Looking for sunshine...

A year or so ago, Meg wanted to learn how to make a crocheted ragrug so she, me, and her dentist got to work and between the three of us, we figured out how to make one.

And once you get started, you're compelled to make more...

Soon followed by MORE...

Making a ragrug is a nice dumb project in the middle of winter when it's too cold to go anywhere and you're stuck indoors. And at this time of year, I am especially drawn to them because they remind me of the sun and everything that orbits it. I miss the sun. I miss long days. I miss being outside whenever I feel like being outside. Although I do enjoy all seasons, winter would be so much nicer if, oh...the sun could stay up until 9 pm (10 pm would be even nicer). I go through this every single year and every year I store in my head that this must be the darkest, gloomiest winter yet. I want my sun back!

So in the meantime, while I wait for more daylight (which will take a lonnnnng time because today is just 38 seconds longer than yesterday), I'll look for my sun wherever I can find it-even if it's in a rug.

I was working on this particular rug a while back and then put it aside because I was not enthused with how it was turning out. It's a perfectly lovely start. It just didn't make me happy when I looked at it. Then I realized, based on my color choices, I was making a ragrug that didn't look like the sun. This particular rug looked like a black hole, a burnt out star. I suppose it's a good thing to figure out what one is actually reacting to....but you know, this poor rug is still waiting to get finished (and only a couple rows to go!). Maybe I'll finish it this spring...when I'm outdoors and under the real sun again.

Violet could care less about all this angst about ragrug solar systems. So much fuss when if you wait patiently for a certain part of every day, the sun might, just might, come look for you.

Migrations

When I was out on my land in Kansas late September (on the day I learned the dog formerly known as Sassy is really named Mary), I found out that I had accidentally locked Sassy/Mary in the garage the week before. Luckily, Aussie led her owners to where Mary was confined (around midnight, several hours after her incarceration) and they were able to remove the one window in the garage to rescue that annoying dog (and I always do triple dog checks before locking the garage because I know how that dog works!). Oh, Aussie. You are such a good dog because I know how much you despise that dog who is named Mary but who I still think of as Sassy.

Anyway, that was the day Elvis and Sassy/Mary were helping me put together that cart. I had had enough of Mary's sighing for biscuits so I decided we needed to go for a walk. On our way, I stopped to look at this tattered Silvery Checkerspot.

And then this little cross-eyed katydid...

Elvis knew the routine so he politely (and quietly, without any drama whatsoever) sat down and got comfortable and waited. Sassy/Mary also knew the routine so this is probably when she took off and made her way back to the garage to nose out all the undiscovered biscuit crumbs (and then to later get locked up with them).

The air was kind of misty even though the sky at times was made up of white clouds against a brilliant blue sky.

But when Elvis and I got to the top of the hill and then got to the clearing, the sky looked like this...

I don't remember the sky being that oppressive but it certainly photographed that way. It also looked like some of the trees were starting to lose their leaves because they were sailing over our heads... but they never quite seemed to make it to the ground.

When I studied this oddity a little longer, I realized that those tiny black spots in the sky were not fleeing leaves but monarch butterflies on their way south to Mexico.

On my way home a couple weeks ago I had to stop the car because another migration was in progress. They made no sound and they weren't flying in any sort of V formation (but then, it was an exceptionally windy day) but way, way, way up in the sky were thousands of snow geese heading for who knows where. I wish I had a better camera in situations like this because there were just so many of them and I couldn't even get one in focus. Such a disappointing photograph...but what a magical memory.

I suppose there's a migration of sorts that happens every time I show up on my land in Kansas too. The dogs race on over from their yard.

And when it's time for us to all go home, they lead the way back.

Tonight I dropped off Christmas presents and biscuits for all the dogs, even that awful Sassy/Mary. I've had so much fun with them over the past year, I just had to acknowledge that to their owners. Besides, it's always fun to hear more stories about the personalities living in the area who apparently do NOT migrate. Everyone knows everything about everyone because they have all lived there together f o r e v e r. Eventually one of these days, I'll be living out there too (hopefully soon...like within two years?) but until then, I am having fun migrating between my present life in Kansas City, Missouri and my future life in the country in Kansas.

Puppies!

Here they come!

This is Tilly.

And this is her brother, Bo.

It's hard to get pictures of them (because they are constantly moving) but Tilly eventually settled down next to Bella.

And with the arrival of the other three grownups (Aussie, Mary and Elvis)...

Everyone got comfortable so they could watch and supervise while I tried to weed on this beautiful October day.

I thought gardening with turtles was impossible but gardening with six dogs????? Seriously, look at that scene. Gardening has just become a lot more challenging. What's next? Gardening with elephants? Gardening on a speedway? Well, none of those things can give you a look like this...

Puppy eyes allow them to get away with anything.

Their eyes don't even have to stay open.

In just six seconds...

Bo was fast asleep.

And when I tried to weed, Bo would get up and fall asleep again so he could be right under me everywhere I tried to work.

Aussie doesn't get it.

And Mary never will...

But I could watch a sleeping puppy forever.

Or until the sun goes down...which is what happened about an hour after I took this picture. :-)

Sassy's Surprises

A couple months ago, I was out on my Kansas land and the two dogs who showed up to help that day were Elvis and Sassy. Elvis always stays in the background and wags his tail or rolls on his back and as a helper, that often works out just right for me but Sassy.....everything is all about Sassy and what she wants that very minute. While I put together a big yellow metal cart I got at Tractor Supply, Elvis watched me patiently as Sassy kept exhaling impatiently, and loudly. She wasn't getting the attention she wanted so she then started some high pitched whining. Then some barking. Did I not get it? There was a big box of Costco dog biscuits in the trunk of my car!!!! Every one of them should be dispensed NOW.

Half a biscuit was not enough. One biscuit was not enough. A biscuit (or part of one) was given out every time I managed to get a nut and bolt tightened the way they should be (of course the cart came with the wrong type of nuts which was making me mad) but Sassy wanted even more.

Not too agreeable about the concept of pacing herself, Sassy is one of those dogs who does understand the concept of paying or exchanging something for something she wants. And so, I was introduced to how her dog currency works. Sassy went and got herself a car length tree branch and placed it at the back end of the car (also known as the "treat dispenser"). You can't tell from this photo but that tiny branch in the background was pretty long and hard to maneuver around the trees to get to that spot behind the car. I was kind of impressed with all of that but still, she is a very annoying dog.

The next month, I was out on that land with all the dogs-Aussie, Bella, Elvis and....Sassy when I heard a rustling sound around us. The dogs didn't seem that interested but I certainly was curious.

Huh?

Triple huh.

Puppies?

I felt pretty sure that these were Sassy's puppies (well, that does explain her recent figure)...

...accompanied by the one Mueller dog (or so I thought) I have not met. Somehow Sassy had employed this odd looking dog as the nanny for her two puppies.

Everyone (even Elvis!) attended to the puppies except Sassy. I'm not sure what dog currency she used but maybe she just wore them down, the strategy that most often works on me.

The puppies were cute but constantly in motion.

It was very hard to get them to slow down but it looked like there was one girl.

And one boy.

I thought there might be more puppies but it was just these two making all the noise romping through the grass. Their manners were as bad as their mother but with puppies you can forgive anything. Aussie had a harder time with it though because I saw a lot of "Please help me, Jesus" expressions from her.

She was not enthused about being an aunt.

Eventually their nanny took them home...and the rest followed, Sassy being the last one to leave.

Treats were dispensed but Sassy took all the crumbs so the puppies didn't get anything. No surprise there.

That was quite the day of surprises except there was one other surprise. I found out Sassy's name is not really Sassy. It's Mary(!). Sassy happens to be the one Mueller dog I have not met (apparently there are eight Mueller dogs, I've only met seven of them!).

And now I'm going to have to figure out a new nickname for her since "Sassy, Pain in the Ass-y" no longer works.

Maybe something like "Mary, who is so Very $#/&!@!!/!??!!"