Messy Yarn Organization, and Packing?

I always go through this when I'm trying to decide what yarn to take. You want things that don't take up much room when you fly so no bulky yarns. Sometimes I think it's wiser to have nothing but 1 or 2 skeins of real basic yarn and do scarfs or squares; but then you've got more bulk on the return. Sometimes I think baby items are good, lighter weight yarn; but that also means I need to pay attention to patterns. On the plane sometimes counting stitches and rows can be an issue.

Sooooooo, this mess on the floor is my attempt to organize and decide what to take, what to work on; what's the right size and amount of yarn. What size needles, should I only take crocheting or both knitting and crocheting etc.

I have a basket right by the chair, which tends to be where I put things I'm working on, left over yarn from items I've recently finished etc. And after a period of time, it's a mess and I no longer remember what's in there. So, I dump it and re-organize. Take some I'm not really using to the basement shelves, bring other stuff up etc. It's always such a process. Seems I always do this before I pack.

Sooo, right now I've put a bag of purple, white, and lavendar light weight yarn in a zip lock bag with a crochet baby sweater pattern and the right size crochet hook. This is obviously a girl combination of colors. So, to of set that, I also found a camo type dark yarn mix where I can use the same pattern for a little boy. That's probably going in my carry on bag. Then something to knit in my suitcase. That way I have variety. Or I'll flip it around. But, at least I've picked out the yarn for part of it.

Silly Squirrels, Must be NUTS

Several weeks ago we spotted this one, lone red tulip in the yard. Not in the flower bed you can see just to edge of the picture. This flower bed is NOT where I've planted tulips at all as a matter of fact. What is a fact is that all the red tulips are on the side of the house, this picture is in the back yard. Now birds can sometimes drop seeds and things can sprout in odd places; but tulips don't have seeds. In fact their bulbs are pretty good size, AND their planted on the surface but about 6 inches below the soil. So.........me thinks some silly squirrel is nuts. Rather he or she was planting nuts, dug up my bulb thinking it was a nut and never remember to come back to it for dinner along the way. Or perhaps he or she did come back for a snack and realized....hum, that's not a nut!
Here's a close up my lone tulip. Intended to dig it up to transplant it back where it belongs after it bloomed; but it's been raining alot and so, I've not gotten that done.

We enjoyed it's beauty just the same.

Miracle of Birth, and Laying an Egg

The other day I traveled to Urbana to help Daddy take his 90 year old Sister to the doctors. This Duck has made herself a comfy nest right beside the door to the doctor's office. I mean right beside it. See the drain, the door is to the left about 8 inches. There were tons of people in and out in and out. We were there about an hour and half and the poor Duck surely had lots of interruptions. Someone else there waiting got her the bowl of water and some stale bread. What a busy place to make a nest to lay eggs.
Apparently, she had already layed the eggs. See the white there in the very front? One of the nurses came out to check on her and said there was a pond back behind the office; but there were often cats there. She figured the Duck felt safer close to the building with all the people.
She didn't squawk as we all watched her. I'm not as close as this looks (wanted to give her some space); used my Zoom and then cropped the photo here which makes it appear I'm closer.

Birth is such a miracle. Wonder if the doctors office staff has little ducklings there yet to watch over?