Thanks everyone for the great comments on my last post! I was cracking up at the universal "ergonomic" keyboard experience--It sounds like they hurt more than they help! And of course, thanks for the compliments on Nerissa. Although it is really not looking like I'm going to get to wear it this year. Unless we get an October heat wave.

Yes, it is definitely that time of year already:Just like the Red Sox, the leaves slowly wither and fall.

On a happier note, G and I had an fun time last Sunday. For his work, G inventories trees and other vegetation as part of a state-wide scientific survey. Back in June, he was heading to one of the survey plots through the woods when he passed what looked like a monster-sized American Mountainash. So we decided to go back out and try to find it. This involved much bush-whacking (that orange is the back of G's field vest):
But was not without some pretty sights:
The hobblebush leaves change color in a fascinating mosaic pattern:
Finally, we struck gold! This wasn't the original tree that G saw back in June, but it seemed to be pretty darn close in size to that one:
Now that may not look like that impressive of a tree to you, but keep in mind that this species usually maxes out at a 6 or 8 inch diameter, and this tree had a whopping 18.6 inch diameter! We've already nominated it for the Maine Big Tree Register. The existing record is 47 inch circumference, 49 foot height, and 28 foot crown spread. Our has a 60 inch circumference, 50 foot height, and 35 foot crown spread, so I am pretty sure we smoked that record! But even more exciting is that there's a possibility it might beat the national record as well. How cool would that be? We have to have it verified by a forester first so hopefully our measurements were accurate. I really hope so because we spent about 4 hours tromping through the woods looking for this sucker, dontcha think we deserve some sort of prize? ;)

There hasn't been much time for knitting this week, so no new pictures, although I did start a small project that I'll show you next time. I only have a few repeats left for the center of the Victoria Shawl before I can start the edging, which I am intrigued by. I've never done this type of edging (knitted on after the main portion is done), so should be interesting.

I'll leave with a shot of a cabin I had to visit for work yesterday. I really could have sat there all day admiring that view in the nice warm sun. Not a bad property, eh?