Capo

On By CarynIn Life Hack, music

I found out that my ukulele capo works great on my piano as a page holder.

Photo description: capo clipped onto the page shelf on a 1920s upright grand, also in the picture on the shelf below, Irish whistle, jaw harp, and ocarina

Capos are usually used on the neck of a stringed instrument to the change key for a song.

Throwback Thursday: Sophie

On By CarynIn Cats, throwback

I found the first trail cam photo of Sophie the dilute calico from January, 2018. We had just moved into the house and I set up the trail cam (a gift from my folks) to watch the wood pile past the back fence. This was before she adopted us and we took over her medical care.

Photo description: trail cam photo from January 18, 2018 with a large pile of cut post oak debris on the left and the front half of a dilute calico on the right, looking at the camera

Eight years later, and Sophie spends her nights indoors (and most of the day), and that log pile is almost completely decayed away.

Racoons

On By CarynIn Wildlife

I pulled trail cam footage and there were baby raccoons! There look to be five young ones, and that there are two mother raccoons, or there are ten babies and three mothers. Hm. I saw photos of a mom with three, a mom with two, and a mom with five. Raccoons will communally raise young, I’ve read, so I’m hoping there are only five.

Photo description: mother raccoon bottom left, five (six?) young raccoons bottom right

I did a video by recording my computer screen as I flipped through photos. The cutest one is where the kits are climbing the tree.

I noticed a pattern in the trail cam photos. When I would feed the meadow cats, within minutes a raccoon would come out and get food too. Then when I was in the coop looking for eggs, I heard a strange hiss outside the door, and sure enough, momma raccoon was getting dinner. She didn’t know I was in the coop, so I recorded video on my phone. I was probably three feet away, but she was used to chicken noise and didn’t consider the door direction a threat, so didn’t see me. I could see that she is definitely a momma with nursing young, which explains the high calorie need.

Magic braid

On By CarynIn Craft

I’ve been fascinated for years with the magic braid done with leather where both ends of the braid are uncut. I found a good tutorial that uses reclaimed leather, and I had to try it.

Photo description: two pieces of leather reclaimed from an old recliner and cut with a laser cutter, the one on the left has been braided, the one on the right has not

I did not make these into bracelets as in the tutorial, but into key chain fobs, by folding them in half and adding a clip.

Photo description: magic braid leather key fob

Another square

On By CarynIn Craft

I forgot about this project. I started making every square in the book Granny Square Flair with fine alpaca yarn from Peru back in March. I was hoping it would be a travel project, but it requires way too much concentration as every row is different and I need to refer back to the pattern frequently. So I designated it a home project and it has sat next to my chair for a few months.

Photo description: completed “Ianthe” square made with teal alpaca yarn, laying on a calico cat

This is another forever project that will sneak in the gaps of other projects. I have no problem telling people my age, but asking how many open projects I have going will get you a flippant answer.