SO, sitting in the left-turn lane at a red light. Minding my own business. Knitting on a sock. A quick WHOOP WHOOP of a police siren next to me got my attention. Mr. Policeman has an intent look on his face and his window's rolled down. I roll mine down and say, "yes, sir, is there a problem?" He gets out of his car, with the lights going. nice. Apparently, when I held the knitting up close to see whether I needed to decrease on this round or the next on the heel gusset, it made the man a titch uncomfortable seeing a driver wielding metal implements of doom double pointed sock needles instead of having both hands on the steering wheel. After explaining what I was doing, "yes, sir." And promising that I never, EVER knit while driving, "Oh, no, sir!" that the knitting goes in the lap as soon as the light turns green he seemed to be ready to let me get on with it. (That really long stretch of very straight, very deserted highway last summer and a stockinette sock in progress don't count here.) Also, Mr. PM didn't agree that sock knitting is, in fact, why God made red lights, no chuckle at all. That's the beginning of the "yes, sir....no, sir" business began. Apparently I'm not nearly as funny in real life as I sometimes think I am in my head. Knitting humor and policemen don't mix well. Thank God it's not a ticketing offense to knit a sock at the wheel.
What, MORE run-ins with public servants? Yes, please. Saturday afternoon Jeff's burning off a pile of brush and apparently had a few too many wet smoldery leaves in the chiminea. Ok, in the big metal barrel that was cut in half and serves as our outdoor firepit. There was a column of smoke so thick and rolling that the local firemen that were heading back from a grocery store stop decided to come and check things out. After admiring the screened-in back porch Jeff made and talking twigs, leaves and all things fire and smoke, they said we weren't in trouble since the fire was technically in a chiminea, but should put this smoke-fest out so the neighbors would calm down. While they were there we must have had 4 old men come running thinking the house was burning down. I do love our neighbors.
Knitted objects in action. We bundled up and packed snacks and such and spent Sunday afternoon playing in the park. Football, hide-n-seek tag, lava tag, hiking around the paths, throwing sticks on the frozen ice, generally having a good time. Thank God for warm wool. And long underwear. Good times had by all.
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