We have an algae problem on one part of our siding on our house. It needs a good scrub, but the snails make interesting paths in the field of green as they eat their way into a food stupor.
They are trying
Better late than never
Last year my youngest and I assembled and painted a small wood birdhouse. I sprayed a clear coat of UV protection on it and left it in the garage to dry, for a year. The year was not intentional, life got busy, and whenever I would see it in the garage I was on a different mission. Then iNaturalist popped up a message that it is chickadee breeding season and showed a bird house the same size as the one we had in the garage. That was my sign.
I found a length of chain and a spring hook and attached the bird house about 7 feet above the ground at the back side of the yard. I can just barely see the small house from my kitchen table, so now we wait and see if any birds find it acceptable.
Onions
Walking through TSC I saw onion sets and grabbed a bag on a whim.
I planted the onions around my pumpkin and cucumber plants. Some of the sets were dry and didn’t seem viable, but others were firm and a couple had some green already at the tip. Six days after planting I noticed a few of the onions were growing.
I’ve tried onions from seed with no luck. I was hoping the squirrels and other critters would leave onions alone, but I found one set excavated. I’m hoping to harvest some green onions when they are young. I don’t have much hope that there will be mature onions this winter.
The eyes of Texas
I saw a new beetle! I first thought it was an iron-clad beetle, it was black and white mottled and about the right size, but it moved way too fast. It took several attempts to photograph it. iNaturalist says it is a Texas eyed click beetle. I can certainly see the reason for the name with those two large black sots on its thorax.
Diagonally crocheted blanket
I’ve started a new blanket. I think I said I wouldn’t crochet a blanket again, but I am enamored with the construction of this Mary Maxim pattern that is worked diagonally. The stitch pattern is very easy and worked in counts of three, which makes me inexplicably happy.
I’m using scrap acrylic yarn to do 3 row stripes in an alternating pattern. The colors may get …interesting as I go. I’m using a K sized crochet hook and the resulting fabric is soft and flexible.
Critters and Craft 