Spring Break Begins!

 Here is a look at my finished sweater! I am so happy with it. 

Even though it is 100% wool, it is lightweight. Of course, it is too warm to wear around here now, but next fall it will feel good. I joked with a colleague that I could wear all my knitted things to Iceland one day, and she said that if I go, I can buy wonderful yarn. Yes--to knit up sweaters to wear for future trips to Iceland, I said.

This morning I did a cable cast on and am starting some corrugated ribbing for a hat. This beginning was fiddly as ever, but making a hat is a nice in-between type project, something that doesn't take 200 million days to complete. Next up, I've got another color work yoke sweater planned to use up that neutral color yarn I changed my mind about.

Yesterday, day ONE of spring break, I hiked Blood Mountain again, but came at it from Lake Winfield Scott.

Standing here, I realized that I have a picture of myself in probably this exact spot some thirty years ago! It was early morning then too, and I was coming off the trail from overnight camping and having a little breakfast with my dog by the lake. 

The day started out sunny, but clouds rolled in while we ate our lunch on top of the mountain. Luckily, the cold wind died out, and it made for a peaceful and cool tramp back down through the woods. This time we didn't take the super rocky Freeman trail around the side of the mountain, but a more wooded decent back to the lake. Some flowers were just beginning to peep out, and I will hopefully be able to come back to see them all in bloom. I think then I will not go with the hiking group, as their pace can be pretty fast and stopping for many photos leaves you behind (I had to run to catch up when I paused to tie my shoe!).

Today, day TWO of spring break, I spent time preparing the soil in the big bed for annuals in my front yard, and tidying up the vegetable garden area. It doesn't sound like much--but it was a full day's work!

I am so happy to be able to have this time to celebrate my beautiful plants and the outdoors! I hope you have a great week!

Celebrating the Last Day of Winter Outdoors

The last day of winter here was happily spring-like! I joined a few brave souls for a mountain hike. I say brave because the number of people who dropped out of the hike was about ten--maybe a little more. I think they got scared off by the black skies and pelting rain the day before.

The trail was soggy here and there, but not a problem, my waterproof boots held up well! We climbed Blood Mountain, the highest peak on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia and rambled over other trails to give us a good 9+ miles.

The trail was extremely rocky--which I like--managing the puzzle of where to put your foot. It always makes me think of mountain goats, how easily they seem to scramble. But they've got four feet and are lower to the ground, so perhaps it is easier for them to maneuver, eh? Anyway, we crossed little creeks all day, and that is fun to me too. The stones were surprisingly unslippery--or maybe that's down to my good boots again. 

Mountain laurel and rhododendron grew along the paths. In a few weeks they will be blooming! I hope to get back to the mountains when they do. It was great to see the brown woods going green. And of course the views of the surrounding hills were different without all the leaves.

We stopped to eat our lunch at a shelter, but it was too cold to sit at the table in the shade. We chose to sit in the sun on the ground. 

It was just such a 100% great all around day!

At home, the garden is coming to life and I really have to get out there and get to work next weekend--although there is another hike tempting me.

My sweater is finally done and blocking! One hank of yarn was a little off color--had a lot of yellowish streaks in it like it was at the end of the dye lot. I'm not bothered. Chalk it up as looking "distressed." I'm sure not many people will notice. The hank was all one sleeve and the top of the next.

I'm glad I went with the green for the body. It looks good doesn't it? I'm very happy with this end result.

A Happy Mother's Day

Many moms probably don't like the idea of getting up to leave the house at 6 a.m. on their day off.  And many moms probably don't like the idea of knocking around in the woods looking for reptiles and amphibians.  But I love it!  And I am so, so lucky to have had this wonderful day out with my son!

Being outdoors is good for my soul and so is talking and walking with my son.  The air was cool this morning, and the insects weren't pestering us.

We found a few animals to take pictures of.  And even though my son had hopes of finding a few copperheads, I was totally fine with only seeing one dead on the road.

It was wonderful to take pictures of wildflowers I don't know the name of and sit around on moss covered rocks listening to water falling and birds singing and breath everything in.