Spring Runoff

This photo of spring runoff shows how high our river got this past week, and with more rain predicted for the next few weeks, and more runoff, at least the kayakers and rafters will be happy this spring. I thought it might be a fitting accompaniment to this recent poem:

Do you see me?
There I am, right in the middle of the photograph
I’m the rippling green of the waves of the North Yuba
Traveling smoothly over the rock
Yes, that large boulder
Sierra granite
It’s me, too
The one where the trout likes to rest
In the shade
Protected from the hot summer sun
Where the gold hides
In pockets under the rocks
I am the sparkle
When the sun hits the water
In the late afternoon light
I am the memory of it
Deep in winter
You don’t need my face recorded on film
But only to look
Deep into green pools
Of flowing water
To see me reflected back


This is a photo of the river I was writing about, though. Summer will be here soon enough.

In the meantime, this has been a slow and somewhat lazy Sunday, pinned down inside once again because of rain. I did get to play with my new food processor (how DID I live without one so long?), making saurkraut and mayonnaise... I have not yet confessed here yet, but I am a lover of kitchen gadgets, and of preserving food, so I know it will get a lot of use here. I also re-started my Mountain Peaks shawl, on needles two sizes smaller, and like it much better already; there simply was no stitch definition in the first version, still on its larger needles for comparison. This is still a challenging pattern for me, but at least the stitches aren't busy trying to leap off the needles and unravel themselves at every twist and turn this time, a sure sign I am on the right track.

The Alpaca Cloud yarn is heaven, and I was amazed while admiring it to think that it was really two extremely fine strands plied together into one laceweight yarn. News on Mountain Stream is that it is only a few rows from the halfway mark in just a week of part-time knitting.

DH's vest also got a bit of attention yesterday during my shift at the local crafts co-p; we are gearing up for tourist season, and there were some visitors around yesterday, mainly because it was the annual visit from the Banff Mountain Film Festival (which I had decided to skip this year, in favor of paying my taxes on time; they are an ouchy subject with me, done and waiting in their envelopes until the last minute to part with the huge sums both the Feds and California get from us this year). I am continuing through the last week of 40 Days for Others by making my pink squares for Warming Grace and found several cute relief motif patterns at Rhonda's site; I am going to make the butterfly and the kitty. Looks like a busy week, not to mention that I realized I better get busy and make up a few new items to put in the co-op shop this month! Happy Knitting!