What an absolutely beautiful, gorgeous weekend! Though a bit strange for February. We passed one time and temperature sign on Saturday and the thermometer read 71! Amazing. And blue, blue skies.
We headed out Saturday morning to Colin & Mailing's and from there Colin drove us all to Hawk Mountain. We were walking/hiking by 11 a.m. The trails are fairly rocky and a bit steep (though not as bad as Colonel Denning State Park that Fletch and I visited in late October). BUT, these trails were also snowy and icy in places. And muddy in other places. Still, the weather brought everyone out. It was not as crowded as it gets during peak raptor migration times, but there were plenty of folks on the trail. We all hiked to North Lookout which is about a mile. We stopped there and sat on the rocks in the sun to have lunch. We saw one or two hawks and a bunch of buzzards. No eagles, but we didn't really expect to see any. It was just wonderful to be out in the fresh air.
After lunch Fletch and I decided to re-trace our steps back to the Visitor's Center. Col and Mailing continued on for a longer loop - "Rock River Trail." Thank goodness we opted to not join them. When they finally made it back to the car, they told us there were places on the trail where they had to be on all fours to navigate it!
We had enough time to get home and change before heading out to dinner at Nectar. Wow, our food was amazing! Appetizers were: oysters on the half shell (for everyone but me - I don't do raw and I don't do oysters), calamari & edamame and pork buns. Plus drinks of course. I have a mango and ginger martini which was excellent. I was pretty full after that, so just had some stir fried veggies for dinner and Fletch had a salad. Col and Mailing ordered regular dinners, but none of us could fit dessert in.
Sunday was another gorgeous day. Fletch and I were both a little sore in our legs from the hiking on Saturday (I am so out of shape!!). We fixed breakfast and did some grocery shopping. Later in the day we went out to "do" some archery. I couldn't believe it, but I actually got a bulls eye!! It was a fluke, for sure. One of my arrows went over the target to the woods and if I had tried to do this a million times I could not have, but look what happened:
My arrow actually split a twig/branch of a little tree! Let me tell you, archery is harder than it looks. My shoulders and arms are feeling it today. I am hoping that it will remedy some of that old lady "dingle-dangle" I have going on in the upper arm region - LOL.
And I did manage to (finally) finish Mailing's socks at around 9:30 last night.
They don't look it, but they are the same size. I used Dee's Take Five pattern and I love the way they turned out. Hopefully they will fit!! The top of the cuff seems a little tight to me. I used a Long Tail Cast On, but it doesn't seem very stretchy. How do you cast on for your socks?
I've decided to work on my Oaklet Shawl and finish that before starting anything else (let's see how long that idea lasts). This is the shawl I cast on in September using KnitPicks Chroma in the Vermont colorway. I did 30 or so rows and haven't picked it up since!
Here's to a fun week - enjoy!!
That tree was a good arrow stopper for you! LOL Archery IS hard. You think you are holding everything good and steady and then your arrow goes some place TOTALLY unplanned.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed my pattern. I use a knit cast on and try very hard to keep my stitches a bit loose. So far, it's all worked out okay.
Harder than it looks? I can't even pull it back! Never could.
ReplyDeletewe enjoyed the same crazy temps....it's going to make it extra hard if winter actually decides to come! great projects finished!!!
ReplyDeleteWoo hoo for finished socks-especially when they are gifts! This weather is CRAZY. I'd be liking it more it I didn't think that summer is going to be off the charts brutal. I HATE hot and humid.
ReplyDeleteOhhhh I love your socks finish. I hope they fit just perfectly. This weather is such a boost to our spirits. the warmth on my face, skin, the days without hats and jackets in FEBRUARY! Crazy but I'll take it.
ReplyDeleteWow, a bullseye and splitting a twig - you should have gone golfing and gotten a hole in one ... :-)
ReplyDeleteThe socks look really nice. I use the long-tail cast on, but over two dpns. It makes the first couple of rounds tricky, being sure the needles don't fall out, but it makes the top of the cuff stretchier. That's my .02 cents worth on that topic. :-)
Have a good week!
The spirit of Cupid must have been with you over the weekend. Nicely done. I have baby-weak arms, so you are waaaay ahead of me in that department.
ReplyDeleteWe are also having this Early Spring in NEO. I'm luxuriating in it, believe me. It makes me want to get the boat out!
My sock cast on is the long tail over two needles: it adds a bit of "give" to the top of the cuff.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the bull's eye! Archery is hard work. I doubt I could even hold e bow steady enough to even release the arrow.
Impressive! :-)
ReplyDeletecongrats on the bull's eye, I don't think I could do it even by accident. I love when I am sore from too much walking. That feeling makes you feel alive :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have been having lots of fun. GOod for you with the "bullseye" a million and one shot. Love the socks.
ReplyDeleteThe hike sounds wonderful. As for archery, I remember how sore it made me when I took archery in jr. college. The socks are very beautiful.
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