We saw a lot of progress on the front porch this week, in spite of the rain and cold. The grey color is primer. The rails will all be black, as well as the lattice that was supposed to protect the space underneath from animal habitation. We found several different kinds of balls under there. There was a space by the steps that had been open at one point and then was filled with large rocks. Now it will actually be sealed off, so it shouldn't collect any more balls. Spiders, maybe, or our local scorpions (not dangerous), but no squirrels or skunks will be able to set up housekeeping there.
By Sunday, the deck was sanded and the new finials were installed.
Joshua and Vinnie removed the last of the old pergola on Saturday. They hauled off the old posts and other bits of wood.
It's still pretty messy in the backyard, but progress is being made!
We now have a bird bath! This one has a little solar-powered fountain, which keeps the water moving when the sun is out. Obviously, it needs the sun to work. There's no water source for it, so we will need to keep it filled, and maybe thawed in the winter.
I'm not sure if it was the bird bath that brought the robins, but we had a big flock of them come through late Saturday afternoon. I tried to get pictures of them by zooming in, but this was the best I could do.
They kept flitting around, so most of them showed up as blurs. These robins didn't look like the usual ones we have most of the time. These have more black on their heads and backs and the red breast is lighter. I looked them up and found out that their visitation is a common occurrence here. They come through Bend twice a year when they migrate. They spend the summer in Alaska or parts of Canada and are on their way south for the winter. They're attracted to the juniper trees, nesting in them at night, and they feed on the berries but need water to digest them. We probably had 50 of them in our yard. As many as four at a time would be at the bird bath, drinking. We noticed that they weren't interested in the puddle of water on the top of the old hot tub. We didn't see any of them on Sunday, so maybe they had moved on.
If you have a few minutes and are willing, please go to Amazon and B&N and search for "Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook by Peggy Stuart" in Children's. Every click on the page for the book makes it more likely they will keep a good supply in their warehouse and stores. If you are outside the US, you may have a separate website for these retailers. If you have a copy of our other books, Emil and Mariah, please leave an honest review on the websites, especially if you bought from them.
Where's my blog: If you want to follow my blog, go here and sign up to follow.
What's on my needles: Still the Hinterland Pullover (some more progress made...maybe two rounds on the sleeve) and the EmPower People Kerchief (hibernating). Still Pauly's Wonderland pullover, no progress.
What's on my loom: Dust, but I still plan to make some placemats.
What's on my sewing machine: Still ready for back of T-shirt quilt.
What's in my hoop: Whole Cloth quilt, still no progress..
What's in The Doll's Storybook: September 9, 2022, "The Problem With Dogs and Cats." Mariah and Charlotte see a dog chasing a cat and wonder why dogs and cats don't get along.
What's in The Doll's Storybook: September 9, 2022, "The Problem With Dogs and Cats." Mariah and Charlotte see a dog chasing a cat and wonder why dogs and cats don't get along.
What's on my iPad/iPhone: Now listening to Plan for the Worst by Jodi Taylor, the next volume in The Chronicles of St. Mary's.
What's in my wine glass: Red Blend Portugal from Casa Santos Lima 2020. A favorite, and not just because of the pretty label.
What's my tip of the week: Peeling an onion is easier if you're going to chop it up anyway. Just make a few cuts through the onion with the skin still on first. Cut off the root and the top. Then cut through the middle from top to bottom and pull the outer layer off. It will be flexible, but the skin is stiff. It will pop off or break up and be easy to remove.
Where are my books: The stories in each book first appeared in the blog and they are reproduced with a few changes.
Classic Tales Retold: Stories from The Doll's Storybook is available from BookBabyBookshop and other booksellers worldwide. The stories are Little Green Greatcoat, The Boy Doll Who Cried Wolf and Lost in the Woods.
Emil: Stories from The Doll's Storybook and Mariah: Stories from The Doll's Storybook are also still available from booksellers world wide. The link for Book Baby is here. The three stories in Emil are Best Buds, Getting What You Want, and The Boys Cook Dinner.
If you don't get free shipping from Amazon or B&N, buy from the BookBabyBookshop, because 50% of the price goes to St. Jude. Other booksellers pay much less.
Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post.
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