The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. ~ Bertrand Russell
This blog used to be about knitting, but it seems to have morphed into a dog blog. I do actually have some knitting to show you this week. The foot of one sock is done!
I name all of my projects in Ravelry, but can’t think of a name for these socks. The name of the colorway is Good To Be Girl, but I don’t really like that name. Any ideas?
Last Sunday we had snow. Luckily, we went to the park on Saturday, when it was a bit nicer. Luka spent most of the time on his leash (I don’t fully trust him yet), but I did allow him some off leash time. He was very happy.
He explored with his sister.
He showed off his agility.
Well, until he lost his footing and fell.
And he ran.
It turns out that Luka loves to run.
Sadie loves to run, too, but Luka left her in the dust.
Sadie took time to smell the flowers.
She also ate some grass (she loves to eat grass).
She also contemplated the best way to deal with rushing water falls.
About two seconds after this photo was taken Luka misjudged where he had to jump and instead of jumping over Sadie he crashed into her. (She was fine, just a bit startled.)
Both dogs enjoyed the ice cold stream water.
We all enjoyed resting together on top of the hill.
Both dogs crashed on the way home.
And they stayed comatose all evening.
Thank you to everyone who left such wonderful comments about Luka. I’m still amazed that no one claimed him at the Humane Society. He is a very good dog and is quickly adapting to living here. Even though Luka annoys Sadie at times (he can be a pesky little brother), I think she looks happier since he moved in.
I no longer feel horrific guilt when I leave for work. I like knowing that Sadie has a friend to hang out with all day. They make a great pair.
If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. ~ Anne Bradstreet
It was another spectacular weekend here. Sadie and I spent time at our favorite park.
We walked across the fields.
Sadie urged me to stop taking pictures and walk faster.
We climbed the hill…
…and I sat on this bench on top of the hill.
Sadie sat beside me.
We both enjoyed the view.
We made our way down the hill and went to Sadie’s favorite spot: the stream. Sadie immediately got comfortable.
A few minutes later a lot of other dogs showed up.
Then the playing began.
Much to Sadie’s delight, another dog decided to play Chase with her.
After the game it was time for a cold drink.
A quick nap in the sun…
… and a real nap under a tree.
If Sadie could give the day two paws up, she would.
The latest pair of socks are going very, very slowly. This is how far I’ve gotten.
Hopefully I’ll have actual socks to show off next weekend.
Labradors [are] lousy watchdogs. They usually bark when there is a stranger about, but it is an expression of unmitigated joy at the chance to meet somebody new, not a warning. ~ Norman Strung
It was another gorgeous weekend here. When Sadie and I arrived at the park I realized that spring is finally here.
The stream is completely thawed. The little waterfalls are all flowing freely.
As always, Sadie jumped right in.
She barked with joy.
She splashed.
She enjoyed the ice cold water.
And she shook it off when she splashed it all over herself.
Sadie loves the water.
We also explored the woods. Sadie loves to run through the woods.
She loves it even more when there’s someone to chase.
We explored the fields.
In the middle of one of these fields is my favorite bench in the park.
I love to sit there and admire the view.
It was a fun day and when we arrived home Sadie passed out.
I finished the socks last night.
My intent was to get the stripes to match as closely as possible and look what happened:
They match perfectly. I’m still not sure how I pulled that off.
Full details of the socks are here.
I love this yarn so much that I’m going to use it again for the next pair of socks.
Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air… ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Yesterday dawned sunny, but very cold and very windy.
I almost wimped out on the park, but I couldn’t deprive Sadie of the highlight of her week. I bundled up and off we went.
On the way to the park we drove by what I call the spaceship house.
I don’t know the story behind the spaceship, but I laugh every time I see it.
Sadie was more independent this week. She led the way on walking path.
She urged me to walk faster.
She explored the fields.
She took off through the woods.
She came to get me when I dawdled behind her.
She enjoyed drinking the ice cold stream water.
And she relaxed in the cold water (brrrr).
She barked with joy.
Seeing Sadie having so much fun made me forget the cold. Almost.
I’m making great progress on the Grape Ape socks.
Romeo has been helping me knit them.
Finally, a picture of Sadie. The dog takes napping seriously.
A good dog never dies. He always stays. He walks besides you on crisp autumn days when frost is on the fields and winter’s drawing near. His head is within our hand in his old way. ~ Mary Carolyn Davies
Thank you to everyone who commented, emailed and sent PM’s via Ravelry to express condolences on the loss of Kishka. I appreciate all of the kind words and stories that you shared with me. As many people commented, Kish’s death was very sudden and unexpected. I think I’m finally getting over the sheer shock of it and am starting to process what happened.
One thing I’m getting used to is a quiet house. I knew that Kish wooed a lot, but I didn’t realize just how much she wooed. My house is so darn quiet now. It’s kind of spooky.
I’m also showering Sadie with attention. She and Kishka bonded from the very beginning and I knew that Kish’s death would be rough on Sadie. For the first few days, Sadie seemed to look for Kishka. She was constantly walking around the house and yard. She’s stopped the searching and now she just seems depressed. I realize I’m anthropomorphizing her, but there’s no way around it: the dog has got the blues.
Weekends are for outdoor adventures and that continues. Hiding in my house eating chocolate will not bring Kishka back (a tactic I have tried) so last weekend Sadie and I headed out for our weekly adventure. I couldn’t face our usual park, so we went to a different one. Sadie had to stay on her leash at this park, but we still had fun.
The scenery was beautiful.
The trails weren’t crowded.
Sadie enjoyed leading the way.
She got impatient with all my picture taking.
And we found a gorgeous spot to rest.
This weekend we went back to our regular park. It was a gorgeous day.
There were even birds singing.
Sadie has always been a follower, not a leader, so for the first hour or so she stuck close by my side. Kishka always led the way and I don’t think Sadie quite knew what to do without her there. After some encouragement from me, she ventured off on her own.
Always keeping an eye on me, of course.
There was snow to eat.
A stream to splash in.
And, a hole to dig.
This last one took me by surprise. I’ve never seen Sadie dig a hole, but she dug a huge one yesterday.
Sadie also found a friend to play Chase with her.
She never came close to catching him, but she had fun trying.
She was a very tired girl when we got home.
There has been knitting around here. I finished the Film Noir socks last weekend.
The yarn is simply lovely.
And the skein size generous (I have size 10 feet).
I also cast on a new pair and have completed both feet.
Today is a very special day for Sadie.
It’s her anniversary. It was two years ago today that she came to live with me. We’re going to go for a walk later and then tonight she’ll get her present:
Sadie rarely gets such treats, so I’m sure she’s going to love it.
The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think. ~ Horace Walpole
My camera lives in my purse. I love capturing unexpected moments.
I was driving home from work one day this week when I spotted this:
Yes, that’s a Burger King crown on his head. He appeared to be sober.
Yesterday I spotted these people walking through town:
I think they started their St. Patrick’s Day drinking a bit early.
Could it be the moon?
Like many knitters, I keep my notions in tins (Altoids tins, gum tins, etc.). I was at the store this week and spotted a very cool tin.
It was marked 50% off and was in my cart before I thought to see what was inside. As a bonus, it was something I could use:
We went to the park this weekend, but I didn’t take many pictures. I did snap this one of Kishka enjoying the stream:
The day at the park wore her out:
Little known fact about Sadie: sometimes she sleeps with her eyes open. She was snoring when I took this picture:
And here she is, contemplating her place in the universe:
I just started the cuffs on my socks. It won’t be long before I’m wearing these!
Finally, best buddies:
Friends have all things in common. ~ Plato
One of the things I love about living here is that the scenery is always gorgeous.
Even an overcast day has a kind of beauty to it.
Being stopped at a light isn’t so awful when this is the view:
The weather cooperated this weekend, so I loaded up the girls and headed to the park.
I love watching them explore together.
I’m very grateful that they’re such good friends.
Sadly, for Sadie, the friendship does not include romping. (Kishka has never been a fan of such undignified behavior.)
Sadie finally found a friend that was willing to romp.
As always, there was squirrel hunting.
Once a squirrel is spotted, the race is on:
Kishka was able to run, too!
Sadie went off exploring a few times, but always kept a close eye on me:
A clear sign of a good day at the dog park is mud. Let’s assess this visit:
Kishka?
Check.
Sadie?
Check.
Me?
Check.
It was a fun afternoon.
I was watching the Olympics last night when I looked down and saw this:
I have no idea how the pig toy ended up posed against Sadie’s leg.
This picture also shows that the majority of my (very small) living room floor is taken up by dog beds. Walking through the room is kind of like navigating an obstacle course. I like to think that it improves my agility. In reality, it’s probably only a matter of time before I break an ankle.
I’m making progress on the Film Noir socks.
I’m hoping to finish them soon, but I cut open my index finger today (ouch!) so knitting is not going to happen for the next few days. I managed to cut it at the exact spot where the needle and yarn go across it. Idiot.
Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories. ~ From the movie An Affair To Remember
There was no trip to the park this weekend. The roads were very icy, so I decided to play it safe and stay home. Kishka’s knee is still really bothering her, so I also wanted to let her rest.
Instead of exploring the great outdoors, this weekend was spent resting:
Sadie, of course, has to be on her back.
Sadie is a roller. She loves to roll on the floor. She loves to roll in the dirt and mud. She also loves to roll on the couch:
One of these days she’s going to roll right off that couch. I hope I have my camera pointed her way when that happens.
I did venture outside to take pictures of the frozen landscape:
Both of the gussets are finished on the Film Noir socks. I’m really looking forward to wearing them.
I’d be happy to have my biography be the stories of my dogs. To me, to live without dogs would mean accepting a form of blindness. ~ Thomas McGuane
My work hours recently changed. I used to go to work well before dawn. For the past couple of weeks I’ve been driving to work at dawn and wow…it’s been gorgeous.
Pikes Peak rising above the bank of clouds enveloping the city:
A couple of days later there was another gorgeous sunrise. I love the pink glow in this picture:
I’ve almost beat the cold from hell and am feeling much better, so the girls and I ventured to the park this weekend.
Our recent warm (relatively) weather left most of the park rather muddy.
The girls spent some time exploring together.
Kishka checked out the squirrels.
She enjoyed the cold stream water.
And she made a friend.
Kishka’s arthritic knee was really bothering her so she and I spent a lot of time sitting together and watching her nutty sister.
Sadie found friends to play with her.
She ran around by herself.
She also explored the slushy ice covering the stream.
Sadie loves to eat snow/slush/ice.
Sadie enjoyed splashing in the stream.
All of the activity made Sadie tired, but very happy.
On the ride home Kishka found that her sleeping sister made a perfect pillow.
Some dogs love to sleep on furniture and some dogs don’t. Sadie is very much in the ‘love’ camp. She adores my couch:
Kishka usually prefers to sleep on the floor or on a dog bed.
But there’s nothing like snuggling together.
There has been some knitting around here. I’m making progress on the Film Noir socks.
I continue to love the yarn. I’m obsessed with striped sock yarn. I’m not sure why, but I think my love of symmetry has a lot to do with it.
One of the most sublime experiences we can ever have is to wake up feeling healthy after we have been sick. ~ Rabbi Harold Kushner
There are no park pictures to show in this week’s post. That’s because there was no visit to the park this weekend. This weekend (and the entire week) has been spent on my couch. The nightmare of a cold that’s going around struck me last Sunday and has knocked me flat for an entire week.
Instead of the park this weekend, there was the couch. It wasn’t all bad, though. A certain furry friend of mine loves to snuggle.
Here she is on my legs:
And here she is in full snuggle mode…sprawled on top of me:
Being sick sucks, but having a loyal friend at your side on top of you makes it a bit better.
I was too sick to knit for most of the week (the horror!), but over the past day or two I’ve knit the heel flaps, turned the heels and started one of the gussets on the Film Noir socks:
I pulled on one of my favorite pairs of socks this week and discovered a problem:
The stitches from the heel flap have totally pulled away from the gusset. Once I’m feeling better, I’ll try to fix it and save the socks.
For now, I continue to rest.
