Antenna Adventures and cats

Mark's latest antenna design to replace the last 'bisquare' that he had up.  He hopes to get more UHF wavelengths on this one.  Esme helped him build it a few days ago and I helped him break out the extension ladder and attach it to the pole.

In other news, both of our teenage cats are at the vet today.  I felt like a mom leaving her kids at preschool... gotta let go and they'll do okay.  Mark will decide if he is going to pick them up when they are done or let them stay there the night.

My hosta seeds came in.  I'm probably going to start them in three or four days, not right now  I am hoping several things that are currently in the greenhouse area can go outside before then.  I also did some mending at my table - Esme is outgrowing so many things I need to take a bag and put it in the clothes donation.  Other things she has ripped holes in and they probably would have fit her but I couldn't get to putting knee patches or cutting off for shorts before now. 

I am thinking about the best way to make a large mostly open wire basket.  I might practice some on the dahlia buckets they need cages around them and I would like to try some overlap techniques to see if they will hold etc.  There is a metal basket at work being sold that I think wouldn't be too hard to make the sides but the bottom is obviously a cast grid.  Mark has talked about us making more crafts with Esme this summer for her to try to sell at the flea market, woodworking projects, maybe these baskets would be a good project, too.  She did so well with helping on the antenna, she is getting more confidence in her skills.

Curiosity.. woodland plants, garden

It's finally Blackberry Spring.  Allergies are running for Esme... things are starting to bloom.  I have had some curiosity about some local plants and have been making a photo collection.

 Indian pinks, or fire pinks

 Mullein (mull-in), similar to lamb's ears but different.

A shagbark hickory sapling.  I took the picture because of the bronze like color of the leaves.

 Mark's two antennae - the loop antenna is to the left, and it is the new one.

He got a station that was speaking Mandarin Chinese on that one, as well as the Spanish speaking ones we were getting with the other antenna.

 Garden 'stage 3'.. put up a trellis (hard to see) on the left side for the morning glory seeds.  Planted zinnias, cosmos, okra, cucumber, nasturtium and tithonia (Mexican sunflower).  The marigolds and radishes from the other day are not up yet.  Prepared a place to put Esme's school cabbage.  I put a few bricks in the center and a board behind to have free stepping places to weed later when things are grown.  I also made an 'expectations' chart of germination dates so I will know what I'm looking to come up by when.

Our mailbox project from last week.  We needed to mount the large mailbox but the gravel was too deep and hard close to the road.  We bent the old stake back and put it as a support for the new construction.  Mark put this together in about an hour and I helped him pound the other stakes into the softer ground beyond the gravel.  Esme says it looks like a dog :)

of cabbage, pens, and antenna receivers

 I decided to draw a picture of Esme's school cabbage.  It is growing so pretty, as Mark gave it some fertilizer.  I went through all my pens the other night and kept only the ones that worked in my drawing case.. which was about a quarter of them!  I have a new set coming from our work bonus - Microns from Sakura.. I love those, they can get all the fine details.  This was drawn with an InkJoy gel pen.. not fine detail, but it is very smooth.  Mark said the other day that I should go through my pens like water - because I don't, they dry up.. and he's right.  I need to draw more but instead I just keep myself from doing it.  It's like that thing I do with the last smidgen of milk... let it sit in the container saying 'I have milk.' and not drinking it.  My mom taught me to do things like this.  Inadvertently, I have taught Esme to do it, too.  *sigh*

 

This is the pattern for my lunchbag, in case I forget again.  It is another thing I should do more often.  I had forgotten what I did the first time to make it, and waited until it was in sorry shape to make another one.  It is a fat quarter laid out like an 'H', with two small squares cut out.  Then, the two top lines on each side are sewn tog3ether.  Then, the remaining parts get sewn together in a gusset like shown below.  Then, a drawstring seam is made all around the entire bag and it is finished.

Mark is working on his antenna for his radio receiver.  I need to work more in the garden  if it is truly as warm as they say it will be... I did go out and clear the garden almost entirely.  Mark also got up on the roof and put his antenna up.  I got some pictures of him on the roof I'll post tomorrow.

We went to the store tonight intending to spend some of the bonus on a bicycle for Esme.  She had outgrown her old one last summer.  We got a remarkably good deal on it because it had been put in the wrong place.  We didn't expect that - we actually thought we were going for a cheaper bike than the one we originally looked at.  That seemed to be the best one for the money.  When it turned out to be actually more expensive at the register we did get to buy it for the price tag that had been on it (but wasn't correct).  We felt really lucky and also glad we didn't have to go back and have Esme choose again after going through everything the first time.  This bike will give her some room to grow - although she almost has to learn to ride again it has been so long.  Mostly, just get over the fear of falling off of it and the fact that the brakes are only on the handles and not also on the pedals.