I’ve done it again

It’s again been weeks since I posted. I guess the reality is that when I’m not weaving, I don’t make writing a blog post a priority. And I haven’t woven anything since the last post. Nothing planned, no warp wound, nothing beamed. Naked looms. And I’m okay with that, at least for now.

With no shows, I don’t have a clue how I’m going to sell all the things I already have woven, so the impetus to weave new things just isn’t there. Yes, I want to weave some fabric just for me, things I will make into garments for myself, but really? I already have plenty of clothes. I don’t need anything more. In fact, I need to weed out my closet and drawers. Again. So once more, the impetus to weave isn’t there. The biggest driver is the yarn stash. Yarn and yarn and yarn.

The only thing I’m absolutely sure of is that I do not want my kids to get stuck with all of this – raw materials or finished products – years from now. So I have to make a plan. And I don’t have one yet. Sigh. The never-ending dilemma, right?

I have managed to get some more completed products up in my Etsy store, but again, taking decent photos, sitting at my computer to clean up backgrounds, and writing descriptions doesn’t excite me, so it’s going much more slowly than is good.

Anyway, here are some fun photos. Check out this cool painted concrete stairway I found on one of my morning walks.

I do have a set of 3 outdoor stairs, but I don’t know that I’m anywhere near ready to take on this project. Maybe I could try doing something in sidewalk chalk and see how that feels and looks.

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I have been out on the water in my kayak a few times. Yesterday I had a few nice glides by great blue herons. Unfortunately they are very easily spooked so I made it a point to be on the other side of the water from them, and to not paddle while I passed, so the image is grainy and lacking in both depth and color. But these are indeed beautiful birds.

I am enjoying kayaking, sometimes with the Genesee Valley Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club, sometimes solo. They each have their benefits and drawbacks. Two things are true. First, I do better at getting into and out of the kayak when I’m not feeling rushed. Two, getting out of it is more challenging than getting in. After I’ve been sitting, basically like sitting on the floor for 1-1/2 or 2 hours, my legs need a fair amount of time to get back up to speed. When I’m by myself I can take all the time I need, although sometimes a helping hand would be nice. When I’m with the group I tend to feel rushed and more help than I’d like is given. I trust I’ll get a balance worked out.

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Last year I divided a bunch of my bearded irises; they tend to need thinning periodically. After the fact I realized I wasn’t very judicious in my work; I hadn’t made any effort to mark them by color, and wasn’t sure I hadn’t given away all of my favorite colors. Fortunately I hadn’t. On the left is a lovely peach, and on the right a gorgeous periwinkle. Not only do I love color of the periwinkle, this iris is remarkably fragrant. Yum! I’ve had irises in a vase in my house for a few weeks now, changing them as they wilt, and still love the smell.

I have an iris I don’t remember at all in my front garden, where there were none. I’m thinking that someone gave it to me last year in exchange for my divisions, but that’s just an assumption. I have no actual recollection. 😀 And didn’t take a picture of it.

Still in the gardening front, remember that little rose-like flower from my last post? Well here it is open.

I haven’t managed to find it yet in my online search. The flowers look like anemone, but the leaves are nothing like that. I wonder if it’s related to herb robert? Anyone else have a clue?

I have lots of other garden shots. My climbing hydrangea is putting on a great show this year.

And a month ago my crab just couldn’t be beat. I can’t believe this was planted just 5 years ago!

I got smart this year and put my lettuce, sugar snap peas, and cucumbers in pots, and then put the pots on tables or similar. I don’t think the bunnies can reach them, but squirrels and chipmunks can climb. I hope I actually get to eat some of them this year.

While I like living on a corner, I do long for more privacy. I’ve tried various things to make my chain link fence both less ugly and more private. This year it was like a lightbulb went off. Stop trying to cover the fence with ribbon or fabric, and cover it with plants!

So I put in a variety of things. A few clematis that will take some years to fill in nicely, and in the meantime, morning glory seeds, cardinal climber seeds, and some hanging baskets/troughs with plants that drape. It won’t be perfect this year, but everything takes time to fill in, so in a few years, I’m hoping I can see the light at the end of that particular tunnel.

I’ve also gotten 375 of those Postcards to Swing States written, and finally, after literally years, upgraded the operating system of my laptop. That, of course, necessitated a variety of changes to software, and resulted in learning curves that are still not flattened out. Dealing with photos, for instance, now feels like it takes me several more steps and time than it did before.

It feels like I’ve done other stuff, but obviously nothing I have a photo of to either jog my memory or share.