No, I haven't been swept away in the floods. I really didn't even get very wet at all -- when it rained, I stayed inside!
However, that was then, and this is now. It's changed. Well, if you live here, you know it changes -- frequently -- all in one day! So the rain stopped, and then it got warm. Really warm. We even hit 30 degrees C (about 86 for you 'Muricans) which is pretty hot around here. Most years, we only get to 30 a couple days a year, and I don't mind that. I can't take the heat very well, so it's a good thing I live here.
This year, however, it's not the same. Well, actually, no year is the same as any other here. It's always something different. Keeps us on our toes! But when it got warm, it kept on getting warmer and warmer. We got some really hot air coming over the mountains from BC, and we went up to 35C -- which is pretty damned hot.
Now, normally, we tell everyone: "Yes, but its a dry heat." Yah, sure. It isn't so this time around -- we had a lot of rain earlier, remember? And there is a lot of water around in the ground, and in the rivers, and in the air too! So it's hot and humid too -- and that makes for a really muggy New York kind of sticky days! Not good.
The Stampede Parade was on July 6 this year. It's always the first week of July. This starts the 10 days of the Stampede Exhibition, "the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" as it's billed. I suppose there may be some debate on that title, but we will leave that alone. Most of the 'natives' from this city try to get out of town during this time of the year, and I've usually quite enjoyed the relaxed and fun Western themes. However, I've been here for a number of years, and it does get tired after the first few times. Now I understand why they want to leave!
And so I did myself. Yes, for the first time ever, I left town just as the parade was about to start. I took off for Saskatchewan, the province to the east. I used the excuse of having to go attend a family function, which was true. My uncle, the last of my father's brothers, celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary. I wasn't about to miss this one! And I'm glad I did. We had a really good time, it was all very tastefully done, very casual, very enjoyable. I finally got to meet some of my cousins that I haven't seen for many years; we usually only meet at weddings or funerals, and lately, there haven't been many of those. We all grew up, left home to seek our fortunes in the vast world, and then forgot to come home again.
Let me tell you something: people change. Yes, it's true -- when you don't see anyone for many years, you notice how much older they have become! After all, two of my cousins have retired already (they were just a few years ahead of me at school) and my
younger brother retired this year. I'm not sure I'm ready for that!! But they have all aged quite a lot too -- I noticed that during this visit. Oddly, I haven't aged at all! LOL
I got to spend some time with Mom, we did a few things around the house, we visited her 91 year old sister (who is still living on her own and doing very well), and her 67 year old sister too (the youngest) and got to see how much the land has changed too in the time I have been gone. Nothing stays the same. But it was all over too fast, and I was forced to come back to this hectic city and to the job. Some things never change!
The heat has steadily increased and it was about 34 the other day. And in the evening, there is usually a thunder storm with some lightening, sometimes some rain, sometimes some hail! It normally cools off at night, but not that much this week. Now, you understand, I'm not complaining! I'd never do that -- however, I suppose I would like to even it out a bit... you know, like we do with this strange concept of "daylight saving", which I don't understand at all. If only we could "save" some of this heat to release during those long cold winters; now that I could support. Maybe we should talk to the shrub and get him to sign some bill before he leaves his office.
There hasn't been much on the spinning front. Still doing some of the same thing as always; I did take my spindle on the trip and did some spinning while at Mom's. I finished a hat I was knitting-- it was fun, and I started another one tonight. I am still looking for some patterns for something different to make, but haven't made a choice yet. I thought I might do the Mystery Stole 3, but I'm very far behind now but would like to do this one. Too many projects, not enough time!
There's no pictures in this entry. As you remember, I had some computer issues previously. I did get myself a new camera, but it doesn't get along with my computer (I don't understand these things myself) so they are stuck on that little card. I'll keep working on that. But when I get it to cooperate, I'll show you pics of the hat. In the meantime, stay cool!
The white one is the first I did, just to learn the technique. This is all in garter stitch, knit sideways, with short rows and then grafted at the end. First of all, I had to learn how to do those short rows -- I've never been pleased with the way they looked. So after trying a couple of different versions, I settled on the wrap and turn technique. I leave the wrap in; I don't knit the wrap as some instructions say. I like it better this way, on garter stitch. On stocking stitch, I believe it wouldn't work as well.
The green hat (or is blue?) was done the same way, but by using the two colours, it shows off the short rows very nicely. By doing the wrap, it also makes a nice sharp point on the triangles and I think adds to the look of it. I did another one, in the same colours, but made it just slightly shorter. It is still waiting for the grafting. I wanted a short beany; you can turn up the brim on the longer one and it shows an interesting pattern on the reverse side.