A nesting pair

The fuchsias in question out the window

There is a nesting pair of dark-eyed junco the GNW's  all around sparrow type. They are currently nesting in a fuchsia basket I bought recently, I placed it on our back porch close to the doors so I can watch the hummingbirds feed when it blooms. Looks like there will be more on view than I originally thought! I wonder how they will behave when the hummers come to feed?  Hummers don't generally care how big you are if your close to a food source, when they want to feed, 2oz of pointy death are not scared of you! they will fight you if in the way!
The first I knew of them, mamma junco was yelling at me from all over the pergola, when I went on the back porch to water. At that point I had no idea what she was yelling at me for, other than I was too close to her nest. It took a few more days to realize where that nest was.
I don't know if I scared them or not, they could be building or moving their nest, now that I have disturbed them as there is a lot of activity to and from with, bundles each way.
It's been raining off and on for the last few days so there is no need to water but I go out on the porch to "inspect"things passing by their spot so they get used to my presents on the porch.
Though It would be nice to use the porch if and when it ever decides to be sunny again, keeping an eye out for this nesting pair will be interesting.

I hope I haven't scared them away!


 Almost finished this panel from one of my Hawaii shop-hop crawls a few years ago. It just needs on more beak and some eyes on all my birds.

Now that the Lilacs have departed, there are Columbines  to put in my little bud vase.

And look what the fairies gifted me!

I found this on top of a bed in desperate need of weeding "en plein air" right on top as if placed there so I would find it right away.

Poor deer has been dead for some time. I wonder if it was a part of "the wild hunt"?

A tale of woe

Juncos drinking from runoff

From a balmy 65* Hawaiian night to slippy snowing streets at 28*, nahugngh.
Off the plane, I was wearing what I left home in, socks, ballet shoes, clam digger jeans, a tank, a t-shirt, 2 sweaters and a scarf, mind when we left, it was 55* and raining.
You know normal Seattle weather.

What we came home to

Seatac IS NOT heated, we were on the red eye, (11pm to 7am, I am NOT doing that again) so we got  next to no sleep, and to complete my personal misery, I got my period. (Fme)
Apparently I was being punished for something I did earlier, I don't know what that could be but something I've done pissed off Karma.

Driveway after new snow

To top off the hilarity our ride was 1.5 hours late to pick us up at the airport, they overslept! -.- 
We came home to snow, lots of snow, 2 whole storms worth, which was fun getting through as no, they don't use salt on the roads, they use sand (because environment!). 

Seattle really doesn't have the equipment to deal with this white stuff and as they get a snow storm like this maybe once every 3-5 years it's understandable. 

Mostly it rains. When we do get snow, it rains and melts away by the next day, no worries.

After the new snow

It doesn't linger or get colder, get mashed down into grey slush at the side of the road and freeze into a sheet of ice like its doing now. 


That's for you flat lander, midwest folks.

From the neighbors yard

  went to check something in the garage and tried to open the car door, it was locked so had to trudge back to the house (omg) find the keys, trudge back, woop the car open, no.

 Battery is dead. 

Not your click, click I'm unhappy dead either, dead, dead nothin' dead.

well heck (and other words best left floating in the friged air)

Neighbors tree from our yard

Even if we could have gotten out of our garage, the day we got home, we'd at that point gotten 9" of snow. 

We couldn't have even gotten out of the driveway as there is this Enormous hedge that runs about 30' alonside it and It decided to fall over as well.
There is also a little dip and a rise at the end

where they have over-paved the road so many times, its about a foot higher than the driveway.
If there is even a hint of ice and you stop for cross traffic, you're stuck.

sacrificial tree

The next day, as Adam was taking snaps of all the picturesque scenery in the backyard after yet another snow storm that gave us almost 20" of snow, 
there was a loud pop, rip and a bang of the tree next door 
taking out one of our trees across from it, the power lines to the garage and two of our neighbors behind us. *sigh*

 Then joy of joys, another of our trees decided to give up its burden of snow and ice build up, fell over and was only stopped from falling into the driveway by yet another tree, which will now have to be sacrificed this spring.

 On the bright side the overly engineered birdbath survived! 

driveway and the Hungry hedge

We spent all day yesterday chainsawing the danger tree so it wouldn't cause any further damage and destruction.
Today we woke up to a sloppy wet mess of melting everything. 

 If were lucky it will all melt before the next storm comes in and turns us into a ice rink, then dumps snow on top, just to make it more fun.


 On the plus side the sun is out and the willow tree is sparkling at me from all the prismatic ice chips in its branches, very pretty.

There is a family of at least 25 Juncos in the backyard. Where they came from and what they are after is beyond me but I've never seen so many at once.
So many in fact, they are chasing off the stellars jays and the squirrels, so lots of noise as they all duke it out.

Not ready to give up yet!

So as we can't get out of our garage to shop I have appealed to a very kind neighbor with 4 wheel drive who has very nicely volunteered to take us to the cosco to stock up next time they go, blessings be upon them!
Last night I was able to bum a ride from DD#2's boyfriend, who's mom has a jeep. Who got me to the grocery and back, for fresh veg and eggs so we we're not living off meat with a side of meat.
other than that everything good!

If you are wondering why we shut down for 7"of snow imagine San Fransisco, all those lovely big rolling hills, now imagine it with snow. Yes, we have LA worthy hills! 
Fun for driving sideways on ice, so mostly we stay home.  
No point in giving emergency services more to do.

 I've been on a toot lately.

It has partly to do with keeping myself busy and not paying to much attention to the news.

I've been an avid news ie since high school and this last election and the turn of events since, has been frustrating.  I will leave it anttentionnvinnd that.

So it stead of throwing things anttentionnvinndtthatt my radio I've been creating.

I'm on # 5 sane crazy patch quilt.

Going through my stash I have discovered fabrics that have been languishing in the back of shelves, that should really be used for something other than dust generation.

This gives me an excuse to do some quick work quilts and use up some of my " scraps to large to toss but to small to use "

I should also make my son a new quilt as his irish chain came bak from Afghanistan more string than quilt owing to the armies quality laundry equipment.

It's amazing how much I've got when in hardly ever buy more than fat quarters. They cuddle up and make fat eighths I suspect.

As always my helpers, violet and molly soaking up the watery sunshine while it lasts.
Notice how molly has settled herself in front of the iron for a little extra warmth.

CQJP the missing one

 So here's the thing

I missed one

so in an effort to rectify that mistake

I did this one in a bit of a hurry

and took for inspiration, again, the weather we’ve been having

and after 2 years of no snow woo-hoo! we got some, even down by us.
 though the poopie part is
we cant go skiing,

they've had the pass closed for avalanche remediation

so until they have that mess under control were stuck on this side of the mountains.

better than being stuck in miles long traffic or under piles of snow and trees
so there's that. the inner brat child just wants to go skiing.

where did the summer go?

Benny RIP 11th may 2015

Until this weekend our weather has been inordinately nice.

 I am not used to all this sun

Wait, what?Is she complaining about nice weather?
                                      Yes I am.

So it just takes 6 years for you to become attuned to your new environment to the point that you're complaining about the weather like a native. Huh.

That I lived my first 45 years in Chicago, this makes me a little giggly.

Now, I know I haven't bogged anything since June, this is due to many things.
The death of my cat Benny, a visit from my dd#2 for a month, in which we did a lot of sight seeing and the moving in of my son to figure out his life post army.

my little helper

 Phew!
I was prepared for the daughter and son invasions but Benny's death threw me.
he developed an inoperable cancerous tumor, poor baby! he wouldn't eat and dropped 2lbs in a week. so we had to make the difficult decision to put him down.

Anyway it has been a little difficult to get back on my hobby horse with all the hoo-ha.

I did finally finish Julys cqjp/bjp and have been teaching a class every second Tuesday on embroidery and cq, which bless me has kept me more or less on an even keel.

I love my ladies!They make me giggle. Last class we all ended up singing campfire songs, now given that I am the youngest in the group and was able to keep up, this also makes me happy.

 anyway, the July CQJP/BJP is fly stitch and lots of blue

which goes with the weather we have been having.

Lots of beautiful blue skies

I did a folded 13mm silk ribbon  tacked with little blue teardrops
(my wish for rain)

I'm rather pleased with how the upper right seam treatment came out.

BJP July

 and the little brown bug in the lower right hand corner is for my BJP portion.


here is the whole thing finished

my sweet boy Benny

last harvest and a walk around

 last harvest of the season was great!

a crap load of tomatoes and tomatillos

a zucchini (huge!) and even some broccoli!

yum, yum, yum!

now for a walk around before it rains again




we have been having a week of really weired weather for around here

blazing sunny while raining

and it's not being made any better by the fact we live under a convergence zone! aside from the unpredictability of it..ie rain, sun, rain, sun, rain..ugh you get the picture.

it has also been blazing sunny out while raining buckets! welcome to washington!




 these are the tomatillos left out
maybe they will ripen
maybe not
they look pretty today!

I like this view of the house

it's from the back of the yard

wind chimes and bouncers

make for a  cheerful front door

  mr. wind decorated for the season







the stones are climbing

faerie pool

 I don't often look at the front yard from this angle

theres a lot of it

My other favorite tree.

she puts out the loveliest pink blossoms in the spring

the view from across the stree

no wonder people have a hard time finding us!



you can barely make out the roof unless you know it's there!

the maple nextdoor is about to go poof! 




the last gasp of dahlias

leaves in the bird bath 

and more bowing up the drive

 looking in

 is different than looking out