Goodbye summer, I hope!

It's officially goodbye to summer today but the weather has been in the 80s. I say official because yesterday was the first day that the flock of tiny Bushtits came by. Every year about this time in Fall, they are moving around because there are migrants in their usual haunts nearer the lake and the back country. If you hold up your hand and make an "O" with your thumb and middle finger, one of these tiny birds could fit comfortably into that circle. One of them could perch on the web of your thumb there with little room to spare. You can see them here. As they fly around our big Cape Honeysuckle and the citrus trees, they call to one another, making a very tiny, sweet "Psst" sound that keeps them in touch with the flock. Bushtits down by the lake also fly in mixed flocks with other small birds but the ones which come to our yard are all Bushtits, and the flock numbers around 25 birds. We get a lot of migrants through our yard and the resident birds are ever faithful. Since the elms came down we haven't seen a single downy woodpecker, or a sap sucker either.

Well the ever faithful kitchen stove is beyond repair. Good Bye old friend. I will keep your burner grates for pot stilts in the garden.

We will have to replace the stove, as the bill to fix is nearly half the way to a new stove. It's been a very good appliance, since it was bought in 1989, and it's sad that parts are now so costly that such a good stove needs to be replaced. I'm letting the cook pick out the next one. It's his kitchen. I think I'd root for a big, beautiful, stainless steele JennAir, but we will see what he decides. I'm limiting my involvement in the kitchen to baking breads or pies, or maybe pizzas, maybe even some cakes. It really is a "One Butt Kitchen" so it's best to not annoy the chef. ;o)

Knitting content is that I've been poking around in Ravelry and have got one yarn put up on the list. It was a little scary because it looked like I was willing to trade it, which I am not! I wheedle yarn about once every three months and I'm not trading it, oh no no no.... There is some black and white acrylic I'm just a little sick of.

The "book" is down to the knitty gritty. It's to the part where family farmers virtually disappeared. God I hate that part! Just hate what has happened to Family Farms! But two page rants are over for me.

On a happier note, some of them are doing fairly well, here and in the Santa Cruz area. I hope that this movement keeps expanding as it's very encouraging. DH found some beautiful Bosque and Asian pears yesterday at the Farmer's market, and some avocados, some flowers, as well as tomatoes, squash, fuji apples - all organic, and all local. This is one way we can fight the machine. I wish that all part of the country could do this but I do understand how hard it is for some to do. Did I ever put up the CSA ( Community Supported Agriculture) sites? If not, I'll do that in case any of you are interested. My daughters are all able to use CSA for part of their food supply.

I'm sorry there's not much knitting content. It's in the ebb tide now. I am buying some yarn tomorrow for the felting project. After the last flop, it's time to prove that I have what it takes!