happy birthday

This past week, my neighbors’ dog Cheyenne had her first litter of puppies!

We’d all been expecting her to have them over the weekend, but she held out until Tuesday (of course..the least convenient day for both of my neighbors).  I barely made it back from class to see the birth of the second pup.  It was incredible!

I am so amazed by the power of instinct.  She just magically knows everything.  Cheyenne is such a good mama; it’s really fascinating to watch how she interacts with them!  In some ways, it seems like she knows better than human parents, as she can always pacify them when they cry.

That is Huey (Hooey?  I’m not sure how to spell it, but it’s WHO-ee, not HUE-ee), the boy and the first.  The second puppy is a girl named Ella..she’s a bit camera-shy.

Ah!  The miracle of life.  :o)

fall perfection

Yesterday was gorgeous!  Beautiful weather, relaxation, productivity..  Basically everything I could want of mid-October.  I even finished something important on Friday, so I could go about ignoring schoolwork relatively guilt-free!

Ah, knitting!  I used to do that all the time..remember?

I went a little crazy and raked the entire front yard.  Trust me, that pile of leaves is bigger than it looks in the picture!!

And though my main motivation was (I HAVE BEEN REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE IDEA OF THIS SINCE MOVING IN) those pumpkin leaf bags, the finished product is pretty damn rewarding. I only regret not taking a “before” picture.

Yes, that is indeed my trunk filled with pumpkins.  Yes, there are more pumpkins in the backseat.  And yes, I may be a bit squash-happy.

One of the professors in my department sent out an email Friday saying that he had an excess of pumpkins at his farm..he wanted to share the rest with all of us in exchange for some feedback on potentially opening up a you-pick next season.  Imagine previous years of pumpkin-picking in Willcox..only the pumpkins are free (and more or less perfect), and you are told to “fill your vehicle.”  I brought the neighbors with me, and we did just that!  Of course, we shared with others in the neighborhood..no one needs that many pumpkins.  It was so much fun!!

Add to all of that a crockpot simmering with a green chile pork loin.  WIN.

kickin’ it old school

Last weekend, Dave came up to visit!!  We had such an awesome time just hanging out and relaxing and being sweeties.  After four months apart, it was something I really needed.  It’s easy to forget exactly what it feels like to be so happy with someone you love.  I can’t wait until December!

Sappiness aside, we had a really fun time checking out the Feast of the Hunter’s Moon, an annual event that recreates life in mid-1700s Indiana.

It was neat to see so many displays!  The smoky smell everywhere might have been the best part, but the food was pretty decent, too.

Dave said he liked the blacksmiths the best, but this lady was my personal favorite.  And those colorful skeins of yarn!  Absolutely gorgeous..and each one was tagged with the type of dye that was used to produce the color.  I’m honestly a little surprised that natural dyes can produce such an array!

Overall, the Feast was a great time, and I would definitely go back!  The line to get on the shuttle bus to go home, however..well, I’ll just say it was a bit longer than anticipated.  And as fascinating as the costumes were, it’s very unlikely that we’d attend in 1700s clothing!  ;o)

taking it easy

School is officially kicking my ass. I’ve been really busy with homework, exams, work, etc. which means, of course, that I’ve had little time for knitting, blogging, spinning, etc. However, this weekend I was able to get away for the Yarn Cravin’ Fall Retreat! It was a fantastic time with a bunch of people I really love.. not to mention the fact that I doubled my (still meager) stash and got a lot of good knitting done! I’ll share a few shots, but if you want to see the whole set, you can find it here. It was silly and ridiculous and awesome.

I started (and finished) a Thorpe! I also finished an afghan square, worked on my stripy socks, and started a pair of thrummed mittens. Ooh, and I learned how to ply on the fly!

Damn I wish I was still there! Yay knitting. Boo Monday.

farmer at heart

I’ve always wanted to be a farmer.  It’s hard to pinpoint why.  Is it the notion of having a hand in producing food for other people?  Knowing where it comes from and how it’s handled, being closer to the land and all that, right?  Maybe it’s the ability to share such a fundamental requirement for life.  I don’t know.

I say this with the full recognition that I have very little knowledge of farming practices.  I don’t know anything about the diets or lifestyles of livestock, I couldn’t tell you a thing about soil, and I kill everything I plant.  I didn’t grow up on a farm.  I wasn’t a 4H kid.  I am clueless.  Regardless, I have always found myself drawn towards agriculture.  My dream is to one day have a farm of my very own.

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending a barbeque at my department head’s farm.  It was amazing.  Such a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere.  Such great company.  (I mean the other grad students, but the animals were fun, too!)

I told him to let me know if I could ever do anything to help.  This city girl is going to learn some farm skills one way or another!

Twofer

Look out, world.  I can make more than one at a time.

a year of growth

It’s been exactly one year since the day we brought home Snake.  So scrawny you could see her hips sticking out the back of her butt, in pain from being spayed, and terrified in a new place, she was the puppy I’d always wanted.  And she still is.

It’s incredible how much has changed during this past year.  Two Petsmart classes and two moves later, here we are.  I can’t believe how much she’s learned, and she’s grown into such a beautiful girl.  My skinny, short little puppy got tall.  (I seem to recall thinking she could be part Basset?  Ha.  Ha ha!  Now we wonder if she’s not part Greyhound.)

Of course there’s plenty that hasn’t changed.  She’s still a little too smart for her own good, she goes nuts over peanut butter, and she’d rather play tug than cuddle.  She’s still my baby.

I feel so lucky to have Snake in my life.  She makes me smile every day, and I love her to pieces.  I can hardly remember what life was like without her just a year ago, it seems like she’s always been with me.

Here’s to many more happy years together!  <3

i will not freeze to death this winter

..just keep telling myself that, right?  And knitting!  I finished my Noro scarf sometime last week.

It’s wondrously thick and wooly, and really really long, to boot.  This is what four skeins of Noro Kureyon will get you.

So maybe if I wear this, and some other neck accessory, plus some mittens and two hats and four pairs of socks..  Well, I mean, I could probably live through to spring, right?

I fully intend to wear it like this on my walk to class, too.  Angry face most definitely included.

If you want to make your own giant squishy Noro scarf, you can find the free guidelines I used here.  Just try really hard (like you could) to get four skeins without breaks in them!  There’s one spot in my scarf where the color changes like that, and it drives me a little nuts.

bye bye long lazy days

Ah, the first day of school.  A year ago, I was so uncertain about when I’d have another.  I’ve been more or less dreading it all summer: the work, the stress, the lack of personal time.  But this morning when I sat down in that classroom, I fell right back into it.  The organization and the obvious expectations, while not so common in the real world, really drive me to be productive and focused, giving me a real sense of accomplishment that does wonders for me.  I feel good about this adventure.

The abysmal parking situation, the necessity to wake up before even Snake wants to, and the smelly kid sitting next to me in class..  Well, maybe let’s just focus on the positive.  :oD

I finished a pair of socks last week!  Finally.  Four month socks?  Yikes!

Now, I know they look really great, but I would be lying if I told you they were perfect and amazing and all that.  Like all socks I make, I counted the rows/pattern repeats, so they would turn out exactly the same.  Only they didn’t.  In spending so much time between each and having improvised my own heel, something got lost.  ..so one sock turned out to have a completely different fit than the other.  WEIRD.

Also weird: the color pattern.  Long story short, I had a knot in one skein that funkified my color pattern, and the other one didn’t match perfectly anyways.  Who cares?  Fraternal is cool!

The pattern, from Knitty, is called Froot Loops.

Happy school season!

everybody poops

..but does it always make you smile so much?  I finished my bathroom, and wow am I in love.

Before: wallpaper, no shower, sink built for a ten year old, carpet.  Gross.

During: non-functional complete disaster.  I didn’t even take pictures of the gaping holes for the toilet and sink lines when they were visible.

After: new everything but the tub, more or less.  It’s glorious.  I am completely enamored with the low-flow toilet, and the sink really opens up what little space there is in the room.  This morning, I enjoyed my first shower in my house that did not take place in the basement.  It was incredible!