Outside and Robin's Song Update

Advisory:  Picture-Heavy Post

 Although three of the five pansy plants I've had in this planter have died and one is barely hanging on, this one is doing great--and despite June heat has not yet gotten leggy.  (That will probably happen this week.)

I've told them not to do it:

 In fact, I've told them over and over.  [Yes, we leave our Christmas icicle lights up year round--they make for great outdoor lighting on the occasions when we are outside.]

 

 For years I've knocked down the beginnings of the nest of this pair of barn swallows.  My thinking was they would eventually get the idea and build elsewhere.  This year I decided to just let them learn from the experience.
When I'm sitting outside they keep swooping around our house, clearly agitated.  Well, I'm sorry.  This is our only door, and if they have babies there anyway, I'm just praying we won't terrify them (and create generations of uptight barn swallows).
They did stop swooping and sit on a light cord up there and watch me knitting.  (That was my attempt at my own personal "Knitting in Public" Day.  Yes, I know.  Only sort of public.)
And Sweet Teen reminded me that I used to let her learn from the consequences of her poor judgment too.  (Shhhhh---I'm still letting her do that, something which is probably harder on me than it is on her! Fortunately, she exercises much less poor judgement now.)

It continues to be very dry here--despite several rain storms (one including quite a bit of hail) earlier this week.  Of course, we love every drop!

We do still have quite a bit of smoke in the air from the Whitewater-Baldy Fire.  All those firefighters can certainly use our prayers.  The daughter of one of my friends is one of those firefighters.  I can't imagine being brave enough to want to do that, but Jessica just thrives on the fact that all the workers go in there and are totally united in their fight and not one of them is a slacker.  (Can't be said about a lot of other workplaces.)

The bluebells are one of my favorite late spring-early summer sights. We might have had a few more, but Sweet Teen didn't recognize them the last time she used the weed eater. This has been a very good year for bluebells, although, despite our mild winter, I haven't seen many along the roads. Once they go to seed, the seeds really need to be harvested and the stalks cut back or else they don't do as well the next year.

And, ta-dah!, I'm making some limited progress on the Robin's Nest quilt.  (It's actually just as rewarding to listen to the real robins sing outside.  They are a lot more calm around us than the barn swallows are.)

I'm telling myself to just enjoy the journey, because it's taking a while!
I'm going to join some linky parties.  Please stop by, visit a few blogs, and make a few new friends:

I'm also linking up with Elizabeth at Pieceful Life.

Do visit and leave comments.  I do try to answer all the comments that are left at my blog posts.

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Happy quiltmaking......and knitting, too.....