Sockapalooza, Spring Fling, and Texans

I received this wonderful 'Spring Green' skein today in the mail from OnePlanet~
It's for my Sockapalooza pal! I love the gentle yet bright shades of green! It's tencil, merino. I DO have a pattern in mind. A large cable around the body of the sock.

I had a nice 'practice' for it, because here is Tater's sock that his family 'won' for him in our Spring Fling auction. He dyed the yarn with me with food coloring, cookies and his big brother (who won it a couple of years ago) and his wonderful mom. I knit on it on the playground at recess, and have to say, many kids are pretty envious of him! He just smiles and smiles.

The Sockapalooza sock will have a more intricate pattern, but the same idea. I'll start as soon as I finish Tate's socks!

BIG NEWS: The Texan Captain is flying out a week after school is out!! I am sooo excited!!
I tend to trust first emotions. Before you can over think/mess it up, and because I have the belief that we're aware of so much more than the conscious mind can be cognizant of...my first reaction was a big resounding "YES!!" and maybe some jumping up and down. We're going to have FUN. He'll be here for a long weekend - enough time to get in 3 good rides: unloaded and learning, maybe 20 miles. Then loaded and try a hill, 40-45 miles. Then maybe a loaded (ack) Cantelow/ serious climb to try with a short steep downhill, 55 miles.

I'm a little nervous meeting for the first time, but we're getting to know each other so well as friends, I can't think that he'll be anything but familiar after a few minutes. Like he said, if we survive this tandem trip, there's a 98% chance that we'll be lifelong friends afterwards! How cool is that?

Can't catch me!

There is an interesting phenomena out on the backroads. If there's someone ahead, you try and catch them. Likewise, if there's someone coming up in your mirror, you do all you can NOT to let them catch you! In my world, mostly I exist to make weekend roadies feel good about themselves as they pass me, usually with a friendly 'good morning' as I let them pass with good grace.

Today, I was out on my Dolce, panniers 1/2 loaded (room left for a stop at Pedrick's Produce) I was keeping an okay pace, but not pushing it. Then I saw them. 2 cyclists in my mirror. I was still about 7 miles from Winters. You see the Winters bridge is 'home base' . If I get there before they catch me, I win. If they catch me before the bridge, I LOSE! I picked up the pace.

And so did they. Rats! Well, one of the things I was working on today was not coasting, and I certainly didn't: I pedaled going down, I pedaled through the turns, I pedaled for all I was worth. Okay, okay, a tail wind helped. Many miles later, and achingly close to 'base' I was doing 19 mph, which wasn't bad for being loaded down. I declared victory, as I slowed to pull onto the bridge. Seconds after I pulled over and got off my bike, those two pulled onto the bridge. 2 men, maybe a few years younger. One, I think was rather peeved that I had made it first, a small middle aged lady with panniers, and he said nothing at all. The 2nd guy, dripping with sweat and friendliness, stopped to chat. Asked how far I was going, talked about panniers, and the like. Not a word was spoken about our 'race' but oh, it was understood. lol!

I love cycling.

Tandem!

She's perfect!! She was listed on craiglist, I called, next day I grabbed dear friend Emp, and we drove out about 45min. to Rancho Mureita. She flirted with his roomate, while I checked it out as best as I could, and made an offer. He accepted, and now it's here! It's a 2001 RT1000 Cannondale, in nearly new condition. It has a suspension post for the stoker too. Nice reach for me. I can straddle the bar, and if I lower the seat all the way, the pedals are just about perfect. I just wish the Captain would get his handsome behind over here to try it out... lol.


And some jewelry. Ocean Jasper. The colors and patterns in this stone are just beautiful!
The dinosaur pendant I put up at the Spring Fling was won by Victoria's friend's mom! I'm so glad she liked it. And Tate won the auction for dyeing his own yarn for me to knit into socks for him.

Dear Son can jump! He works on weekends for a photographer of mostly motorcycle races. He assists and takes pictures, and they went to Reno for a race, but it was cancelled. So they were driving back, got bored, pulled off, and the guy shot these pictures! "Hey Matt, jump!"

Of course, being the Mom, I had to buy one. And being the auntie, I think my sis bought all of them!

Ocean Jasper and a 'correction'

All from Happy Valley Pow wow and Jay, the Ocean Jasper guy! Actually, they're small pieces, maybe 4# worth, but I went through all 4 buckets to pull my favorite pieces while Jay regaled me with stories from his past. I really went for the more transulcent, green OJ that I can't afford on ebay! Also some other finds I got.

Oh, here's the 'correction', just like they do in newspapers!!

OF COURSE, the Texan will be coming to California to ride with me. He's a man of his word. And I hear he's part Boy Scout/part MacGyver, information directly obtained from his female friend who fishes for piranhas. :)

1st and 2nd instar

Dogs are overrated...this is my H euryalis that just shed it's skin, and beginning it's 3rd instar. After the first shedding, they were bright yellow! Missed that photo -op, darn it.

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1/2 seem to be feeding on schinus mole (Peppertree), the rest on ceanothus. The schinus gang seem to be bigger! When I counted them earlier I had 12. Only half the ova hatched. But this is plenty for me! I'll bring them to the classroom when they're big and beautiful. We're focused on the silk worms now. Tomorrow, we look at the main natural fibers used by man, and spin a little silk! Here's a photo of one ready to molt at the end of it's 2nd instar. They're so cute!!!!


And then of course, the textile portion. My fabric stash!


Ah, Sockapalooza...I have a plan! I'm thinking for my sockee a deep blues/black in tencil merino from One Planet and do a Celtic braid color work sock. Either that, or blues/greens. To make the pattern 'pop' one skein really needs to be solid, rather than hand-dyed. Hmmmm.

I have PLANS for November! Road trip! Desertdweller is planning a rockhound trip, out of Burro Creek Campground in AZ. She's been posting beautiful rock to tempt us all to make the trip! Might drive out with Stoner or meet and fly with Stonelicker. No, I haven't met any of them.... sometimes you just have to trust life, and meet new and interesting people! It makes life rich. I have my camper. I have word out I need a tailgate. Hopefully I can borrow tools from Nick, and some camping stuff from my kids.

And I'm really thinking again of cycling part of the Pacific Coast, thanks to a Texan I'll probably never meet, but played his role to make me think of it again! I'm thinking Amtrack to San Jose, over to the coast, staying at the Lighthouse hostel, maybe going as far south as Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo. Maybe Nathanie will come with me! Or Devyn, who's always up for an adventure! Or I could tag along with the Sacramento Wheelman, and not worry about getting lost and having a Sag...

To enjoy the scenery I'd probably only want to do 40-50 miles a day. Enjoy stopping for local fare, spend time enjoying the incredible land and sea, taking pictures and maybe even write my own Crazyguyonabike.