1/17/21

Settling In

It was a welcome day of slow yesterday: slow getting up, slow getting dressed, slow getting around, slow stitching.... You get the idea. We'd planned a grocery shopping trip, but then realized that on a Saturday, the place would be extra busy. We just picked up a few items from the produce section for dinner last night, and decided to get the rest on a week day when there would be fewer customers inside the store. That's the theory anyway...and you'll have to admit, it's a genius way to get out of grocery shopping for a few days. Instead, we headed back to the RV for naps...because every grocery store trip requires a nap to gain closure. 

We hung the bird feeders to the side window of the RV the first night we arrived. Sadly, the seed feeder fell to the ground during the night and broke. Right now it's rubber banded together, and we have a replacement on order. It should arrive on Tuesday. For now, the birds don't seem to mind eating in a literal dive.


Unfortunately, this side of the RV is in shade all day, and the bright white RV of our neighbor is going to render any pictures in silhouette. This bird happens to be a house finch like the ones we saw in Arizona on our Rainbirds trip last year. Here's one from that trip so you can get an idea what it looks like:


We have a plan to move both feeders to the back window when the replacement comes in order to see the birds better. Nevertheless, I did get this photo of an Anna's hummingbird while I was outside. As expected, they found the feeder right away. I'm participating in the 365 Picture Today challenge for now. Yesterday's prompt was "Kindness," and this was my shot:


It was my first chance at slow stitching this trip. I've finished the bottom half of my piece now, and I'll start working on the top half today. It's been slow going since I'm having to limit the time I spend on it.


This being Sunday, I'll be linking up to:


It was nice to get out for a little walk yesterday. It seemed like as good a time as any to try one of the photography challenges from my book. The first challenge was to choose any color, and then just take pictures of that color. The camera was mounted with a macro lens, and so I decided to stick with that lens for the challenge. (I read a challenge once that suggested sticking with the same lens, whatever it might be, and then attempting to use it for everything.) And so the macro lens was a good choice for the first color I saw...these blue rosemary-looking things. I remember these from our visit here last year. The look a lot like rosemary, but I don't think they are. Whatever they are, the bees love them. 


And since blue was the first color I saw, "Blue" was my color choice. Then, I just walked through the park taking pictures of all the blue things I saw. To-wit:


The point of the challenge is to spark creativity, and compose and crop in a way that makes it interesting. These aren't intended to be award-winning images...ha...as if...but instead, to be thought of as photography experimentation. So this blue umbrella caught my eye. 


This next image is the same, but cropped differently. Those folds in the canvas look like hooded figures to me.


Moving on...this blue bike rack...


The blue tile roof of the park office.





These next two images are from the same photo...just cropped differently.






Yipes, stripes!


This is the logo on Mike's electric bike.


And the book suggests putting some of the images in a collage. I can do this with Google Photos, but I don't like this nine-patch arrangement. I'd like to find a collage-maker that will allow me to adjust size and positioning. That will require some dinking around on the computer. 

Eventually, I'll try this again, choosing a different color.

When I got back from my photography outing, I found this lout sitting on our patio. He should get up and do some all-day driving, don't you think?


I put him to work walking the cat. Smitty was so brave. He actually walked around a little bit, maintaining his composure, even when some people walked by. He stayed out for about five minutes, and then wanted back in.


Of course, such courage is always rewarded with treats of valor.


While they were walking, I was busy getting a head start on dinner. We had lasagna and a salad, and then a cherry pie for two for dessert. Yum.


Sadie has become proficient at fashioning little kitty nests for herself out of the many quilts we brought along.


Smitty has claimed the window perches for the time being. Last year, these were in the morning sun, but this year...nothing but cold, cruel, shade.


It takes a woman cat to realize that if one sleeps on the sofa, one can still catch those morning rays.


So we're still catching up on our lazy hours today. I'm going to do some laundry, which is a small job when done in an RV washer/dryer combo. While I'm working at that, I'm going to get busy tracing out the "stitched inchies" piece for 2021. This is Meg Hawkey's stitch-along from Crabapple Hill Studios. I've done this project the past two years...here's my little quilt from 2019:


That one was so much fun, I did last year's project too:


This year's project is intended to be done over stretched canvas. You can see it right here. I'm not at all excited about the stretched canvas, and so I'll probably do something different with mine. I need to get it out and look at it before I'm settled on what to do. I have an idea to cut the stitcheries into individual blocks and make a doll quilt from them. More on that when I make up my mind.

So that's the news from Camp Rain-be-gone. We're enjoying this warmth and sunshine.

15 comments:

Barbara said...

Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything. ~ Aaron Siskind

Quilting Babcia said...

Amazing amount of bright blue in your current world. That blue in the umbrella photos looks just like the blue capes worn by some of the Amish women around here.

Shirley said...

Good to see you’re having fun at your trip, avoiding crowd at shops is essential with the even more contagious English Corona virus variant already spotted up north in the USA (unfortunately it’s also here in the Netherlands), I always go around 18.00h when everybody else is having dinner at home. Love the blue photo’s, to make collages I use the free app Layout (on my iPhone and iPad), it does make the photo’s less sharp. But it’s free. I’m also going to join the embroidery month, going to make them like last two years with half an inch space in between just in case.

Jenny said...

Just caught up on your holiday posts, I always enjoy reading about your trips away. Pleased that your shoulder is slowly improving, guess it's going to be a long slow ride to get back to 100%. Are you doing physio to help things along?

Julierose said...

Loving all the blue shots..nice that you are getting some rest...
hugs, julierose

Michelle Olsen Sasak said...

I feel the same way about the February embroidery project. I rearranged all of the individual pieces into a collage the same size as the last two years' projects so it will be stitched on one piece of fabric and framed and finished the same size.

Darlene S said...

Ahh, what a relaxing day. I fully understand your rational about shopping. I even rationalized to not shop tomorrow as it is a holiday! Maybe later in the week I'll find a quiet time to shop. I see the kitties receive treats for their walk, but not quite sure Mike received a treat. Hymm.

SJSM said...

That was a nice look at "blue". It is interesting how you found shades and textures that should make an interesting collage.

An alternative to going into a store is curbside pickup or a shopping service such as Instacart. We have used both. Curbside works easier with packaged items. Do double check the items brought out as mistakes can be made. My Instacart experience with fresh veggies has been good. The shopper appeared to chose the best available items. I also saw in real time items checked off the list. The shopper also texted issues and alternatives. I like how you can make on the fly decisions. I’ve only started using these services since the beginning of December when contagion rate skyrocketed. The plan is to continue until we are vaccinated and pass the waiting period for efficacy.

Have the kitties found the bird feeders a pleasurable view?

piecefulwendy said...

Great captures of blue in those photos! I think I need to get some window feeders. Enjoy your break!

Nancy in IN said...

Even Mike has on blue!! So enjoy your blog about your travels and at home. Embroidery is really nice

Sharon Kwilter said...

I love that little pie. I didn't realize you could get pie pans in smaller sizes. I am definitely going to have to look for some of those. It looks like a fun trip.

Lyndsey said...

Great pictures and love the blue hoods from the parasol.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Of course you know that blue is my favourite colour (well, probably you didn't, but now you do!). I enjoyed seeing how you cropped some of the photos and it certainly gives a different perspective doesn't it. I must say that 'lout' looks pretty comfie - he deserves it after all that driving. Yet another Crabapple Hill Studio thing that I can't see (alto' I did get the PDF okay). Sigh.

Joni said...

I must still be in my blue phase because your photos made me sigh with happiness. Shock of all shocks we have a blue sky in the Willamette Valley today...don't blink, it'll vanish.
Thank you for the Beautiful World stitch along link, her 3-D effect of finishing off the project is interesting. Like your idea of a possible mini or doll quilt. Does the blue flower smell like rosemary?

QuiltGranma said...

I believe those blue flowers you started with at the top ARE rosemary. We were in northern CA one February and they were blooming there as well. Bend a leaf, and sniff to be sure.