Crochet Pumpkin Coasters

I needed to keep my hands busy today while watching videos, so I made this quick craft.

It's a six pack of seasonal coasters by one of my favorite crochet designers, Repeat Crafter Me.

I'll slip them under our drinks to avoid water rings on the tabletop.

I had all the yarn I needed on hand, most of it thrifted from an op-shop.

The directions are super simple. You can follow this video or get a print version of the pattern on the website.

It was really nice to have a quick completion and get in the mood for pumpkin season at the same time.

Friday Fieldtrip: McDowell Creek Falls

Dale and I had our first Friday Fieldtrip in early September. We drove out into the country to McDowell Creek Falls, northeast of Eugene. This was Dale's first country hike since his heart surgery. We figured it was a decent attempt since the waterfall loop trail is only a couple miles.

We started at the lower parking lot early enough in the day that we practically had the park to ourselves for the first hour. 

Taking it nice and slowly, we started down the well-marked trail. It smelled delicious that morning. The first waterfall we encountered was Royal Terrace Falls.

Since it was late summer, there wasn't a lot of water flow in McDowell Creek. Our very first glimpse of the falls was not all that impressive.

Our map showed us the trail split. We could continue on a low trail, or climb this intriguing rock staircase. 

We started up. And up. And up. At one point we weren't sure if there were more "up" stairs or if we should retreat "down." It was hard. And sweaty. We continued up.

We were rewarded for our climb!

The path led us through more forest, across the road, along beautiful trails, across long bridges, and past more waterfalls.

It was an absolutely lovely day and a great hike (that we felt in our muscles and bones for a couple more days).

Dale's heart was going strong and his spirits lifted from the effort. It was good for both of us to get out into the woods and away from our computers and the news for a while. We're incredibly lucky to have such wonderful places to visit within an hour from home.

I'm looking forward to continued Friday Fieldtrips and exploring more of our hometown and beyond.

Autumn Morning

My favorite time of year

Through my bedroom window.

Better Days

I walked around the ponds of Golden Gardens Park carrying my Big Girl Camera with the telephoto lens attached. Alas, it was the wrong time of day to catch the blue herons sunning themselves on the logs. Birdsong was all around me, but the birds were too small and too fast for my camera to capture. (I'm so out of practice!)

But this red dragonfly alighted on a bush not too far from the path and let me take several photos.

It wasn't until I was editing the photos that I saw that he's seen better days. The rear left wing and the front right wing are quite tattered, poor thing.

Yet his color remains spectacular!

Penguin Pillow - part 3

I picked this fabric from my stash for the penguin pillow.

Then I spent the afternoon lovin' on my daughter and granddaughter.

Those two give me so much positive time and attention. They are the joys of my life right now.

Penguin Pillow Progress

I finished all the stitching today! (along with finishing my book)

That felt good.

Tomorrow I hope to pick some fabric for the back of the pillow and to surround the penguins on the pillow front.

Christmas Prep

I was given a mental health assignment by my doctor this week: Do some cross-stitch while listening to an audiobook.

Well ... if I have to! I started stitching up some penguins for a Christmas pillow cover. It's going well and my nerves are definitely less jangled.

The pattern is from Stoney Creek's leaflet, Nature's Best for the Bath. I'll be stitching only three of the penguins. I changed the color of one scarf from yellow to green to make it more Christmassy.

The audiobook I'm listening to is the new memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert, All the Way to the River. Worthy.

p.s. I named this post "Christmas Prep" with the express purpose of irritating people who get jacked up about talking about Christmas in the middle of September. 

:: evil grin ::

penguin pillow

The Land of Covered Bridges

For the first time in a while, Dale and I took a ride out into the countryside. Our aim was to have our first country hike since Dale's heart surgery last Spring. On the way to our destination, we came across another of western Oregon's covered bridges. 

Crawfordsville Bridge, built in 1932, is no longer open to car traffic. It's seen better days, for sure. The covered bridge is covered in a tarp!

It's now a walking bridge with some nice views of the Calapooya River.

We visited it in early September, apparently just missing its annual celebration

which seems to be fairly small, if only 50 people are allowed on the bridge at a time.

These old bridges a wonderful works of architecture. I always enjoy stopping by when I'm in the vicinity.

Since Dale helps with our granddaughter on Tuesdays, our get-out-and-about day is now Friday. Thus begins my new series, Friday Fieldtrips. 

The Last Sunflower

in my backyard

Its neighborhood

Its brilliance

Its geometry

Its texture

Awake at Dawn

I awoke early yesterday and headed out for my walk.

Fall is definitely in the air over the wetlands.

Morning Glory

Our morning glory vines have filled in just as I hoped. They completely cover the fence on the patio.

All the colors can be captured in a single square foot.

Glorious, indeed! 

Eugene Park Tour: Delta Ponds

It's been a few months since Dale and I visited a new-to-us park here in Eugene. I'm hoping to visit 25 this year, so I'd better get to it! I'll have to visit one or more per week to achieve that goal. I have 17 more to visit, but there are only 16 weeks left in the year!

Since it's approaching our favorite time of year, Dale and I will enjoy getting out to the parks in Autumn.

Yesterday we visited Delta Ponds. As the name suggests, these ponds nestle in the lowland delta of the Willamette River. The park is primarily a paved walking path around the untamed ponds.

It felt good to be out and about in the late morning while it was still cool. It's been in the high 80s and 90s lately.

I've heard for years that painted rock enthusiasts like to hide rocks in this park, so I brought a couple along. I didn't find any, but I left two. The first? This sailboat. It seemed like appropriate subject matter for the setting.

I hid it at the base of a park bench

that looked over a grand pond view.

Further along the path, we searched for a geocache. We found an excellent cache container under a bridge that looked a lot like this.

There's lots of wildlife to see here, including a huge hawk that was riding the air currents high above the pond, then dipping down into the water.

Returning to the car, I found a nook in a tree beside the path that begged for another painted rock.

This turtle looks right at home there.

We will return to this park, for sure, picking a different parking lot for a different view. I'll try to remember my telephoto camera lens!

Burning Rubber

At night we can hear the local teenagers having a bit o' fun.

In the daylight, we see the works of abstract art left behind on the asphalt.

Love Bomb

On my walk through the neighborhood, I saw something interesting lurking in the shadows of a front porch.

My neighbors got a love bomb! Colorful hearts flung across their front door, some with personal messages.

That made my own heart swell a little.

What a simple, thoughtful expression of care. I love living here!

Throwback Thursday: Sunset Statement

 From June 2020

We haven't had a sunset this dramatic in a while. This is actually looking east at sunset, with the colors reflecting in the tumultuous clouds.