reminiscing of summer

Though I have been enjoying the autumn, I have found myself reminiscing of summer already.  I know, I know, it's too soon to begin anticipating summer, but for as much as I love the autumn colors, I already am wanting more green. I thought I'd share a couple of photos from this summer that just make me smile at the memory.

Mrs. Bluebird on her nest

A clay-ey lake

My favorite amphibian -- Leopard frog

Female monarch freshly hatched from her chrysalis which can be seen above her

the plants live on

I spent today gathering plants from the garden that would otherwise not fare well in the winter months ahead.  I was under the impression that my white sage and white horehound would live through a Michigan winter, but alas, it gets too cold here for them to survive.

So, in they came.

white sage

white horehound

I placed my new "indoor" plants next to my flowering maple, which is just beginning to grow some new flower buds.  It looked so lovely in the sunlight that I decided to take a picture of it, though it was already living inside.

And lastly... the hats! They just keep coming. Winter is coming, and the wool in this house is flying.  Cheers to cool weather and warm woolens! 

of new (to me) crafts and old

Things have been changing around here, and I am blaming it on the cool and wondrous autumn air. A fellow spinner from the group I meet with had 10 floor looms that she had to get rid of, and well, I happened to drop by (heh, as in drive 45 minutes out of my way) and pick one up.  Another spinner friend was there to pick up a loom for herself and since she was brilliant enough to have brought a small trailer to bring hers home in, we were fortunate enough to have her and her family kindly take ours home as well.

36 inches of pure Leesburg Loom with more tricky heddles and names for all of the parts than I can currently remember:

In addition to the loom, I also purchased a new spinning wheel.  I've had my eye on a Saxony style wheel for a long time now, and I decided that I would sell an item of mine to have money for the purchase of a new one.  

weaving reading materials

etsy items ... slowly, my shop is getting bigger!

hat pattern plans

There is so much to do, and so little time! I am thankful for the time I do have and also for the cooler weather which makes staying inside and crafting that much more enjoyable.

the queen of insects

Do you like spiders?  I absolutely love them.  I will never purposely kill one -- if they're in my house, I typically let them stay or if they are walking across the floor, I'll take them outside.

However, even though this beautiful Queen was only sitting in her web in the corner of the hallway, I wasn't going to let her stay. She, along with the brown recluse, are unwelcome in my house.

Allow me to introduce you to, the Queen of Insects!

This amazing, female black widow spider was a real treat for me to find this morning.  The last time I found a widow, it was a male, and although he was beautiful, the females are definitely more exciting because of their poisonous bite.

Thankfully no one was bitten.  Regardless, this lovely lady is not going to be released the usual way -- she'll be let out into the woods far, far from my house.

beauty

I didn't expect these to bloom this year, but since they did, I'll show you!

tarragon flowers

lately

The weather has been all over the place as of late.  One day it's very warm and the next it's quite cool.  Autumn is beginning to settle in, and she is clearly a little unsure of what temperature is best.  I'll let her, though, because I still have tomatoes yet to ripen on the vine and I also have more woolens to make before the frosts begin. Autumn, please take your time.

In the meantime, :

first butternuts from the garden -- the littlest that you see was only 4 inches long!

hawthorn leaf

Klaus, prepared (and hoping) to run into some small animal mischief

Mini web that Michael discovered

Who knew that slugs ate fungus? I sure didn't! 

unidentified, but beautiful fungus specimens!

Michael and Klaus

Walking in the woods and happening upon little gems of nature is a soul-deepening experience.  If you haven't been out in the woods lately, I highly suggest it! Since Michael and I both have a little time off this week, I am going to drink in the woods as much as I can.

the busy season

'Tis the busy season, and I have every last minute dedicated to preparing for winter, both in the warmth and the food sense. Between spinning wool, shearing bunnies, knitting, canning garden vegetables, and working my "real" job, I have truly been a busy bee. My chores are my favorite kind of work though, and I take pride in accomplishing them.  They're all very satisfying tasks.  They're what we should all do for work.

cayenne

dried tarragon, my favorite culinary herb

marinara sauce

brandywines and green zebras

romas, yellow pears, and cherries

green zebras

moonglows

moonglow

single-ply angora

the angora wool from which I've been spinning --  available here.

Keep up your preparations for winter, folks! It will soon be upon upon us!