Interlude - Yard Birds (but no rock and roll) and knitting

I've been too tired and busy to write about Beijing recently, but have had a few spare moments in the yard and have noticed the change in birds. The red wings have their epaulettes back and look much less dreary now.

The wood ducks in the pond by the mail box have returned and taken up residency at the back of the pond. It looks like they are wearing plastic eyewear to me - as if they placed buttons over their eyes to protect their identity. Maybe they are superstars of the Anatidae world.

And the bluebirds are back.

I'm a bit too proud of this shot, because I'm not the best of bird photographers and they usually eschew my paparazzo-style of ambush photography. Come to look at it, do you detect a slight note of disdain in that not so complacent eye?

And of course here is the state of my current knitting project. I'm not too happy with the line caused by the two needle cast on that I had to use instead of a  yarn provisional cast on while I was on the plane.

I'm including a close up shot so that the beads can be detected. I'm hoping they'll add a glint of sparkle here and there on the finished project, but of course it is so hard to tell until the finishing. (If you click on the image you just might be able to see them better, but then again who knows!!!)

This is the Diva Romana shrug that I started in the plane to Japan and that I am transmuting into a shawl without sleeves because I have limited yarn. It currently measures 24 inches wide and 17 inches long and is made in Cherry Tree Hill Possum lace weight yarn.