Just Popped by for a Visit

Still busy, will do up a proper post next week-ish most likely.  In the meantime, please enjoy the following highlights of last week.

The hops are still trying to take over the world.  That lead shoot has grown at least another 30cm since I took this photo.  I'd love to see it in time-lapse, watching it grow.  The yarrow and aster are blooming, and a few other things are getting started, but I think I need a few more late spring plants to fill in between early bloomers and summer.

I have a quarter sheep fleece.  It was free, which is good, as I'm not sure I'd buy one that had such a large amount of crusty bits in addition to regular dirt and filth.  My mom wants to try out some needle-felting, and I have been tempted to try out a drop-spindle for awhile, so here's our chance to do so without investment other than time and effort.  Now that it's relatively clean, it's nice and soft and fluffy (except the more determined crusty bits, which will probably just get picked out for one more soak, then tossed if there's no improvement).

My oldest turns four tomorrow, and we had a lovely backyard party last weekend. 

I'm so excited to see what this year holds for her.  She's still growing like a weed, is starting to puzzle out reading, writing, and very basic adding and subtracting.  She loves baking, and helped make her cake.  My eldest is very imaginative and always comes up with novel games to play with her sister, such as building a dam in the living room out of whatever is handy.  It's a hoot to see the two of them in their raincoats trying to rescue one half of the living room, even if it does make quite a mess. 

Have a great week!