Library picks and butterflies

Since Saturday was to be hot -- feels like 90s sort of day, high humidity, of course, this is NJ after all, I got out early to the library to pick up my weekend ( who am I kidding? It's all weekend) viewing.

I've seen many clips from The Imitation Game about Alan Turing and the breaking of the German Enigma code, and I've seen and read Brideshead more than once. It used Castle Howard, a familiar stately home near where I grew up, as a location. And one of the main characters has my family name. Odd feeling of connection in a way.

And I'm ready with this on my Kindle 

All in all, enough to go along with while I considered what artwork and what frame. 

I think one of this summer's drawings, because you're supposed to show forward movement, not dusty old items you've had lying around. Particularly at my age, I'd like to show I'm still alive in art. 

I managed to be on the deck a while, despite the heat,  drinking tea, eating plum torte, watering flowers and watching butterflies and moths.

The weather and the lack of noisy humans suits them fine. I saw two species of clearwing hummingbird moths, several monarchs, a viceroy and a tiger swallowtail all zooming around overhead in the butterfly bushes. And the thermals must have been good today, a couple of turkey vultures gliding in lazy circles. 

Most of my photography was unsuccessful, but here's what I ended with, see if you can spot what's there.

This is just a closeup of lovely shapes and negative space

There's one of the turkey vultures over head. 

Happy day everyone, enjoy your day whatever it contains.

Butterflies and Victorian murder

Another marvelous day, largely outside walking, watering, picking flowers, loafing, reading

The butterflies are very active, too fast for anything better than this blurry attempt at a silver spot. 

There were monarchs and another similar butterfly that isn't a monarch, Marie will know what I mean, also many insects of all sizes. There's a lot of activity around my tiny patio which has never been sprayed. There are even little bees trying to break into closed morning glory flowers. They should have been here earlier.

Indoors some accidental art, the shadow of the window curtain cast on the fridge. 

This was a bonus I hadn't thought of when I hung the curtain.

And there's a bouquet guarded by a Herend hound

While the posh orchids are posing 

Today's yes2next August challenge was only five minutes of arm weights, so I added in another 15-minute one, using resistance bands. Some of the moves are tricky for balance, and I noticed I'd improved since I last did that routine. All good.

I'm beginning to think about soon being ready for fall, after so much time outside, and for once I'm not cast down about it. I think the experience of surgery and car upheavals has made a quieter season quite appealing. And maybe new interests, too. We'll see.

Thank you everyone for your takes on work and value, always good to hear what blogistas have to say, never dull.

Happy day everyone, speak up always, especially in here, sez 

Ted and Big Ursy 

Renovating, vegetating and cooperating

 Current reading, aside from a Maisie Dobbs reread of  Pardonable Lies and the audio of The Late Scholar by Jill Paton Walsh, one of a creditable series continuing the Wimsey/Vane saga, is 

Ironic in view of that previous sentence. It's about resisting the produce at all costs mentality, a Western ailment which counts only results and considers a day wasted if not productive. I'm hoping to be enlightened as I go.  

It's a result of the industrial revolution, I think. Before then people certainly worked hard, but not to acquire and own and prove their worth and  please a boss and fit in,  so much as to live day to day.

It's also a suggestion about resisting making our lives into Instagram fodder, not a bad idea. I'm quite good on this point -- I don't do anything in order to blog about it, just blog about what I did.

Yesterday, down with a bump, I finally did this.

I unravelled a vest I'd knitted long ago which proved to be a bit too warm. But I think it will make grand socks, doing that two in one method.

It's beautiful yarn, part of a gift from granddaughter long ago, her fiber share from Shepherd Susie, in the natural cream color, lovely quality wool, definitely worth another try. And with enough small lengths for the inevitable darning which will happen. Using Joanne's Grandma's darning egg.

And yesterday I spent time on the deck, catching good weather while I can, along with butterflies doing likewise

And, the streets of San Francisco now back in the box ready to pass on, I broke out out Jungle Paradise or whatever it's called

It's turning out to be a nice sidebar thing, a piece now and then in passing. I don't sit and fiddle  at it, not my style, just stand a minute while the kettle's boiling, that kind of thing.. 

Yesterday morning the sun, now moving around the living room, fell just right on this handmade paper artwork, so I seized the day

            Ebb Tide                      Liz Adams 

White on white three dimensional art is so tricky to picture with no special lights and a liw level camera, so you catch the moment. A few minutes later the cooperative light had moved on. 

Happy day everyone, keep moving on, any direction will do