"Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour." - John Boswell
I'm going to spend a few idle hours this evening with a new cross-stitch project that I bought the materials for on Friday night and haven't looked at since. You know how on Friday night with the whole weekend ahead anything seems possible? Well, here it is Monday evening and the fabric and threads and chart are still sitting in the bag where I left them at the start of the weekend.
We had a dusting of snow overnight. Not enough for my husband to be called in to work to plow, but enough to make the everyday scene above look a little special, to me, at least. This is a tiny wooded tangle that separates my office building from the police academy that is situated behind the slight incline and closer to the road. I want to believe that a pair of Red-Tails nest here, because I see them perched in these branches so often, but I've never been able to spot their nest.
14 comments:
How do you produce such special photos? That is so great, Laura! Peaceful, serene... You're fortunate to have a view like that from your office. Hope those red-tails show up for you and that camera is ready!
I have the same question as Mary - I've been noticing your photos look different (in a nice way) lately. I love the view from your office!
What cross-stitch project are you working on? I love counted cross-stitch!
You have time for cross-stitch in your "spare time"? I used to do that in years BC...before children. Your pictures do have a water-colour like quality that is very lovely.
Mary and Naturewoman: Oftentimes when I have little to say I'll play with a pic in Photoshop, just to busy the right side of my brain while the left works out the words to go with a photo. Lately I've been playing around with the filters in Photoshop to produce this *watercolor* effect - I used it also on the pic of the pasture horses. I like it, in that it makes a very ordinary pic look like something special - if you saw the original pic that I took - I don't know that you would recognize it!
Ruth and Naturewoman: The cross-stitch is a neat design, sort of like a field guide to trees - I tried to make a go of it tonight - I'm afraid my eyes aren't what they used to be! Will post more about it another day. Right now I feel really old - the eyes are not what they used to be!
Is it bifocal time??!!??
I've been loving the watercolor effect on your pictures too- lovely. I used to do tons of cross-stitch before kids and carpal tunnel. I got my right hand fixed though, so maybe I should try it again! I'll be expecting a picture of your project. :)
Lynne: There's not much done for a pic! Maybe five stitches and as many curses!
I never paid much attention in the past to the count size on a project, but this is 28 count on Irish linen - I can't see a frickin' thing - it's like I'm guessing where the stiches should go!
I think I may need to get one of those magnifying glass thingies - that or go back to 14 count evenweave! But the look of linen is so pretty. :-(
Wow... that photo looks ethereal... so pretty! I used to do counted cross stitch in college, and still have my "bag o' stuff" around here someplace. I tended to always be doing projects to give as gifts, so I don't have anything completed I did! Maybe I need to pick it back up and check out the bird things out there... hmmmmm.
Laura - ohhh, I can't wait to see what the cross-stitch design is, or at least the name so I can look at it on the Internet! Do you have glasses? I told my Opthamologist that I do fine needlework and she made sure my glasses would work with that - at that time (I need to go again).
Enjoy your quiet time stitching! I love that photo -- amazingly beautiful!
I've never been able to spot their nest.
Don't feel bad. In 35 years with redtails resident here on the mountain, we've never found a nest. We've found broadwing, sharpie and Cooper's nests, but never a redtail.
That photo makes me long for a walk in the woods with the thoughts of a Robert Frost poem echoing in my mind.
...It lifts existence on a plane of snow
One level higher than the earth below,
One level nearer heaven overhead,
And last year's berries shining scarlet red...
28 count, no wonder! I can't do anything smaller than 14, and the only time I tried linen, I made a complete mess of it.
We had 6 inches of "flurries" last night. Maine is mostly white, for now.
That is a lovely scene in the photo.
Ah, the Friday Factor... everything seems possible on the way home Friday evening.
I know that feeling well.
Jayne: Most any project that I've finished I've given away, except for a sampler or two. It's hard for me to stay with one thing - I always want to be working on some other project.
Naturewoman: I only wear glasses for distance - maybe that's changed.
Liza: Thanks.
Dave: Hi. That's strange, isn't it? I've found only one nest; of the pair down the street from my home - but that one was so obvious. It came down in a storm one summer and I haven't been able to find another since.
I love this time of year when I start noticing the Red Tails perching closer together - they sense the spring much sooner than we.
Diva Kitty: Thanks for the Frost poem. I'd like a hike in the snow, but that little bit is gone already.
Sandy: Have you ever tried ribbon embroidery? Now that's something I make a complete mess of! Nothing but brightly colored knots.
Glad for your snow.
FC: Yep - then you wake up and it's Monday morning. Blecch!
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