Knitting? What knitting?

Yes, I know. The last several post have had little or nothing to do with knitting. And since this is a knitting blog, I can understand your confusion. And guess what? This post is going to follow in the same vein. Sorry. I will post some pics of my knitting soon, though. So bear with me.

But, what I have been up to...
Well...um...I have been keeping a pretty close eye on the news. The Romero Fire was mostly contained, and we were happy. Then the wind kicked up, and it has flared again. I think it is nearing 1000 acres burned. Not sure of the exact number though.
The Clark Fire near Pina Blanca Lake is getting pretty big. As is the 103 Fire in the Hauchuca Mountains. Sigh. To many fires. To little rain. It keeps threateing to rain. Then doesn't. And despite what you have heard, I am NOT the only person in Tucson who stands in their yarn yelling "TEASE!!" at the sky. Mostly there has been a lot of wind. Dust storms. Sigh...

Gas is gawd-awful expensive, so we haven't really been able to go up to any of the lakes up near Phoenix. And with the fires, we haven't wanted to go down to the lakes south of Tucson. And with so many dust storms, driving on the highways is kinda dangerous.

Knitting...well, mostly I have been working on the baby blanket. And my dad has been on me to knit some for the couch, so I have been working on some log cabin blankets for the couch with left overs.

That's about it. Hope everything is going well for everyone else.

Le Sigh...

Questions 1-3 passed. Granted, not by a huge margin, but they all passed. Hey, KGUN9, in what universe is a 60-40 split on a vote a "sweeping landslide victory"?

I am reading The Yarn Harlot's blog, and she is talking about the flooding of her basement. And on the news, they are showing pictures of the East Coast under water (one anchor said that the pictures were reminicint of Katrina.). I am not nieve enough to think the entier East Coast is flooding, since I remember a couple summers ago when a friend from New Jersey called asking why I was still at home, and did I need money to evacuate, since the news said that Tucson was buring (yes, we had a lot of smoke, but the fire never got past the Foothills), and I understand how the news exaggerates.
But, the sight of all that water ignoring the destruction, of course makes me a little jelous...
You see...so far this year, we have had less than half an inch of rain. The news at 11 today, before I came to work, said ".41". POINT FOUR ONE INCHES!!! Our average by this time is a little over 3 inches. Our yearly average is suuposed to be around 7, but I can't remember the last time we actualy hit that. We rain twice a year: the summer monsoons and the winter monsoons. We are the people who, when we hear of hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, or in California, we are happy, becuase that means we will be getting rain in a week or two. This last hurricane season? Nothing. Nada. Katrina, Rita, Wilma, whatever other storms there were...not a friggin drop. We need rain. Badly.
Nature sucks sometimes. Yes, you can scroll down, and see all the beutiful pics of the desert. But then you think of the people in Toronto and along the East Coast who are being flooded, and the areas who desperatly need rain are bone dry. TOTALY NOT FAIR. HEY, Nature!! Listen up!! Stop raining on the East Coast. They have had enough. Now, come WEST. Keep comming. You will hit the Oklahoma/Texas/New Mexico stretch. I know it is boring, and like a bad episode of teh Twilight ZOne (driving to school in MO, I would fall asleep, wake up 2 hours later, and it looked like we hadn't moved more than a mile), but keep going. Now, when you see funky shapped plants, thoes are called "cactus". Ignore the Joshua Trees, you are to far North. Keep comming South, until you see cactus who's siloettes look like people. Now, drop the rain. The East Coasters will thank you, and we will start sacrificing sheep or something to you. After all, isn't that what they do in Englad to make the sun go away? really great story...I'll tell it someday

SAPC Update

The Souther Arizona Paddler's Club finaly updated their website. this is from the last clean-up. We just did another one a couple weeks ago. If you are curious, I am the forehead behind the pink shirt. My dad is the head and sholder next to me (between the pink shirt and the yellow shirt).

THis last one, I got some guys arrested, had their fishing permits taken, and their equipment confiscated. We clean up the lake twice a year. As Sarah and I were paddling by the shore, cleaning up, this guy and his son were fishing. And they threw their empty cans in the lake, right in frount of us. So, when the Forrest Service pontoon boat came by to take our trash bags and give us new ones, I told them. They went racing over (well, racing as fast as a pontoon boat can) and caught the guys. A lot of the paddler's were not thrilled, since they were comming over to give up their full bags. Then when they heard what happened, they were cool.
My dad got asked what he was doing, and he replied to some people fishing "community service". He told them that a "couple months ago, some jet ski's tried to run over my kid. So, since I did demolition in Desert Storm, I got some snorkle gear, some explosives and got 13 jet ski's and 9 speed boats before the Forrest Service caught me. My punishment is cleaning up the lake. Didn't you wonder why there were no more jet ski's on the lake?" actualy, the SAPC worked hard to get jet ski's and above water exhaust speed boats(I think that is what they are called. The really big ones that shouldn't be on such a small lake anyway) banned. We were very happy when it passed. He actualy got some people beleiving him. The president of the SAPC laughed when he heard.

But it's a dry heat...

This past weekend, my dad, Lisa (a member of our coven) and I went to the Gypsy Caravan up at Usery Park in Mesa. Near enough to Phoenix to be...ewww. It was HOTT. It hasn't hit 100 here yet (bets for the Icebreak are mostly for this weekend though), but there it did quite some time ago. But it is ok, because we were smack in the middle of DESERT. The most beutiful scenery in the world. Now, I am totaly partial to Sunset Point out at Gates Pass (here in Tucson), but Usery Park is pretty to. So, Issue 1 of pics of the park. Lisa, the pics of you in compromising positions will be kept under lock and key until someone has paid high enough for them. Tell Tim opening bid is 1 skein of wool.

THis is Lisa, standing next to a barrel cactus. Lisa is about 5'4ish I think.

Here is a cute little baby Saguaro Cactus. It is about waist high on me. So that means it is probobly around my age.



Another Saguaro. That is my dad. He is leaning on a cactus that is roughly his age.


And here is a cactus that is older than he is. Pushing 100 probobly.

This is Lisa taking pictures, trying to be all artistic. actualy, she did take a few good ones There are a couple large Saguaros, and an Ocatillo. The saguaro in the frount had a cactus wren nesting in it.

Now, the mountains up there are not as pretty as the ones here in the Tucson Valley, but they are still nice.

THis is a cholla cactus. Most people call them Jumping Cactus.



Hehe, that's Lisa to. She nearly killed me when I took that ^_^


Hehe, Where's Waldo for the Sonoran Desert!





THat is a Palo Verde in bloom. In case you are curious, "palo verde" means "green tree", which, coincidently, it is. The bark is green, and that is what the tree uses for photosynthisis.

A Saguaro in bloom. Sort of. WHen they bloom, that is the New Year for the Tohotom O'Ohdam (I totaly spelled that wrong.)

Dear Tucson City Council,

First, let me say that, overall, I think you are doing a pretty great job running Tucson. We've elected you to a thankless job, one that very few people would envy. Managing a town that has all the probloms we do, and one that is fast approaching a million residents, totaly unprepared...well, I think there is little to really complaign about. And your attempts to handle the water probloms we have, with the record breaking drought that we are currently in (granted, this drought is nearly as old as I am, but nevertheless), the anceint pipes, and the less said about the Colorado River Project, the better. But you handle these probloms, especialy with the deck stacked against you, with widsom and a managable level of corruption.
But I want to let you know, that on 16 May, I will be voting a resounding "HELL NO" along with the majority of the population of Tucson. I am writing this so you don't think we are all unfeeling wretches. After all, you would think that the Regional Trasnsportation Plan and the Psychiatric Care Facilities election would meet with approval. The idea of more beds at the Psychiatric Hospital at Kino, and fixing the streets and making public transportation actualy able to transport the public...well, they are both great ideas. Here is the problom: noone on the City Council has been able to talk about these elections with a straight face. Why? Because twice we have voted for an increas in sales tax to go towarrd Kino, and both times that money has gone elseware. And since then, Kino has been taken over by a private firm. Now, if you can explain to me 1)why our tax money was stolen from a population that really needs it and 2)why a private corporation that can totaly afford to take care of this on their own needs our tax dollars, then I might change my vote. As for the Transportation plan...well, again, I don't beleive you when you say that you will actualy do what you say. And the people who will be hurt by this are the poorest of the poor. The people who need public transportation, and who a half cent sales tax increase will really hurt.
Tell you what...we will compromise. DO what you say you will do. Add the 50 psychiatric beds to Kino and build the outpatient psychiatric hospital. Fix the streets and make the buses actualy useable. Then, we will vote to increase the sales tax to pay for it, after it is done. Is that a good deal? OK then.

Sincerely,
A Lifelong Tucson Resident

Adventures in...washclothes!!! (You heard me right!!!)

I am updating from work. We have been kinda busy today. But, there is down time, so I figure, why not?

I got the Mason-Dixie Knitting Book. And The Yarn Harlot was right!! It makes you want to knit washcloths!! So I am. You know, I should totaly check out their blog one of these days...

I got some Duck Cloth for my bag. Nice and strong, water resistant, a little expensive (and I think I might need more). So I was sewing it in...and broke the needle on the sewing machine. I have no idea how to change the needle. It is my dad's machine, and I have only learned how to use it in the last year or so. I have finaly figured out how to thread the thing without having to call my dad every time. And you know what? I still fell a little wierd every time I use it. I guess that comes from my childhood when I was told that "sewing is man's work". My older brother informed me of that, as well as doing dishes being man's work, when we were kids and my dad was teaching him to sew and I wanted to learn to. I might ask my dad if he would take apart what I have done, and see if he can re-do it better, and use what I have, so I don't have to go and buy more. That bag has cost...well, we won't mention the exact cost yet. Can you guess? The entier thing is 100% wool. Maybe after pics people will guess. Probobly not though. When I sat down and figured it out, it blew me away. Ah, the delusions you can entertain when you buy your yarn a couple hanks at a time.

THis weekend we are going up to the Gypsy Caravan in Phoenix. It is supposed to be some huge Pagan gathering. No idea, none of us has ever been, so we will see. Gonna be hot though. I think Phoenix has broken 100 already. Sigh...and I have this plan to take the wool and restart the Sampler Shawl again. We'll see. WHo knows, maybe I will just take lots and lots of cotton and make washclothes all weekend!!

The End is Near!

I just finished the extention of the strap on my bag. It is really funky looking, but I love it. I need to make some finishing touches. I need to put a lining in it. I want something to stabalize the bag, but not sure what to use. My dad says to use "heave duck canvas". No idea what that is (I know what canvas is, of course, but duck canvas? I am sure that if I walk into JoAnn's, someone will help me), but the "heavy" part is kinda turning me off. I don't want the bag to be heavy. It is 100% wool, so it is a little weighty, though not to bad. But if I put in heavy canvas, then it will be even heavier, and when I put stuff in it... And since my purse/bag was stolen THursday (a bag I got in Dublin, Ireland. Keli got us all lost, and we found this great little shop. I loved that bag), this will most likely be my new major bag. Even though the colors...well, I will leave it until it is compeltley finished with all the last touches, then I will post pictures, and you can all see it. It isn't exactly what I wanted. I had to improvise, but I like how things changed on it. It is crazy, and unique...a lot like I am.

The shawl is still on hiatus. The blanket I am going to focus on for a bit.