Friday, June 08, 2012

Mainly in the plain?

It's a dismal spring here on Vancouver Island - much like last year. My garden is gradually coming into bloom, sodden, then the flowers sit there, sodden, until they finish and drop off, sodden. I check from my kitchen window a few times a day, and notice what else has opened up in the pouring rain, but I never actually get outside.

My friend visited me last weekend for a few days, and brought some beautiful marled sock yarn from Iceland. "Direct from the factory," she assured me. A few hours after she left on Monday, I cast on a new pair of knee-high stockings with the Icelandic yarn. Why? Because I need the warmth.

Canadians have a wonderful ability to talk about the weather, almost without ceasing.

Actually I think it's a wonderful ability to listen to each other talk about the weather.

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My house has been colonised by moths - can you believe it? I had been carding wool for a few weeks in preparation for spinning, and one day I noticed a little fluttering...Mum and I actually saw a larval moth, his/her head wiggling around, half-covered by a cocoon s/he was making out of my grey Shetland. There was a frosted cluster of tiny pearly eggs clinging to the side of the box, too. Did we freak out? Yes, we did.

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My older daughter is a horse girl, and is preparing for a show in August. Being that we homeschool and therefore have a flexible schedule, we spend a lot of time at the barn these days...it's mostly wonderful, but sometimes a drag if I'm tired, busy, or cold. My younger daughter spends her barn time on a tire swing under the trees, singing and talking to Dayley, a 17hh thoroughbred, and Vindaloo, a little goat. Usually some chickens come by, and a dog or two. On this particular day, one of the rare sunny ones, she had my camera with her. (For the second time.)


6 comments:

Gwen said...

AWESOME. The picture on the very bottom, right, is an absolute framer.

My word verification is "asrucld," which is uncannily close to "ass, are you cold?"

The answer, obviously, is YES. What is UP with this weather, anyway??

kate said...

But the sun is out now, and supposed to actually stay out for a day tomorrow! Gasp shock and awe :)

Vindaloo is the goat's name? That's just deliciously amusing.

Younger daughter is a creative soul.

Ames said...

I am about ready to pack my bags and head for a land of sunshine.

I keep thinking. . . how much longer can it last? It's June, right?

Ames said...

I happened to see that our area has 6 inches MORE rain that usual so far. Better grab some Wellies.

Dave Hingsburger said...

Without the weather, Canadian conversation would be reduced to ... how ya doing eh ... fine, yerself? ... fine ... then the rest of the ride in the elevator would be in stony, uncomfortable silence.

Susie Hewer said...

We Brits like to talk about the weather too don't you know!

I thought of you today as I saw something that would make your blood boil - we are being bombarded with adverts for the European football cup at the moment and one I saw today made me raise an eyebrow. It was MacDonalds stating that they are proud to provide the child escorts that walk onto the pitch with the footballers. When the match started, all the little children trooped onto the pitch alongside the footballers and they were kitted out in the red and yellow MacDonalds colours.

I wish someone would explain to me how a provider of fast food can be linked with healthy exercise!