Cleo

There is something about the presence of a cat... that seems to take the bite out of being alone. ~Louis J. CamutiAbout two and a half years ago, #1 daughter was given a kitten. This kitten grew to be "her" cat. It had no patience with anybody else but she could maul it all she wanted to and the cat took it. She named the cat "Cleo-catra" You would think Cleo would not want another cat in the house but took to my son's right away when he was unable to keep his. So she lived happily with the two cats until January 21 when she left to go visit Sir T in Philly. She left the cats with big bowls of food, water and a clean litter box.

That Sunday when she returned home only one cat came running to her and it was not Cleo. She ripped the house apart. Sir T drove up from Philly and ripped the house apart. The man drove a Have a Heart trap out to her and he ripped the house apart. Conclusion: the cat was NOT in the house and must have gotten out when she was closing the door. The man showed her how to set the trap. We called the shelters and left all the information. The next week we drove out there and hung signs up all over the place. NOTHING.

Days went by. The neighbor said he saw a gray cat so hope glimmered but as time passed that started to die out. Weeks went by. She caught other cats but not her's.

After a couple of days spent down here with us, #1 daughter went home yesterday. She was out on her porch setting the trap when she heard a meow. She looks in the yard and there is a gray cat. She says "Cleo?" and the cat came running toward her. Six weeks this little indoor cat spent outside in the freezing temps and snow.

If the pull of the outside world is strong, there is also a pull towards the human. The cat may disappear on its own errands, but sooner or later, it returns once again for a little while, to greet us with its own type of love. ~Lloyd Alexander

To say #1 was beside herself would be an understatement. I was on the phone with her when she found her and I thought she was going to hyperventilate. After a little food so as not to upset Cleo's stomach and a bath, all was back to normal their world.

Are we really sure the purring is coming from the kitty and not from our very own hearts? ~Emme Woodhull-Bäche, translated

Last night I would bet they were both purring.

Fiber Thaw

"Late February days;
and now, at last,

Might you have thought that

Winter's woe was past;

So fair the sky was and so soft the air."

~ William Morris

Winter's woe is not past as we are due to get a storm tomorrow. However, I know Spring will inevitably come and I will be out in the greenhouse or garden so I have been squeezing in as much fiber time as possible. Now that I finally have space you might say I am having a fiber thaw.

I started last Thursday when I washed Momma's fleece. She is one of the first Finn's I got from Grace and was the last white fleece I had to wash so I could send it out.

Friday I wanted to try out those dyes #1 daughter bought me. I want to spin up some silk for my sister who has caught the fiber bug. I wanted to dye them green with some blue but ended up with too much blue so I dyed some plain green and will see what they look like plyed together. If I don't like it I will dye some more. I also spun up a skein of yarn for the sweater then I went to spinning and worked on my sock.

I finished the socks on Saturday and got to work carding wool and spinning up another skein.

Sunday I carded everything I have left for the sweaterand spun up a bobbin. Then I took some Finn roving I have and tried dying that. I let it simmer on the woodstove then sat it outside to cool while I went to pick up a friend. When I got back I rinsed and hung it to dry then went to spend time catching up.

Monday morning I was right back at it plying up another skein for the sweater. I did a couple of rows on the capelet, cut some sheets into strips to be used in a rug and crocheted about 6 inches of that. I was also able wash two pounds of Bozo's fleece.

This morning I carded the vermillion & black. I need to watch videos on how to get what I want. I wanted a heathered look. I put a layer of vermillion, a layer of black and then another layer of vermillion. I split that bat in half and put it through a second time. I like what I got but I don't think it is going to give me the heathered look I was going for. I also realized with all this carding that I should have bought the brush attachment....something that I will have to rectify soon.

I am also washing more of Bozo's fleece so I can send it out, did three rows on the capelet and now I am off to take mom for her ultrasound.

After so long with only intermittent spinning it feels great to be back at it on a regular basis.

And what to my wondering eyes should appear....?

Little Robin Redbreast

Little Robin Redbreast
Sat upon a rail.
Niddle, naddle went his head;
Wiggle, waggle went his tail.
by ~ Mother Goose

I was sitting in the livingroom visiting with a friend when something out the window caught my eye. I ran to find my camera so I could zoom in to make sure my eyes were not playing tricks on me. Once I found it I had to stand by the window for about 5 minutes until I spotted him/her again. But my time spent paid off when what to my wondering eyes should appear but.....the first robin! Not the best picture as I had quite the zoom and my windows really need to be washed. Guess it is a good thing spring is coming so I can get that done.

Till then I will finish playing with fiber. I had quite the weekend. More about that later.

Happy Valentine's Day

A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love. ~Mother Teresa The man had to go to work today so last night when he was out taking/picking the kids up from their school dance he bought me.... now normally I am not a "hothouse flower" type of gal. Oh don't get me wrong, I love the flowers but it is depressing watching them die. Buy me seeds or the plant itself. The man knowing this got something more "me" and something that will take my mind off the flowers...Now most people would laugh that I find that an awesome Valentines gift...well wait till you see what I got him....Nothing says undying love like Home Depot. That's the way we roll!!!

Slowly Changing

"Go to the winter woods: listen there, look, watch, and “the dead months” will give you a subtler secret than any you have yet found in the forest." - Fiona Macleod, Where the Forest Murmurs

Yesterday while I was sitting inside watching the wind whip through the woods I noticed the ground teaming with movement. At first I thought it was the wind stirring up the carpet of leaves but then it dawned on me it was the birds. There were birds all over pecking thru the leaves. And yes I said leaves, as most of the snow has gone from the woods. I still have some on the lawn but soon that will be gone soon also.

Earlier in the week when there was still snow and the turkeys were still coming down to snack on feeder droppings somebody was very interested. Bandit thinks her past bad deeds are coming back to haunt her! She sat there cringing and was great fun to watch!

I have been sick this past week so nothing and I do mean nothing got done in the fiber area or any other area for that matter. Well actually yesterday I did wash a fleece. But other than that I have pretty much slept the week away. And sadly it has been the nicest week we have had in a long time.

But as I am coming out of the fog I notice subtle changes...the angle of the sun coming thru the windows

...the moss in the woods is turning back to green from it's winter brown

...the buds on the hickorys are getting bigger

...the sky is bluer

...and last night when I went to put my mom's car in her garage for her I saw her daffodils were starting to pop out of the ground. I wondered if mine were also, so I went to check this morning and they are!!! Then I thought I saw red, as in red robin, pecking away in the woods but upon furture investigation I found it to be a cardinale. And is it just me or does the birds songs sound so much more crisp than they did weeks ago?

Before I got knocked on my keister I had been spinning. I spun up some of my black finn and some yarnfor the raglan sweater I have been working on for years. I have a sock to finish and the capelet and then I am dedicated to finishing the sweater. I will have it done before Spring which will be here soon

Mr. Squirrel says he can't wait because then I will be in the greenhouse or garden and will stop yelling at him while he is eating my feeders.

It's Cold Again

It was 1.2 degrees this morning. I hear it is suppose to warm up but until then this is what I get in my emails....

This one came with a note that read, " You know Winter is almost over when you can see the deer wandering around." and this one doesn't need a note to say someone is tired of winter!

Still have lots to occupy my time inside so I won't complain for atleast a couple of weeks!

Hear Ye Hear Ye

"On Gobbler's Knob this glorious Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2009
Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators
Awoke to the call of President Bill Cooper
And greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths
After casting a joyful eye towards thousands of his faithful followers,
Phil proclaimed that his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers were World Champions one more time
And a bright sky above me
Showed my shadow beside me.
So 6 more weeks of winter it will be." Groundhg.org

Ironically after a day of melting ice and predictions of above normal temps which would lead one to think of Spring, the groundhog tells us hold those thoughts. Then just when I had resigned myself to a storm with the intensity to drop another foot of snow I found out it was just giving us a dusting..

As much as I would like the warmer temps that usher in Spring, I am not ready to get off my duff and get back to work. I am enjoying my days spent hauling up wood and telling time by the turkeys walking through the yard. About eight a.m. they are below the feeders, scratching for the birds droppings while the squirrels complain and before 5 p.m. you can look up into the woods and see them flying up into the trees to roost.

And measuring the days by the projects finished. I did two neckwarmers,one sock and started a capelet my sister wants for her MIL. I have also been sucked into reading the Twilight series with #2 daughter. I am waiting on her to finish the third book by reading Brisingr. I have a stack of books that my sister said were good reads but the man found the right size allen key to tighten up my wheel so the books might get put on the back burner.

I am content that the temps are getting higher and the days longer. The plans are in motion, the seeds are coming in and until things can be implemented I will knit, spin and read.