Third Time's the Charm

 Or rather, third year is the charm -- more on that cryptic subject line later!

First, a dog walk through the Chamna Natural Preserve, where we haven't been in some time, mostly because there's too much cheatgrass there in summer.  It's nasty stuff that can injure dogs, so we wait until it has died back.  Also, Truman doesn't like this place because we can't use the stroller, and he has to walk the whole way, which he mostly balks at:

I just leave him behind, and trot off with Pippin, and eventually Truman decides he wants to tag along with us, with some encouragement from his buddy:

There are over eleven miles of trails through this area.  We hiked a good three of them.

More reluctance on Truman's part:

We saw some lovely autumn foliage:

Here is Truman again, refusing to budge:

There are lovely views of the Yakima River:

Eventually we turned around and headed back towards the start, at which point Truman rocketed ahead on the trail, because we were finally going in the right direction -- towards the car, and home:

Another fun outing involved driving to the back of beyond to a horse barn/pasture where my friend Betsy from Seattle was having an equestrian riding lesson.  She brought along her horse Bentley, and I got to meet him for the first time.

Betsy and Bentley:

Betsy has been riding horses for decades and has done equestrian events and cross-country stuff for many many years but she had been out of practice for about two years after a fall that broke her nose.

This was her first time jumping again after that incident, and she did splendidly, and had a great time at the weekend-long riding clinic.

And Bentley made a friend:

As for art projects, our Zoom group did this colorful staircase:

We decided at one session to go outside our comfort zone and draw a person.  We chose this stylish woman at random.  My drawing got a bit messy, as I started with an overworked pencil sketch, then went to ink, and finally tried adding some color with colored pencils.  This was done in about an hour and fifteen minutes:

I suspect that all those portraits I've done over the past year and a half of Crowley and Aziraphale helped in getting this to look halfway decent!

Okay, now we come to the subject line for this post.  In the winter of 2018-19, a Slaty-backed Gull visited the Tri-Cities.  This bird is quite a rare visitor from Siberia/NE Asia, and I tried to see it, and failed after several attempts.  

In the winter of 2019-20, the bird returned to the same spot it favored -- a marina by Bateman Island.  I staked out the area on five or six occasions, and failed again.

Other birders would report seeing the bird either before I got there, or shortly after I left.  Sigh.

Well, a week or so ago, the bird returned again!  People reported seeing it in the early afternoons, so I tootled off as soon as I could, and sat there one afternoon chatting amiably with a pair of birders.  All we saw were some cormorants, pelicans, and grebes out on the river, and this Cooper's Hawk eating a pigeon:

A few birders reported seeing the gull in the late mornings, so the next day I decided to head out around 10:30am.  I was determined to keep going, day after day, no matter how many tries it took, to see this rarity.  

The Slaty-backed Gull is larger than most other gulls that frequent our area, and it has a much darker back, and white wing tips.

This is the marina, where gulls hang out on the roof:

And this is what I saw when I walked over to it:

A large gull with a very dark back and white wing tips!

A nearby Ring-billed Gull kindly stood up and stretched, giving me a nice size comparison.

The other gulls around it, like the Ring-billed, all had yellow legs.  Another key field mark for the Slaty-backed Gull is pink legs, and after watching it for twenty minutes, the bird kindly stood up:

Pink legs!  Whoo hoo!  

I sent the pics to the local bird group, who confirmed the ID.  Now I can finally add this pesky bird to my Life List.  Whee!

I'm so glad that I don't have to keep going over there day after day after day.  

That's all for now.  Have a great week, everyone, and may you see some wonderful birds along the way.

Let the Filming Begin!

Fourteen weeks ago, I got the idea to do a needlepoint version of the Good Omens Series 2 promo pic.  I wanted to finish it by the end of day on Sunday, October 17, which would be the day before actual filming was slated to start (which is TODAY, October 18--whee!), as a sort of artistic celebration of sorts.  I estimated it would take 350 stitches a day, every day, which was around three hours of work on a good day/easy section, and five or more hours a day on harder areas.  

There were a LOT of harder areas.

Anyway, I'm happy to say that I managed to do an average of 354 stitches a day and FINISHED it on Saturday, an entire day early.

HUZZAH!  WHOO HOO!  HOORAH AND WAHOO!!!

It's 12" x 14", worked on 14-mesh canvas with 6-strand embroidery floss.  It has 34,340 stitches.  There were a few mistakes here and there, which I had to laboriously unpick and re-stitch, and at the 3/4 point I injured the thumb that I hold the needle with, and the resulting scab kept snagging on the threads, which made things ever so much more exciting.  And I've lost track of how many dog hairs (and my own hairs) I've had to pick out.  It was HARD.  It was mind-numbingly complex.  It was beyond frustrating...but it was also incredibly rewarding.  And it looks really good.  I am pleased!

I did other things last week too and will post about that next Monday.  For now, I need to relax and not spend four hours a day stitching needlepoint.  

And I also must ponder what to do next with that time...hm....

Have a great week, and let the filming commence!

A Discombobulated Weekend

This post is a bit late due to the presence of my first houseguests in two years, who arrived Friday and left this morning.  Two former coworkers, Cyn and Sandra, who live in the Puget Sound area, seem to enjoy coming to the Tri-Cities for vacations (they were my last houseguests two years ago, too!).

On Saturday we made a day trip to Walla Walla (takes around one hour to get there one way), an older town where we admired the architecture, shopped at antique stores, and had lunch.  The lunch place served a locally brewed root beer that was the best I've ever tasted, so we had to make a special trip out to the brewery to load up on bottles to take home.  And we stopped in at a winery for a tasting--this whole area is known for its award-winning wineries and we could hardly move without tripping over one.

On Sunday we just kicked around Richland a bit and relaxed.  All in all, a fine visit, and one that got me to clean my house really well.  I even cleared all of the art supplies off of the dining table!  I'm looking forward to messing everything up again.

In other updates from last week, Pippin's girlfriend Madison came by for a visit, and this time she was not quite so dominating.  

They romped and wrestled and Madison rolled over a lot...

They did an excellent job of wearing each other out.

As for artistic endeavors last week, I missed one of our drawing sessions due to the Houseguests, but for the second meeting, I did this watercolor of an Icelandic scene:

What I find challenging about these sessions is that we have only about an hour and 15 minutes for actual drawing/painting time, and while I don't have to finish the picture during the session, we do share our work at the end and I like to have it as close to done as possible.  So it keeps me from overthinking things, and tends to result in looser work than I might do otherwise.  

And finally, the Good Omens needlepoint project is getting very, very close to the finish line:

I'm on the last two rows!!!!  Whee hoo!!!  There are a bit over 2,100 stitches left to do!!!

WHEW. 

What I'll do when the last stitch is done is jump up and down and shout for joy and then sit back down and think, Okay...NOW what do I do next to entertain myself?  Hm.....

Be afraid.  Be very very afraid.

That's all for this update.  Have a great week!

Pip Pip Hooray!

 The most important event of the past week was the fourth birthday of my little Pippin pup, on October 1st.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

We went to the Farmers Market, and for a walk along the river, and then had a nice quiet day at home with his buddy Truman.

The second most important thing that happened was that I actually liked BOTH of the pictures I produced during our Zoom practice sessions.  Whee!  

The first was not my favorite subject matter -- trees and rocks.  To make it more fun/challenging, I opted to forego any preliminary pencil sketching or ink work.  Instead, I went straight in with watercolor, drawing with paint, and working quite loosely and quickly.  No overthinking things!  It turned out just fine.

For the second session, we chose a monochrome photo of an Icelandic dwelling.  This time I did do a pencil sketch first, and then decided to work the whole piece using only colored pencils, which I haven't used in a long time.  I like the results, and am especially pleased with the background hill.

Thirdly, I've continued with the virtual walking, going up Mount Fuji without actually climbing any hills.  Hey, it's just for fun, right?  Right.  And I received the medal for finishing the 41-mile virtual flower farm tour in the Netherlands -- it's quite spiffy:

The windmill arms turn.  On the backside is a city scene, and as you turn the windmill arms, it changes from sun to moon:

I'm now walking very virtually indeed across 37 miles of Easter Island, where there isn't a lot to see other than those weird big stone heads.  Oh, well.  It does keep me moving, so that's okay.

Fourthly, at our Saturday wiener walk, the organizer had some extra Halloween outfits she hoped some of us might wish to buy off her, in preparation for a party she's hosting on October 30 (a HallowIEner party).  There was a matching pair of Star Wars Jedi knight hoodies which fit Truman and Pippin, so I got them.  Truman refused to pose for photos, but here is poor Pippin:

I'm not sure why he was so grumpy about it -- when I put him in it at the park, he pranced around with his tail up and wagging away.  Silly hound.

He was especially displeased when I put the hood up:

It's fairly likely that he won't be wearing his outfit for very long at the Hallowiener party.

And finally, as I'm sure you're all breathlessly waiting for, it's time for the Good Omens Needlepoint Project Update.

It's the end of week 12, and I've finished 30,700 stitches (out of 34,340).  I'm back to my typical 2,000 a week rate, as the pattern has gotten more complex again.  Sigh.  I shall carry on, though there may be a slight slowdown next week due to impending house guests.  Still, it's so close now that every section I finish is making me giddy with excitement.  Whee!

I'm thrilled that I've managed to keep it fairly straight without using a frame to work it on, and thus it should not need a lengthy amount of blocking.  Whew.

That's it for this past week -- have a good time out there, everyone!

Nothing But the Needlepoint

 I went on dog walks and virtual walks but did not take any photos of note thereon.  Since our last virtual strolling update, I've finished 32 miles in Athens...

And a brisk 13 miles through Venice (the medal has not yet arrived).  I'm now hiking up Mount Fuji, sort of -- it's a whole lot flatter here, all in all, than it is on the actual Mount Fuji, so unless I trek up our local big hills, this walk will remain very virtual indeed.

I also drew stuff during our two virtual sketch practice sessions, but did not care for either result, and thus am disinclined to share.  I suppose, in theory, there may be some virtue in posting examples of failed artistic efforts--you know--a sort of guide to What Not To Do.  However,  I already know what not to do, don't care to be reminded of what not to do, and am assuming that my few regular readers are not anxiously awaiting instructions on what not to do with watercolor paint or any other art materials because they aren't actually out there painting things.  Right?

Right.

So.  What does that leave for my big accomplishment this past week?

Nothing but the needlepoint.

Yeah, it's not much, although I did do more stitches than usual--my typical weekly output is between 2000 and 2500 stitches, and this past week, thanks to a few sections that were slightly less complicated than most of it is, I managed to get over 3,000 stitches completed.  Whoo hoo!  That's something to shout about, yes?  Yes, it is.  WAHOO, I say!  Plus a big old YIPPEE YEE HAW!

28,500 stitches completed!  I can see daylight at the end of this crazy-making tunnel!  Whee!

Another three to four weeks and it might be DONE.  Of course, then you will find me sitting on the sofa, staring blankly at the skeins of leftover embroidery floss, my hands twitching in phantom sewing motions as I mutter to the Hounds, "But...but...NOW what do I do with the five hours a day that I was spending on this?  AIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!"

It's a good question.  Check back in a month and we shall find out the answer.  

Meanwhile, have a lovely week out there!

Good Thing I Picked the Pacer App First

 There are two major companies who offer the virtual walking challenges that I've been doing this past Summer:  Pacer Virtual Adventure Challenges, and Conqueror Events.  Both turned up in my Facebook ads regularly, and I chose to try Pacer mostly by chance.  Both had walks I was interested in trying out.

After a few months wandering virtually via the Pacer app, I decided it was time to give Conqueror a try.  Well, boy howdy, I am so glad that Pacer got the initial nod, because if I'd started out with the Conqueror app, I would have stopped and never started up again!  It's awful.  Slow to open on my phone, lousy interface, clunky streetview function, only updated my mileage once a day.  While the medals were the same price, they charged for shipping, which Pacer doesn't do, so it cost more, and then I found out that the longer walks were more expensive, while Pacer's are all priced the same.

So bah humbug to that!  I'm glad I tested Conqueror on a shorter walk of 41 miles through some flower growing areas in the Netherlands.  I finished it yesterday and am going back to Pacer tomorrow for a virtual jaunt around Venice.  Yay!

Speaking of walking, here is a view of the river on one of last week's faux Netherlands strolls:

As usual, the Hounds strolled along too:

I don't see Great Blue Herons here very often, so this was a bonus treat:

For art practice last week, both pictures turned out well, much to my surprise, because the first one, at least, was not that much to my liking -- this is an Icelandic turf house, and it had way more green than I'm usually happy about.  But I managed to do a passable job, if I do say so myself:

The second picture was a cut-off photo of some old suitcases.  I used both ink and watercolor for this one, and am quite pleased with the way the locks and straps and the wheel turned out.  Getting the colors, details, and highlights right was a very fun challenge.

Finally, we have the weekly Good Omens needlepoint project update, here at the end of the TENTH week of stitching.  I've now completed 25,500 stitches.  Only 8,840 left!  Whew!

That's all for this report.  Have a lovely week, and stay safe out there!

Pippin Gets a Girlfriend

 Pippin has a new friend!  But first, other stuff of much less importance so I can save the best for last.

First, I knocked off yet another virtual walk challenge, for a mere 32 miles around Athens. I did not do any eight or nine mile days--it was a very sensible walk of around four to five miles a day.

On nearly every morning walk by the river, I got to see at least one pelican, including this one, backlit by the sun:

I'm now walking virtually around some flower fields in the Netherlands for 41 miles, via the other major walk challenge company, Conqueror Events.  I thought I'd see how they compared to Pacer Adventures.  Not as good, for many reasons which I shall not enumerate here because they would bore the pants off of everyone, but suffice to say that once I've finished this walk, it will be back to Pacer for me.

For the art update, only one of the sketch sessions resulted in something worth sharing, and even that has some issues, but oh, well.  We can't always bat a thousand, right?  Anyway, here is an elephant walking away:

We chose this picture partly because we figured the rear end would be easier to draw than the front.  Probably a good idea.

As for the Good Omens needlepoint project, here at the end of week 9, it's going mostly okay except for a few hiccups now and then when I miscount the squares in the pattern.  Sigh.  I've now done 22,600 stitches:

Okay, it's time for the important part of this post:  

PIPPIN HAS A GIRLFRIEND!!!

Her name is Madison, and she is the same age (both turn four in October).  We met Madison's owner quite by chance at the Farmers Market a while back, and told her about the dachshund walking group here.  After meeting again a couple of times at those group walks, where they seemed to like each other a lot, we decided to try a play date at my place.

They had a fabulous time!  They zipped and zoomed all over the yard, chasing each other like mad.

They also paused to wrestle, and Pippin politely rolled over in the submissive pose every time.

It didn't take more than half an hour to wear them both out.

Yay!

We are planning to meet up weekly, alternating homes, so next week Pippin gets to visit Madison at her place.  I'm so glad he has a young friend to play with, as poor Truman, at nine years old, just doesn't want to romp around with him any longer than a few minutes.

That's it for this past week.  Have fun out there, everyone!