An adventure

The markets are full of these wonderful squash, pumpkins, apples, and colourful fall vegetables.  We took a drive this week, Libby and I, down highway 97 where it connects with highway 3, past the geological phenomenan that is Spotted Lake, and up to the little town of Keremeos in the next valley over.   We spotted a very clever recycling bit at a ranch close by the highway using old tires to pen in the cattle - well, why not eh?   And down the road from that, ran onto a small cattle drive which we were allowed to creep past as the cows, ,under the careful watch of mounted cowboys, ambled from one pasture to another.  Libby was quite impressed with this performance.

Aren't the turkish hat squash wonderful?  I couldn't resist buying one just to have for decoration through the fall.
 They definitely don't make apple trees like they used to.  These are maybe 5-6 feet high, espaliered on wire fencing, and absolutely loaded.  The apples look like bright Christmas balls on the spindly branches.

All this lovely fall colour makes me want to knit orange. 

In the fire zone

I’m sitting here quietly, listening to the rain and thanking whoever did the rain dance for this very welcome rain in this very dry fire zone I seem to be living in.  I’m sure the poor fire fighters are all dancing in the rain right now. 

 It might not completely put out the fires, but  it is a help – as much of a help as the hard working helicopters and water bombers who are grounded.  I hope it lasts a long time.  But here – unlike the coast – it probably will move on.  We need to stall the rain clouds and put a hold on the wind.

Blue sky is in short supply at the moment.  Once the wind came back up this afternoon, the valley is once more socked in with dirty brown smoke.

 I’m crocheting my lovely sweater.  It’s a big project but I have time to complete it and I love the colour – a pale sage green.

The air smells like burning materials.  The smog is being washed down through the rain.  This is not a nice smelling rain which is wrong, but we have been under the smog cloud for over a week now.  It’s going to take time.  

It’s interesting living in a fire zone.  Up here at the north end, our evacuation alert has been lifted, but last night at the south end of town, people were evacuated, and the alert stands.  I met a woman in the grocery store yesterday who is living on the edge- not sleeping well, wondering if she is going to have to make a run for it.

What would you take? If you had 5 minutes to get out?    What is important?  Well, records and files, my computer and camera I guess.  Obviously the first being into the car is the dog, and her food, tucked in and safe so we can make a get away together.  Do you take art?, Pictures?  Enough yarn to keep the fingers busy while you wait it out, wondering if your house will stand or fall? 

 Memories – do you take memories?  What is a memory anyway.  A passport?  Put the passport in my purse so I won’t have to worry about that I guess.

26 homes to the south of town are evacuated – the but forest service is thrilled with the rain

Well, they should be – it all helps.  But it won’t be enough of course – the fight goes on here against the fires.  Apparently the Tesalindan fire – our fire – is 60% contained but that is small comfort to the people in the fire path.  When the stats are read they say some 3700 hectares burning.  Good grief!

These are from my garden - Sunflowers are so happy aren't they?  

 

Life is settling down.

July 29, 2015

Libby and I have just come back from a lovely long trek on the trail by the river.  It is 9:30 now and going to be hot but right now it is very pleasant – a slight breeze wafts over the deck where I sit.  An annoying wasp who is really quite dozy, flits around me but I’m pretty uninteresting to him fortunately.  A butterfly just passed through – the monarchs were here earlier in the month but these have red and black wings.  Butterflys always look like they are flying backwards.  Why is that.

There is a bird in the eves just surveying the world, in no hurry to go anywhere.

I’m still sorting things out.  Trying to build this nest in this place.  But it is getting easier and feels more familiar.  I drove into Penticton and promptly got lost yesterday trying to find Rona.  Actually I’m on the hunt for a lawnmower – the pushing kind that runs on my energy rather than electricity or gas. 

Here come the quails running down the street.  Quails often forget they know how to fly.  Why is that.  They obviously aren’t the smartest birds in the avian world are they

The neighbourhood is quiet this morning.  Stella next door just left on one of her mysterious errands.  Libby has decided her noises don’t constitute an alarm now.  So Stella is allowed to come and go as she will.  Probably this is less annoying for Stella.

I feel lazy with that mid summer laziness.  I can’t seem to get very enthusiastic about much.  Although I did get a printer, and a shredder – two things off the list.    The furniture fits for the most part and the art is on the walls.  

I did finish the lovely Flying Geese baby blanket by Purl Bee of Purl Soho.  I made it in organic cotton.  It will be cozy for our new baby.  You can check out the pattern here

How much do carports cost I wonder.  I want one for the car and for us.  The car gets so hot out in the Okanagan sun.   The car is filthy right now and really needs some TLC

Here come the quail down the driveway.  They really are cute with their little top knots.  They are on their way down the side of the house, looking for a snack I suspect.  Good friends suggested  a birdfeeder to draw them in but I don’t really want to do that.  Birds are wild.  I don’t want them to become tamed by a birdfeeder.   There is a little green hummingbird who jets in too – likes the red geranium flowers and the orange zinnias in the back garden.  That’s what I want to do, plant more plants – perennials – to draw them in.  I don’t want them to become addicted to sugar water.

There are two big collapsing jet trails off to the east over Mount Baldy.  And the wasps are becoming annoying!  There is a nest in the eves I think.  It will have to be removed before it becomes a real problem  Wasps are big here.  Very intelligent creatures I'm told and their nests are works of art, but still...

 There is a rainbow nearly every evening.  How cool is that.

 

Order out of Chaos

.....or vice versa.  I am moving.  And that is my excuse for being absent for so long.  It is hard to think about anything else but what goes in the next box and do I have enough boxes. 

The house is filled with boxes, mostly filled and taped shut.  Some still waiting for the last minute to close.  The mover has been hired and away I go on the 17th of this month.

It has been a whirlwind.  We put the house up for sale mid April and before the sign had even been hammered into the front lawn, we had an offer.  Then we had another offer topping up the first offer and as my intrepid real estate agent said - grab it.  So, the sold sign went up as the sign went up.   I've never sold a house quite so fast.....so fast indeed that I hadn't fully made up my mind where to go next.  Oh, I had ideas, a hankering to go back to the South Okanagan where I have family and friends...but no firm plan.

A plan had to be put in place ASAP.  The search was on.  And isn't the internet wonderful?  I settled on a budget which, as everybody knows gets blown right out the window...but at least it gave me a ball park amount that I felt I could spend to find a place for Libby and me.
And in the meantime, packing commenced.  We have two households in here and we are splitting them up - Number one Son is going his way and I am going mine after we divide up the proceeds from this successful sale.   So boxes must be labeled carefully.

First go go into the boxes were books - we have lots.  We raided the liqueur stores for their lovely small stout boxes.   Scott counted 42 when he was done...I have about 25...give or take.  Books are important.  After the books, I packed china, leaving enough plates and cups so at least we have something to eat off. 

Once most of the packing was complete...wonderful Libby and I made a fast trip out to the Okanagan to meet cousins and look at properties.  New Real Estate Agent was slightly gob smacked when I informed her I had 3 days to make a decision, put in an offer on something and then get back to Calgary to finish up here.  She rose grandly to the occasion and we found me a lovely mobile home in an sweet little park where Libby is also welcome. 

As it turns out there are a couple of fixing up issues to be dealt with when I take possession, but for the most part...my lovely antiques and "stuff" is going to fit in there and we will be happy.  There is a little garden to potter in and for Libby to roll on the grass.  We are close to the river and the wonderful hiking trails.  This is going to be good.  I'm ready for a smaller place in a smaller place if you get my drift...oh...and no stairs - bonus!

Oh...one glitch - of course there has to be one doesn't there.  We are out of here and rolling on the 18th - but can't move into our new place until the first week of July.  So, we will be homeless for a couple of weeks.  

Ah well.  There is always knitting isn't there.  And with a new baby coming in the family there are baby things to concentrate on.
I'm working right now on  The flying Geese Knit Baby Blanket.  You can check it out here http://www.purlbee.com/2015/04/13/flying-geese-knit-baby-blanket/  I'm working it up in worsted weight cotton from Blue Sky in cream, light blue and light green.  It is garter stitch so good for TV knitting, but you have to keep your wits about you on the decreases.  Great fun to knit. Pictures to follow when it is complete and when I catch my breath next.
And...so it goes.

Well...you saw what the kitchen looked like before.

Here it is - now!

looks like a different room altogether doesn't it?

The doors and drawers were taken off, hardware put into a box, and doors carted downstairs to be spray painted, first grey, then white.

Then, the kitchen was masked off, and the cupboards themselves got their undercoat of grey, before the white topcoat. 
The blue tape and paper was in place to prevent everything that was not going to be painted, from being painted.
It was worth it - worth every bit of the fuss and mess, and many thanks to my son Scott, proprieter of Aethical Painters - for doing all the work. 
Once the painting was done, the doors and hardware re-installed and the new counter top put in, it was my turn to get out my tiling tools and put in the back splash with the wonderful clay tiles we got at "Restore". 
We are almost finished with the renovations on this house.  Just about time to call in the Realter.

Under Construction

I'm sitting here, well, hiding here if you must know - while from the kitchen come the sounds or drills and saws as the new counter top is being installed.  Outside it is snowing.  Libby is hiding downstairs as far away from the hub bub as she can get. 
It's interesting, being in a construction zone.  But actually this isn't bad.  Scott has done a superb job painting the kitchen cabinets a lovely clean white and installing the new copper door pulls.
 The biggest problem this morning was getting the sink out - actually the sink wasn't bad - it was the kitchen tap that gave us the most grief. 
And, the water is shut off in the entire house because for some unexplained reason, when this house was constructed, no under sink shut offs were put in place.

So...I'm knitting socks.

Not just any old socks either.  I have this bin, where I toss all the sock weight left overs when I have finished a pair of Socks.  I keep meaning to make something small - baby socks which are very cute work with this stuff of course - but I got the bin out the other day and spread yarn all over the floor - mixing and matching, and putting colour families together. 
Here is the first sock coming along from the blue family.

And look what is waiting in the wings!  This is going to be fun.  I'm calling it "Sock Therapy".
 The idea came from Terry Morris - sailingknitter.blogspot.com who was featured in the latest issue of Uppercase Magazine.  Terry calls her socks Potluck socks.  This makes a totally unique pair of socks that may or may not match exactly - But that's part of the fun.

Counter tops are almost in - on we go.