striped spider

As I was planting lily and allium bulbs in my mother's garden two weeks ago, I came upon a black and orange striped spider...so I sat down beside her. She wasn't really interested in doing a photo shoot, but I managed to get a few out of focus shots, paparazzi style.

Baby Clothes Cont. (If you buy a girl some yarn)

If you buy a girl some yarn, she'll make a baby sweater...when she's finished with the sweater she'll want to make a hat.
When the hat is finished her sister will ask for pants to complete the set...

...and when the pants are finished there will be just enough yarn leftover that she'll want to make some booties....then she'll be out of yarn and need to find a new project.

Last of the Last

Last week...The first and last three tomatoes to ripen (I lost a green one to a chipmunk) :

And just in time for the first frost:

All done!

Hooded sweater complete with hood, trim and drawstring.
Now my sis wants me to make pants...hmmm...guess I'll have to find a pants pattern....

Popcorn & Late Bloomers

This is the only real result of the popcorn experiment. There were several other ears, but none of them had actual kernels. I should note that the ones that didn't have kernels had bugs...

This patch of yellow caught my eye the other day and I took a second look. I had given up on these plants completely, but apparently they have buds on them now. Better late than never:

budded, but no yellow flower yet:

And I was pretty much ready to pull these tall guys out last week after we had really bad wind that nearly knocked them over....but look...they apparently are going to flower after all:

And I've been busy. Now that my sister is expecting (and knows it's a boy) I got all motivated to do a little crocheting. I'd found a pattern, but had to wait to know if I should buy blue or pink yarn. Well, blue it is. I had some really unfun dental work done and took a day off from work. So yesterday's sick day yielded...drum roll please....sleeves. Still more to be done. There is supposed to be a little hood and navy blue edging...but I'm pretty proud of myself considering the only things I've really ever made before are scarves:

Busy Bees

These little red guys are volunteers:The sweet peas are still blooming...some going to seed, or maybe I should say going to pod:
Took the last of this season's potting soil and sort of top dressed my tomato plants. They had very gangly stems that were laying on the ground...figured it wouldn't hurt to cover 'em up:

Some little critter has made a cocoon on my trellis: Apple bush/tree/thing at Mom's:

Baby Tomatoes

Well, my parents have had tomatoes for weeks and weeks...more than they know what to do with. Mom says the plants have over done it and are dying out now. She says she has lots of veggies to send home with me when I visit next week. So I was feeling pretty bad about the poorly tomato plants that got stuck out in front of my apartment, they are definitely not overachievers. Seems so silly that they are from the exact same batch as the overproducers living out their lives adopted by Mom.

But......one of MY plants has finally decided to be fruitful. Three bitty tomatoes....they don't look like much so far...but I'm thrilled, because there for a while I was pretty sure I was growing tomato plants for their foliage.

I guess it says something about nature vs. nurture. The same seedlings all from same seed packet, same start...adopted out to different soils, sun, cities = completely different outcome.
In this case, nurture wins...


(all incredibly out of focus)

Pics from Home

My sister snapped this pic today while my dad was putting in a new flower bed along the west side of the house. Apparently my mom did some bargaining with the Menards guy on some end of season pavers....Looks nice, doesn't it? Just imagine the possibilities:

Multiples!

I'm now getting more than one morning glory at a time! I just wished they'd last a little longer than one morning:Before and After (but not during):

More little unidentified orange guys:

Nasturtium going to seed:

Morning Glories (it's about time!)

First Morning Glory of the Apartment growing season (Thursday):I'm fascinated by the same flower on day two:Also day two (today)...apparently I'm only going to be getting one flower a day from this vine:Zinnias:Marigolds:Popcorn experiment ears:Getting SO tall: Ear on plant #2:

What I think was supposed to be blue flash dwarf morning glories (but at this point, who knows):