blackmoondog

I've got half a yard full of pumpkin vines. There are eleven pumpkins that look to make it to maturity. I'm very excited about my first crop! According to the seed packet, this variety takes 90 days from seed to harvest. That was 5 days ago! It seems sick and wrong to pick pumpkins in August. Especially since I probably won't have any edible tomatoes until October!!!

Here's a little look at the progress I've seen:

Day 8:





Day 44:





Day 75:





Today (Day 95):

I've polished off much of my knitting queue since the last update. The twin girl baby hats were gifted at the baby shower (Doh! I never took a pic of them!), the recycled silk shawl has been delivered to its new home, my Gryffindor scarf is ready and waiting for cold weather, and my Microspun Ripple Shawl will be accompanying me to a wedding this weekend (the outdoor ceremony will likely be 90F+ but the reception is in the barrel room of a winery).

Current projects include continuing progress on the Cal color block throw and making a KittyVille hat for a friend. I just got some Pachuko Organic Cotton to make a sweater but I've laid down a moratorium on knitting for myself until I can get the sports throws finished for my sis-in-law & her hubby.

Here are pics of the scarf and shawl (with a guest appearance by the blackmoondog herself!):

My dogs are bored. They keep looking at me like "Come on Woman, do we really have to watch Lord of the Rings *again*??". But I took them on a long bike ride this morning so if they don't wanna watch Lord of the Rings they can just suck it!

I'm toying with trying to get through all the books in the BBC's "The Big Read" list. So far I've read the following:

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
40. Emma, Jane Austen
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding

Hey! That's more than 20% through the list. Of course, most of those books were read a good 10-15 years ago and with a vastly different amount of life experience.

The Big Read's #4: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. (Yes. This is, in fact, a book I have not read.)

I just last night finished off The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. A coworker loaned it to me the day before. I definitely got sucked into the story and rode the emotional rollercoaster with the characters. I expect I'll be seeing more books from my coworker in the future.

As for The Big Read, I'm trying to take the list roughly in order but am giving preferential treatment to books we have already in the house. I have to admit that I'm not confident that I will make it through Jane Erye (#10). It was given to me as a gift years ago and I've tried starting it a few times and given up pretty quickly. I'm also a little leery of War and Peace (#20) but I'll worry about that when I get there...

Mike & Ame Wagoner's twin girls were born yesterday at Twin Cities Community Hospital.

Meet Alexis Kathryn Wagoner, born 2005.08.25 at 11:57am
5lbs, 11oz, 18in long

and Kaitlyn Amelia Wagoner, born 2005.08.25 at 12:00pm
5lbs, 8oz, 18 3/4in long

I'm getting ready to head for bed knowing that when I wake up in the morning here in California it is somewhat likely that the city of New Orleans will have been obliterated.

I've never seen New Orleans in person but I did spend many, many hours reading descriptions of the city over various eras via the words of Ann Rice. Say what you will about her novels but her love for New Orleans was evident through her descriptions of a city full of color, texture, scent... I am deeply saddened that I may never get a chance experience the city as it stood today.

My heart and thoughts go out to the millions of people whose lives lie in Katrina's path.