Coming Back To It

Okay, weekends almost done and I'm finally getting around to posting. Not that I have a lot to post, but a bit.

The weather here is starting to become more springlike. Even this past week when we got snow, it was joined by rain and warmer temperatures that kept things from being too miserable. Well, I'm sure some people think that freezing rain and sleet is miserable but the dogs here don't which means I can't.

Friday was bath day for the kids. Since our local walking place has been "Closed Due To Flooding" per the sign on the trail I thought I would take the kids there, let the boys run wild in the wet before going to get bathed. That way they were "pre-wetted" for the washing. It worked like a charm except the flood waters were already receding. In their wake they left sone neat ice structures though.

You can see where the frozen slush and ice crumpled and buckled as the water it floated on drained away. At one point it was open water but then the temperature dropped and things refroze for a day or so.

There were still a few spots of water on the trail or flowing across it. Here we ran into a little crustacean creature wondering across the path were the water was flowing across the trail.

As best as I can tell from looking things up, this is a Virile or Northern Crayfish. One of the native species, to a rusty crayfish that is not native, but an evasive species to this area. The dogs were quite curious about this little monster as we passed it. Unfortunately due to the rain and sleet, I didn't take a real camera with me, and these are all off the iPhone.

The walk believe it or not was quite nice. There was one area of the trail I had to break ice from about 8 inches of standing water for the dogs to pass safely through with out getting cut up. They did great and the  boys ran and ran and ran. They were good and tired after we got baths and finally got home. I was soaking wet and chilled to the bone but they had a good time, which is what we were going for. Had to get them all washed up so they could have their beginning of the month flea and tick treatment. Unbelievably I even found a tick on Tucker as I washed them up. Wasn't on his skin or blood filled, seemed slow moving and cold but still... We are in tick country now.

We also ran into this area where the ice flowed on the water across the trail, then the water drained away and left the ice that slumped in a curve over the trail. The dogs had a heck of a time staying on it and kept sliding off to the side. I was surprised how well my waders stuck to it. It was kind of funny watching the normally nimble boys have to dig in claws. You can kind of see Tucker has his paws splayed here to get those class in. I carried Shiela across it when she was struggling. It pays to be a senior citizen sometimes.

On the walk I of course didn't have a good enough camera for birds, and we saw few, but boy were they singing. Songs I don't know so they are still moving into the area. Spring is coming, even if we can't see it. Of course, that is how I felt on Friday. Today, it's in the high 40's and I had to strip off a layer as we walked the kids on the White Pine Trail out of Rockford. It defiantly smacks of spring today. On the sides of the trail there were shoots coming up, birds singing, geese honking and the trail filled with others needing to get out.

As for knitting, I got those bright orange socks done and have been working on these. They are the Kalajoki socks which is a free pattern on ravelry if you're interested. Besides having to tear back a couple times due rot being tired and the original ones were slightly to large, they are going well.

I am past the gusset now and am cruising down the body of the foot. Fingers crossed I will wrap them up this week and get a box shot off to Alaska with socks for my brother and his entire family. Then, I think I will take a break from socks. This is my 6th pair since January. That means I am 3 months ahead of schedule for the 12 months 12 socks challenge on the Wyoming  Fiber Skeinks group. I think I deserve a break, don't you? Although I do think I will be returning to this pattern for a sock for me, because I really like it. I REALLY like it. Which means I need a pair for myself.

And what does a break from socks look like? Something like this right now.

What exactly is it? It will be a shawl in a few weeks I hope. After some internet nastiness and to be honest, absolute ridiculousness I decided to borrow the concept from that Mystery Knit Along shawl I did last month and create my own design. I'll keep you posted as to how it goes.

Now, back to knitting with me so I can write those socks off as complete and move on with something not a sock for a bit. Whew... Have a great rest of your weekend everyone!