My Day in Court

Good morning, my friends. Before we go even one word further, I feel I must point out that today is

Have you hugged your cat today?

As expected, I had almost no time for sewing yesterday. I managed to stitch Tiny Treasure #57. This one has stem stitch, stem fill, lazy daisy, and French knots.

Checking the forecast, I noted rain was supposed to start in about an hour from when I finished that. I decided to hurry out and replant the sprouted bean seeds. Happily, more have sprouted from the original planting. It seems the crows didn't get all of them.

Now here's something interesting I saw on Facebook yesterday. Honestly, I've been gobsmacked by the damage done by the crows this year. We've had damage to our garden from critters living both above and below ground, but I've never seen the crows go after the beans like they did this year. Then, I read this article on Facebook yesterday morning that explains it somewhat. Without posting the whole long article, this is the part that stunned me:

In the winter of 2012–13, researchers logged approximately 1,000 crows near Portland State University [my alma mater]. By the winter of 2017–18, that number had risen to 7,000. Last winter, they counted more than 22,000 in a single evening. To put that in perspective: crows now outnumber students on Oregon's third-largest university campus by more than 1,000.

So, it isn't just my imagination. There really are more crows in our area. Well. We've fixed their little red wagons (if they had red wagons). They're leaving the beans alone now that we've fenced them off from their prying beaks. 

Also while I was out, I noticed a flower on our poor struggling rose bush.

There are two more buds and one more sad looking flower on another branch. The poor thing has almost no foliage on it. I'm hoping it will start to look bushier now that I've pruned it and groomed it some. It might require more drastic pruning this fall. At our previous home, we had 52 rose bushes…all planted by an English lady who lived there before us. I had a regular care routine established for them, but this poor little rose gets neglected most of the time.

The only other thing I have for show and tell is that some of the cherries are starting to blush.

These won't be ready for at least another month, but it's good to see them coming along. They're a little smaller than an olive at this stage.

Okay, so I know you're all waiting on tenterhooks wondering what happened when I went to court yesterday. First, I need to say that my citation was issued by the City of Lafayette, Oregon. It was incorporated in 1878, just 19 years after Oregon became a state. As of the 2020 census, Lafayette had a population of about 4,500 people. This is the building to which I reported for my hearing.

Walking in, there was a panel of folks (3-4 people) on one side of the room, sitting behind a row of tables. One of them was obviously the "judge." There were several rows of chairs facing the panel...all empty. There were three uniformed police officers in the room. Aside from those people, I was the only other person in the room. As I came through the door, one of the police officers welcomed me.

Me: I'm here to face the music. 

Them: (Chuckling.) 

One of the police officers indicated I should "have a seat." 

Me: Do I sit here?

Another police officer directed me to a "podium," which consisted of a music rack like the ones public schools use in their music rooms. Taken by surprise at being heard so quickly, I grimaced, eliciting more chuckles.

Judge: State your last name.

Me: Stanbro

Judge: You've been cited for speeding. How do you plead?

Me: No contest.

Judge: You have a clean driving record. Do you want to keep it that way?

Me: Yes!

Judge: [Announces the amount of the fine, which was reduced by $50...not as much as I’d hoped, but better than nothing.] Don't get any more citations for a year, and this will stay off your record. 

Me: That's it?

Judge: That's it. Go through those doors to pay your fine.

Me: Wow. That was easy. No blood or anything. (Chuckling in the room.)

Police Officer: And no jail time!

Judge: Not yet, anyway.

So there you go. Except for the fine, it was downright enjoyable. Can't beat that for a day in court.

All right. There are a couple of little things on today's agenda, but I'm going to get back to my sewing today. I'll start with the day's Tiny Treasure, and then I'm determined to get the binding sewn on "The Story of My Day." There was some time yesterday afternoon to square it up. The binding strips are cut. I just need to sit down and sew. There should also be time to start the applique for the Salmon block. 

Time's a-wastin'. I'd better be on my way. Happy sewing today, y'all, and stay out of trouble.