Monday, September 22, 2014

The Endless Summer

This has been one heck of a sunny, warm.. actually HOT summer.  Even this past weekend it was in the 90s!!  And it's 3/4s the way through September.  This is OREGON.. we're famous for clouds and rain.  So.. hubby and I were saying just yesterday.. ok.. we give up.. we are tired of this and we'd like some rain.  :-)  The weather girl, Sally Showman. just informed us that this was the hottest summer ever on record!  

There are forest fires in our state and the sunsets are very orange - I snapped this shot of a big Hawthorne tree on the top of our back pasture and it's loaded with red berries.


That's a lot of red berries, isn't it?


My sister picked up a pretty rock at the beach and I offered to crochet a cozy for it.. it's the new one on the bottom.  I will give it to her when we volunteer at Multnomah Falls this Thursday.  


My sister loves the pattern I used as she likes the little flower in the middle.  I actually found the free pattern on the Red Heart website - click HERE for the link.  I just do the doily pattern until it reaches the edge of the rock, then start decreasing until the back is closed up and tie off.


Do you see the heart in the pattern?  


I'm having way too much fun with these lace decorated rocks.  :-)



Just my attempt to decorate the world.  :-)  A nice memento of grandma someday in the future?  



Then, after finishing my sister's rock cozy I made up my own pattern to cover this long rock that my son and DIL found at the beach.  It reminds me of a feather.


Caleb brought in a pretty white long rock and my next one I'm going to use a colored thread, stay tuned.  :-)


Poor plants in our farmyard are dried up.. luckily for this hydrangea, Dayle has watered it a few times.


The only hardy fuchsia that survived the late freeze of last year.  It was in the ground, the others were in pots.



The gorgeous huge pot of Chrysanthemum that Dayle surprised me with is so pretty, the flowers open up deep rusty red-orange and then lighten in the sun to golden amber yellow.


My miniature variegated rose has struggled through the heat.. this is one of the last blooms.. it's the size of your thumbnail!!


Our massive Chestnut tree is LOADED with nuts!  


Prickly little buggers.



Kristi visited the craft store this morning and came home with a cute little chalkboard easel, she put our dinner menu on it, isn't that cute?



Yesterday we were supposed to have a big family dinner but it fell through.  Dayle caught a cold virus that Caleb brought home from school and he didn't want to give it to our daughters husband who is in town for business, nor our older son's family.  :-(  So, we went ahead with cooking a ham dinner anyway.  It was so hot that I suggested he bake the ham in the pellet BBQ outside and oh. my. goodness...  it was the most moist, tender and smokily delicious ham ever!  I boiled potatoes so as not to heat up the house with the oven and prepared homemade sausage cream gravy to ladle over the top of the mashed up potatoes (the boys liked that part) and buttered corn.  The boys love my gravy!  :-) Just like my mom's.  I will be swimming today.  What are you up to?  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)  

24 comments:

  1. Believe me I understand hot. Love your rock cozies, you are getting more and more creative with them all the time.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  2. I thought of you yesterday when I was watching a weather video about the long-range forecast for the fall months; they showed the PNW having above average temps from Oct through Dec. We're supposed to be below average here, which I'm kind of looking forward to! I'm sorry Dayle is sick and I hope he feels better soon. Your ham dinner sounds incredible!

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  3. It sounds as though you've been having a lovely time. The weather here has been fantastic as well, although not as hot as with you. It's been incredibly dry for September though, with lots of sunshine. It still feels like summer. I've been tidying up at the allotment today, and then tidying up at home. You know how it is. I do hope Dayle feels better soon. Have a good week Teresa. CJ xx

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  4. Your rocks are beautiful-I like the flower and heart and the long one does look like a feather. Those trees are certainly loaded with nuts and berries. Ours are too and I've heard the caterpillars in the Midwest are sporting woollier than normal coats. A harbinger of a long, cold winter? I hope not. Sorry to hear about Dayle's cold. Hopefully he's feeling somewhat better today.
    Blessings always my friend,
    Betsy

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  5. Your little cozies turn out so well. I made my first doily last week -- wow, thread crochet is tougher than yarn. My stitches were uneven, so the doily doesn't lay flat, but I was still pleased to have finished it. I really like the pattern you created. Perfect for the long rock.

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  6. The fuschia and rose are beautiful! The dinner you made sounds delicious!

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  7. Bee-U-tee-FUL rocks and flowers! Wish I had some of your ham dinner. Sounds delish. Hope you don't catch Dale's cold. I've been cleaning out yarn and thread and old WIPs that I will never use or finish. How come things don't look any different? I have too much! I'm going to be sorry when I have to pack it all up to move. I'm trying to get rid of stuff a little at a time. The Cap is doing the same in the garage with his man stuff.

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  8. What am I up too, why day 8 of this dreadful stuff I got at the class reunion. This morning I had to call my doc to get a different antibiotic. The one he gave me Thursday just wasn't doing anything. It is terrible what being sick can do to the motivation. Your tree is truly loaded with berries. Do the birds eat them? I have never heard of people eating them, but then I should look them up and see what it says. Your rocks are looking good. The one you did for your sister is cute with the little flower in the center. I don't have any rocks. What people have around here for river rock is very small, almost tiny. I suppose one could do a miniature one. I have been doing slippers for charity. Just trying to use up some yarn that was donated to me and that just didn't seem suitable for anything else. Sorry Dayle is sick too. The stuff is going around. Kids at school always share their germs and often times parents will send sick kids to school...they shouldn't do that, keep them at home till they are better. Well, I better go back and finish up with a mile high pile of mail. Wonder if there is anything good on tv tonight. The Good Wife season started last evening and that was good. Madame Secretary looks like it will be a good one too. Have a good week.
    (((HUGS))) Susanne :)

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  9. That is an absolute ton of berries!

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  10. You seem to be getting more adventurous with those rock cosies the patterns seem to get better and better. Wow, an amazing amount of berries.

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  11. The weather has seemed to change here as well Teresa. We never used to have much humidity! These past couple of summers, we have a lot of it. I do NOT like it at all. I could very easily live in Oregon!
    Hope Dayle kicks the cold soon. I am thinking I should be the recipient of Noah's germ sharing any day now!
    LOVE the crochet rocks too! Hugs to you, my friend,
    Kris

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  12. Hi Teresa, I LOVE the pattern you created for the long rock! You've inspired me to make some rock cozies myself :-) xxxx

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  13. Hi Teresa, Poor Dayle!!! Nothing worse than having a cold in summer!!!! Love your rock cosies!!!! Have a happy and creative week!!!
    Love
    AMarie xxx

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  14. It's been a really warm and dry September on the side of the Atlantic too, but although our days are still pushing 20C a couple of mornings now we've seen an almost frost on the grass ... she's tardy this year but autumn is coming.

    That hawthorn is huge! We have mostly blackthorn in the hedgerows hereabouts, so lots and lots of lovely sloes to harvest.

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  15. I love the crochet covered rocks you make, all the patterns look fantastic! So many bright berries on those trees! Have a wonderful week, Teresa.
    Helen xox

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  16. Hi Teresa, It's so funny because the crocheted rock covers are growing on me.......I love them and think you have done a beautiful job. Love the feather like design you made up! You are so clever : ) I don't think I could do that. Love your yard of color and the mix of summer and fall happening all at once. Love to you guys and have a super day, xoRobin

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  17. Poor Dayle, I went down with a cold (picked up at school) last week, now one of my sons has it :(

    I love the idea of a chalkboard menu, I bet the kids loved it too!

    Helenxx

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  18. Way to make lemons out of lemonade. SO many have that nasty cold. I donated blood with fireman this morning. We will have a roasted turkey tonight. I did make apple crisp for our football game Bears monday night viewing. IT always goes over well… even with Zach's new girlfriend

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  19. Those rocks are such fun...the little flower motif centre is really cute. I'm sorry the meal fell through but at least you enjoyed the delicious food. I hope Dayle feels better soon x

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  20. I love the crocheted rocks Teresa. Had some lovely days here - sunny gorgeous blue skies but not too hot. I like Autumn. Had lovely weekend - had our GD's for night on Saturday then a celebratory lunch as it was Ella's 7th birthday. Such fun. The on Sunday evening it was the first episode of the new series of Downton!!! Yayyyyyyyyy today I've been making another celebratory cake!!! happy Autumn Teresa. Hugs Anne x

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  21. Your crochet covered rocks look so pretty dear Teresa!
    I hope Dayle is feeling much better soon too...try to keep cool in those temperatures...autumn is on the way here!
    Susan x

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  22. Sorry Dayle is not well. Hope he feels better soon! Love your new mum--very, very pretty:)
    Blessings, Aimee

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  23. Your rock cozies really show what a wonderful artist you are, Teresa. The designs are uniquely beautiful. The temperature while I was traveling was perfect, and I can not believe how hot Oregon has been this summer! I continue to love to see your flower-berry-nut photos, too :-) xx

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  24. I wish we were having an endless summer, it's gone really cold here in England :-( Glad you're getting some nice weather though :-)

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