Knitters Gone Wild

Yesterday morning, with a largely unscheduled day stretching ahead of me, I realized that I haven't yet really taken advantage of the fine Kootenay summer weather. One of the things I pictured myself doing a lot of was absolutely nothing, next to one lake or another. But except for the short, impromptu picnic with Mr.Q last week, I haven't been near a lake. A sad oversight which needed to be corrected! So I grabbed a camp chair and a towel, a book and some knitting, and headed back out to Peckhams.

There are numerous lakes in the area that are each great in their own particular way. But Peckhams remains my favourite - a stunning setting at the foot of the Rockies; cool, clear water - you can see down to the bottom at any point in the lake; and just enough off the beaten track that it's usually not too busy.

Sure enough, when I got to the lake, there were three other vehicles in the parking lot, and only one family visible on the water. I wandered down a path at the other end of the lake (it's a very wee lake - when the water's just a bit lower you can walk around it in about 30 minutes) and found myself a spot where I couldn't see another soul. One of the things I like about Peckhams is that it's quite wooded around the lake; paths and picnic tables are set through the undergrowth, and each picnic spot is quite private.

I set up my chair in the shade, pulled out my journal...and proceeded to doze on and off for a half-hour or so. I watched several dozen tiny orange butterflies dancing around the edge of the lake. I watched minnows on school parade near the shore. I watched the wind rippling the lake, and listened to my own private symphony of the birds and the bees. This was the view from my seat:





Then, when I started feeling truly sleepy, I rolled up my pants and went for a wade. It was just perfect. Being spring-fed, the lake is usually quite cool, even cold, well into the summer. It wasn't so icy this year - still cool, but comfortably so. Teensy fish swam around my legs (if you stand still enough for long enough, they'll come nibble on your toes) and I could see through the water almost all the way across.

Sounds idyllic, non? Well, just to prove it's not quite perfect - when I got out of the water, I found that a bird had pooped on my towel. Fortunately, I had laid it over my sandals, so they missed the hit.

Before I left, I took some pictures of my two current projects (and got some darned funny looks from the family down the lake...heheheheh). First - Tuscany: coming along nicely, though still quite a ways to go. It's a great "first" lace project, an easy pattern to memorize and "read", and I'm still enchanted with it. I didn't, however, think to get a close-up of the stitch pattern. Next time!





My portable project - a sock (of course!) from Enchanted Knoll, in the Sedona colourway. Only mine's not superwash & nylon - it's merino and silk...yum! The colours remind me of summertime out here, which is why I chose to bring it on this trip. My Kootenay Summer Sox (or, the ribbing on the first one!):





Not much time for knitting today...got to strike the tent and get ready for a weekend adventure. Mom & Dad are taking me to Drumheller, Alberta, for my first time, to see the dinosaurs. Raawwrr!

(Apparently our campsite is right across the street from the World's Largest Dinosaur - very cool!)