Nature provides the most interesting things. It is amazing how something as fine and invisible as a spider's web can hold droplets of water many times larger in diameter.
Hundreds of droplets are visible but the web cannot be seen.
Like a string of pearls magically suspended in air.
Each droplet refracting the deck railing behind.
This past month has flown by. In fact, this year is going very quickly.
I'm enjoying watching the birds that are coming up to our feeder, or in some cases, below our feeder.
A momma duck brought her babies up to the house to eat the seed that was dropped to the ground. She started with 11 chicks, but sadly only 7 made it to the fledging stage. They are now all grown and moved away.
A wide variety of birds frequented the feeder this summer. Some acted like we were the intruders when we went out on the deck.
One night in July, after Ed went to bed and I stayed up to knit, I noticed the back security light kick on. Peeking out to see what triggered it, I noticed this guy also under the feeder. I don't imagine he was eating the seed. Maybe helping to keep the insects at bay.
We had an unexpected visitor stay with us for a week. Last Tuesday when Ed went out into his garage, he found a racing homing pigeon sitting there. The bird had a couple bands on his legs. We determined one is a tracking device and the other was an ID tag. After getting the numbers off the second band and doing a little internet investigating, I found who he belonged to. After a week of taking care of him, his keeper was able to come down from the Cleveland area and claim him.
I cast on the Harrisburg Pullover. I bought this yarn a couple years ago at one of my LYSs. I'm calling this my candy corn sweater. If I work a few stripes each night, I'll have this done in time to wear this fall.
While he was here we gave him food and water and let him hang out in the garage. We left the garage door open in case he had the urge to fly home on his own. Unfortunately, he seemed to like it here and stayed. One day he even started following me as I left to go down to the mail box. I think I have imprinted him.
He's gone now, back to his loft. We are hoping he recovers his strength and becomes a champion racing pigeon. We have a mess in the garage to clean up. He was not a tidy house guest.
I will admit, I am missing him.
Missing someone is something I'm going to have to deal with more.
When I worked my previous contract at another state agency, I had the priviledge of working with a wonderful young lady named Rathna. Rathna and I became quite close. She called me her American mom. We haven't worked together since 2021, but we have remained in contact. In the fall of 2022 Rathna married a wonderful man. They bought a house. In May of this year they had a beautiful little girl. They were settled into a nice life here. Unfortunately, as they say, all good things must come to an end. Rathna has stopped working because she had a very difficult pregnancy. Her husband's work engagement ended at the end of June and he has not been able to find another contract. Because they are both here in the US on work VISAs, they are required to go back to India by the end of August. They hope that someday they will be able to come back to the US. It's not likely that they will ever be in my area again.
My heart is broken. I'm not sure if I'll ever see her again. We've promised to keep in touch. We'll do video calls so that I can watch my adopted grandbaby grow. As a going away gift, I made this Chunky Benji. I'm giving him lots of hugs so that he can share them with Rathna after she's gone. I'm meeting Rathna and her family on Friday to say 'Good-bye'. It makes me want to cry just typing these words.
I always knew in the back of my mind that this might happen someday. It doesn't make it any easier though.
Besides Chunky Benji, I've been working on a couple other things.
I started a Summer Vibe Tee, but it is now in timeout. It is a simple pattern, but I just kept making mistakes or dropping stitches. It was frustrating me too much so it is put away until next spring.
Competing for my attention are baby knits. Grandbaby #3 is due on Christmas Day, so I've begun working on things for him. First up is the First Impressions Pants.
There are a couple other babies joining the world soon that I should make something for. But my new little guy gets top priority.
