Snowflaking..."The Stretcher"

Snowflakes in the midst of stiffening on "The Stretcher". Sounds a bit barbaric, I know, poor little defenseless snowflakes.
One must use extreme caution when handling this contraption in order to avoid being skewered. I've been stabbed several times this year so far, haven't quite honed the technique of handling it yet. It can also be used as a great burgler deterrent, not pleasant to land on...I know!

Behind the eight ball

So, I've been really behind in getting posts up of my travels this summer...a few of my friends who check this blog regularly will atest to that. But I've finally gotten one missing posts finished. There will be several others to follow shortly I hope. Will let you know when they are done and where to find them if you so choose to have a look.

In any case, I've finally added photos to the post "Island Time" from Aug. 28/06. If you decide to check it out, click the link on the side bar or click:
http://kaylmnop.blogspot.com/2006/08/island-time_28.html

Snowflake Season

So, I've decided that it is now snowflake season. It is now getting dark at 8pm and there is crap on TV and...I hate to say it...I must get my Christmas projects underway. So to start things off, I've started making my snowflakes again. I think I'm aiming for about 30 or more this year, so I thought I'd give myself piles of time to get them all finished. Took me one snowflake to memorize the pattern whereas it took probably about five snowflakes to learn and memorize the pattern last year. I was also adjusting to the microscopic crochet hook last year, but this year it's like riding a bike!

Here's a half finished snowflake to show you what their like. This one is done with sparkly crochet thread and a 1.50mm hook.

Mystery project

So, I've just about finished up a really cool project! But I can't tell you what it is...it's top secret. Actually, the real story is that there are eyes that read this blog which can not find out about the project. So, to leave you all in suspense I've supplied you with a pic of the awesome wool I've been using...Once the mystery project is revealed to it's recipiant I'll be sure to upload a whole bundle of photos for your viewing pleasure.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Have a pile of zucchini in my fridge so thougth I'd try out a new recipe. Chocoloate Zucchini Bread from the Eating Well website. Really delicious. I'll definately be making this again.

150 Things To Do

I love lists! I think it's a family trait...both of my parents, my sister and I keep lists for all sorts of things...As a result I had to post this list. Saw it on a blog I read and found it intriguing, and very list-like! So, here's my list.

Life's to do list - Completed items are in bold and are italicized

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain (Many mountains, in at least 5 countries)
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid (An awesome experience! But is smelt like pee…ever wonder where the slaves went during that rather large construction project…?)
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights (I grew up in the frozen north after all)
15. Gone to a huge sports game (Fifa World Cup game in Korea – Turkey vs Argentia)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight (mashed potatoes fly really well)
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen an eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day (Hilarious! Can’t say I’ve done this, but I’d really like to try!) 38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 10 provinces or all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke (one of my all time favourite past times!)
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites (the Pyramids, Stonehenge)
70. Taken a martial arts class (am the proud owner of a Black Belt in TaeKwonDo)
71. Played D&D for 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Dead River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music (not professionally…)
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone (does the DMZ between North and South Korea count? That ware has never really ended)
92. Buried one of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in aisles at Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country (rented bikes in Siwa Oasis in Egypt)
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an illness that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth (a guinnea pig)
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (of course…I grew up in Horsefly)
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild – (Pine and Shaggy Mane)
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery (had my tonsils removed at the age of 28…my first surgery…it was pretty major for me)
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days (the Turner Lakes in BC)
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi (as often as possible)
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach (ew! Can’t stand cockroaches or slugs!)
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read their books.
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (just fish)
137. Skipped all your school reunions (not skipped on purpose…nothing was organized…I know I’m cheesy, but I would have gone)
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

Cutie!

I took this totally cute pic of Tammy, my parents dog, when I was home in July. Just ran across it again tonight and thought I'd post it.

Hiking the Hollyburn Trail

My friend Beth and I decided to enjoy the gorgeous weather over the long weekend by heading out on a hike. So we jumped in the car and headed up to the Cypress ski resort where we started our hike. We picked an awesome day hike, the Hollyburn Trail. To reach the trail for the Cypress parking lot we followed the Baden-Powell Trail east for a while and then turned up the mountain onto the Hollyburn Mountain trail. The hike was about 3 hours, round trip, and the views we had at the peak were amazing. It's sometimes hard to believe that wild rugged mountains are so close to the city. It was a bit smoggy over Van, so not great views on the south side of the mountain, but the views to the north were lovely.
We started the hike early enough that we made it to the peak just in time for lunch. Shared the view with some other hikers and a couple of friendly dogs and then headed back down to the car. It was also my luck that the wild blueberries were in peak season! Yummmmmm! The bushes were covered with berries and as a result I ended up with a couple of blue fingers. A small price to pay to enjoy the delicious berries!