Oh what tangled messes we weave

I hope I didn't make Sir Walter Scott roll over in his grave.

I've been lusting after a loom for a while, convinced that it was a good next step in our journey toward self-sufficiency. *insert hubby's eye-rolling here*

When Nan, a friend of my friend Robin, made a comment on Robin's blog that she was selling her loom, I got in touch with her and, after convincing hubby of the merits of this new hare-brained idea of mine, bought the loom.

This nice looking Glimakra 4-harness loom sits in our living:

I admit to freaking out a little bit - ok, a lot - after I got it home when I realized that I had no idea what to do with it. I usually get buyer's remorse a lot after making large purchases anyway.

However, after a lesson with Robin at Yarns Unlimited, buying a couple of books,

and playing with the darned thing in bright day light, I'm feeling much better and more confident that I can tackle it.

As for the "tangled mess"? It's what I wove at my lesson. Gnarly, but that's what a practice, first-time piece looks like when you're not a weaving prodigy.

I foresee this will lead to wanting to learn how to spin my own yarn, and then getting my own sheep to shear, and then getting a degree in genetic engineering so I can clone my own flock...oh the possibilities are endless! :P

Have you ever learned something new that entailed far more than you anticipated for? Do share!

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams

But it's a dry heat

Arizona was a lot like Utah, except not as colorful. It was, however, dry, dry, dry and warm, so a nice change from Indiana. We brought our sun hats.

At Catalina State Park:

At Chiricahua National Monument:

And more of Chiricahua:

Just outside of Willcox:

Ramsey Canyon, top of a trail:

At Miller Canyon the next day - they'd had a fire the year before so the trees were dead and bare:

And finally at Saguaro National Park:

It's a mountainy desert area, what else can I say? I did like Sierra Vista though (and all the fried food of a joint called Lucky Wishbone). Nice size little town, and my dear friend Sara has connections to it. :)

Have you ever been to AZ? What did you think of it?

By the way, I apologize for not responding to comments recently. I read all of them, but time just gets away from me and then I forget to reply.

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams

Birds, glorious birds, part 2

Birding is relaxing when you do armchair birding like I normally do, but there's also the thrill of the "hunt" too. Son1, especially now that he's keeping a life list, is eager to see his first of each species. AZ did not disappoint.

Here the guys are consulting the Kaufman bird guide (Son1's favorite) after we spotted the Vermilion Flycatcher:

Next along the path, we saw a Canvasback:

A group of them, in fact. A raft of them??

At Ramsey Canyon Preserve, an Arizona Woodpecker:

Bridled Titmice are so hard to photograph due to their constant (hyper)activity.

This curious mule deer wasn't too afraid of people.

It was weird seeing succulents like agave plants right next to a cool weather plant like a fern on the trail at Ramsey:

Back at the visitor center, we found this fellow. Anyone know what kind of lizard it is?

On the way out of Carr Canyon, we saw a Red-naped Sapsucker.

While lunching at the Sierra Vista Environmental Operations Park, we were joined by a Loggerhead Shrike, hubby's favorite bird.

On our last day in AZ, we were debating whether to stop at Saguaro National Park because we were running short on time. Boy, are we glad we did. Here are just some of the birds we saw:

Gila Woodpecker

Canyon Towhee

Black-throated Sparrow

Anyone want a Black-chinned Sparrow to go with the Black-throated Sparrow? This was an exciting find for Son1.

I was more excited about the Cactus Wren since I think wrens are some of the cutest birds around.

Son1 thinks this is a Clay-colored Sparrow:

You just can't take Gambel's Quails seriously; they look like little jesters.

This Pyrrhuloxia was a bit of a beggar. He must have been hanging around the picnic area too much and is used to being fed.

And last, but not least, is the Curve-billed Thrasher, a bold looking bird with brilliant yellow eyes. If I had one for a pet (which I thoroughly frown upon; I don't condone keeping wild birds for pets), I'd name it Data. ;)

Next blog post, I'll have a few pictures of the AZ landscape. Gotta milk the trip for all its worth!

Did you see any exciting birds in your neck of the woods this past week? Do you have Spring migrants passing through yet?

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams

Birds, glorious birds, part 1

Oh great, now I'm singing the song from Oliver Twist.

Hubby needed a mental break from his job...a warm and sunny mental break, so he booked a trip to Arizona and off we went. It was mainly for birding since Son1 is a serious birder. Here I am with the kids, binoculars around our necks.

We weren't disappointed. At Catalina State Park, we had some good, close looks at Mexican Jays. (Remember to click on the photo to pull it up larger.)

At Cochise Lake outside of Willcox, there were a ton of Sandhill Cranes flying overhead.

More Sandhill Cranes...

Ok, one last one because I love them so much. ;)

Aren't these too cute? Son1 thinks they might be Semi-palmated Sandpipers. He's not as certain about shorebirds identification.

There were also flocks of American Wigeons. This is decent close-up of one of the males:

These are Northern Shovelers:

How about those honkers on the Shovelers?

It's not a perfect pic of the Northern Harrier, but can you see the banding on tail?

Almost as cute as the birds are my guys.

Right at the entrance of the lake area, there was a Say's Phoebe!

This isn't the best photo, but we saw a Horned Lark on our way out.

At San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Preserve, there were more White-crowned Sparrows than we've ever seen before in one spot. The bird on the left is a female Pyrrhuloxia.

Also at San Pedro, we had nice views of Lesser Goldfinches.

Does this remind you of a Stevie Nicks' song? White-winged Doves!

This was one of the most exciting birds for me on the trip: a Vermilion Flycatcher.

So that you don't get exhausted from all the excitement, I'll save the rest of the bird photos for - you guessed it! - part 2, next Monday. I know: how will you ever survive the week, right?

Have you been birding too? Did you do the Great Backyard Bird Count?

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams