The best of summer

It's mid-July (almost) and summer is hitting its stride. I love dusk, when the fireflies come out. Usually, they make their appearance in early June, but this year, I didn't see them until the end of June and I had started to worry (you know, the bee collapse, frogs are disappearing). There's something magical about the flickering glow through the yard, amongst the bushes, up in the treeline. It's even more magical now that the boys are old enough to understand and appreciate how amazing it is. I've had them up late chasing fireflies twice: the first time was a Sunday evening after they came home from their first baseball game (minor league) with their father; the second time was a drizzly July 4th evening while their father and I were talking to the police and getting a report regarding the damage to his car (someone backed into his car, damaging the hood and grille).

We got a bit into the magic of fireworks, too: when we opened the door to the two police officers on July 4th, Boy E said, "Ooh, look at the fireworks!" One of the neighbors was setting off fireworks in his yard, which is illegal here. One of the police officers muttered, "I don't want to hear it." That's life in a small town! While the police officers were doing their best to ignore the fireworks and to avoid having to bust the neighbor, Boy E kept exclaiming each time one went up. Then the other police officer looked over and said, "Oh man, a roman candle!" Fortunately, we were able to "distract" them. But I have to laugh--they were trying their darndest to avoid having to go over and the neighbor, unknowingly, kept escalating the situation!

I also have a new treat this summer: I have been noticing a cardinal pair spending a lot of the time in the shrub (pretty much a tree) in front of my study window. My desk is under this window, so I spend a lot of time eyeing these birds. Yesterday, I realized there must be a nest, and was able to find it, shielded by a few leaves. Today, I watched as the fledglings shakily jumped to the edge of the nest and surveyed their surroundings. What a treat for me! I hope they stick around...maybe I should fill my birdfeeder.

On the knitting front, I once again cast on the Koigu Daydreams blanket (check out my previous troubles here. This round is on ravelry here. I've used ugrzanna's correction and knitabull's correction, and some math and rewriting of my own, and I think I'm getting somewhere. I'm about 10 rows in on the large center triangle and I finally have 4 points showing up--it should be a triangle when sewn...although that may be an ambitious prediction at 10 rows in.

I'm also working on my second Koigu Kersti garter stitch scarf. It's perfect mindless knitting, and great for working on when I'm waiting for the camp bus. I took pictures of the yarn yesterday with my iPhone, and I think I couldn't keep the iPhone steady enough, but it's a picture:



Oh, and I'm nowhere on Summer of Socks. So be it.