Orb Weavers

Last night I looked out to see if my feral had come up for one last feeding before dark.  I noticed a small spider building a web from my gutter to the bird feeder stand.  I pulled up a chair and watched it go back and forth and up and down.  It was too dark to see the web but I knew what was happening.

This morning I got up and looked to see if the web was built and there were various bugs suspended in air, caught in the web.  About 3 hours later when it was daylight I went out to get some picture and nothing was left but the one thread connecting the gutter and bird feeder stand.  

So of course I had to some research and found out Orb Weavers do this.  What a lot of work to build a beautiful web only to tear it down just to catch food.  I am anxious to see if it happens again tonight.

 I did wake up the other morning to find a connector thread in my kitchen from one cabinet to the ceiling light. I never saw a web built though.  Maybe there were not enough bugs in the kitchen to trap which for me is a good thing.

 Nature never ceases to amaze me.  They are a pretty little spider.  I always name all mine Charlotte. So I hope Charlotte number ????? stays around.  

 

The Flag

 So the flag is done but for adding the background and having it quilted.  The quilt shop will quilt it in a wavy pattern like the flag is waving.  I have to say this really stretched me and if I ever did it again there are so many things I would do differently. Mostly get a flat light board to better draw all those pieces.  I am happy with it, well not real thrilled with the flag pole but I got a less busy piece of fabric hoping the flag shines over it.  I am using red poppies for the back.  

My biggest problem is where to hang it. I have 24 windows which does not lend to me having a lot of wall space and my living room with 2 large walls is painted terra cotta orange. However I am going to hang it in the living room cos it needs to be seen.

So here is my progress so far.

 

 

Garden, Caterpillar and BigBoy

 I finally found a caterpillar this week, it was just kind of hanging on the milkweed, so I scooped it up and brought it in with a milkweed leaf.  You can see the black spot by its back and in the morning it was all black.  Finally I have a caterpillar and something got to it.  It is buried under the Red Bud tree.

 Not sure what BigBoy was doing. He often sits like that on the couch, cats are funny.

The Banana Pepper plant is going crazy and there are some that will be ready to pick in a few days, it has tons of blooms.

I had my first and second and third cherry tomato this week and both plants are loaded.

I love the purple petunias, they look like velvet.

 The safflower is blooming under the bird feeders,  It drops and grows, and there are thorns like crazy around the flower part.

The plants I brought from inside are doing great.

The deer must have been up the other night and helped themselves to my Sunflowers.  This plant jsut showed up, must have been the squirrels carried it there.   

 

Dear Joann's

 I have received your email twice now telling me about Michael's picking up a lot of the things you used to sell.  And oh look a 50% off coupon on ONE thing regular price.  Did you get a look at the exclusions, there are more things excluded than there are in the store. Michael's started doing this with their coupons eons ago and it never got me in the store. I think I was last in one pre-COVID.  Their prices are more expensive, their sales aren't that great when you consider the regular price and they tend to have more framing and silk flowers than anything else.  

I can not imagine buying fabric and yarn online when I can not see or touch it.  Yes I have bought yarn online but only from a store I was very familiar with their products.  

I want to know if Michael's is going to offer the Big Twist yarn at the same price and have the same sales Joann's did.  Probably not.  

I will stick with Hobby Lobby even though they now sell bedding, really why?  If you are a craft store stick with the crafts, I can buy the other stuff cheaper somewhere else.  

Good thing my basement (aka my craft room) is well stocked, so perhaps I will use up what I have and forgo the online shopping.

 

Happy 100th

 Yesterday I attended a birthday at church of our oldest member.  Vernon was 100.  I have never been to a 100th party before.  His whole family was there but his wife. She has passed a few years ago and it was just him and his cat.   Half our church was there as well.  The night before one of the news channels did a little item about him and when I was talking to him a reporter was taking notes, she had pages.

Vernon has had an amazing life so far.  He was part of the team that drew the map for the state of Alaska from an airplane when it became a state.  He retired from the military and went on to teach school and be a scout leader.  His kids are all military as well as some grandkids.

I would often sit him at Fellowship after church, it was as if my dad was still alive.  He has not been doing well lately and has not been to church for a while but yesterday he was as sharp as ever and having the time of his life.

People like him need to be celebrated before they are all gone.  I asked him if he thought he would ever live this long and he said his first goal was 75, then to see the turn of the century and next year he was going to start all over again and turn 1.   

Happy Birthday Vernon, you definitely need to be celebrated.  Thanks for sharing your life with our little church, we are blessed to have you as a member.   

Garden

 The garden is really pretty right now, plenty of rain, could use some sun and everything is vibrant and growing like the weeds.  I have tomatoes like crazy and the pepper is growing fast and has blooms.  I love this time of year when it is all pretty and green.  And there is a ton of catnip this year too.

 

 

I Must Have Fallen and Hit My Head

 I took a collage class at a local quilt shop (The Fabric Chic).  Well actually I took it 3 times before the light bulb came on.  I admit this is my new addiction.  You take a picture and re-create it from fabric and other embellishments.  It is not for the faint of heart but it is fun. My Rooster took me 50 hours and it just needs to be framed now.

I have a list of Laura Heinle patterns I want to make.  I was at my monthly work day there and was going to work on the zinnia.  I found a charm pack in my stash and thought how pretty would this be, batiks of blue, aqua, purple, yellow, and pinks.  Well I started to lay them out and it was just not working, and my brain was not in the mood to deal with it.

So I went to the shop and none of the fabric jumped out at me.  Ok Oh look the flag pattern is in, on my list of to makes.  I got it and started picking out fabric to get me going for the day.  As I was having fabric cut the employee said you know there will be a class for this, wait what?  Ok sign me up not ready yet.  Ok I will be watching for it.  3 days later I was the first to sign up.  I got home and opened up the pattern and went to my stash to get more fabric.  

After realizing there was a class and not wanting to start the flag, I had noticed this very pretty red/white/blue quilt and thought why not do a red/white/blue zinnia for the 4th, so I found enough fabric to do that. I got all my pieces cut out and now I need to sit down and put the pieces together.

Holy Crap what did I do?  Can I do this.  Of course I can cos after all I made the Alice Starmore Water Lily sweater.  There are about 100 pieces of fabric melded together and pencils to do some shading and words and stars and flowers overlaid and it is a 2 1/2 day class.  As you can see each stripe is several small pieces of fabric. 

I have been collecting supplies and this is not going to be a cheap class, I may need a part time summer job to pay for it.  

I need a challenge and something to settle my mind right now and this will be it, may take all summer but the hard part will be finding a place to put in my house, after all it needs its own wall.

 

Iron District

 I finally got to the Iron District. They have a sourdough bakery.  They used to have classes, will keep checking to see if they offer them again. I got the regular sourdough loaf and the flavor of the day was Parmesan/Black pepper.  The flavor of the day would make great grilled cheese sandwiches.  I just slathered mine with butter.

The Iron District is a group of small container cars.  Each decorated differently.  Most are eating places with a jewelry store and clothing store.  It sits on a corner of a long block with empty cars to add more places.  There are picnic tables in the middle.  Unfortunately they do not open til 11 so I had to go downtown to the art supply store and hit it first as I need supplies for my Flag collage (more on this in another post).

 https://irondistrictnkc.com/north-kansas-city-iron-district-about

It has some food that I have no idea what it is but it all smelled good. DId I mention there is an ice cream place, a place that serves wine and snacks, burgers, a bar, etc.  If you are even in town check it out in NKC.  And then go to The Rabbit Hole, the museum about children's books.

Spring Garden

 Well it is Mothers day so we can plant now, even though we have had snow on Mothers Day before.  Some of these come back every year so I have no control over them.

I did plant some zinnia, calendula, and other flower seeds today.

I love these purple violets in the yard, just a splash of color. I also have white ones and clover and of course those yellow flowers.

Catnip anyone, the cats are happy and Licorice will spending a lot of time out there enjoying his garden.

These are pots I wintered inside, 2 geraniums, vinca and xmas cactus

My meadow sage (purple) comes back every year, the swallowtail love it, but it only blooms once.   There is a tomato in the back that has blooms on it and my milkweed is about to bloom by the sage. 

The whiskey barrel has a tomato plant blooming and in the top of the picture is my salvia.  

Lets see what they look like come August.
 

Riverdance

 I saw Riverdance last night.  WOW is all I can say.  The talent, the endurance, and I could go on and on.  I have heard of it but thought it would be boring so I never went.  Boy was I wrong.  From the first step to the last I was like a kid in the candy store.  I was 4 rows back and the expressions on the face, the grace of the dancers, they made it look so easy.

If you ever get a chance to see it, do so.  Even if you have to watch it on TV or online.  

I can not imagine the hours of preparation, the harm to the body to do all that stomping (yes it was very loud).  And the people playing the music, the violinist was over the top.  

As I sat there watching them all younger than 40 was my guess and maybe even 30, I had to wonder what they do when their time is over in this career.  I also wondered how many times they had a brain fart and forgot for a split second what they were to do next. the musicians had no sheet music.  

It was truly impressive.

 Go see it when it comes to your city.

Jackie Robinson

 You all know I am a Dodgers fan.  Born in LA what else would I be.  Today I received my Jackie doll.  He will go on my Dodgers Tree.  I love him.  Thanks much Trisha.

 

So Sad

 I wrote a few days ago about the Kitten Lady who tried to save the 5 black kittens whose mom was anesthetized to get spayed.  How much work went into saving them.  Well unfortunately 2 of the babies did not make it.  However the remaining 3 will be up for adoption in 3 weeks.  As my dad said we can't save them all.  I know how true that is by losing 3 of the 5 Lila had.  If she had been inside it would be a different story but we all know best laid plans.....

RIP little ones, you can run free now.   

Happy First Birthday

 

Grayson and Chunky Monkey turn 1 today.  Happy Birthday Boys.  Where did the year go?