she's just saying...

busy day

Everybody's having fun...

Free Day at the Museum

Just opened and already crowded. Wow. It's normally $10/adult in the winter and $6 for kids, so a pretty good savings. Most of the visitors today only come on Free Day, so it opens the museum to many who would not otherwise be here. Nice. But crowded. My advice - if you can afford it, come on a regular day. Updates later...

Hoarfrost

Hoarfrost (n): A deposit of interlocking ice crystals (hoar crystals) formed by direct sublimation on objects, usually those of small diameter freely exposed to the air, such as tree branches, plant stems and leaf edges, wires, poles, etc., which surface is sufficiently cooled, mostly by nocturnal radiation, to cause the direct sublimation of the water vapor contained in the ambient air.

western road sign

Taken on the storm drive when the boys had to pee. I was on the lookout for Black Beauty galloping through, but she never showed.

Down on the farm [caution: disturbing images]

If you're ant-phobic, you might want to skip this post.

Update on our 30 28 new gal pals. (Dropping like ants around here.)

They're weirdly fascinating, and truly exhausting to watch. After digging to the bottom of their gel and building a girls-only clubhouse down there,

they're now branching out with the tunnels they're known for. We were holding our breath til they finally broke through to the top of their first tunnel, but they didn't seem too excited. They just kept going.The digger ant in front gets tired now and then and takes a nap right where she's stopped, so others just push up past her to keep up the pace.

Some of them simply run up and down the tunnels -- I can't really tell what their assignment is.

Others haul gelballs around on the surface, building up their escape route to the lid.

I can sit and watch their little world for long periods. It's haunting me, honestly.

I worry about their diet, though the booklet says the gel is edible and all they need. Should we drop in some sugar crystals at happy hour? What else do ants eat, other than picnic food? Or will that just distract them from their main purpose? (which is...)

The shipping form has strict instructions against letting them loose, but I think one escaped on the pokey stick provided to help start their tunnels. I'd hate to be the person responsible for causing invasive-ant-species havoc in Central Oregon. 

I'm also concerned about their (and our) mood if they start dying off. We're supposed to take out the dead, which the ants carry to the surface in a little funeral procession. It's going to be pretty depressing around the clubhouse when half the gang croaks.

I now feel responsible for them, on top of the cats, dog, fish, occasional kitten, child and garden. (I'd worry about my worms, too, but I can't find them.) Really, just what I need, another source of guilt and stress. If you're considering an ant farm of your own (Kathi D), you might want to think long and hard about what you're getting into. J.s.*

*just saying, of course.

the light at the end of the tunnel

driving back

Fun

Driving into the worst of it

We decided it wouldn't be a real Christmas without getting stuck in a snowstorm in the mountains, so we got in the car this am and are headed over the pass.

We're going to Portland to rescue our friend Mark who is trying to fly in from LA. Why we aren't flying there is a good question.

This should be fun. The entire city of Portland requires chains. Not snow tires. Chains. Plus we're driving over with Neighbor X just to keep it awkward. More posts to come!

CC#7: Snow

snowy commute, originally uploaded by Meltrier.

Unfortunately, it didn't occur to me that doing a Christmas Countdown would entail blogging every day. Aackk, the pressure! But If you're up for reading, I'm up for writing...

Here is a phonecam picture through my windshield during my commute this morning. IMHO, this is a good day to never leave the house. But school was on and so was work, so I forged ahead. In Central Oregon, we sneer at weather like this. Or actually, we cheer at weather like this. This is a snow-crazed town. People's spirits are up and excitement is high right now, especially after the dry Thanksgiving we had.

Luckily, I like snow. I especially like snow at Christmastime. This dump might get kind of old and ratty by a week from now, so I'm hoping for fresh on Christmas. Now that I have a nine-year-old who can shovel, I'm good.

What's your weather like?

Chillin'

School's cancelled due to the cold. Brrr.
Yes, that says 5 1/2 degrees.

Smells like Christmas Spirit

Christmas snow, originally uploaded by Meltrier.

Now we're talking. I've been trying to find the Christmas spirit this month. The scent of the tree, cheesy music, wrapping presents, making gifts, none of it was working.

Til last night. I guess all it takes is some Christmas lights in the snow. This is the view from my front porch, courtesy of my neighbors.

OK! I'm in the spirit! Lots to do! Or maybe I'll just sit and knit and enjoy the snow...

Putting the beds to bed

Fall arrangement, originally uploaded by Meltrier.

Spent the weekend doing yardwork, chopping down irises, raking the garden and feeling virtuous. Most years I look out in December at the soggy plants and messy beds and wish I'd gotten to it all. So this year I did. Amazing what you can accomplish when you're not in a time-consuming relationship.

This arrangement is completely from the garden. Yet to be added are two Casablanca lilies who inexplicably decided to bloom in mid-November. Flower arranging is a fleeting art form, kind of like ice sculpture. Since I don't yet have a chainsaw (unlike my friend Suzanne who bought herself one when her husband was out of town), I arrange flowers.

We got press!

We're getting famous!

The Oregonian has a great knitting blog full of knitterly happenings in the state, and today they featured the Bend Knit-Up. Click to see:

I'm so proud I'm getting teary.

Though she got it mixed up about my Red Sox. No biggie. Just don't tell Jacoby or Dustin.

Top Ten: High Desert edition

Ten things I've learned in the last three weeks:

1. Regurgitated owl "pellets" must be frozen for a month before use
2. Centipedes are venomous, millipedes aren't (or is it the other way around?)
3. Foxes have stinky scent glands and smell like skunks
4. There's a bear named Henry at a gas station in Mitchell, Oregon
5. Badgers buck and rear when they're mad
6. Hissing cockroaches really hiss, loudly
7. "Hoofstock" is the preferred term when referring to horses, elk & antelopes
8. Porcupines "scent-mark" everything with quite pungent urine
9. Badger fur is really very soft
10. Bobcats like to poop in water

Finally, a knitting post

Once upon a time, this was supposed to be a knit-centric blog. Oh well -- life intervenes. But for all of you out there clamoring for knitting posts (and you two know who you are) here's the latest.

Yes, I'm still working on those damn socks.  I've decided I definitely don't like knitting two at a time, not because it's hard, as I've gotten into the swing of it, but because you see no progress whatsoever. One sock is bad enough. I knit and knit and knit on these stupid things and at the end of a few hours each sock has grown maybe 3/4". I feel like Persephone, but without the ripping back. Will they never end??? They are my knitting albatross (to throw Ulysses and the Ancient Mariner together).

What is the ongoing fascination with knitting socks, anyway? In the last several years, it seems, socks have become the ultra-cool knitting project, the one that says "I'm a real knitter and you're not." I enjoyed my first seven pairs, but I now find them tedious and boring. Of course it might help if I did them in pattern (vs. stockinette, the vanilla of knitting stitches), but then they lose their mindlessness, at least for me. It is nice to always have one on the needles as they're super-portable and impress the hell out of people. They're just the thing for sports practice and doctor's waiting rooms. I just have to adopt a more zen approach: finishing is not the goal.

On the other hand, fingerless mitts are flying off the needles. (Could that be why the socks aren't getting done? Nah, that's just silly.) Though the incredibly popular Fetching pattern is vexing me. (Today's Ravelry Fetching count: 7,147. That's seven thousand pairs, people!) I undid the first one I just finished and added more cables to the knuckles for length, but the bind-off is still bugging me. I just can't get it to look right.

I need to move on though, as the Christmas queue is getting jammed up behind them...

Our Knit-Up group is doing well, continuing to grow in membership if not in participation. We get about 11-14 knitters in each of our two weekly meetings, which is a nice workable size. Not having a permanent home probably keeps the numbers down, and we haven't been publicizing it much anymore. When I get that Melissa-like urge to get all busy and grow it, I remember the reason I started it: I wanted to find some cool people to knit with. And I have. The women are wonderful, supportive, open, friendly and funny. It's perfect as is. "I LOVE YOU GUYS (sniff)."

Top Ten Tuesday: Back to School edition

For my four readers who don't live in Central Oregon, a weather update: we woke up to frost on the ground yesterday. I realize that Labor Day is the symbolic end of summer, but did we need such an obvious reminder?

I'm really not ready for fall and I resent it being thrust on us so quickly. But in an effort to get back to UPBEAT!, here are the top 10 reasons I welcome the end of summer:

1. Baseball playoffs (especially when the Bosox are involved)
2. Knitting in public doesn't seem as weird
3. No mosquitoes
4. Less temptation for the recovering tanaholic
5. Best tomatoes at the farmer's market
6. Foster kitten season is over til spring
7. Hot flashes are more tolerable (not that I'm having any)
8. Don't need to mow as often
9. I can wear the fingerless mitts I'm knitting
10. OK, scraping the barrel here: um, can't smell the compost bin from the hot tub?

Compost pile with Wonder Worman worms

What are yours? Give me something here, people!

Dead jay walking

Pretty much ever since I built this house (with my own two hands!), a nasty street gang of stellar's jays have hung out in the junipers, divebombing my cats and hurling racial and species slurs at the dog in bird-slang. They bully the other birds and throw juniper berries on us when we're on the deck. They're loud, rude and obnoxious, but they do add local color. (Blue, in particular.)

Today I saw one of the bro-jays lurking around my pondette a bit suspiciously, and this evening I couldn't see any of my tadpoles. I'm not accusing anyone of anything, but if any of those jays have frog breath, they're so busted.

Anyone have a slingshot?

Big news, big changes

I've been working my consulting gig since the Big Globe swallowed us and spit us out, but we can't live balancing on that tenuous tightrope. So, back to the corporate world I go.

The big news tonight is that I accepted a new job as VP of Marketing for our local cultural gem starting in early Sept. I predict the quantity of blog posting here will drop precipitously.

Whoa! We interrupt this news update to say that those Jamaican relay runners are very FIT! Those green shorts make it all very clear.

Whew. 

Oh yeah, so work, it's gonna begin again. Good times.

Wanna go?

Anyone want to go with me to the Beck concert here next Sunday? Email me at melissahoch at g mail dot com and let me know. His 2006 appearance (above) was the best concert I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot. Can't wait.

Must...feed...kittens...

It's a catastrophe around here (get it? nudge nudge).

Judy, the tireless foster family coordinator for the C.O. Humane Society, picked up the 3-day olds since she located a new momcat who hopefully is so confused by the whole birth thing that maybe she lost count and won't notice two more.

Meanwhile, the shelter received 6 more kittens who were found in the back of a truck by the driver who was delivering bags of grain from Petaluma. Without their mom, who probably hopped off to go potty before the trip and was left behind (or bolted). They were emaciated and dehydrated, not having eaten for 3 days.

Judy and I split them up as we seem to be the only ones crazy enough to take on bottle babies. These guys are pretty freaked out and cry constantly and loudly, even while being fed. Eventually they conk out for awhile, then start up again. We're doing crisis counseling on their abandonment issues.

Super cute, though kind of panicky around the eyes. Photos to come.

Water World

Here in the high desert, water is scarce (though you wouldn't know it to look at our green green golf courses (34 at last count) or our acres of suburban lawn). Water's on my mind as I tackle the projects of summer: cleaning gutters, cleaning and refilling the hot tub, setting up the vegetable garden, installing more drip irrigation, and the exciting one right now: building a water feature. (I love the term "water feature" - it's such realtor/landscaper talk.)

My lot is blessed with a towering natural rock outcropping, unusual for our suburban neighborhood. I've always dreamed about a waterfall and pool in these rocks, and this summer I have the time and motivation to build it.

What I have in mind is more of a seeping spring down the rock, like you see on the sides of the road over the passes here. So I'm digging out the sandpit I built six years ago for Henry and reclaiming it for a lovely little trickling "feature."

It's hard, messy, dirty work, and I've never been known for my digging skills. It will either be a simple, enjoyable project or one of those projects from hell where you spend loads of time and money and then hire somebody to fix it all.

I've been doing a lot of internet research and have compiled my shopping list: a pump (submersible, magnetic, direct drive? What size?), PVC hosing, clamps, skimmers, filters, liners, etc. Tomorrow I'm going to brave the landscaping supply store and allow the men there to guide me.

That's how I've done a lot of intimidating efforts by myself: renovating a sailboat; becoming a scuba instructor; starting my consulting business; adopting a baby, landscaping my lot and so on. By researching and asking a lot of questions of helpful neighbors, professionals, and total strangers. I appreciated Amber's comment about learning how to do things alone - I've been managing most of my adult life, and it's a continual source of personal accomplishment and confidence. As my sister says: "Girls can do anything!"

What projects have you tackled alone and mastered? What have you gotten out of it?