The 2021 Lunar Eclipse

I got up several times last night to watch the lunar eclipse.  At 2:00 there wasn't much to look at.  By 3:00 it was starting to get interesting.  By 4:00 it was excellent!  We had crystal clear skies and a great view.  It was cold, but no wind.  Perfect. 

It reminded me of watching the 2017 solar eclipse.  

Without the soul crushing heat.

But with 20.

Oh dear.  He really should get to see this eclipse as well.

I mean, how many sheep can claim to have seen both eclipses?  

I probably couldn't have pulled it off at, say 11:00, but by 4:00 I was up for an adventure.  I thought 20 was always up for an adventure as well, but he actually seemed a bit confused as to why I was putting his sweater on him in the wee hours of the morning.  Once we got outside though, he was all in.  

We sat out by the farm truck looking at the moon, taking some pictures with my phone and the big camera, talking about the solar eclipse and how the moon was different and why we could look right at it and I thanked him for being a good friend and a good sport about everything ;-).  

Note: I did wake Saint Tim up to take a quick look, but he too seemed a bit confused as to why I was waking him up in the wee hours of the morning ;-D.

It was worth it.

Fall Friends

Bea and I went for a walk out back yesterday afternoon.  Possum came with us for the first time.  She followed Kate down to the creek in the front field once a couple of weeks ago, but I think that was more her taking care of Kate than taking a walk with friends.

Possum is lonely.  She and Betsy do not get along.  She likes me, but is still wary and only lets me pet her when she feels safe up on something like a cabinet or one of her beds.  She loved those quiet old dogs.  Bea is as far from old and quiet as she could possibly be.

I think Possum understands that Bea is a baby.  I bet, like me, she is just hoping Bea eventually quickly grows out of her way too exuberant behavior.  In the meantime, I'm seeing some action that makes me think she's trying to figure out a way to be friends.

I try very hard to stop Bea when I see her chasing Possum.  There is nothing I hate more than a dog who chases other animals...well, unless it's a guard dog chasing a coyote.  Lately I think Possum might be deliberately letting Bea chase her sometimes, almost teasing her into a race.  

Yesterday I saw Possum chase Bea back a couple of times as we explored around the Frog Pond.  The forays up a nearby tree looked almost more like a fun game than an escape.  I'm still not comfortable with Bea's behavior, but I think we're all trying.  No one's trying harder than Possum.

I thought this picture would be too busy and not fun, but it is actually made for a good puzzle.  Bea is a bit too busy as well, but maybe she's turning into a fun puzzle for Possum as well.

Just In The Nick Of Time

I think the last time I dyed the yarn for this sweater was fall of 2019...which is around the time the blog got sketchy, so who knows what really happened :-/.  

I do remember the yarn started out (years ago) in springtime colors, then (years ago) tweaked to be more summer and then (two years ago), when once again I wasn't finding much inspiration from the yarn that was so special, it occurred to me to shoot for a fall palette and then, even better, a blanket flower palette. 

I started (for the last time) knitting the sweater for the 2020 Iknitarod.  Something went wrong, I think the gauge in the green section (?), and it didn't get finished until the 2021 Iknitarod.  At least it was finally finished and I miraculously remembered to take pictures the other day just before the blanket flowers were finished for the year.

I regret I was not able to finish this sweater while Renny was still alive.  I would have loved a picture of it with her.  I would have loved for her to see her beautiful yarn made into something that will last long after she and I are gone.  It's hard not to compare the hard fought journey from sheep to happy sweater with her hard fought journey from what should have been her tragic end to such a happy life.

Blanket flowers make for happy bees, too :-).

There are so many previous posts I should link throughout this post to tell a more complete story of the sheep, yarn and knitting, but it's a beautiful fall day and I'm going back outside.  Long time readers know her story.  If you are new, follow this link or her "label" on the right hand side of the blog and meet a tough sheep and her even tougher yarn.

October

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Happy Halloween

"Yeah...they dressed me up as a spider."

"A spider."

"But wait...don't spiders bite people?"

"You better give me a bunch of cookies!"

"I prefer to think of myself as a super hero!"

While you sure don't want to see your deluxe Halloween costume destroyed, I'd be lying if I didn't admit there is a little part of me that sort of misses the Maisie who wouldn't even wear a wizards hat.