One morning, the storm was coming in just as I was going to work.  This was a full rainbow across the mountains - too big for me to catch on my camera.  (After the fact, I remembered that I have a panorama setting - duh!)  This was taken just before I got on I-5.

This was taken while I was driving up I-5 (my bad....but it was so pretty!)

Monday night after work, Alli and I stopped for an errand, and had to hurry.  The storm was blowing in.  It caught us on the way home.

This was the view through my windshield as I pulled on to Meadowview.

And this was the storm Saturday night.

And some of the residue in my front yard.

I spent about an hour picking up the branches in the front this morning.  The sycamores really are 'self pruning'!

We got about half an inch of rain in 15 minutes yesterday  just as the baseball game was coming on.  It knocked out our satellite TV for a few minutes.

I have so many branches to pick up in the front yard!  We lost a few of the bigger branches too.

Done!

I like the top of it, but I still need a lot of practice for the quilting part.  I didn't get the bottom material as smooth as I would have liked it.  But...once it was washed, it looks okay.  I do really like how the top turned out.

While I was mowing the lawn yesterday afternoon, I realized Randa would be here this week.  She cancelled last week because she had a new granddaughter and was helping out.  Randa here this week was a good thing, but, I had meant to make something for the baby, and I forgot!  I dug around in my patterns yesterday, and made this hat.  I still to make up some booties too, but, isn't it cute!

Book club is tomorrow, and I finished up the bookmarks this morning.  I think they turned out pretty nice - you can almost even guess that they are cellos.

Dawn and I spent the afternoon at the movies - How to Train Your Dragon 2 - which was a nice break.  It's back to work tomorrow.  I didn't get everything done on my list, but I got a good start on things.  I'm sewing the binding on the baby quilt tonight (I hope to finish it tonight), I got a start on cleaning the garage (I took boxes to the Salvation Army and threw a few out) and finished a few projects around the yard,  Not too bad!!  I'm not ready to go back to work tomorrow, but....

I took advantage of the last of the nice weather yesterday and convinced Margene to go for a walk with me on the River Trail.  It took us 3 hours to walk up the north side to the bridge and back - we kept stopping to take pictures.  After we got up the the bridge, Margene realized that none of the pictures she had taken were on her camera.  After a lot of fussing (and swearing) at the camera, she realized that she wasn't pushing the button down far enough.  It was beeping at her, so she thought it was taking pictures, but it reality, it was focusing.  The trip back took just as long as the way in - so Margene could re-rake all her pictures.  I had over 100 on my camera, and here are a few:

Check out the moon in the clouds....

Geese on the rocks and in the water.

Self portrait??

They're twins!

I worked up one bookmark from my pattern - using half-double crochets.  It threw the proportions off, so I'm going to try it again with single crochet to see if it will pull in to the right shape.

Not bad for a first try.  I think you can tell it is supposed to be a musical instrument at least.

What I did on my summer vacation....oh wait - it isn't summer anymore.  Here's what I did on Friday, how's that?  The bank is closed on Monday (Columbus Day) so I took Friday and Tuesday off, giving me a loooong weekend.  Friday morning, I took on the 'dog pen' area.  I called a solar specialist and they not only came out within an hour to take a look at my problem, they fixed the leaking (and outdated) water solar panel in the side yard, they gave me an estimate to take the whole mess out.  Woohoo!!!  The down side - I had to clean up the mess out there before anyone could even get back in there to look at it.  Since it has been leaking for a while, the star jasmine was very happy to take over back there, and a willow tree decided to grow.  Not good!

Some of the stuff I cut and hauled out:

The green waste pile:

The area, now that it you can get to it.

You can't tell, but there is about 3 inches of standing water here.  I had to go get boots on to get back in there to clean it out.  I went out yesterday, after about 24 hours after he fixed the leak, and the standing water was gone.  It was still muddy, but much better!  I need to figure out how to get rid of the willow tree.  My plan is to start with round up and see what happens......

That was just my Friday morning, too!  After the plumber/solar specialist left, I showered and went over to Meredith's to help her pack.  They are moving in a couple of weeks, and her sister Veronica was up to help, too.  I worked there for a couple of hours (wrapping fragile items and putting them in boxes - I hope they don't break!!!) and then ran to the store for some dinner items, picked up Alli from daycare, and came home and made a birthday dinner for Margene - Dallas's mom.  We had shrimp, and crackers and hummus for appetizers, steak, roasted potatoes with garlic and rosemary, roasted butternut squash, and spinach salad for dinner, and homemade ice cream for dessert - all washed down with a couple of bottles of wine, and a lot of conversation.  Margene went home (good thing she lives close!) at 11:00, so it was midnight before I got to bed.  A very productive day!

Saturday wasn't quite as productive, but since Alli got up at 5:15, I was running an a few hours of sleep!  Alli, Dawn and I did our normal shopping, and then I cleaned up a bit, and sat down with my sewing machine.  It has been acting up on me.  I've been trying to machine quilt the baby quilt I have, and the top thread kept breaking every few inches.  Arrgh!!!  ("someone who shall remain nameless only because I really can't pinpoint it - knocked over my sewing caddy, and I can't find my seam ripper!!  I'm thinking it was Indy - I think he jumped up to the window and was just a bit too heavy for the caddy.)  I googled 'top thread breaks' and tried all the suggestions.  I should have started at the bottom!  The very last thing to try was a new spool of thread.  I've been suing the same spool all along, so I almost didn't try it, since I didn't have problems until recently, but, since if nothing else worked, the recommendation was to take it in for repairs (and who knew how long that would take) I swapped out for a new spool.  Eureka!!!!!  I finished the machine quilting on the baby quilt, and it is ready for the binding to be sewn.  Woohoo!!!!

I finished that up just in time to catch "Gone Girl" at the movies with Meredith and Dawn.  The book was one we read at book club, so I wasn't sure I wanted to see it (that was the time I stated "I can't crochet psychotic" and made a generic bookmark!) but I'm glad I did.  They did a good job on the film, and yes, it was just as psychotic as the book.  It was fun to go to the movies with 'the girls'.  Meredith wanted to go in early to make sure we had good seats, so I took along some yarn and knitting needles to start a scarf.  Since there isn't a fancy pattern, and no counting, I was able to knit throughout the movie - and see what I got done!!!

I also tried the cello bookmark with the single crochet stitch.  Much better!!!  Now to get a bunch made before Wednesday!

Needless to say, dinner last night was leftovers.  I was pooped!

The baby quilt is pinned and ready to quilt!  I had to make another run to the fabric store - I had mis-remembered how much fabric the backing needed, and didn't have enough.  I probably would have had "just enough" but didn't want to fuss that much with it - it would have been 'exactly' wide enough for a small border, and I mean exactly.  The stress of the thought of having to be that exact was enough to send me to the store.  I can use the extra material later, I'm sure - it is a very nice pink for baby girl things. 

Up today on the agenda - laundry, quilting, and a trip to the vet with Jasper - time for some shots - and baking, an apple pie at least.  I got the lawn mowed yesterday, and started a list of other yard work to do.  I might do some of that today too (not likely, but I might!).  I'm taking a few days off next weekend, and that may be the best time for me to tackle some of those projects.  I'll be honest - I'm a wimp for yard work in the heat.  We are back up in the mid 90's again during the day - too hot to do much yard work for me!  I mowed the lawn yesterday after going to the grocery store, and had to blow my hair dry again - it was soaking wet.

I also need to design a bookmark for book club.  We read "If I Stay" by Gail Foreman.  My plan is to crochet a cello.  I have it mapped out - now to see if it works out when I crochet it:

Dawn and I found a couple of storage containers on sale for $12.00 as Walmart yesterday.  One fit right here very nicely - now my WIP's can be stored so they don't get dust and cat hair on them.

The other one hasn't found a permanent home yet - I don't really like it here, but it is a place to put it while I think about it awhile.

Yesterday, when I got home, I found a package waiting for me:

Cindy had sent me a birthday present - 7 hand knitted washcloths and two hand-painted tea towels!  Pretty!  She does such pretty hand-work.  That really made my week!  And what a week it was!  I'm glad we are past the end of the month/end of the quarter at work.  I made a (large) mistake at work on the very last day of the quarter which turned into a huge learning experience, learning how to clean up the quarter end reports.  That, and a couple of large projects all happening at the same time, made for some very stressful days, which makes them feel even longer that usual.  We're all good now (until either my next large mistake or the next end of month/quarter/year....)  It did cut down on some of my creativity though - I was going in early and was pretty pooped by the time I got home.  I about put myself to sleep trying to work on any projects.

Ralph saw a new specialist this week - one for his edema - called Swell Endeavors.  They have him doing some exercises at home, and he start physical therapy next week, and will be getting some Velcro wraps for his feet too.  He has an appointment at the end of November with the Endocrinologist - they are hard to get into!!!   At least he is moving forward now.  The edema specialist seems to think he can help with a lot of Ralph's discomfort, so he should start felling better soon.

I haven't heard too much from AJ lately.  When he first went to South Korea, I heard pretty frequently form him.  Now I only hear when he needs more money.  Pretty typical.  He's off to Seoul this weekend for a fireworks display, so I won't talk to him this weekend either.  When we were texting the other morning, he did ask if I wanted to Skype, but that isn't practical for me on days when I have to get Alli on the bus - unless I get up earlier than usual.  Maybe next weekend.......