From the Cascades to Puget Sound (Blaine, WA)

I'm back!  I can hear you now.  "Oh, were you gone?  Did not notice..."😄   Anyway, it has been a busy summer getting caught up with family and friends. 

Icicle River

 If we were not visiting, we were busy chasing cats around our sites.  The weather has been perfect for sitting outside for long periods of time.  So long that our cats were getting bored with exploring just our site and kept insisting on checking on our neighbors' sites.  Dusty was more adventurous as he decided he was a big boy now and can walk himself down to the end of the road to lay in the shade of some tall trees. 😾 We tried to explain to him that he had to be escorted.  Of course, he did not believe us, but he did allow us to follow him.  

.....Getting him to go home is a whole different story!🙀

Shaun and Dan checking out the Wenatchee River.

While we were still in Leavenworth, we spent a lot of time going back to places we have not seen in many...many years.

We were lucky to see a group of kayakers on our second visit to Icicle Road when we took our son Shaun for a tour of the area.  The river was still running swift and very cold from the snow melt in late June.

We moved to Blaine around the end of June.  This time when we moved to western WA, we drove over Stevens Pass (Hwy 2).  I can't remember the last time we drove over the mountains on Hwy 2.    The last two times we were in Washington, we took the North Cascades Hwy.  Just as magnificent as I remember it being.  I did not sew or read during that trip.

Beautiful gardens in the Peace Arch Park

Shaun joined us for the 4th of July and for his birthday after we moved to Birch Bay, WA.

View from US looking towards Canada

We took him to the Peace Arch Park on the US/Canada border.  We were able to walk into Canada and back within the park.  No passports needed.

View from Canada looking towards US

Below are border signs letting us know we will be crossing into Canada.  In the meantime, we watched a Canadian catering company stopped on the road to unload their goodies for an event in the park on the US side.  I love it!  What we could not figure out is how they keep people from walking across the border - going either way.  It looks like we can cross the street and just keep going north.  There must be cameras setup that we were not seeing.

Notice house in the background with flag

On The Cutting Board

So, between chasing cats, checking out local sights, and visiting with everyone, I have been getting in a little sewing.  I had a custom order for two Happy Campers that I needed to finish within two weeks.  

The customer was quite understanding that I needed extra time with everything going on this summer.  She wanted one with the Welcome sign.  Which is the second time this one has been requested.  Hmmm, maybe I should make a few more with Welcome signs.

The second one was with a flower box.  I forgot how much fun I have when I am planting my embroidered flowers in their window box.  I need to make more of them too!

I have another custom order for a Black Cat quilt.  The customer is not in a hurry for it, but I do plan to finish it before the end of August.  Here's a sneak peek of one playful cat messing up my quilt blocks.  Sounds familiar doesn't it?  I swear that no matter where the cats are sleeping, they can hear blocks being laid out and always show up to help me with the quilt design.

When my eyes cannot take anymore appliquéing black fabric, I work on this cute quilt from P.S. I Love You.

Sunbonnet Sue is standing at the top dropping hearts to Overall Sam at the bottom of the quilt.  I think I will call this quilt "Showered with Love".

I need to post again soon because I did not cover the 4th of July weekend, not to mention, all the photos I want to share with you. 😉  So, don't faint if I post within the week, okay?  Okay, well back to sewing!

Happy Quilting!