Down Time and Relaxing

 The SCA event FOOL was last week.  It's always tiring, and having put so much into it before hand, the week after is my time to recharge.  It really felt like I did nothing all week.  I got my camping laundry done and put away.  Luckily it was sunny and dry, so the linen tunics dried quickly on the line.   I finished up another crochet hat and started another.  I think I'm getting the hang of keeping my rows even now.    I planted a few seeds, weeded the blueberries, or at least started weeding them.  One evening it was warm and still.  I enjoyed my tea outside while the smell of the lilacs wafted through the air.   It was lovely.

I found the mistake on the loom before I went camping, so took the time to fix it when I got home.  I had to re-thread a quarter of the heddles because despite counting each bout twice as I threaded it, I missed a thread.  Now to just finish tying it on.  I'm hoping that weaving the 3 towels won't take that long.  This is because there is currently a fly strip hanging over my loom.  All of a sudden there have been a lot of flies outside, which means flies inside. 

I've been doing a lot of research on circular sock machines.   I really do think that I need one of these amazing machines. I've no idea what kind that I want though.   New?  Old?  If new, which one because there are advantages to all the different ones, and different price points as well.  One way or the other it's a huge investment, and one I'll only make once, so I really want to make the right decision the first time.  

 I read a couple of trashy novels in my down time.  I went walking out on some trails and just my usual trail in the back yard. I'm getting caught up on my Historical Food Challenge group bi-weekly cooking tasks as well.

 I also found out today that I've taken an extraordinary number of photos this month.   This is one of our favourite trails.  It isn't long, but has lots of side trails that you can use to make every time feel different.  There used to be a picnic table at this spot, where we would eat our lunch.   It's been moved, and we were a bit sad because it was lovely to eat look at this view.

I puttered in the garden.  I filled the last of the large planters and totes with dirt and compost, and top dressed the new raised bed.   I planted 2 types of cucumbers,  another zucchinni and some carrots.  The one tomato that got frost bitten was replaced with savory.  In a small planter bag, I put some nasturtiums.    This year the only flowers are marigolds for both bug repellent use, and for dyes, nasturtiums because they're edible flowers and a single hanging basket with pink geraniums.  The two jalapeno peppers are doing well, but the serrano pepper is still as small as it was the second week after Easter.  I'm hoping that it's putting out roots.   It's been under a cloche, so at least the day temperatures have been warm and the tiny pepper plant has been protected.   With the summery blast we're getting this week, I'm hoping it helps it get growing.

Our apple tree was loaded with flowers.   I'm not sure what effect the late frosts had on it.   They were light frosts and hopefully at least some of them got pollinated.   The other tree only had 3 flowers this year and I don't know if that is enough to give us an actual apple harvest this year.    This tree looks a little wild now because I wasn't able to get out to prune it this winter.   I'd love to have enough even just to make a single pie or apple crisp.

Hmmm... I guess I accomplished more than I realized last week.  Regardless, it was a lovely, relaxing week, which was very nice.