Narrow Scarf Passes the Test

In late November I scrounged around in my stash looking for a ball of somethin-er-other to pair with a quick and easy pattern I could do while waiting in the car while my husband had cataract surgery, since I was to be his designated driver after the procedure.

This little scarf, somewhat of my own design, but inspired by the Pomegranate Shawl by Drops Design, paired with a single ball of King Cole Riot Double Knitting, fit the bill. It's simple garter stitch other than a bit of shaping done on every 6th row. My innovation was to give it an I-cord edging all around.

It's been finished for a few weeks now and has passed the test of daily use. It's warm and cozy and just the right length and width. I like the way it hugs my neck without long ends to worry about.

It's nice and warm on our chilly early morning dog walks.

 

Walking the Docs

The slow and sometimes painful break in period for a new pair of Doc Marten 1460 boots is almost over.

I successfully wore them today for a long dog walk followed by two appointments and some errands. Over eight hours of continuous wear without a blister or sore spot. Yay! For a while there I was worried that this day would never come.

Dappled Eclipse Shadows

During the eclipse this morning I was going about business as usual, which means taking my son's dog Kona for a long walk.

I didn't expect to see much of a change in the light. It seemed logical to me that sunlight would spill out all around the moon and still illuminate the atmosphere much like when a cloud passes in front of the sun. I was right. The slight decrease in the brightness of the day wasn't all that impressive.

I DID however notice that the shadows under all the trees looked really weird. All the light shinning through the trees made crescent shaped dappling during the height of the eclipse. I guess it worked much like a home made pin hole camera as suggested by NASA.

The Aftermath

Ventured forth today to walk the dog and survey the storm damage around my neighbourhood.

Shocking how many trees sustained heavy damage.

The crews that attend to Townsend Park will be busy once the ice crusted snow clears a bit.

Some of the trees there will need heavy pruning or complete removal.

There isn't much left of the tree in the above picture!

But for now I don't think too many people will be walking the non-existent paths through the park. To step off the beaten track is to invite shin skinning! About 70 pounds (the dog's weight) seems to be about the limit before breaking through the very hard ice crusting the deep snow. 

My shins can tell you that one or two steps is more than far enough!

It's not just the parks of course. All around the neighbourhood there are downed trees and fallen branches.

 

Looks like some narrowly missed vehicles. 

Ice falling from overhead lines and branches must have been dangerous! Luckily now it's just crunchy shrapnel underfoot.