Change is in the Air

Sitting here this afternoon I suddenly felt a shift in the wind and it seemed that Autumn might just be lurking around the corner. It is one of the things about living overseas in climates and areas that you are completely unfamiliar with. When do the seasons change and what exactly are they bringing? Still, it is August here after all and my flowers are blooming like mad. These are the Moon Flowers which my friend Eiko says that she knows as Dutchman's Pipe:

Pre-bloom

Bloomed! They smell a bit like the plumeria in Hawaii. I am hoping to have one whole side of the house covered in them next summer.
While my neice was here, one of the places we traveled to was Aquileia to see the mosaics and some of the Roman ruins. They were amazing and the details were incredible. So much so that we were unable to get down to the old Roman docks as we spent so much time in the Basilica. The entire floor of the church is covered in mosaics.

They are still in the process of restoring some of them.

Hmmm ... that's awkward ... it's up-side down.

There are scary fishes (check out the teeth on the guy at the top), the Tale of Jonah (complete with regurgitating whale), Biblical stories and portaits of various citizens mixed in with a variety of seasonal scenes. The city is in the process of excavating the Market:

It is definetely something that I will go back and see again. There is a museum which we did not make it to and several other sets of ruins including the old Roman cemetary. All in all a fabulous day!
On the knitting front I am working on a Secret Project ... but on the not so secret side of my office I am working on what to take with me when I head up for 10 days in the Alps at a knitting workshop courtesy of The Alpine Adventure Agency ... check them out ... they are very cool! So I am going to learn to knit a Faroe Shawl ... here in Italy ... from a woman I apparently lived about 45 minutes from in Idaho ... go figure. LOL! I have decided to take a cone of my beige yarn from the last of my sheep. I sent out a pile of fleeces to Stonehedge Mill to have it spun into yarn. They did a beautiful job!

I am going to use the lightest one for the shawl. And later, I think I will use the darkest one to knit the new pattern from Schoolhouse Press that is EZ's Green Sweater ... and I may even try to overdye the dark yarn to give it a greenish sheen.
Well the mosquitos are eating me alive as I sit here ... I am like a buffet to them here in Italy ... after all those years in Asia where they would have nothing to do with me I have apparently built up quite the karmic debt.

How heavy both seem

The heat over the fields and

The cicada's song

In the Summer Sun

Last month I was lucky enough to have my neice come to visit. It was huge fun and I had the pleasure of dragging her out and about in the hottest weeks that anyone can remember here abouts. Yea, that is just how my luck rolls. It was actually so bad that for 2 or 3 days we lay about in the house watching DVD's while I coached her at knitting. However, before the heat was too bad we did head up into the Alps thinking, mistakenly as it turned out, that it would be cooler there.

Lake Bargis

We headed up to Chemolais. Past Lake Bargis (pr. barjiss) and on up further to a lovely, albeit hot, little valley in the mountains.

W had a great time and the scenery was stunning! We took JennietheDog and she had the best time running wildly with her buddies. We went to Venice several times and to Aquileia to see the mosaics. I think she had fun and I am hoping to lure her back to visit. After all ... there is still a gondola ride in her future.

And the JennietheDog says ... come and visit anytime!!!

In the mud puddle

I stir up my reflection

With my walking stick.