Things being worn

I wear knitted things all the time in the winter. I have several hats in rotation as well as scarves and cowls.

But it's always a thrill when my offspring pick out a new handknit to wear. Elaine wears this hat a lot, and today when we were going out for a chilly walk she grabbed this lovely scarf. Yay...

I don't think I ever blogged the finished scarf! It looks like this when spread on a hedge instead of scrunched up around a neck:

Perhaps the last of the Christmas stuff

Arthur brought us one of his ridiculous treats when he was here over Christmas, a candy cane about a foot tall! I am pleased to report that he took it to his D&D gang over the holidays and they actually ate a large fraction of it, but even 4 or 5 hearty young lads could not eat the whole thing.

Elaine took the remnants, about 3 or 4 inches of 1-inch-thick candy, to school, but, funnily enough, her friends seem to be more sensible and no-one touched it.

Today we smashed it to bits and put it in some chocolate cookies!

Very good, I must say.

And:

I am very close to finishing October's mystery shawl! I have the fourth clue on one side to do, a million ends to sew in, and then we are done. I hope in the next few days, but who can say? 

Pink things

Our last look at the glories of the Allan Gardens conservatory today, and we get the pink things.

The place was sort of Christmassy, with lots of poinsettias and stuff, and these seasonal ornamental cabbages were pretty amazing too!

Super frilly! So pink! 

I believe these are cyclamens.

And spectacular orchids! They are so crazy! I have occasionally been given orchids as gifts, but can never keep them flowering very long. 

Today I went to another great Toronto site that I rarely go to: a friend and I walked along the Humber River. We have to go back when the ducks all have little ducklings. There were tons of ducks, who apparently hadn't wanted to fly south for the winter.

The mighty Humber and the mighty bridge over it. It would be lovely when things are green! People do canoe along this river, which would be fun. 

The whole path is quite long; we took the bus from the subway station and walked back, probably about 5 km along the river. Of course, next time we can take the bus even farther. 

The one terrible thing about this walking route is that when we came out at the subway line, there were no nearby coffee shops; we had to walk another 10 minutes! 

More from the greenhouses

We have some rays or spokes or some such things. 

And let's have some dots as well!

The dots on this cactus look fuzzy but are in fact very spiky.

Dots made by old leaves or branches. Of course I don't know what the rest of the plant looked like!

Red leaves with green dots? I think so. Or green leaves with red splotches? 

Now it is a beautiful sunny day and I am off for an invigorating walk!

A new year and all that

Here we are, the third of January.

I know people make plans and resolutions and all that... I have a new notebook, so that's nice. My big plan for this year will be accomplished by May, and then I will have to think of another big plan.

May is when I am going to England to walk across Hadrian's Wall with six other friends and relations. So working up to that I will be walking and swimming and doing all sorts of exercise... at least that is the goal!

My brother was visiting on his way through town today and we took him to the warm and ever so slightly exotic Allen Gardens conservatory. I'll show you a picture or two a day for a while, I think. I showed you some pictures from here once before but I hope you can handle it again.

So, today, a couple of stripes.