It has been such a cock-eyed summer. Everything is out of whack.
I’ve been on the computer so much in the past week or so that I had forgotten that I hadn’t posted until my Dad wrote and asked if I’d dropped off the face of the earth. It has become increasingly apparent to me that I need to have a better online store. Using Typepad together with the ballandskein website works well enough but has limitations when it come to inventory control. Now, when orders come in, I must manually remove them from the number of skeins available. It works fine until two people want the same item and I’m not on the spot to update the count. I’ve searched around looking for an affordable shopping cart program. Zencart looked like a choice I might be able to manage. Yeah, right. Not so far. I’ve set about trying to learn a bit about CSS. I didn’t even know that CSS existed until last week. If I learn enough of it to get Zencart up and running I’ll be happy. So far, I’m pulling my hair out.
The temps and the rain have kept the garden from doing anything. Look at the temperature swings during the last 10 days.
The only thing growing is the squash. The animals are taking what little manages to grow. We’re hopeless when it comes to vermin control. The not so little ground hog, and maybe his / her family is so unafraid that we were charmed when we should have been wary. The broccoli is disappearing nightly. In spite of 5 lines of solar electric, which due to the total lack of sun until yesterday (when I found I could grab it comfortably), has had no effect. Apparently the ground hog understands photovoltaics and the effect of the sun. I think we’ve had 8-9 inches of rain. The field is squishy, like it is in May after the snow melt and the fire pit has over a foot of water in it. I have terracotta planters that have a green "patina", the kind that sometimes take years to establish. If we depended on what we grew to survive, I’d already be too weak to post.
Sammy, in a sweet cat / bad cat effort , brought me a present. A gift of something I cherish. A hummingbird, left dead on the floor. I cried. I tried to explain it to him, again.. no birds, never NEVER, and especially NOT a hummer. Bad Sammy, I love Sammy, BAD.
The MS3 continues. Clue 3 is nearly finished. I’m already slipping behind. It could have been done by Friday. It wasn’t a hard clue. Evenings were so busy. Tuesday Night Knitting group, Wednesday night, the new Harry Potter movie, Thursday night traveling…. Friday.. Doctor WHO. Time and the summer are flying by.
I’ve got a new item on the menu. I’m working on a spindle plying box. Here’s the first prototype. It will take two spindles or sleeve holders to slip my spindle sleeves onto if I don’t want to keep tying my spindles up waiting to ply. The more I play with the spindle sleeves, the more I like them.
BTW.. Today is just right!
Comments
14 responses to “my week, in review”
32 F?? Ouch. I had no idea it had gotten so cold up there. Good luck with CSS. Better you than me, baby.
Crikes. We have 88% humidity today, which is nearly unheard of for our part of the country. Blech.
If I remember correctly, Melanie won’t be posting a clue next week, so as to allow the Harry Potter readers who are less obsessive than I a chance to schedule reading AND knitting time. So you can catch up. Or in my case, start.
Sorry it’s been such a cock-eyed summer for you. I hate that kind of wet weather in which very little grows and in which all the vermin have taken ridiculous advantage of the spoils and then to have a precious hummer offered up as a prezzie? I would cry too! Hugs.
One of my cats brought me a hummingbird a few weeks ago- sad. I thought they were too fast for cats to catch; I mean I’ve never seen one sitting on the ground or perched on a branch.
Does Sammy wear a collar? If yes, tie one of those little round silver bells to it. It will warn the birds.
Well- at least it looks like you will get some elderberries! (little bit of wet won’t stop them!)
I like the prototype…it looks like it would work just for for the Great Wheel cops too (but the sleeves might be a little large) —
I wouldn’t mind more rain, but you can keep 32 degrees.
Our hummer(s) have been resting on the bamboo stakes for the climbers, for minutes on end. I keep wondering if they are healthy, as I’ve never seen them do it this much. Vermin are vermin, no matter how friendly. My resident chipper is getting destructive.
The nights have been really cool here too….but the days have been reasonably warm enough, although my tomatoes are still pretty green.
We had to completely fence in the garden, digging some under to keep the ground hogs out….so far, so good (knock on wood)
It’s cool and rainy here today and I agree it’s been an odd summer temperature-wise. Good to hear from you.
Lovely plying box! I like the knot-wood. Too bad I’m not a spindle person (someday I will rememdy this).
I’m sorry about the hummer. Birmingham just amended their leash laws to include cats. Yes, that’s right – starting 10/1, all cats within the city limits are subject to being impounded if caught outside without a leash. We’re still deciding how to break the news to our free range kitty.
I missed you!! Sorry to hear about the crazy weather and CSS frustrations. And the hummingbird. 🙁 Send some of your rain down our way, would you? The grass around here literally crunches when you walk on it these days.
Have you thought about selling on Etsy? Lots of hungry knitters are on the prowl for handpaints over there…
And I’m so sorry about the poor hummimgbird. 🙁
We learn lots having blogs don’t we? You’ll get it, just takes practice like everything else. Sorry about the birdie, Sam meant well. Your shawl is fabulous! Where has the summer gone?