I will have to say that I didn’t miss the noise from the cicadas who blasted my eardrums last year on my walk from the hotel to the Sharonville Convention Center. They were ugly, noisy and literally all over the place. From the grounds to the bushes to the road to the new programs – literally all that you could hear.

This year, instead, we have heat. The high today was 34*C. But back to the walk. To get to my stitching retreat (cross-stitch folks, the replacement handcraft from knitting since the pandemic. After all, I live in California now. Exactly how many wool sweaters, socks, and shawls do you think I need? Anyway – it is 2.9 km (1.4 miles) according to Google.

StitchCon is a Thurs afternoon-Sunday noon stitching retreat hosted by Keepsakes – the local needleworks store. I was here last year and had a good time and jumped at the opportunity to return. So, for all of you who asked – that is why I am in Cincinnati. Even with yesterday’s flight challenges, it just might have been an easier trip out than Amtrak was last year (complete with delays, bus bridge, and running for the train in Indianapolis followed by a middle of the night Lyft ride and checkin. Even with yet another time zone change, I am less tired.

Of note – out of ~ 300 attendees there are seven of us masked. And yes, I counted. Starting with noontime registration and ending with various announcements at 1900, I made good progress on The Ferret – starting here

and finishing here –

completing the ferret’s body and tale, more greenery and the cottage. Down to the last 1200 stitches (1350 completed today) I just have leaves, one more huge yellow flower and a bunch of those annoying five stitch scattered mini-flower things…

Oh – on my walk over? The ONLY people I saw out of cats were the construction workers on lunch break from the re-do of the interstate access roads. They most sensibly were under the freeway bridge. On the way back? There was soccer practice at the local school district’s sports complex.