Sewing: Nesting Baskets

I made a few nesting baskets for a school auction donation to hold our contribution of three 8 oz. jars of Ramshackle Solid honey and a beeswax votive candle. Two sets. We don't normally "sell" our honey. The auction for our son's preschool fundraiser seemed like a worthy exception.

The nesting basket pattern is from maya*made. I was inspired, as I often am, by SouleMama.

In Search of Snow

Despite the mild weather, we went on a quest for snow in our neighboring Angeles National Forest. We headed up the reopened 2 highway until we were just outside of Waterman. We stopped by the side of the road where the powdery snow dusted the landscape and went for a hike.

He doesn't remember his last trip to the snow. He was a baby, I held in my arms, without speech. He had a lot to say about it this time, including "I just got an idea in my brain! Let's build a snowman."

Angels were made. Hills were slid on bottoms.

I suspect we will be back as the season progresses.

Mount Wilson Expedition

Mount Wilson Observatory 100 inch scope

I found myself feeling quite thankful this Thanksgiving. Thankful for our time together as a family. Thankful for friends. Thankful for where we live.

Los Angeles is a complex city that draws many people. The weather is typically mild. Gardening is a year round possibility. The city is close to the ocean, mountains, desert and snow. One might spend the morning in the snow, trek down the mountain and head towards the sea to watch the sun slip behind the Pacific. And, of course, the film/television/entertainment industry and tastemakers that shape and curate media imagery also hold a stake in this town.

Although the latter group might skew the perception of the city, Los Angeles offers much more.

150 foot Solar Scope

The clear skies and exceptional viewing caught the interest of George Ellery Hale, who founded the Mount Wilson Observatory in 1904. Mount Wilson stands 5,710 feet above the Los Angeles Basin in the Angeles National Forest with views to the sea and Channel Islands. For over 40 years, Mount Wilson housed the biggest scopes in the world. The eyes of Albert Einstein, Harlow Shapely and Edwin Hubble peered through the eye piece to discover the earth's location in the Milky Way, other galaxies and more.

Over the weekend, we headed up to Mount Wilson Observatory for the last docent lead tour of the season to literally walk in the footsteps of Albert Einstein and other preeminent astronomers and scientists.

In the 150 foot solar scope, scientists continue to gather information about solar sun spots on antiquated equipment. The scientist hired by the man in the picture above let us into the "Computer Museum" to see the Raytheon computer still in operation.

Although the data is still culled using the Hal-esque computer, the scientists transfer the information to an online database.

Inside the 100 inch scope where Hubble worked.

The 100 inch scope is open to tours but no longer in use. Light pollution from the growing city, and the creation of larger scopes elsewhere, have diminished the relevance of the scope for scientific research. Although the 60 inch scope is open for rental to private groups. We are already discussing the possibilities.

Imagine being able to look through the eye piece that so many great scientists have peered through: a small window to the limitlessness of space, light traveling millions and in some cases billions of years, right to your eyeball.

The sun tracked west. We headed down the mountain while sailing through the galaxy.

Thankful.

A Weekend in Four Photos

A Welcome Return

Extremely grateful that the artichoke has come back. Two plants so far.

Tiny Deaths

Carrion discovery date & location:

Skunk, 10/25/11, east side of Arroyo Seco creek, south of Colorado Street Bridge.

Rat, 11/11/11, Huntington Gardens, east of Lily Ponds at the base of the fir trees.

Sometimes a Small Moment

Today is incredibly overcast with rain in the forecast. Buckwheat pancakes for breakfast. Aspirations: a small excursion like the one above...drawing/writing...small projects...warmth by the fire.

Possum Poop vs. Dog

Can there really be a victor? The possum left it's tell-tale legacy in the yard. Trudy ventured out early, rolled in it & slid back into the house. I was in the kitchen, farthest away from the stink. My four year old waltzed through the living room into the kitchen clutching his nose, "What is that terrible smell?'

"What smell?" I asked as I walked into the living room and was hit with a wall of fetid nastiness.

Dog out. Washed. Washed again. Allowed back inside and documented with a photo.

Book Cart Resuscitation

The NPR affiliate station I worked for (prior to my mombatical) was located under a community college library. Each day, I would pass by double swinging doors where library carts would rest before being launched back into service transporting books back to shelves. As I was leaving one day, I found an oak library cart cast aside for the more modern and maneuverable aluminum carts. I asked if I could have the cart. With a yes from a questionable granting authority, I quickly wheeled the cart to my car and threw it inside. What is a public radio geek but a dorkier cousin to the librarian? I was thrilled with my book toting acquisition. The cart, hands down, is one of my favorite pieces of furniture.

But like any librarian, my cart has seen some hard and fast times and weathered some water stains from errant cups left to flounder coasterless on it's delicate wooden surface. My cart sat bedside until Eric's nightstands pushed it back into the living room. I decided to show some love and fix the water stains. I read up on some remedies to use mayonnaise to pull out the water rings. Reason departed and I foolishly tried the remedy. Witness the dark oil stain of my folly in the picture above.

I pulled out a sander and tried to eradicate the oil stain. I found an old can of half full Restor-A-finish that I used on the cart. The cart cleaned up beautifully. Now it holds court next to the dining table. I love it as much as the day we ran away together.

Happy Halloween

Pumpkin Patching

Turban squash

I packed up the wagon with kids in tow and headed out to Underwood Family Farms for the Fall Festival and to spend the day with grandparents.

Goats were sighted overhead eating from a pepper tree.

The kids enjoyed a John Deer thrasher turned slide.

My oldest and I took to the corn maze. For the first time, we found the haystack pyramid through the maze. In previous years, hunger took over and we would enter from the exit to summit the haystack.

The day was gorgeous. Starlings, cowbirds and yellow-shouldered blackbirds outnumbered the crowd. Some would take flight with at least thirty birds in a group and fly noisily overhead turning in unison in a moment's notice.

I always love taking the meandering tractor trip through the fields.

Previously:

Pumpkin Patch at Underwood Family Farms

Camp Ramshackle Crime Report

Resident Eric Thomason stumbled upon a grim scene early in the morning en route to his first cup of coffee. In the kitchen, he found the body of a fencepost lizard splayed on it's back revealing a cerulean blue belly. The lizard was declared dead on the scene.

A stunned Thomason said, "It just happened. There was nothing on the floor, then I turned around and it was here."

A suspect was held for questioning but released shortly thereafter to go pee outside.

Spooked

Camp Ramshackle is haunted by a message leaving ghost.

Bickel Camp in the Mojave Desert

The same weekend of Gem-O-Rama, we did some exploring of BLM land in the Mojave Desert. We stopped in at Bickel Camp. As told to me by the current Bickel Camp caretaker, the camp was claimed in 1934 by Walt Bickel and has been lived in continuously since then. The non-profit organization, The Friends of Last Chance Canyon, preserves Bickel Camp as a monument to Depression Era gold miners.

Walt Bickel suffered a stroke in 1987 and moved to a nursing home in nearby Ridgecrest. His camp was preserved the way he left it. He died in 1996.

The caretaker, Mark Aslin, lives alongside Walt Bickel's main camp in newer trailers with his special lady friend and two good dogs. The full time caretaker helps keep Bickel Camp in tact. A nearby camp that belonged to Burro Schmidt has been completely decimated by looters.

Mark Aslin grew up in the area and says he used to explore the hills and knew a lot of the old time prospectors.

Pudgy, one of the good dogs. Blind as a bat, sweet as candy.

Walt Bickel's main cabin.

The shade on the outdoor patio was rebuilt in 2006. I imagine how great it must be to sit there when the sun finally sets and watch the fantastic show.

Refashioned Purse

When I scored my silk tri-tie thrifting about a month ago, I also picked up a dollar purse. I hemmed & hawed before purchasing. I don't like having a lot of stuff even when the price is enticing, so I tend to ponder my acquisitions. I finally went with it because the leather was quite lovely. Very soft and made in Italy. I figured if I didn't use the purse, I could reuse the leather for other projects.

Although the leather was nice, the lining in the bag was uninspired: a ripstop nylon with one small zippered pocket. I took that out, used it as a pattern for a cotton print lining and added multiple pockets for a pen and pencil, billfold, bamboo utensils and other mobile gadgetry.

Some projects come together easily. Some don't. This project was a surprising snap. I surprised myself with how easily it reassembled. I even did some no-pin-punk rock sewing which often ends in regret and a seam ripper. The sewing angels smiled kindly on this project...and I minded my language.