Tree Down

Nothing on this earth is standing still. It's either growing or it's dying. No matter if it's a tree or a human being. --Lou Holtz

One day we had a tree, and then the next day we didn't:

I'm a practical-enough person to understand that we can't expect to save all trees. This island I live on is covered with them, and they are harvested and re-planted and harvested again for lumber. I understand trees live and die naturally, and I understand that sometimes they have to be taken down for the sake of safety...

... but I still felt sad to see it go. It was a beautiful tree, especially in the snow:

The trouble was that it was a spindly, wavering tree, with boughs that rained down big chunks in a wind storm. When we first looked at this house, I didn't like the way the trunk inclined towards the house. And with all the rain we've been getting, I was starting to get worried that the soft ground might have given way and let it drop down onto the roof. And as much as I like having trees around the house, I also like not having to spend money on a new roof.

So down the tree came. It was cut down in an hour. The company that came to do it cut it into chunks that we can split later for firewood, which will be lovely for next winter. I went out to inspect the bounty and was immediately entranced by the pattern of the inner rings. I wish my high school biology was still intact enough in my brain to remember the sections of the innards of a tree. I guess the best I can do is to say: the inner bit was a little spongy and the outside rings were purty:

This one really caught my eye. I haven't worked out yet why there's a starburst on the inside of a tree, but it was really neat:

I had a busy week, so there isn't much to report on in the knitting/yarn front. I've been spinning a few minutes on my wheel here and there, and I've nearly filled my first bobbin:

And the Papillon Shawl... well, I'm pretty fed up with it, to be honest. I'm actually really near the end of the pattern, but every single row takes so long and there is so much counting involved that it's really trying my patience. I can't wait for it to be over. It was in real danger of being put on hold for a while because the cord on my circular needle snapped off at one of the joins last night. I could tell it was going to go, and I tried my best to repair it by melting the plastic of the cord and trying to strengthen the join, but it really wasn't to be. In fairness, I HAVE been using this needle a lot... and like trees, everything must reach their ends:

Luckily, after much digging (right, YarnKettle?) I found one more circular needle of the right size in my stash. The only trouble is that the cord on it is much shorter and I can't stretch it out to show the progress on it. It kinda looks like a rainbow jellyfish at the moment. I have no doubt that it will be really pretty at the end, but all I can focus on is getting it off the needles so I can do something else more enjoyable...

... like being able to knit and watch tv at the same time without missing half the plot because of having to keep track stitch counts. Or knit and have a conversation. Or knit and take a sip of tea while it's still hot.  Imagine that.

Goals. It's good to have them. Have a great week!