Our 4 days in dog heaven!

See Edgar. See Edgar sunbathe. We spent four days over the Memorial Day weekend in Sequim at Edgar's Place. Edgar loves this place. In fact, Edgar is the one who picked our little piece of heaven when we were looking at properties.

When David announced he was ready to retire we contemplated where we wanted to settle. Since David's jobs have always determined where we would live, David told me it was my turn to choose. I love the Olympic Pennisula and wanted to check out possibilities there. We went over to Sequim for a friend's wedding and spent four days checking out properties. Edgar came with us. He was about 10 months old and was having a good time hanging out with us, and checking out various pieces of property. However, Edgar displayed one interesting behavior. He wouldn't go potty. He was eating and drinking, but no peeing or pooing. That is until we got to our present place in Sequim. There was something about this piece of property that Edgar felt special. He gave his blessings several times, peeing and pooing. We came over the following weekend to check out other properties and revisiting this place. Again, same behavior from Edgar. He would only "bless" the one piece of property. Well, that's the place we bought, and it truly has been blessed. Hence, the reason we refer to our Sequim home as "Edgar's Place." All of our dogs love this place, and all of the doggies we have fostered or dog sat for friends have loved Edgar's Place.

The dogs play and run, blitz and bark, and get all of the freedom that a fenced half-acre lot will allow. Louie needed to take a break and rest a spell. He "rested" for about 30 minutes and then was off to the great outdoors.

Which meant resting in the shade of a tree. The sun in Sequim is intense, so shade trees are very welcomed friends for the doggies.

David and I spent the four days working in the yard, and gardening. I got the grass mowed again, and David did the "weed wacking" for days. The hard work is worth it though, because the yard is so peaceful and calm, and we all love spending time resting.

Frank and John will be coming up this summer to build a horseshoe pit for David for Dad's Day. We told Edgar the plans and he showed us the spot where the pit should go. The view of the Olympics is beautiful, the ground is flat, and there's plenty of room. Good pick Edgar!

It was a great weekend. Too bad we had to come back so soon, or maybe it was a good thing we came back when we did. It has taken ALL of us the entire week to get rested up. We actually wore out Edgar, which truly is saying a lot. Even though we all got great sleep in Sequim, we all played too hard. Edgar, thanks for picking this little piece of dog heaven on earth for us.

Baby Boomer Sue

Yes Virginia, Charlie Really Does Have Yellow Eyes!

I've had several people ask me if Charlie's eyes are really yellow. Well I spent about 30 minutes with the little guy yesterday trying to get a picture of his eyes. He is busy. He is a year old, and busy as any year old pup would be. As you can see, his eyes are really yellow.

The other night David and I were having a glass of Riesling and we decided that Charlie's eyes were the same color as the wine.

Yes, Charlie's eyes are yellow,
but not as yellow as Abby's. (She
was easier to photograph.)

Off to Sequim for a nice long weekend gardening, knitting, and relaxing.
Baby Boomer Sue

Charlie

Charlie is our newest foster for Small Paws Rescue. He was picked up on Saturday and transported to our house yesterday. He is so sweet, and very well behaved for a 12-month pup. He has the most amazing eyes. They are almost yellow, and his little nose has no pigmentation. I think he is an albino pup.

He has been a good little pup, and is very quiet. So far only two accidents in the house, but now that he has figured out the routine he has done all of his business outside like a good little boy. He is very mellow and a lap lover. This little boy will be a wonderful pet for someone.

My boys, of course, are being good foster brothers and will help Charlie adjust to having to leave his family.

Welcome Charlie.

Baby Boomer Sue

Hiro and Jiro

One of the pleasures of my life is the volunteer work I do for Small Paws Rescue. SPR is a nationwide rescue organization devoted to the Bichon Frise (or fluff). Last week we took in a bonded pair named Hiro and Jiro. This picture was sent to us by the previous owner. They were surrendered to us because of illness in the family and they couldn't care for the fluffs any longer. Aren't they adorable? We won't have a problem finding a new forever home for this pair. Their foster mom reports that they are a sweet pair and well behaved boys. They will be ready for adoption in a couple of weeks.

Today we will be taking in another little boy fluff named Charlie. He is going to need some TLC as he is underweight, weighing only 12 pounds for a 14 month old boy. First thing we will have to do, however, is get the little guy neutered. I'm looking forward to meeting him.

If you want to know more about Small Paws Rescue, you can go to our website at www.smallpawsrescue.org and learn all kinds of neat stuff about us.

Baby Boomer Sue

And the Beat Goes On ....

I am participating in the Ample Knitters' Heartbeat Sweater (from www.justonemorerow.com) Knit Along (KAL). This is a pattern that I have been intrigued with for a long time and decided to join in when the AKs decided to make this their KAL. I love the way the lines start at the center of the neckline (the heart) and work their way outward. When looking for the yarn, I decided I wanted to try it first in a solid color in a cotton blend. I decided on Knit Picks Shine Sport (60 Cotton/40 Model)http://www.knitpicks.com/Shine+Sport_YD5420122.html. The color is called Cherry. This yarn is so nice to work with and the feel is wonderful. It is knitting up nicely too. I have had only once instance of the yarn splitting while knitting. I am using size 6 needles and have a gauge of 5 stitches per inch. The first portion is completed, which is the top part of the front and am now starting on the shoulder portion of the front. I took a picture of what I have done so far, and look .... IT IS A HEART. I didn't realize how this piece is shaped like a heart until I took the picture.


Now to get started on the left shoulder. One of the comments made by the AKs has been about the neckline being too low. I read Jill's instructions and she said to check often how the shoulder and neckline fit, so I will heed her words. Some of the AKs made the same suggestion.


I think the fabric of the sweater that I am knitting may be a bit lighter than called for in the pattern, but I am excited about the results all the same.


This is going to be a fun sweater to knit. I sure hope it fits right!

Baby Boomer Sue

Teaching Appreciation for Knitting

My supervisor at work is named Susan. She is great. When I first started working with her she would give me this "look" whenever I mentioned knitting. When another Susan and I went to the Madrona Fiber Arts Knitting Retreat a couple of years ago, Supervisor Susan went into hysterics, laughing at the concept of us attending a conference on knitting. In fact, she was doubled over with laughter, with tears in her eyes (very funny Supervisor Susan).

Not long after that I injured my neck and suffered a concussion, and was unable to knit. Supervisor Susan didn't appreciate how devastating that was to me. I made the comment she should be upset because it meant I couldn't knit her a sweater. Her retort, was "yeah, right."

As part of my physical therapy, I had to learn start knitting small projects, and relearn to read knitting instructions. When I got to the point I could do a "larger" project, and able to read knitting instructions again, I decided to knit Supervisor Susan a sweater. Now, I never stated what type of a sweater, or what size for that matter.

I came across this great little sweater pattern for the American Girl doll. http://yarnmiracle.gweezlebur.com/agcardigan.html. It's the Boxy Cardigan Sweater for 18" Doll. It looked easy enough, and like it wouldn't be too heavy or complicated to handle.

Now Supervisor Susan is a classic woman, and so I knew I had to come up with something that would be just as classic. I dug through my yarn stash and came across some beautiful white Orlon Acrylic that my great aunt had in her yarn stash. The sweater was fun, and didn't take too long for me to do. The next step was what type of buttons to put on. Again, had to come up with something classic.

Aunt Marguerite left me all of her buttons when she passed on so I started going through the jars of buttons. I didn't have a complete set of six of any one button, so I mixed them up. Glad I did, because the mixed up buttons were perfect for the sweater.

Supervisor Susan was so stunned, and she said she was very touched that I would make this sweater for her (even though it would only fit a doll). When I told her the yarn and buttons were left to me by my aunt she was really touched.

Supervisor Susan was also very impressed, and now has a true respect for knitting. She also has a true appreciation for the skill and time that goes into a knitted project. She understands the love and respect that goes into a knitted gift. No more laughing about my knitting. Now Supervisor Susan is laughing about my teeth. That's a whole different story.

Supervisor Susan, let me know when you want to learn to knit. I've got needles and yarn just for you.

Baby Boomer Sue

The Sweater Didn't Stop Her

As I mentioned before, Disney and Bella were staying with us for two weeks while Cynthia was roughing it in Maui. Now little Bella is a darling Jack Russell with a lot of energy. She is always on the go, with one exception. Put any type of clothing on her, and she becomes paralyzed. At least, until last Sunday.
It was cold on Sunday and Bella was shaking. She was also all over the place barking. I decided to put a jacket on her to keep her warm (and to also stop her twirling). She was paralyzed for exactly 3 seconds, and then she tore off to go join the rest of the pack as they were tearing down the deck to see what was happening next door.
Cynthia won't believe this. I took pictures as proof. The picture above is the first one of Bella and Edgar listening for more action.
They followed me into the house, looking for action.

Then it was back outside again to join Disney, looking for action down the street. (So much for paralysis.)

Bella was all over the place. She helped David in the yard, she helped me with the laundry, all the while wearing the jacket. I finally decided it was because the jacket is a very special one. This was Andy's jacket.
While Bella was all over the place in the jacket, Disney was posing on the deck, saying "take my picture too." This is a rare shot of Disney. He's motionless for a few minutes. In fact, a couple of minutes later he was out cold, sleeping off all of the play.
As for Bella, well she wore that special jacket all day. We found her that night sound asleep on the couch, still in the jacket.
In fact, she wore that jacket until bed time.
So much for the theory she freezes when she has clothing put on her.
Today Cynthia came and collected her two babies. They were thrilled to see her and said a fond farewell.
See you two characters soon. Probably at the next Sip n' Knit.

Baby Boomer Sue

This is just too cool

I came across this pattern for a shopping bag using the plastic shopping bags you get at the grocery stores. Hats off to Mag Knits for a truly outstanding idea. Use the old grocery bags to knit a shopping bag. This is great. Now to go grab a bunch of those bags and start knitting. Here's the link. http://www.magknits.com/May07/patterns/rrr.htm

Actually, the shopping bag is quite attractive, and what a conversation piece this would be.

Maybe Christmas presents?

Baby Boomer Sue

I Sometimes Wonder

Would you knit and/or wear this?

Seriously, would you?

As Susan would say, this is what gives knitters a bad name.

I can't imagine even a toddler wanting to wear this.

Maybe they are really, really comfortable.

Baby Boomer Sue

Rocks Are Good!

Sequim is well known for its abundance of rocks and we have found a few on our place. We are fortunate that the rocks are limited to just one area of our property. Most lots aren't.

When we were looking for our retirement residence, we had three requirements -- level lot, one-level house, and NO ROCKS. You see, everywhere David and I have lived, we have had slopes of some sort in our yards and ROCKS, LOT OF ROCKS. We've had big rocks, bigger rocks, and even bigger rocks. (I have cleared out enough rocks in our current yard in Bellevue to line garden paths with and for draining around the garden shed.) When looking at property, we took along a shovel to dig in the ground to check for rocks. We dug in four different locations on our place and NO ROCKS. No rocks, and Edgar loved the place.

On our little deck we have a group of the larger rocks we dug up when putting the garden in. They've been there for a couple of years now and I was planning on moving them to the rock pile last weekend. When I finally got around to it I found this ...
A.J. had made himself right at home with the rocks. For a while he had his head resting on the rock to his right. Doesn't he look comfy? What I can't recall is if the rocks were in this postition before A.J. settled in. I thought they were bunched together on the mat. Whatever, the rocks didn't get moved.


The garden is all cleaned up and mostly planted. I have to plant the pole beans, some more lettuce, and a few flowers. We love this garden. To me it is a dream come true, I've always wanted a large garden to grow any vegetable I wanted and to have room for my flowers. We've got good soil, and it is entirely organic.
The fence is to keep the dogs out of the garden because we have drip irrigation and they pull it out of the drip lines when running to say hi to the neighbors. Occasionally I let the fluffs come in with me and they know the rules .. no peeing, no pooping, no barking and no running. The garden is a peaceful place and full of life.

A couple of weekends ago when we were in Sequim we cleaned out the Friendship garden. It was so full of dandelions and those irritating "spitting weeds" that we couldn't see the roses. We got it cleaned out in about four hours. It was kind of fun, and reminded us a little of Christmas. As we were cleaning out the weeds, we stop and say "look a rose," "look a dahlia," "look the peony."


Well, I'm off to go find A.J. He's been sleeping in the path of rocks here in Bellevue. It's got to be because the rocks retain the sun's heat, and we've had a lot of clouds.

Baby Boomer Sue

I have a dilemma

We are fortunate to have the Pacific Dogwood grow in our backyard. We did have two, but we lost one several years in a bad wind storm. One is still flourishing. These trees are the official tree of Canada, and are protected from cutting and digging. http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CONU4. They are amazing when in bloom. The flowers glow in the evening light.

After reading about this special tree, we realized that we can't trim the shoots at the base of the tree without causing harm. The shoots grow to keep the roots protected in the winter, and cool in the summer. Okay, we love you tree, you can keep your shoots. Also, these trees generally die if you try to dig them up and move them.

Hence, my dilemma.

Look what I found in the wrong spot in our yard. Yep, it's a little Pacific Dogwood start. Now I could let it grow and let it literally take over the small grassed area in our yard, or try to move it. I asked Julia (a friend and fellow organic gardener) if she thought I could move it and she said we might be able to transplant it somewhere else in the yard this fall. She also said what I already know, IT'S RISKY.

The native birds love these trees, especially the little hummingbirds and sparrows. The honey bees love these trees too. I love our tree. I now love this new little tree. Need to think this one through.

Baby Boomer Sue

Edgar Poses and the Serape is getting there

I got home a little early today so all of the dogs (all five of them) could get outside and enjoy the pretty day. Bella (a Jack Russell) and Disney (a Couton) are visiting with us while their mom is suffering in Hawaii. It was such a nice afternoon, the sun was shining and a little breeze. I went down to the lower part of the yard to look at a start of a tree to see if I could determine what was growing in the wrong place. I was taking a picture of it when I turned around and got this shot of Edgar. He is such a beautiful dog.

I am so close to having Muneca's serape done. As I mentioned earlier, I pulled out the old serape my brother gave me and checked out how the colors were aligned. I then pulled out my yarn stash to see what colors I had and what I could pull together.

My knitting rooms is a mess right now. I still haven't put the yarn away.

I tried to match colors from the stash with the colors in the serape. I was surprised how much brighter the colors are in the yarn I'm using, but then the serape is about 40 years old and has been washed many, many times.

I like the way the serape is coming out. I have just two more colors to knit on and then will do the final edging in black/green/red.

We are heading over to Sequim this weekend and I would love to be able to take it over to Muneca so she has it to snuggle with. She is such a tiny puppy so she needs a nice and warm, and washable blankie to snuggle in.

I am just using a garter stitch for the serape and knitting in the ends each time I change colors.

We will be finishing up the garden cleanup this weekend, and will be planting the starts for broccoli, squash, and cabbage. I'll also be sowing the seeds for brussel sprouts.

Well, it's time to take all of these doggies outside before bed time. I remember it used to be "it's time to read to the babies before bed time." Life does go on.

Baby Boomer Sue

IT'S OFFICIAL, SPRING IS HERE

Spring has finally arrived. Edgar has started shedding his winter coat that he's been wearing since last October. I came home from work the other night and when Edgar rubbed up against my pant leg he left little brown hairs. I am thrilled. It means that the warmer weather is on it's way. (Granted, it also means more sweeping up little brown hairs. )

The dogs are elated. It means sun baths on the deck.

I finished up another top-down baby sweater. I LOVE this pattern. It the Knitting Pure and Simple baby sweater and is so fun. This is the first one I have done in a varigated yarn. I'm calling the pooling on the sleeves a design element. I used Encore yarn so it will be a nice and warm sweater, and washable too. Now, to find the right buttons.

Well, the doggies are restless and it's date night so got to round them all up.

Baby Boomer Sue