Back again, this time it's not the computer...

I haven't blogged for a few days, because I have been wandering.  I couldn't find a cafe' or some such where I was, lots of hot spots for wifi, but I didn't have my computer with me, so no dice.  I should write to the chamber of commerce in Seaside and ask... Hmmm. 

So, since I know all of you are just waiting, with popcorn in hand, for my latest exploits in Ham Fair Land...  Except I didn't take any pictures INSIDE, of the HAM stuff!  So, you get to see the knitting and seascape exploits, instead.  (I will probably put a few more of the seascape stuff up later, just a few today...)

Lewis and Clark used to be the big stand outs (literally and figuratively) at the Turnaround (there is a street that circles the statue, so you can go up and look at it), but now with all the high rise buildings, they sort of look... lost. 

"Lewis, where was the fudge place again?"

"Uh...  Ask Sacajawea, I have no clue..."

The dog at their feet even looks depressed.

So, I decided to brighten the day with hand knits for Clark's feet. (Least I think that was Clark...)  Mom said that a woman was watching me intently.

I have that "Spook the Muggles" effect when I do this each year.  Oh, well.  I have started a silly little tradition, and I get a kick out of it. 

(Which probably doesn't take all that much, come to think of it...)

The hand to the side is my sock holder model, aka Mom.  The sock was NOT going to stay put, otherwise. 

Next year, tape. 

Proof that Oregon does get sunny weather!  Of course, it was one day, but lots of people were making the most they could out of it. (Some pretty vicious volleyball games!)

And after a hard day of making sandcastles, walking on the beach, and seeing what the tide brought in, one has to clean up properly... (Husband and I have to put Rudee in a headlock to accomplish this... Kids seem a lot less problematic, in this respect.)

Dad realized this 'finial' wasn't a design element, but a resting spot.  We just hoped the flag was okay, after take off... Eeeeeewwww...

This is my favorite critter on the merry go round, for any of you that read I can has cheezburger, I have nick- named him "Basement Cat".

Basement Cat has had a very hard life.  I keep thinking I should bring a knitted something, like a baby cap up and take a photo.  Have to hurry, though, they buzz people in and out of the thing to get as many rides in as possible in a day...

And I don't know how many of you read the signs at rest stops, but they have these readers at most of the rest stops in Oregon.  I thought they were interesting, I hope you do, too.  (Enlarge pics, if you can't read them well...)

So, that is it for today's picture-y blog, hopefully I will get a blog or two more this week (with chicks!)



CQ, CQ, CQ...

--.  ---  -.  .

-  ---

-  ....  .

....  -.  --

..-.  .-  ..  .-.

Back soon!

Seaside, Part 2. Finally...

Well, the Sunday went well, but still didn't win anything, I seem to be the Susan Lucci of the Radio winnings world. But, there were some friends I saw, got a few little goodies, and then we went out to conquer Seaside... Where I got the bright idea, oh, I will just carry my camera ON, so I can catch 'spontaneous' shots...




This is a 'spontaneous' shot where my knee hit the button. It's the seawall, if you can't figure it out from the goofy angle...

I much prefer this spontaneous, however INTENTIONAL shot, of a volleyball game.

It was about 68 or so on the coast, so we were actually seeing not too many coats, and even shorts on one or two people. Lots of digging by little ones, but surprisingly, very few kites this time. Sometimes there are kites that, I kid you not, look like huge butterflies, or dragons, and have multiple strings, and rigging for the kite flyer to wear.

Dad even had to rescue one, about 2 years ago, as it was a, oh, I would guess, 90 lb. kid, and the wind picked up, he was yodeling for help, and being dragged forward by the force of the wind. Dad is NOT 90 lbs., and was able to stop him, so the kid could land the kite. I began to wonder if said kid would have ended up in Washington somewhere, as fast as he was going! But there were lots of games, a few picnics, and the occasional sand castle.

We went to the Turnaround, and I decided to take a picture of Lewis and Clark for Posterity... I took this, while about 8 or so bikers looked on, saying, HURRY UP! We want to take a picture! That was followed by, What ARE you doing? (Dad, the tall person of the family, obliged putting sock on the arm. I was the artistic direction, and camera operator.)

Who, me? Just thought Lewis might want something stylish for his wardrobe. Heck, it IS wool... I know, it is also a sock, and unfinished, but hey, you can't have everything. And they didn't have TV or a warm hotel room to pass the winter in, so they might have appreciated a nice pair of wool socks.

(Considering all the walking they had to do, and I read they had to throw away some of their clothing after the winter was over because it had molded, I think they could have USED some new socks...)

Then we walked past the shops. I had to take this picture of cooling fudge. I was very, very, VERY hard pressed to keep walking. It wouldn't have take much of a tracker to figure out where I'd gone, just follow the saliva trail...

I wanted to take a picture of the taffy machine working at one of the other stores, it has been pulling taffy since around 1930, but wouldn't you know, they had it off that day. I was a good kid, I didn't get anything much.

Uh.

Except for a few things at the aptly named "The Buzz" candy store, where you can get all sorts of little things from childhood. I have a soft spot for Flicks chocolate drops, Chocolate Sixes, and Chicken Bones. All of which I bought. Plus a few other things. Hey it only filled a half gallon jar, and I didn't eat it... All...

Last thing we do before we leave Seaside, is ride the carousel. We keep waiting for the operator to shoo us away, (neither Dad nor I are svelt...), but they just laugh, and offer me a step stool. I can't imagine why, I just look like I am trying to use a slip 'n slide off a sheer cliff. I get on one animal, usually the kitty, Dad gets on the other aside me, and off we go. I don't know how many little ones are really confused about these great big people riding with no little ones around, but we do. The animal survives, again, (the poor kitty I rode this year had a chipped ear, though... NOT my fault!) and so, we bid a fond farewell to Seaside.

Until next year.

Seaside Part One.

Well, told ya I was going to blog about Seaside, so I thought I better get at least a little on the screen.

We actually made a stop BEFORE Seaside, to my own personal Nirvana. I am thankful I don't have credit cards, because, this joint would melt them...

I bought a couple new skeins of yarn, one will be socks for me, one will be socks for Mom, (mine has yellow in it, hers has blue, will put up photos when I actually start knitting...)

Dad came in, and I kept hearing, wow, didn't know that was in here. This place is bigger than I thought. I chuckled, as I had brought him in to see the spinning wheels (we are going to be building one together, if I can get my act together...), but he saw why I take so long now!

I also bought a knitting mystery book, a "cozy", I believe it's termed. (Why, I don't know, there is a cute way to commit murder?) And a WildFibers magazine.

(I also bought a new set of needles. Nothing to see here, go on to the next paragraph. Hey, they are tiny ones, I didn't have them...)

I enjoy this store, if any of you knitters out there need help with a project, go there, they have wonderful folks, (other than they are quiet as church mice, one just about scared the crap out of me when I was intense on a magazine... They should wear bells or something...) If you don't live close enough, get the catalog. No stock, just very happy customer.

So, we arrive, and after an evening plan was disrupted, (we rented DVD's, and the player was dead at the hotel. Did they fix it? Did they give us a different one? Did they pony up the DVD rent? Nope, nope, and nope. And they didn't do several other things, which adds up to not going there next year...) But, we watched TV, ate dinner out, slept, then entered:

THE HAM RADIO ZONE...

There was about 4 times the amount of 'stuff' as shown in this picture. There were new radios, there were older radios (upstairs), there were parts, there was equipment to repair radios with, there was clothing with and without ham themes on it, there were radio bags, (a most popular one was the cloth Kenwood shopping bag. I have a feeling several people were getting it, even if they are Icom fans. I know I did.) However, I am non-denominational as far as radios, if it works, and isn't like running the bridge controls of a 787 Dreamliner, I'm good. Let's just say I am a big advocate of the KISS method. There were people jammed all about, but not as many as in years before. Gas had a LOT to do with that, I suspect. Dad and I cruised the main floor, then hit the upstairs for the used stuff, where a lot of neat stuff is, I have also seen some, ahem, boat anchors, junque, what have you. Usefulness is in the eye of the beholder. I purchased quite a few little things upstairs, but they weren't for radio hobby, they were for knitting, little brass o rings, they will make quite good stitch markers.

I do some looking, but am there as much to see friends, and to help Dad with his purchases, (I carry them so his hands are free, that way nothing gets set down and forgotten), so I stand a lot. I get tired of standing, so I knit. This amused one of my friends, who is also a ham, she asked, how do you do that, I would be afraid I would drop the stitches with people so close. I laughed.

I quote me, "I have several pointed objects in my hands, and I am not watching where you are, would YOU get close?" She turned confused, then pale, then chuckled, "Maybe I should take up knitting!"

I was trying for the Yarn Harlot look, but the gent wasn't happy about me taking photos, so this was a stealth shot. It's funny, these might become collectors items, it's not neccesary to know code to be a ham anymore, if I read it correctly. This has created a lot of controversy, there are heated debates about who is a real ham, with "Know code Tech" t-shirts, and various belittlings of those who don't, or learned 5 words per minute for the extra.

Me? I keep my mouth shut and knit. (But I do know code.)

I will have part two in the near future, but Mom is going in tomorrow for surgery, so for now,

73*,

Cat

*(For you non-hams, 73 is shorthand for best regards.)

Semi-decompress for a minute...

Well, I have been busy! One of my friends had a stroke, and is now in the hospital, fighting with the therapists (he has never been known for his demure manner), one of my other friends is in surgery today for prostate cancer, Mom will be going in for surgery this week for a knee replacement, (not the standard one, she has lots of 'stuff' going on in her leg, struts, wiring, screws, that the doctor will have to work around), and in-laws are here, working on a party boat that they want to sell.

(Re-reading the above paragraph, did I just make my Mom's leg sound like a 50's Oldsmobile?)

I on the other hand, have just been on the go, went to Seaside, went to give blood, just on the go, and I am TIRED. This is the first day, (so far, anywho), that I don't have to jump and run to go somewhere! I have wanted to work on the garden. Well, I finally got a chance today, I worked on it, oh, about a week or two ago, and got about half of the rows worked on, today, I finished the rows, and planted corn. (We shall see, I suppose getting them in June, will sort of put it in the close call catagory, I don't know if it will do the "knee high by Fourth of July", but we can hope. If not, there's always the Farmer's Market...) I also planted watermelon, and eggplant. They are close together, I keep wondering if I will end up with eggmelon, or waterplant... I have all of my tomatoes, (14 Brandywines, 4 Beefsteak, and 2 cherry tomatoes), in the ground, so what did I hear on the news this morning? Hail.

Oh, joy...

I also have been trying to do myself damage, right before Seaside, I dropped a full container of peanut butter on my foot. Bruised up just like when the llama stepped on it. So, I have managed TODAY, to drop boiling water on the same foot. Husband has suggested I need steel-toed house slippers... I am not so sure he isn't right! I am doing ok, there was only a minor first degree burn, so I am not going to worry about it, but I sure wish I could figure out why the universe is against my foot being healthy.

I have lots of pictures and stories from Seaside, both in and out of the hamfair. But, I think I will quit while I am ahead, and work on it later. In fact, probably will split it into a couple blogs. I will have pictures, too. Here's a nice teaser. YES, rode on it, NO, won't have a picture for you here.

I think I am going to go work on a cup of tea. And perhaps a cookie. And hopefully not drop either on my foot. L*rd help me, I might even tempt fate with some knitting.

Seaside, OR.

I am writing this ahead. I am in Seaside, where I am attending an Amateur Radio (Ham) Fair.

I will be eating too much, walking all over town, seeing what fyne junque is available at the Ham fair, getting a Green River drink (LOOOOOOVE it!), seeing what has changed in town since I was there last, taking pictures of stuff in and out of the fair. And knitting socks. (I know, big surprise...)

Random Blog Shots...

Seaside, you have been warned!

The yearly trip...

Well, there is an amateur radio (ham) fair in Seaside. My Dad is an adamant fan of this, as much for the social, as the acquisition of 'stuff'. I know a few people too, but I just go... I guess for the family aspect. It was on Father's Day, and I liked that, as I got to be with Dad while he perused various and sundry boat anchors and other bits 'o crap vintage items and radio parts, and maybe found an item or two that I might even buy, (heck, I got a 5 inch TV, like you use in an RV, for 5 bucks. Not bad...), but now it's a few weeks early. No one knows why, or they aren't telling. But, I still get to hang out with Dad, and Mom, so it works.

Husband is watching the home front, feeding and watering, and watering, and watering. I hate "instant on" summer. Especially when it's not even officially summer yet. However, it is good for my garden. Most of the stuff has even sprouted, (except for the %$#@^ carrots... again. I am not patient with these stupid excuses for vegetables! In the immortal words of gardeners everywhere, GROW, DAMMIT!)

I will also be going to Oregon's Sacred Knitter's Spot, Willamette Wool Works. My one time a year trip. I want to get some fiber to spin. I want books. I want black and red sock yarn. I want needles. Heck, Can I just have it all? Please? Oh, right. We're taking the car, not a semi. Darn. Just have to make do... How much stuff can we throw out so I can fit my stuff in the trunk? Dad, we don't REALLY need the spare and that jack, do we?