Chainsaws and Palm trees

Today of course is the Summer Solstice and it happens to be the day our Palm trees are being trimmed.

It is always a busy morning for not only the men doing this task, but the birds who will be swarming all over the courtyard once the men leave looking for insects and seeds. This is a new crew this year as the other company has retired. These guys use chainsaws....

Now if you look carefully at the top of this picture you will see a chainsaw swinging out over the head of the guy on the nest tree...I do not think I would like to have this chainsaw swing out over my head!
Our community property has 19 Palm trees, 9 of them in my courtyard. The noise is quite loud at the moment.... even Mr H went out to look.

So, summer is officially on is it. You could have fooled me. Our Arizona temps have ranged from 100 to 114 already so as far as I am concerned we have already been into summer. While we are on this subject, I dyed a piece of mystery fabric with coffee this morning after I saw the design by The Primitive Hare...just have to stitch it. Fabric at the ready, pattern printed and now to gather the floss.... oh, I forgot, today is a work day. Well at least it will be ready for me for tomorrow. Wait, I have some time, so, maybe I can start it! Glad you came to see the tree trimming.... glad too that I count you as my friends.... have a great day.

A feel good day

What a lovely morning... the temp is 96 but somehow it is not hot---- yet. Of course the sun is still rising and there are a few clouds overhead. Any morning that I can open the sliders and sit outside is a treat. Yesterday was also such a morning.I took my stitching and music outside and sat for an hour under the turquoise umbrella and this little darling joined me

It looks like he is suspended in air but he is sitting on the very tip of a branch. I am captivated by these tiny birds. They usually are not frightened by us and will come very close.  He sat about 6 feet away with me for a long time. Occasionally he flitted off to get some nectar from a nearby bush... the name of which escapes me.... then right back to his perch. I am still stitching on Clematis and my hands are itching to start another project.

I hope to pick up an oldie that has just a small area to finish. It is sitting on my craft table as a reminder that it is next. My thought is that if I have it in front of me daily, I will pick it up and work on it. I will tell you that it is Christmas and I started it long ago... more on that later. I have not forgotten my posting for our trip out west...first I want to say how lucky I am to have you as friends and enjoy your kind words.Thank you for your visit with me, Have a great day.
Arizona Bound
Well these past weeks have been to pack what is coming and keep boxes labelled and organized. There is an area for what will travel with us, what will be tossed and what will go for the yard sales. I plan to have one each weekend for a couple of weeks. Dennis has filed the retirement papers with the City of Providence for Retirement. His last work day will be June 30. I am glad that I have not been working so that I can really get things organized. On June 1st we signed the papers to sell the house. I have loved this cottage so much as well as the seclude yard. So many family cook-outs and days stitching in the garden. So many wonderful memories connected here. There is still so much to do. How to fit 12 years and 8 rooms of this house into the 3 room apartment in Phoenix. The apartment... how strange it will be to live in an apartment again. I sent all the papers for the apartment lease as well as a check... now I am paying a mortgage and rent! As soon as we have a moving date I will set up for utilities and rental for a truck. One minute I am excited for the adventure that awaits us, the next I have concerns.... then there is the knowledge that we will be saying goodbye to family and friends. I wish Dennis would stop asking where we will put everything, how we will manage this, and I see the look in his eyes when he is continuing the care of his garden that he must leave behind. Life will be different.

Umbrellas up.....

My task each morning is to open the three umbrellas in the yard
These are not ordinary umbrellas... these are for the plants.... yes, to keep the hot Arizona sun off the plants during the hottest part of the day. Our back yard is in sun all day. We do not sit under these colorful sun blockers.... we could, just have to set up a chair and relax. Purple, red and turquoise are this years colors. They do not last for more than a yer or so. The winds that sweep across our corner lot can be very strong and occasionally have toppled the umbrellas only to damage them. Mr H moves them around according to which plants need the shade and of course the small pond and the fish get last shade. You might ask why we do not have a permanent solution to the sun... because some plants need it and this way Mr H has something to do everyday!
I enjoyed stitching yesterday on Clematis but do not want to bore you with an update picture yet. While looking for one thing in the "warehouse" ( as Mr H calls the craft closet) I cam across a very long overdue project that calls to be finished. More about that later, but I must either locate and finish these hiders or keep out of the warehouse. That being said, I will thank you for visiting and and pour myself another cup of tea and stitch for awhile. Today is a work day for me...hope whatever your plans are that you have a wonderful day.

Good start to my week

It is always nice to start the week on a positive note...the swelling in my hand has gone down, it is still sore, but much better that last week. I was able to stitch and finished The Civil War needlebook...

This is from The Prim Society group and I am really happy that I decided to stitch this piece. This was my first SAL so I have a lot to learn/understand about group projects. I love pincushions, pillows and needlebooks, so this will be added to my collection. I am so glad that I can resume stitching...  I am lost without a needle in hand. Plans are to resume Clematis and get ready for the hummingbird piece. I dyed the fabric yesterday...

The design is a garden against the sky so I wanted a very pale blue linen and it is just right for me. I also played with some Aqua dye..
and although I am not sure what I will do with these small pieces, I like how they turned out.

One is mottled. As you can see by the white linen piece, the light blue is very soft looking and the aqua pieces are soft also.
Always a surprise when I dye fabric. I must get outside and get the plant umbrellas up ..... I will have to show you the pretty colors the plants get to sit under... until then, glad you took time to chat with me... have a great day.