The Queen Bee

I came home early from work today and discovered a swarm of bees in the tree in my neighbors front yard. I mean a swarm of bees. I could hear them before I saw them.  I wasn't really sure what to do about it, but I luckily someone in the neighborhood did.

A few people were right in the thick of it, looking at the bees and very excited about this. I asked what was going on. The woman explained a queen bee had landed there and was being protected by a new group of bees (hence the swarming). She said they needed to get the queen to a hive, someplace safe, before the bees moved on. She said they could possibly get into under the eaves of one of the houses and motioned to mine and my neighbors (not something I'm really keen on). There were a lot of bees and I'm not really a fan of large swarms of bees so I left them to be excited and went inside.

About 10 minutes later I heard a couple of cars pull up and a few people get out. A guy, whom I later discovered was named Brian, had a cardboard box and he and the lady, Margaret, got right in the thick of it trying to get the queen in the box. That seemed to make them swarm more, but Brian, Margaret and the others gathered to watch didn't seem to mind. I watched from a distance.

I swear there are lots of bees there but you can't see them. I didn't want to get to close. They looked quite busy. They got the box under the huddle of bees. Margaret said it looked like football hanging from a branch as the bees were huddled on each other covering the queen.

A few hours later, the crew was back at the tree. The box I had noticed was sitting under the tree with a note on it. I went back outside to see what the status was. Most of the bees were now in the box which Margaret said was thick with bees. I took her word on that one. She said they were waiting for more scouts to come back, then Brian would take the box back to his place and one of the empty hives he had. I wasn't sure how he was going to get them back to his place. I wouldn't want to be in the small hatchback he pulled up in, but that's just me.

See, lots of bees. Brian's trying to get the bees in the box.

I learned a few things today:

• First, next time I see a swarm of bees I should call Puget Sound Beekeepers Assocation and someone will come and take care of the swarm. Since honey bees are dying off, it's important to keep the queens safe and make sure they have good homes.
• Second, I'm not a big fan of swarms of bees, honey or otherwise (but I kind of thought that to begin with.)
• Third, I met a few neighbors over this ordeal. Margaret and her hubby Mike have chickens and they invited me over to meet "their girls" anytime I want! And I plan on it!

Simple things...

Reading a good book on the couch on a Sunday morning.

Making homemade soup.

Laughing with friends.

Going for a run.

Eating chocolate chip cookies with milk no matter how old you are.

Sometimes I really appreciate the simple things when life gets to be a bit hectic. Which is why I really loved knitting the Simple Things Shawlette. It was a quick and easy knit which is just what I needed these days. I loved coming home after a stressful day to just sit and enjoy the hypnotic sound of my bamboo needles and easy repetition of the pattern. And the kick ass red color didn't hurt either.

Project: Simple Things Shawlette by Mary-Heather Cogar

Yarn: Pashmara by Fly designs in Blood Red

More details and pictures can be found on my Raverly page

I am Elinor Dashwood

I saw this post on Sara's blog and I just had to procrastinate my laundry more and take it right away: Which Jane Austen Heroine are you? I have to admit, my answers were a bit all over the place so I wasn't sure who I'd end up being. But Sense and Sensibility was the first Jane Austen book I ever read (and still one of my all time favorites) I think this answer will do!

Yarn Storage

When my parents visited a few weeks ago, they brought up my college graduation present from my grandmother. It's not like she didn't get me anything when I graduated, oh, so many years ago, it's just that I didn't really have a place to put it. I was in the post grad stage of constantly moving from one crappy apartment to another and I didn't want to move it around as it was a piece of furniture that didn't require assembly (something very rare for a post grad).

So now that I'm a homeowner, my father delights in bringing me item of my past that have been stored in the garage/attic/former bedroom/etc. This last trip brought me this:

It was my great grandfather's trunk. It had been living in my grandmother's garage for years and she thought I might like it. And I love it! My father, the creative, handy guy that he is, refinished it for me and added this delightful element:

Removable and slideable drawers! Perfect for organizing sock, lace, worsted, etc. You get the picture.

(Clearly I was so excited about the yarn storage/organization system that I didn't even notice the picture was blurry.)

And the best part is, now I have way more room for my yarn! Time to go shopping!

S'mores - Seattle Style

The hubby & I had a BBQ this Memorial Day weekend. We decided to make homemade marshmallows and graham crackers for s'mores on our fire pit. We followed the directions from jam it, pickle it, cure it & other cooking projects by Karen Solomon. If you like to try new things in your kitchen, this book is for you. I have to admit, I was a little intimidated at the idea of making my own marshmallows, but they were surprisingly easy to do - albeit quite messy. Just like a good s'more.

The marshmallows setting in the pan. I didn't get any cooking pics because the process happens pretty fast.

The hubby helping to get them out of the pan. Then you cut into squares and dip in powdered sugar.

Voila! Homemade marshmallows!

Homemade graham crackers. Again, didn't get any cooking pics, it was pretty busy in our kitchen!

The roasting of mallows. Note the jeans and fleece in the pic, yes, this is a BBQ in Seattle. A little cold weather and rain does not stop us! There were homemade mallows to be roasted people!

Get ready for it...

Ooey, gooey, s'mores goodness!

Garden Plan 2010: Ambitious/Crazy

The veggies and some fruits are now in the raised garden beds and several containers around the yard. I've decided the theme to this year's garden is Ambitious/Crazy. Here's what we've got growing and I'm sure you'll agree with me:

blueberries

artichoke

3 tomato plants

lettuce

pumpkins

snap peas

green beans

zucchini (for the record, if I can't get these zucchini plants to produce then I'm officially done with zucchini. There I've said it.)

radishes

green onions

carrots

cucumbers

basil

rosemary

a banana tree

Yes, you read that correctly, a banana tree. The hubby was doing a little research and discovered, if it's protected from the colder nights, a banana tree will grow in our neck of the woods. It's not a big one. It's in a pot and he moves it in and out each night and on the weekends he moves it around the yard to follow the sun. It's kind of cute. I'm quite skeptical. But if it actually produces fruit, I'll be sure to post about it and admit I'm wrong. We also planted a dwarf apple tree in our yard. I'm quite excited about that. Now comes the waiting game.

The lilac tree has bloomed. I find it highly ironic that I've been waiting to get some color in our back yard and now that the lilac tree has finally bloom, I discovered the flowers are white. Oh well, they still look pretty and smell quiet lovely.

Self Portrait Series: Girls weekend in Vegas

Sara & I are pretty famous for our self portraits.

But we couldn't leave April out of the fun (or Ms. Green M & M)!

Poolside fun at the Wynn (in the shade with SPF 70 of course)!

We had a little help with this one.

 Sara and April figured out they've been friends for about 20 years. Good thing they've also known me for 17 of those years! 

It was a great weekend filled with lots of laughter, lots of memories and a lot of fun! I miss not seeing them everyday like back in college, or even about once a week when we were living in Boise, but I'll take a weekend like this anytime!

A few things both knitting & non-knitting

To say that it’s been a bit busy around here is a bit of an understatement. I’ve been wanting to blog for quite a while now, but haven’t had the time/energy/motivation/etc. So in true type-A personality form, I’m doing a list to sum up a few things. Here we go:

• My sister came for a visit. We had a blast getting pedicures, shopping for furniture (nothing bought but lots of ideas) and drinking margaritas on the patio in some rare Seattle spring sun.
• My parents came the following weekend; more family fun, day trips, fixing things up around the house.
  
• I scored some sweet deals and even sweeter yarn at the Fiber Gallery annual sale. Details on projects to come soon.
  
• I cast on for my first big sweater for myself. I’m making the Minimalist cardigan out of some beautiful pink wool. However, between the pattern and the yarn, it hurts my hands. Like really seriously hurts my hands. Like, it’s the reason I’m not knitting these days. I think I’ve averaged about 4 rows in about a month.
  
• I’m trying to decide to proceed slowly with the project or rip it out and find another project.
  
• In an effort to get knitting again, I’ve cast on for the Simple Shawl pattern. It’s quite pretty and painless. So far I’m on row 8 and all is well. Fingers crossed.
  
• And in an effort to truly relax and get some much needed R & R, I’m off to Vegas for a weekend of fun at the Wynn with my dear friends Sara and April.
  
• I hope to be back up and blogging and knitting much more often when I return, until then, here’s to some R & R for you, and of course, happy knitting.

Sunny Sunday

A sunny Sunday. A hike on Cougar Mountain in Issauquah.

 The view from the top. That's Mount Baker in Bellingham in the background.

My hiking partners, Soren and his mom Mara.

 A great day.

A trip to Fabric Crush

I've been wanting to get back into the sewing mode and just as luck would have it, I stumbled across a lovely new quilting blog Tallgrass Prairie Studio. Well, it's not new, but new to me. And the luck continued because as it turned out Jacquie was in town to visit a friend and do a little talk at Fabric Crush. The store had recently moved from Magnolia to the Wallingford Center and I had been wanting to check it out. It was as if the Sewing Gods were putting this out there in the universe for me. 

So of course, I had to appease them. And I went. And I loved it. Both the store and Jacquie and her fabulously beautiful, yet simple modern style quilts. Take a look.

Jacquie and her quilts. If I was a better blogger, I'd have the names of these patterns she designed, but alas, I am not. They sure are pretty though!

I especially loved this salavage quilt. These are the salvage edges of fabrics she's used over the years. Isn't this a great creative way to use all of the fabric?

Ohhh...ahh...it was like a fireworks show for the quilting fans in the room as we got to look up close and touch all the pretty fabrics. So fun and inspirational!

Rebecca + Scott

It's official....they're now married!

The wedding party...in all seriousness...

See...totally official and some seriousness....

And a lot of fun!

Oz Vest*

Project: Oz Vest

From: Natural Knit for Babies & Moms

Yarn: Plymouth Select Worsted Merino Superwash in someshade of blue that I can't seem to remember.

*I'm not sure what it was about this project, but to say it was hell is truly an understatement. It looks so easy and quick, and maybe it is, but for me, it was freakin' miserable. I had to restart the damn thing about 4 times because I kept messing it up and getting off the pattern repetition. I managed to sew the vest together all crooked and twisted. It took quite a bit of time to figure out how to get it undone due to my super skills of weaving ends in. There was a lot of hard work that went into this sweater. And even some blood, sweat and tears. And quite a bit of profanity. But this fu$#^&*% sweater is done. Thank God.

Easter Treats

I love Easter. I always have. I'm not sure why, I've never been able to pin point why its do dear to me. Maybe it's the all the spring flowers that are beginning to come up in my favorite shades of yellow, pink and purple. Maybe its the promise that spring is really just around the corner. Or maybe its just another excuse to eat chocolate and other good food with family and friends. Whatever the reason, I hope your Easter was a lovely one!

Some Easter Flowers

Our friends Jon, Sara and their dog Tug look for the beers the Easter Bunny left in our yard.

The Hubby was the big winner finding most of the beers.

For dessert I tried something new, a raspberry blackberry custard. The thing I loved about this dessert was the fact that is was made in the blender!

Isn't sweet how Martha watches me?!

No, I’m not going crazy, it’s for the tourists

In my last post I mentioned our road trip through the Olympic Peninsula. Well, if you’ve read any of the Twilight books you no doubt know, that’s the stomping ground of vampires and werewolves, at least according to Stephanie Meyer.


You have to give credit to the small town of Forks for trying to make a few bucks off of these books. Everywhere in the town is some sort of Twilight sign; hotels welcoming Twilighters, specials for Bella Burgers, etc. You can also visit not one, but two Dazzled by Twilight stores in town (if you’ve been to Forks you know how small it is so to have two of these stores is pretty amazing.)


Even Jacob’s stomping ground of La Push is in on the frenzy. La Push is even smaller than Forks mind you. As you enter the town, the little restaurant has a Pepsi banner that reads “No Vampires Beyond This Point.” You can also grab a coffee a Jacob’s Java. The town store is decorated in Team Jacob mania. Edward need not apply.


But the thing that had me doing a double take is the fact that as you drive into a town there is a house and separate garage that was painted red, complete with an old trailer in front. At first I thought, no….that couldn’t be. That place looks just like the scene of Jacob’s house in New Moon. As we drove out of town I looked again. This time I realized I wasn’t crazy, it was painted and designed to look like Jacob’s house. I knew this for sure because the Twilight Tour bus full of people was pulling in the driveway.


*For you Twilighters out there, I apologize for the lack of pictures of all of this stuff. I wanted to stop and take some but the hubby just shook his head and kept on driving. He claims to be on Team Mike Newton.

Weekend Get-A-Way

This past weekend the hubby and I took a little road trip to the Olympic Peninsula. We had lovely weather on Saturday and drove along the coast. We are so lucky that within a few hours of our house we can drive to the beach through and old growth rainforest.

The beach at La Push with a big storm blowing in.

The Hubby sitting at the base of the worlds largest Cedar tree. It was really freakin' big.

We stayed at the Lake Quinault Lodge. It’s charming, beautiful and pretty much perfect. With no t.v.’s, cell service or internet access it was just what we needed to unwind. This is the place where folks hang out with other guests in a big lobby complete with a fireplace, over stuffed leather couches, games and a bar. Once again, it was perfect.

Getting a little reading time in and enjoying the rare spring sunshine.

My gin & tonic and my view.....ahhhhhh.....

 

Sunday greeted us with the typical spring rainforest weather (wind, clouds and rain). Not being the uber serious hikers, we opted for drives instead of hikes. We continued to drive along the coast up to the Sul Duc Hot Springs Resort. We were in our own cabin which was a nice treat after enjoying the hot springs.


Monday we woke to snow in the mountains, fog and possible some of the worst sleet/hail I’ve seen in awhile, once again scraping our hiking plans. It did make for some pretty scenery however.


While we weren’t able to do a lot of the hikes that we wanted to try, we’ll be heading back for sure since it was such a lovely vacation!

 

A sunny spring afternoon

The first signs of life are beginning to creep up in the garden. Two rows of lettuce that we planted from seed are popping up. I'm quite excited as I've never planted lettuce from seed before. I truly believe lettuce is the gateway drug to gardening.

Today also had some unseasonable warm spring temps and sunshine. I was able to duck out of work early and hit Alki Beach for a run. When people find out I live in West Seattle, sometimes they smirk and ask why I'd want to live over there? Gee...I wonder why?