Rhubarb Cobbler & Crazy Pie

Now that it's really and truly spring I've been feeling so rejuvenated. I feel happier and more energetic, more like my old self. And I have to admit that I've been having certain... cravings. Fruit cravings. I noticed that rhubarb was on sale at the grocery, and I still have some raspberries in the freezer from last summer so yesterday I made a raspberry-rhubarb cobbler.



It's my first cobbler but it turned out pretty good. Cobbler is, to me, sort of mythical and intimidating partly because I didn't really grow up eating it and partly because it requires making a dough. And that makes me think of pie dough, which is fussy and time consuming and sort of, well, formal. In the world of down-home baked goods nothing is more formal than a pie. But cobblers, oh! I am now a cobbler convert. Not only is the dough much faster and easier to make but it was also tastier. And the fruit part was simple too. All in all it took less than an hour. And it's F'ing delicious. Cobbler > Pie. And more fun to say.

I've managed to do a little gardening this week. I planted half my cilantro and basil seeds, and I planted the two Cascade hops rhizomes I ordered. Everything got lots of rain yesterday and it's all getting plenty of sun today, so that's a great start. When the night time temperatures get a little warmer I'll plant some chiles and tomatoes from the farmer's market. I can't wait. Anyone else gardening?

Now, the crazy pie. Yes, I've been partaking of the crazy pie recently. It helped me make this:




Yes, folks, that's a whole bunch of yarn that I spun and plied on a drop spindle. For those of you keeping track at home, drop spindles are ancient tools and they are slow. And that's a lotta yarn. But that's how I did it. And I've started spinning even more yarn on the drop spindle. More crazy pie? Yes, please.

It's Spring!

Two beautiful, warm sunny days here in Oly! Two days of making dinner on the grill! And lots of flowers flowering:









Also, look at what's growing outside next to my patio:



Looks like a great big weed, huh? But my upstairs neighbor informs me that it is Russian Red kale. He came down one day and told me all about how I could eat it. Apparently he had gotten some seeds and just dropped a couple over the side of his balcony for us. Wow. So this week I'm going to try putting some in a cheese frittata. It's getting to be time to plant some herbs and chiles and tomatoes and hops soon. Hooray!

And oh yeah, congrats to Vermont too!

Vernal

Is spring finally coming? Dare I even think it? About a week ago it was snowing, and last year we even had snow in April. But for many days now there has been no frost on my car in the morning, and the highs have even been in the 50's. There are other signs as well:



If I remember correctly these should be beautiful, big tulips. I can't remember what color they are, but I know they're tulips; daffodils would already be out and blooming. And then there are these:



Buds forming on the, what are they, rhododendrons? I think. If Mother Nature is polite we should soon have crowds of flowers. And that would lighten the mood considerably. Already there's still some daylight left when I get home from work (thanks, Daylight Saving!) and the seasonal beers for spring are starting to show up in the stores. In a couple of months I should be lounging on my back porch after work with a beer while Nico grills my dinner.

Well, I can hope, can't I?

The seasonal change isn't the only thing brightening my spirits. There's a new rumor going around at work that we might all get to keep our jobs. Our hours might be cut but we should still have jobs. This news is unbelievably good, if it's true. And if it isn't, well, Olympia is allegedly getting a Trader Joe's soon. Maybe I could work there. Wasabi peas, anyone?

Spring? Sucker!

So for a while there it seemed like spring was in the air, what with all the daffodils and sunshine we were getting. I took these pics a little over a week ago in our side yard on a bright Saturday morning:







Daffodils, somethin' pink, and more daffodils. Really the damn things are everywhere. I'm more of a tulip girl, myself.

So then what happens? A week of nasty, windy, snowy-rainy-sleet-and-hail hellish weather. At the end of March. Ick.

Is it over yet? I'm afraid to look. Yesterday it was nice, but cold and a little breezy. Today it looks nice too: sun, blue sky. But it's April Fools Day. It could be snowing by noon.

I've got some finished socks to show off. First are the Red Whale socks I made from Mountain Colors Bearfoot in the Rosehips colorway. The pattern is Azure from the winter issue of Knitty.



Next are the socks I made from some self-striping DK weight yarn I bought from Lovesticks Sock Yarn, a seller on Etsy. It's just plain stockinette stitch with a toe-up heel flap. The colorway is called Green Tea, and it was a lot of fun to knit with.



Other than that I've started another pair of socks and made some progress on my sweater. More on that soon.

Springtime in the Old Pueblo

Ah, nothing says spring like a cliched blog entry on the topic, no? So, watch for the usual: discussion of local spring versus national spring, discussion of the weather, picture of flowers, reflection on knitting during warm temperatures.

For a few weeks now I've been noticing a springtime trend in other people's blog entries, complete with beautiful pictures of blooming bulbs and daffodils, etc. And I enjoy reading about spring in other parts of the country, I really do. Now, according to the weather reports and several recent blog entries, parts of the country have backslid into winter's last hurrah. Newly-planted flowerbeds have been blighted with frost, and lovely sprouting bulbs have had their genitals freeze and wither (it's true you know: those pretty pretty flowers are the plants' baby-making gear).

To this I have one response: Luckyyyyyy.

Here in southern Arizona, spring is a razor-thin month and a half and is defined by two natural occurrences: temperatures in the low to mid 90's, and the presence of pollen. Lots. Of pollen. Arizona has one of the highest pollen counts in the country. For the past month, according to weather.com, Tucson's pollen counts have been either 'high' or 'very high,' with few exceptions. But in case you're wondering, it wasn't always this way. We used to have one of the lowest pollen counts in the country. Sure, the desert would always bloom in spring, but compared to other parts of the country it was nothing. That is, until people with bad allergies moved down here and brought their allergen-producing plants with them to a region with an early and long growing season. Smart: S-M-R-T.

Now let me take a step back and remind you of the other big springtime signifier: temperatures in the 90's. In some parts of the country temps in the 90's is as hot or hotter than it gets alllll summer. But here, it's just part of spring's glory. When the temperature is in the low or mid 90's, we know it's spring. But when it edges into the upper 90's, it's summer. Even in the desert, 98 degrees cannot masquerade as spring's gentle warmth. 92 degrees can, but 98? No.

So for anyone lucky enough to reside in a cooler part of the country I say count your blessings. Your flower bed may have been destroyed by a late frost, but you can replant. We here in the old pueblo will not see cooling temperatures for another 6 months. Literally.

But springtime in Arizona isn't all bad. Witness our palo verde trees, which bloom abundantly into brilliant yellow firecrackers each year:









OK, so the color quality on these photos isn't super. But trust me, these blooms are bright, bright yellow. Lovely.

And come summertime, what's a desert-dwelling knitter to do? Knit socks? Knit lace? Well, yes and yes. I am hoping to knit some lace, a few sweaters (we'll see), and plenty of socks this summer. Socks are a good choice because they don't cover your lap as you knit, and the superwash sock yarn has the added bonus of not felting in your fingers. Seriously. When it's 110 degrees outside you've got to plan your projects carefully.