will be attacking our home at any moment.

 There are flowering trees that I have never seen in my life.

I pass this view every day on my way to work.  It wasn't until I walked the route that I even realized it was there.  The field belongs to the local private university.  The distance almost makes this 'burg look like a lovely place.

A woman down the road has two chickens in a little house.  While adorable, I question whether those chickens have enough room in life.  The turkey buzzards are no doubt wondering if they have a key hidden under the mat.

The same neighbor has two cats that pose well together in the morning sunlight.

The same cannot necessarily be said for this guy.

I've managed to get at least 5 miles of daily walking for the last week or so.  I am  pleased.  Things I have learned from this are:

• I've been wearing shoes that are too small.
• The product "New Skin" for blister prevention is my new best friend.
• If you find yourself out of "New Skin", vaseline also keeps the toes from bumping into each other.
• I can't really concentrate on an audiobook when walking in new places.
• My new second choice for the desert island book is The Count of Monte Cristo
• I'm not sure what my first choice is, but I'm not ready to commit to one.
• Once you get up at 6:00 am every morning to walk five miles, sleeping in until 9:00 am and taking care of household chores seems like a vacation.
• Unless you are a cheater pants on fire, you must remove the fitbit flex when spinning (as well as knitting)  I am not a cheater pants on fire. 

 I attended the support spindle workshop at Natural Stitches on Sunday.  Why yes, I did drive all alone into the big city.  And when I drove home, I didn't even need a map to get out!

Here's what I have to keep reminding myself-  you draft to let the existing twist travel to the fiber.  You don't draft and then spin the twist into it.  In spite of repeating this to myself 742 times, it's still something I'm working on wrapping my brain around.  Also for a little while it hurt my brain to watch the process while flicking and spinning.  I had to practice with my eyes closed.  The other 3 workshop attendees (who seemed to have a good bit more spinning experience than I did) did not need to do so.  I can see where it will take time to get better.  The support spindle is less frustrating to me than the drop spindle and less crazymaking than  an actual spinning wheel.  It might be a stepping stone or I may have arrived at my spinning boundary with it.

Pinterest continues to be a source of inspiration and entertainment.  I made this with a collection of rings that no longer fit my sausage fingers.  It looks like the one in the picture except a few of my rings are deformed and unround from beating on drums.

I feel like I've done a lot for the first full week and a half of summer vacation.  I hope the trend continues. This weekend I am going to a meditation retreat (ha ha- typed medication at first) with BFFAmber. There will be chanting.  I may be opposed to chanting (ha ha typed changing!)  That remains to be seen.  I am also thinking a lot about crocheting and granny squares.  There are so many kinds and some of them are so beautiful.... and so hard!

Today, however, is household chore day which includes trying to figure out what clothes I have and how to store them in such a manner that I don't forget about them.  I'm one of those people that has to see what I have to know it exists.  

Thus ends summer update The Two.  Thanks for sticking around.  Also, thanks for the encouraging walking words.  I'm talking to you Suzanne of Minou's Minute!