There's been progress on the mural.

There's a great mix of large and small motifs.  This will be viewed most often from passing cars, but a sidewalk runs the entire length of the mural so there will be plenty of opportunity for close examination — like "You missed this blade of grass over here!" scrutiny of minute detail.

This isn't even half.  I should shoot next for a good overview, eh?

I went on a little road trip this weekend to visit friends at Knitting Camp in Marshfield.  I didn't need to be there 'til 3:00 on Saturday afternoon, so meandered my way over with camera.  This greenhouse is abandoned, in disrepair, and also for sale.  I don't know when it saw its last customer.  I suspect it suffered a painful and slow decline due to reconfiguring of roadways — the location and visibility can't be beat, but getting there is another story (not to mention parking).  But, oh, how this kind of stuff sings to me… low and mournful sprinkled with high notes of hope.  What could be done here?

(What are those round things suspended from the ceiling?)

I went to a little town where my great grandparents farmed and where I know they're buried.  I can't believe I couldn't find the cemetery in a town of 330.  I found all kinds of other stuff, including churches, but no cemetery!  I would have stopped to ask, but the only people I saw were two guys sitting outside a tavern watching my car go by – I can't even guess at how many times — and I was beginning to feel idiotic.  I'll do some preliminary research next time.

I stopped by a different cemetery in a different small town on the way home.  It's a rural crossroads that's so small I can't even find population data.  The cemetery is right on the main drag, plus I've been there before.  My great grandmother's house is right across the street.  I never met her because she died before I was born, but I've had all the landmarks pointed out to me countless times, including the cemetery gate upon which Mom and Aunt Carol would play/swing when they'd stay at their grandmother's.  I walked the entire thing, looking at every grave, finding people I expected to find (great grandma!), but also some others.

This tiny little wooden cross was right next to a larger, very crude iron cross in an older part of the cemetery — very strange.  There were a few small old stones piled up at the base of a couple of trees — they've either toppled from age or it's the work of vandals.

So, yeah.  I had a great visit with Katy, Ann and Ricki, and also (finally, after a near-miss or two) met Jessica, and also Kim and a few others from the Dairy State and beyond.  No photos of knitting or of people!  I wasn't there for very long.  I did buy a pattern and some yarn for mittens at the market (will show & tell soon), we knit and visited together, went out for dinner, knit and visited together some more, went up to the room for more knitting, slept, had breakfast while discussing and working out new cast-on techniques, and then it was time for them to go learn some more and for me to head home!!