Going to the Dogs Some More

I know - I need to get the Dalian and Shanghai pictures up, but in the mean time here are some dog pics!

And I have been managing to do a drawing a day. Most are pretty awful, but here is one I don't hate.

Don't Know Why

Part of the draw something every day series:

Look Who's Here!

Yes, It's the confusing Spring Warblers!!!

Or maybe they're vireos?

  am confused!!  Is this really all the same species of birds? Where are the cape May warblers and the black and whites and everyone else.

I know I saw a yellow rump out there, but I only seem to be able to photograph these guys!

I love the chattering sound as they feed on the evergreen blossoms.

Whatever they are they are cute and very active!

I'm hoping will get more variety in a couple of days.

In the mean time, though, I'm happy!! It means Spring is really here!

PS-

The expert says Tennessee Warblers:

Looks right to me (This image from Wikipedia)

What Dogs Do When They're Bored

I've had my suspicions for  a while, but today I caught them in the act!

Update on Possum Shawl

Since I want a long triangular shawl and my pattern is a shorter oval, I am left to having to modify the pattern.  Here is what I have done so far (Not my favorite) but I think the long lines will be on the shoulder and thus not too obvious, I am getting ready to go back to figurals in the next few rounds.

And just for good measure, here is the new dog:

I'm glad I was able to get a picture without all the bulldog slobber all over him!

Prelude to Dalian

Despite our adventures in Beijing, I still decided to go to the library after dinner. Books have always been a reassuring object to me. Horace Mann wisely said, "A room without books is like a house without windows." Since we were in a floating house with relatively few windows, I opted for the room with books, besides the exotic paintings on the faux conservatory(-style) ceiling felt so decadent, so how could I resist?  What better place to read a play by Wilde or an essay by Shaw! Of course I didn't do that, I knitted, but still I imagined reading Pygmalion as I tried to correct for the 3rd time the mistakes I had made the day before on my green possum wool shawl.

Since it was March 17, the ship had celebrated St. Patrick's day while we were in Beijing, but they greeted us at dinner with this decor. (I went by and photographed it after the fact.)

The morning of the next day we got up and went to breakfast  before heading out into Dalian. Look at these marvelous socks knitted by one of our breakfast colleagues!

Dalian was already visible from the patio outside the Panorama room, but we had not yet arrived.

This meant we could enjoy watching the ship glide into port while we ate our breakfast.

It was a beautiful sunny day and Dalian seemed clean and cheery after the oldness and grime of Beijing.

The skyline was modern and enticing.

Of course there were some familiar Beijing sights too. (Yes, I know I am obsessed - call it a baby boom "duck and cover" generational thing.)

As we dined, we watched the seabirds and the barges passing by and then drank the last of our pretend coffee before heading to our rooms to prepare for disembarking.

Natalie (my roommate) and I were excited, we had signed up for an excursion with a visit to a "typical" Chinese family.

This would be my first excursion organized by the ship and I was excited to see what I  had been missing.

The Secret's of Mel's Beijing Plan (Updated)

I just got word from Richard about how brilliant Mel's plans were for making sure the knitters got back on board! Here is how Richard explained it to me:

"Mel and I were on high NORO (a type of Japanese yarn for those not familiar with the full wittiness of Richard's parole) alert and she immediately stayed at one of the gangplanks and told all the uniformed staff that the ship must wait for the missing busload of ladies. I returned to our balcony which had a dull view of the dock as it was getting dark. With our walkie--talkies blaring we looked very serious but I could not make out who was approaching the ship.

I took a high ISO photos of the area and under high mag saw Wendy's beret and Natalie's full hair...

 Then I saw Amy's leather jacket and ....

(huff, quick shallow breathing, sweaty palms) in seconds we knew you all made it back. Hooray!

We also had plan B: I was to suffer a seizure near the gangplank which would stop the ship from leaving port. "

Amy, another member of our group adds, "

Richard['s] photos are priceless!!! Reminded me of those last moments -- stuffing a bunch of bills in our bus driver's hand, jumping off the bus, sprinting across the pier to the end of the gangplank, and jabbering in Mandarin to the Chinese guard that the group was following right behind me and to not let the ship leave until I counted off all 16 members of the group onto the ship. What a memorable night!

There are those who might accuse me of exaggerating, but see, it just ain't so!!!