...between the city and the lake for the summer is mostly the reason for my most recent neglect of my blog; I've been trying to wrap up a lot of loose ends in the city and organize myself so that I could continue blogging and selling pillowcases and fabric bundles (yes, they are coming!) in my Etsy shop, as well as garden, craft and sew a few things for our cottage at the lake where I will be for the better part of the next two months... When I drove out to the lake early last week, I felt like the Beverly Hillbillies as my car was jammed with plants, fabric, yarn, my sewing machine, computer equipment, crocheting tools, stationery, shipping paraphernalia, etc... I was so fixated on not forgetting any of this stuff that I forgot basic things like my underwear!...
After being here for a week now, most of it spent enjoying the lake and sunshine with family and some good friends who came to visit us, I'm on my own for the first time so I decided to set up my computer in order to re-connect with all of you... Hello! I'm still here -- are you still here?...
As you can see, flowers in my lake garden like the pretty cornflowers above which I started from seed are growing in wild abandon, although I've had to water more than usual due to an abnormally dry month of May and June; I planted some conifers in late spring this year and I'm hoping they make it through this summer as it is suppose to continue being hot and dry...
Yesterday, I started a garden project which I've been meaning to get going for a while now...
Yes, I am a building a stone wall! While the big boulders at the bottom of the wall have been put there a few years ago by an excavator, I've added all the other rocks since I want to raise the height of this wall. Between the wall and the rocky outcrop by the house, I would like to have a berry and veggie garden enclosed by a deer fence. However, given that this area is sloped, I'm planning on leveling it a bit with a truckload of soil and my rocky wall will be needed to retain this added soil. As I'm using rocks I'm finding on or close to our property which are the result of the rock blasting that had to be done to make our driveway, they are far from being nice and flat and perfect for stone wall building. However, I'm making due with these rocks and actually quite enjoying the whole process as it reminds me of working on a puzzle, but instead of looking for the right puzzle piece, I'm looking for the right rock!
You may have noticed that the two photos of the stone wall above which I took yesterday have a yellow tinge to them... Well, that is because we woke up yesterday to the smell of campfire and an eerie, post-apocalyptic-looking sky with a glowing neon orange-pink sun, all very hazy and smoky and the result of about 200 forest fires which are currently burning in our province. There are always summer forest fires in British Columbia, but this year the situation is aggravated by our current drought... A rainy day would be quite nice right about now! The smoky cloud which blanketed us yesterday here at the lake as well as all over coastal southern BC is due to a reversal in normal wind patterns which usually blow from the ocean to the interior, but switched to bring smoke and ash from fires in the interior to the coast. The two photos below are unadulterated photos as caught by my camera at 9 am yesterday morning...
...'Just a bit unsettling isn't it, given that these are 9 am shots?!...
This coastal acrid haze is expected to lift by tomorrow and our air quality has already improved today as winds have, ever so slightly, started to blow in their more usual direction... However, given that this is only the beginning of the summer which is expected to be hot and dry and all those forest fires are still burning strong, I have a feeling that we just might see more of these unsettling skies as the summer progresses....
Before parting, I thought I would show you a sampling of my new pillowcases...
While some of these have already been stocked in my Etsy shop, I will be listing more of them this week... I hope you have had a good start to your July and I thank you so much for popping by today!
Beautiful pillowcases. Learning to do that is definitely one bucket list!
Posted by: Dawn Brosa | July 07, 2015 at 04:24 AM
your pillowcases are beautiful! I would like to know how you get the holes
In the fabric?
Posted by: belle ausbun | July 07, 2015 at 06:04 AM
I am in love with your landscaping, the rock wall, the flowers, all so pretty. Though a little eerie, the sky does add a beauty doesn't it? I always enjoy looking at your stacks of fabric and the beautiful pillow cases they turn into. Have a blessed day!
Posted by: Laurie | July 07, 2015 at 07:37 AM
Oh my, I thought you had put a filter on those photographs... Love the pretty flower photos and of course, pillowcases dreamy as always!
Posted by: mrs robinson | July 07, 2015 at 09:50 AM
Just call you Miss biceps! lol Moving all those rocks around trying to find the right one is a lot of workout for those arms, not to mention the back. I've built a few in my day (and with the non-flat rocks), and I too think of it as like a puzzle, only the pieces are heavier.; D The pillowcases are beautiful as usual. Have you see the crochet pom-pom edge that's out there? It would look great as an edging to some.
http://onceuponapinkmoon.blogspot.com/2013/09/pom-pom-edge.html
Hope the winds stay in your favor and it rains soon! Enjoy the garden adventures!
Posted by: Angela-Southern USA | July 07, 2015 at 11:57 AM
Oh my, I love that pillowcase with lilac edging. Well done building that wall, they are called dry stane dykes here and used on the farms. We could do with some dry weather for a while as it has been so wet here this year, perhaps we could do a swap? Hx
Posted by: Helen | July 07, 2015 at 12:59 PM
I love how your seeds have taken off and have made such a beautiful showing! You must be feeling a lot better to be doing all those projects.
We have lots of deer here and a need for raised beds because our neighbors spray chemicals on their lawns. I've decided to give the Juice Plus Tower Garden a try out on our deck (and it was indoors with grow lights during the winter). So far, so good! Yesterday I harvested 8 cucumbers.
What is the crochet pattern on the very top pillowcase in the first photo? Is it one of your own creation? All are beautiful!
Stay safe!
Posted by: Tina | July 08, 2015 at 05:14 AM
These are so pretty! My bro/sis-in-law leave in BC. We live in Texas. I LOVE your pillowcases and sent you a message through etsy :)
Posted by: Eraina | July 10, 2015 at 01:08 PM
Can you gene me the pattern to how to make your pillowcases and also a tutorial or instructions on how to do the crochet edging on them. I love those and want to learn how to do that. Thank you!!
Posted by: Jody Vince | March 14, 2021 at 08:48 PM