Camping in Clear Water

A couple of weekends ago we went camping up in Clear Water, it is the annual trip we do with the Cow's and Udder's. (That would be Barking Cows) You remember all the humming bird pictures from last year.

This year I bring you change of pace, the humming birds were there but I don't want you to get bored with my content.



We took the kids for a little hike to Dawson Fall's. They call it 'little Niagara' due to it's horseshoe shape. It was very pretty. I found it a bit scary though, there are areas where there is no fence and a kid (or an adult) could easily fall in and be gone. It is not that high, but high enough. Quentin said it scared him.

Paul and I made sure one of us had a hold on each kid the whole time we were there, but the amount of access to the falls made me nervous.



Here is the gang on the little hike in. I think the kids enjoyed the walk even more than they did the falls itself. There were so many mosses and lichen along the way, we hunted up all kinds of natures treasures. SeaBass said to me, "Mom, I am having so much fun and all I am doing is going for a walk!"



There are a few bears that hang out at this campground. We see them quite a bit in field just over the fence that marks the boundary of one edge of the golf course there. We leave them well enough alone and they don't bother anyone.

This year we had the pleasure of watching one for quite sometime. He was just across the river from our campsite. He sat and watched us for a bit as well. He sat long enough for me to run to our trailer to grab my camera and was even kind enough to give me a chance to change lenses.



He (or she) eventually got bored of watching us watch him and wandered off to more interesting things.

Crazy Week

This week has been a bit more of a gong show than usual around here. Nothing to exciting just a big juggle of soccer for the kids, softball for me and hockey for Paul. PJ is so pooped she put herself to bed about an hour ago.

In my spare time I have been chugging along on the Mystery Socks. I will post a picture of them soon.

Paul and I are diligently searching for the Martini of the Summer for 2009. Last year and the year before we were really into the Carmel Apple Martini. Still a favorite but I am looking for a little change. So this evening I tried a Razzle Dazzle. I really like it but Paul dose not (even better)

give this one a try:

2 1/2 oz vanilla vodka
1/2 oz chambord (I put in a full oz)
2 oz of cranberry juice.

Yum. I had a couple of sips and I can hardly type. I think I will have a splash more and knit a little. That's a recipe for successful knitting.

Mystery Sock Troubles.

Paul's virgin socks have been done for a little while. They are a little a big for him in the ankles but fit well as far as length goes. One of the doctors he works with at the Welcome Back Clinic admired Paul's socks on their maiden voyage and he snapped this picture of them and e-mailed it to me.

It looks to me like Paul works really hard while he is there.



Before the Mystery sock pattern was released the woman putting on the KAL posted the knitting gauge you needed and the number of beads you needed strung on before you start the pattern. I had, as you know, swatched, chosen yarn and strung on my beads.

The first part of the pattern was released last night and I was a bit choked to discover it was written for a "medium" foot and not for multiple sizes. They are knit toe up and you go into the foot with only 66 st. on the needles at a gauge of 9 stitches per inch. No way that sock will fit me and no pattern instructions for a larger size.

This leaves me no choice but to ditch the yarn and bead choice I had ready to go and move up to a heavier wt. yarn and larger needle size, so back to the drawing board.



Pictured here are my yarn choices, all KICK stash yarn and my only three colours of stash beads. I like the red, but I recently knit up a pair of plain red socks so I lean toward the other combinations. The colours a true in the pictures below, the one above is a bit washed out by the sun.

Warmest day yet this year we are hitting 23C, which I think is right up around 70F. Weather man says good for two days and then we are back to rain and cold. Still below freezing at night last night, but Spring is trying so hard to come to the Loops.

Help me decide which to string the beads on:

Combo A:



Combo B:



Combo C:



I would like to get started this weekend so I am looking forward to your input.