I am noticing a few things about my new town. Like, people actually say hello! Drivers are courteous! Bicycles rule! Fireworks are legal! (in Los Angeles, they've been illegal for a long time due to extreme fire hazard. Mr. Bonnet and I were actually alarmed by all the fireworks zipping around on the 4th!) and there seem to be a lot of pretty boys.....
Did I mention peacocks the other day?
I went out for a stroll along the Willamette river that same day and look at this pretty boy I saw.
And then, just this morning, I found this pretty boy in my yard
Both of those pictures were taken hastily with my iphone so they're not the best quality. But you can see I've been keeping company with some very pretty boys lately!
Work on the book has resumed (which is why I've been a little silent). I am really glad I was not in Los Angeles for the recent Michael Jackson memorial, it sounds like it was a traffic nightmare.
Monday's winner for either the Tree of Life or Talking Fish
pattern is Charissa!
Tuesday's winner for either the Tree of Life or Talking Fish
pattern is Kristen!
Wednesday's winner for either the Tree of Life or Talking Fish
pattern is Renee!
If you are a recent winner please contact me and let me know which pattern you'd like. I've gotten a little mixed up, so even if you sent me an email before, send another and remind me. Thanks! Send email to MAIL AT JANELLAIDMAN D O T C O M (hopefully you figure this out - I'm trying to avoid spam)
Comment Contest Reminder - each day I'm giving away a downloadable version of the featured pattern. This week's featured pattern is Tree of Life or Talking Fish. Leave a comment and you'll be automatically entered for the random drawing. Winners are chosen by random number generator. Each Sunday I choose one person by random number to win a copy of the book when it comes out! So keep commenting to be entered for the drawing.
Wow, it's always great to see wildlife when you least expect it.
Posted by: Gabriele | July 09, 2009 at 12:20 PM
How cool!!! Not much wildlife to be seen in the streets of NYC ... a pigeon ... a squirrel ;-)
Posted by: Umm_Abbaas | July 09, 2009 at 12:32 PM
wow, I can't imagine going for a stroll and coming across a peacock! How cool!
Posted by: Cathy | July 09, 2009 at 01:05 PM
how lovely. I know that urbanized deer are a pest, but they're so beautiful, it's hard to see them that way. I can't imagine coming across a peacock though. My town has an exotic wildlife law, and I'm sure a peacock would run a foul of it. (no pun intended)
Posted by: Sabrina | July 09, 2009 at 01:20 PM
You do have pretty boys in the neighborhood! We have neighbor peacocks--just far enough away that their unearthly screams are amusing, not startling.
Posted by: Sarah | July 09, 2009 at 01:35 PM
You certainly have lovely wildlife. Now, in West Hollywood the wildlife I see are not nearly as pretty. Coyotes and opossums, nope, not nearly as pretty as peacocks and deer.
Posted by: SharonO | July 09, 2009 at 01:40 PM
You do have some beautiful boys in your neighborhood!! I grew up on a farm in south Georgia and my playground was the woods. I still love to see wildlife...cheryl
Posted by: peachesforever | July 09, 2009 at 02:59 PM
I know about them being dangerous - hot burning metal throwing off shards of flame - but I still miss sparklers. There was nothing like the end of the 4th of July and the sky was so dark (lived in the country) and you wrote your name with the sparkler. The smell, the sizzle and the fire in your hand all seemed magical to a kid. We always had a bucket of water or sand to stick them in after they went out.
Posted by: Debra in Seattle | July 09, 2009 at 03:17 PM
Love the peacocks! And we had lots of fireworks around here too.
Posted by: Susie | July 09, 2009 at 03:32 PM
very monarch of the glen!
Posted by: sarah | July 09, 2009 at 03:56 PM
What pretty boys those are! And I know what it's like to miss fireworks; growing up we used to go to my parents' cabin in the mountain for the fourth, where there's too many trees to allow for fireworks. It always made me sad.
Posted by: Kimberly B. | July 09, 2009 at 04:31 PM
Love the pictures. I am from suburban Missouri and definitely recognize the second pretty boy! We have a ton outside our house all the time.
Posted by: Alex | July 09, 2009 at 04:46 PM
I love it when I catch the deer. :)
Posted by: jennyswonderland | July 09, 2009 at 05:09 PM
The Michael Jackson memorial ended up not being that bad. If you caught it at the right time, there was less traffic! I love peafowl! (And love calling them peafowl!)
Posted by: Jill B. | July 09, 2009 at 05:18 PM
Peacocks are beautiful! You are lucky to have those "pretty boys" so close to home!
Posted by: SusanB-knits | July 09, 2009 at 06:36 PM
those are beautiful boys :) We saw girls (a doe and twin fawns) grazing in our yard the other evening before they heard us and bounded away. The northwest really is the best place.
Posted by: Denise | July 09, 2009 at 07:38 PM
I am watching other Rav friends making Tree of Life and wondering when I'll get up the courage to make it!! Your patterns are so gorgeous!
Posted by: ReadingKnitter01 | July 09, 2009 at 07:46 PM
I like peacocks, but their tailfeathers have all sorts of superstitions about them that make me a little uncomfortable. It is bad luck to have a peacock feather on stage in theatre unless you "blind" them by sewing a sequin or gluing something in the center of the dark eye circle. And one of my dad's friends had peacocks, and when she gave him one of the feathers so he could use it for fly tying, she cut the eye off and I presume that it has something to do with giving bad luck if you gift the eye with the feather.
Your sock designs are fantastic, by the way. I am quite smitten.
Posted by: Delly Bean | July 09, 2009 at 08:21 PM
It seems as though you have chosen well...a lovely and charming place to give rise and nurther more of your magical designs!!
Posted by: Shirley | July 09, 2009 at 08:36 PM
Here's to the pretty boys! May they inspire your patterns, and continue to delight your days
Posted by: Jeanne | July 10, 2009 at 04:06 AM
We have wild turkeys and moose in our backyards for pretty boys, no peacocks though! That must be impressive!! Can you make a peacock sock pattern to commemorate the sighting? - Darlene
Posted by: Darlene | July 10, 2009 at 04:21 AM
Our neighbours used to have peacocks. They're pretty, but they're noisy.
Posted by: ikkinlala | July 10, 2009 at 07:28 AM
It's wonderful to live where you do and enjoy the scenery.
Posted by: Gabriele | July 10, 2009 at 09:51 AM
Love the peacock! Watch out for their screams--they can be very startling!
Maya
Posted by: Maya | July 10, 2009 at 10:05 AM
What lovely wild neighbors you have!
Posted by: ludistitcher | July 10, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Well, how nice for you! lovely peacocks and deer.Seems serene and calm. Thank you for sharing these with us!
Posted by: Linda B | July 10, 2009 at 01:09 PM
The other day I saw a deer and a chicken in a neighbor's front yard.
Posted by: kim | July 10, 2009 at 01:16 PM
Lovely! I love the picture of the deer standing in the sunlight through the shade...
Posted by: Tobey | July 10, 2009 at 03:14 PM
I would never have thought that peacocks were loud, but from reading these comments, it sounds like they are! Very interesting!
Posted by: Cathy | July 10, 2009 at 04:41 PM
I was a little shocked to read "Willamette River", I had no idea you lived in Oregon. Isn't the wildlife wonderful? :)
Posted by: Sara Ferguson | July 10, 2009 at 05:21 PM
The "pretty boys" could be inspiring! and also the beautiful surrounding scenery.
Posted by: SusanB-knits | July 10, 2009 at 05:36 PM
Did you get to see the peacock spread its feathers?
Posted by: Cheryl | July 10, 2009 at 05:44 PM
I've always been a fan of peacocks. Next sock project: Peacock Socks?
Posted by: Margie | July 11, 2009 at 06:30 PM