Insects, beaded figure, spinning, and chimneys

A mixed day yesterday and today. The good news is that the overnight rain didn't cause flooding at least not right here, and the chimney people finally came 

Yesterday was beautiful, the sedum Autumn Joy in bloom and a major traffic jam of insects, darting about, dive bombing each other and making me refer to my Little Golden insect Guide. 

Since some people are a bit squicked out by insects, I'll omit the ones I was seeing, and just show you favorites. The book also has a big section on butterflies where I got engrossed for a while.

Meanwhile, back at the sedum, there was a potter wasp, too fast for pictures,very sharp black and white striped suit, various bees, honey, humble, carpenter, large and tiny, all kinds of little brown butterflies, just a busy parade before the rain. 

I notice that insects have the names of trades: potter, carpenter, and I'm wondering if there are more. The large bee you see was repeatedly thumped by small insects which he totally disregarded, letting them bounce off.

And the flowers whose name I can never remember, are just as beautiful with petals gone, the architecture still there.

Then finally I was up for some doll making, and the beaded head now has a body, with sculpted arms.  I have some interesting ideas about the rest of the figure, involving a purse. I'll show you when I get there.

Meanwhile here's why the sculpted arms, so the figure is two sided.

And since I was starting to get clumsy, my fingers working only so long, I switched to a bit of spinning, first in a while.

I dropped the spindle and the part of the shaft where the hook is cracked off.  I taped it and continued and it seems to be working okay. This is a small spindle I haven't used a lot, and maybe the wood is dry from disuse. No oils from roving and hands have got on it 

This silk merino is supposed to be for me to learn the supported spindle, but I wasn't up for learning anything new yesterday. Breaking one spindle wasn't a great start, so I'll learn new stuff another day. 

Meanwhile I may knit the figure a beaded top, using the yarn I'm spinning. It's lace weight so it should work proportionally.

Speaking of learning, great story out of Idaho yesterday. Our blogista Chris swears it wasn't her story, but you be the judge!

My chimney sweep story was as undramatic as hoped. He said oh, ah, when I showed him the dryer, inspected the chimney, no need to clean, wrote up the paperwork explaining dryer did not need vent cleaning since it didn't use one. 

Did not do the feared drama at all. Friend never showed up, so that was okay anyway.

So far so good. Let's hope the HOA either doesn't register the difference, or just checks off the done column in my account.

Meanwhile, don't have a cow in Wal-Mart!

Voting and various thoughts

 Today is voting day in several US States. If that's you, please vote. Safely. Handsome Son and I, both mail-in voters of long standing, whose primary happened before the current disastrous appointment at the post office, were talking recently about workarounds. 

For the general election, we'll use local dropboxes, plenty available, rather than trust the mail.

 Sad to be figuring out workarounds, but we're hanged if we let this election be suppressed. And judging by the current mail slowdown -- small package for me has been sitting in my local po, small town, since last Wednesday. Arrived today. Two miles away. Couple of bills arrived several days late. So we make allowances, just in case.

Meanwhile bits of trivia. I noticed how my bits of Chinese porcelain, some antique like this lovely rice grain bowl, and modern saucer

 mix happily with cheapo cups and teapots from the Asian store. This design is still being made, because it's beautiful,but this one is antique. 

 Teapot lid works as cup lid.

And my Golden Guide to insects arrived.

 In case you're squicked out by them, I've opened to a page most people will like.

To me they're all animals, just as "weeds" are all plants. I am going to study this afternoon.

Teatime now. Pot of tea, lastuv the banana bread.