Wildfire Weather

Hi!  Thanks for coming to visit : )  It is good to greet you from home, although I had a great time traveling. With pretty cotton yarn Betsy gave me awhile ago, I even got two dishcloths knit while I wasn't driving.

When we heard that there were some wildfires in northern California we decided to take the coastal route [always my favorite anyway : )] to try to avoid driving through smokey areas...a plan that did not entirely work.

While driving through Crescent City, CA we stopped at Brother Jonathan Point where I took this zoomed in view of St. George lighthouse which is seven miles from shore and difficult to see in the foggy mist that day.

Then looking to the south I took this less zoomed in view of the Crescent City lighthouse which I enjoyed touring many years ago when we lived in Crescent City.

South of Crescent City there was a huge herd of elk in a park protected area on both sides of the road.  Aren't those antlers amazing?

Then, not many miles south we started running into smoke from a wildfire east of Eureka, CA.  Typically this is the time of year when lightning strikes start wildfires and the on going drought in the West has made this year particularly vulnerable to fire and the loss of many homes and a few lives so far, too, as you may have heard through the news.

As we continued driving south, the smoke lessened and we enjoyed driving through a redwood forrest CA state park.

My youngest son, Tim, and I stopped in the northern San Francisco Bay area to pick up three family members to continue the drive to Burbank, CA, and the 50th wedding celebration for my older sister and my bother-in-law.  We saw many orchards along route I-5, and were very curious to know what was growing in them because we could not see as we sped down the road, and we wished the farmers had put out signs to inform us : )

Many sections of the southern freeways have oleander bushes growing in the median strips, which I think is a lovely choice.

My nieces planned a wonderful party and helped us make wonderful memories as we celebrated.

My oldest niece's sister-in-law made this amazing cake which made me think of Anne's wonderful sugar craft work. 

After several days of visiting we drove north and my family dropped me off to visit with my friend of forty years, Paula, and her husband Lee in San Jose, CA.  Paula and I met at the church we attended, and Lee told my husband, Louis, that IBM was hiring for a position he was interested in getting and did get.

Paula is an animal lover and has a beautiful little flock of chickens in her backyard.

This feathery girl seems to be thinking..."Did I really lay that!?!"  : )

My pictures don't do justice to this pretty and productive flock!

Paula drove me up into the San Jose foothills and this is a view of the southern Bay Area and some of the golden hills of CA.

While there are few trees in the foothills, the eucalyptus and old oak trees are especially beautiful, I think.

We enjoyed seeing this small herd of horses, also.

There are so many vineyards up and down CA, it always impresses me as I drive by them.

This thought provoking message on the mount impressed me as well.

The modern windmills springing from more and more locations pose a pretty and practical presence to me although some protest their worth.

The diminished snow cover on Mt. Shasta in northern CA while normal for this time of year also reminds us of our increased drought conditions.

But in spite of the drought, our household has been given or picked up fruit and vegetables which are being processed.

Various family members are canning and freezing the results and we are having yummy fresh produce meals as well.  A Fisherman Friend has given us delicious fresh salmon to enjoy several times, also.

The wildfires have made some of our sunsets especially colorful.

But it has been concerning to not be able to see Mt. Hood very well because of the smokey haze, as in this view several blocks from our home that I have often shared with you on clearer days.  Can you see Mt. Hood?  It is a bit of a shadow in the upper right of the photo...honest!

While I was traveling,  my youngest daughter attended the county fair and sent me this delightful Smiling Sheep photo which is the last image I will leave with you in this post.

Wildfire weather is a time of tragic loss for some and great concern for others.  Forestry experts explain that forrest fires positively contribute to the growth cycle of forests,  but we still mourn the loss of lives and property they bring.

Today marks the six year anniversary of the death of my husband of 38 years.  While I am celebrating with those around me who are marking 50 years of marriage, I am saddened and jealous that I can not celebrate 50 years of marriage or more with my husband.  Yet I celebrate the positive time we shared, particularly our shared faith: that pleasures on earth will be followed by the incredible pleasures of eternal life through Christ.

Months ago I added a page to my sidebar but did not bring your attention to it.  It is entitled "Louis."  In it I describe my view of my time spent with Louis on earth.  Adventures!  I invite you to read about them if you are curious : )

Since coming home during our stretch of wildfire weather, I have been picking sun gold cherry tomatoes, knitting, swimming, attending church, having luncheons with friends, planning to restring some cobalt blue glass beads I have been collecting along with those Teresa gave me, writing a poem, drawing, painting a watercolor picture, and planning a business link to this blog...my adventures continue!

Please tell me about your adventures whatever your weather may be.  I am eager to know!

Gracie xx

The Geography of Love

When I started blogging two years ago I had no idea what fun I would have growing to know folks from around the world through it.  My blog is a way to share some photos and stories with family members and lifetime friends, but it has also given me the opportunity to mingle in a community of crafters who share their creative adventures through their blogs.

One of the bloggers I have grown to love, Meredith, lives in Florida. Among other things, she is gifted in shaping fiber into beautiful garments.  She lovingly serves her family [including her dog, Max!] and reaches out to those around her with wonderful acts of kindness, as well as serving as a busy physical therapist.

We have shared many fun and heartfelt comments back and forth.  She has been admiring Fluffy Baa Baa [a stuffed sheep I adopted from Good Will quite a few months ago] in some of my blog photos.  I told her that I would look for a Fluffy Baa Baa for her.  Meanwhile my 18mo. old Grand Joy, has hugged and lugged around Fluffy Baa Baa and even tried to ride her while my two older Grand Girls have been enjoying having Fluffy Baa Baa around, and enjoy tending my whole little flock of fiber sheep who they guide through many trials and triumphs. However,  recently it occurred to me that Fluffy Baa Baa was meant to live in Florida with Meredith, and  I am certain that Fluffy Baa Baa has a sister who I will soon be able to find and adopt locally.

So several weeks ago I popped Fluffy Baa Baa into a Trader Joe's paper bag with handles.  As she peered out of the bag with great interest, my two oldest Grand Girls carefully and lovingly lugged her from the car into the Post Office where she boarded a big box headed from Sandy, Oregon, to Florida!

You can imagine that there was considerable curiosity about this event from my Grand Girls, Hayley (6) and Molly (4)!  And thanks to Meredith who created a delightful post describing Fluffy Baa Baa's arrival in Florida, they, and you can be assured that Fluffy Baa Baa arrived safely and has been welcomed into a most loving home :) [ I do hope you go read the story which I read to the children pictured above, Hayley, Molly, their visiting friend, Oliver, and Joy.]

Over ten years ago I joined a fiber arts group, Windy Weavers :)  We met every Friday afternoon in a comfy church hall in northern CA.  I hoped to learn to knit socks with these wonderful ladies and I did, and they also taught me to spin wool into yarn even though I did not know I wanted to learn how to do that.  Claire, one of these dear ladies told me about a website, Knitter's Review, I might enjoy visiting.  The author, Clara Parkes was a graduate of Claire's  college alma mater, Mills College. I did/do enjoy visiting Clara's website, and through it I became aware of Jane Brocket's book The Gentle Art of Domesticity and her blog Yarnstorm.  From Jane's blog I became aware of local blogger, Alicia Paulson, and her dear blog, Posie Gets Cozy.  From Alicia's blog I became aware of Teresa Kasner's beautiful blog, and Fiber Art by Sosae Caetano, Mereknits, TACIStudio, The Simple Life of a Queen, Simplify ...and see my blog roll in the right side bar of my blog :) 

Whether you visit me at One Saylor's Log because you are one of my family members, lifelong friends, or a blogging friend, I thank you for visiting.  You are one of God's blessings to me and I am asking Him to bless you through me and every avenue possible.

Thanks for posting, Meredith :)

First Wednesday Spinning

My youngest daughter and I spent several hours this morning at the Damascus Fiber Arts School in Damascus, Oregon, just down the road a piece from where we live.

My daughter had offered to process some wool for a friend in southern California who works in a zoo where a sheep was shorn and the wool was going to be discarded. She soon got tired hand carding the fiber so decided to go with me to use the DFAS carder.

I worked on spinning the fiber I bought at the fiber festival in Canby, OR, this past fall and the fiber I bought from Sosae Caetano for my birthday in February.

We enjoyed participating in the chit-chat with the other ladies who attended, but I was sorry my friend Teresa was not able to join us.

Are your days happily spinning along, too?