Lots of Pictures, and Talk of Lizards

My apologies to those on slow connections. But I took a bunch of random pictures to illustrate my day, which was sunny and lovely, if a bit chillier than I'd like at this time of year. It was a lovely spring day, the kind that makes a not-so-young dog's thoughts turn to Chasing Lizards! So I spent several short sessions sitting on the patio, knitting while Himself pursued the wily itty bitty Florida yard lizards. He never catches them. I don't think he ever will. He just loves to watch them dart about, but when one is within reach he doesn't make a serious move on it. Last night I discovered that one had settled down in my trusty Weber kettle grill when - no doubt avoiding the cool breeze - and the chilly metal had made him somewhat sluggish. So I went out to put charcoal in the grill and he barely moved, but did hop, with as much energy as he had, to the rim of the grill, and stopped there. I picked him off it and set him in the grass. He didn't run off - still too cold. So by then Murphy had run over to see what I was doing, and thank God he really is fairly well trained. I told him to "STOP!" and he did, and I and scooped up the lizard AGAIN, and this time deposited him high out of reach in the jasmine before he had a heart attack. It takes a well trained dog to stand still while Mommy takes the thing he's obsessed with and puts it up out of reach, so he's better trained than I sometimes think.

Why do I rescue the lizards, when the neighborhood roaming cats eat them and then puke them up? I don't know. They are little and quick and cute and they eat bugs, which makes them my friends. And I just don't want the DOG eating them. His stomach is delicate enough.

Oh, and I'm somewhat aghast that Boss, a FL native, will not pick up a lizard. His son will, fortunately, so that particular quirk has skipped a generation. These little guys are sweet, basically toothless - if they do get scared enough to bite, it's like being grabbed by a Very Angry Paperclip - you may have seen the America's Funniest Videos clip of the kid wearing them like earrings. I'm not sure I could do that, I don't care to be pinched, but that gives you an idea of how defenseless they are. Harmless, helpless little bug eaters, I try to save as many as I can.

I had what should be known in knitblog world as a Mariko Day. I have actual food and jewelry photos. No, I did not break out the sewing machine, but now that I'm getting into the Zone, who knows?

Girlchild and her friend are coming down next weekend for a concert, and I said I'd cook something - she wanted banana bread.



Those three loaves are now wrapped in the freezer - one to eat while they are here, a couple to take back. They are not as flat as they look in that photo. They didn't rise impressively, but hey, it's banana bread, it's thick and dense and sweet. The secret to great banana bread is knowing when the bananas are "ripe." Bananas get sweeter as they get overripe, and it intensifies the bread flavor - "ripe" is barely banana bread material. "Overripe" is closer. But when people ask, "When the hell are you going to throw those disgusting things out?" they are ready to be banana bread. Trust me on that one.

I also bought peanut butter chocolate chips for cookies, I may get to those tomorrow. Maybe not.

I finally got around to felting a project that was languishing, just waiting for woven ends:



This pattern is from Weekend Knits, I've made a few of them. The stripes and colors are entirely my own. I have a turquoise zipper just waiting for my ADD to go on hiatus the right time to put it in. I love the colors, I do, I do.

Here's the bracelet I made at the jewelry party the other night. It's rather Christmas-y. I'm not a big Swarovski beads fan, but I do have some pretty spacers and findings that coordinate with them. I was the only one there who had made jewelry before. I had to kinda keep quiet to avoid "outing" myself and ruining it for the jewelry lady, this was her first show. The bracelet is sitting on my new favorite felting book.



And this is what the sky looked like as seen through my bougainvilla, the bush of the huge scary spikes, which is trying to climb in my bedroom window.



It was a good and relaxing day. More photos tomorrow, including one, and maybe two, Dulaan project hats.