Where The Lava Once Flowed (Sunriver, OR)

The following photos are from Newberry National Volcanic Monument - Lava Lands.  Talk about feeling like I have walked through a portal and into a different world!  There was a 1-mile paved path that led us up towards the crater through the old lava flow.  The different lava formations were very interesting along with what manages to survive in it.

If you go to the link above, you can see an aerial photo of the crater.  It is quite fascinating to see.

Golden Mantle Ground Squirrel

We read about why the trees get so twisted.  New seedlings will get one strong tap root into the hard rocky ground.  That one root only supplies food to the one side of the tree, so the tree slowly revolves to get nourishment to all sides.  Hence the twisted tree trunks.  Amazing what Mother Nature can do to survive.

twisted tree

The lava land covers thousands of acres.  It is such an unusual sight to see where the lava stopped and suddenly there is a lush forest with Ponderosa Pines, rivers, and creeks.

Mt Bachelor and Sisters Mountains

Below are fireballs.  Like snowballs, they grow bigger as they rolled down the lava's downhill flow.

fireballs

 The beginnings of a new twisted tree...

Amazing to see this tree growing here

Okay, I ran out of things to say about Lava Land, but I have a few more photos that I can show you while I talk about something else....

In May, we marked our 4th anniversary of full-timing.  June 30, we celebrated 38 years of marriage.  We have been so busy spending the month walking and becoming more healthy that the anniversaries just came and went by without our notice.  Okay, we did celebrate our anniversary with some Ben & Jerry's ice cream....

and flowers

Anyway, we have put a lot of miles on our feet and our Fitbits.  The best part is seeing the results.  Sleeping better, more energy, and a loss of extra pounds!

lots of flowers

Yep, this has been the best way to celebrate our anniversaries instead of dinner out, overeating, and feeling like napping all day.  Usually, I have a dull headache for the next couple of days to remind me of my overindulgence as well.  Instead, I have feel great and ready to go for another walk...and more picture taking, of course.

chipmunk

Cathedral Windows by Clare O'Donohue

Surprise!  I managed to finish a book between all our explorations.  This is pretty short - less than 80 pages, but a wonderfully written story about a small town with a big heart in the spirit of giving.  Nell is teaching Elementary students how to quilt when a young two-time Afghanistan War Veteran now teacher is accused of burning down his own home.  He has already lost all of his family and depressed, he feels there is nothing left for him in his old hometown.  Nell soon enlists the help of her quilting friends to help solve the mystery and to show this beloved teacher that he has not lost everything in the world.
Happy Trails!

Summer Days (Tucson, AZ)

I feel like summer has just started.  I actually pulled out my t-shirts and capris.  So nice to wear light-weigh summer clothing even if it is just for a little while.  I hear Patagonia is getting down to the low 50s at night....darn.  Oh well.

We have been busy this week doing a lot of shopping.  Stocking up for our winter stay at the preserve.  Of course, we can drive back to Tucson anytime, but we prefer not to do that very often.  

I did a shopping trip to Joann's during the Columbus Day.  So many items on sale for 50% off really made it hard for me to stay on course with my shopping list.  My main item was to buy a new OttLite bulb that usually goes for $34.99.  Pricey, but I have had this one bulb for over 6 years.  Not to mention, it has saved my eyesight. Lucky for me, Joann's had it for half price!  Yea!  I also stocked up on batting and a few other quilt-y items....okay and some fabric.

I also stopped by Trader Joe's and stocked up on a few staples like my favorite peanut butter, almond milk, and a variety of nuts.  We have also made trips to Walmart (of course), Target, and grocery shopping.  I am enjoying the warmer weather so much that I made some Quinoa Tabouli with fresh parsley for a quick snack.  Delicious! 

1/2 cup Quinoa

1 1/2 cup parsley

1 cucumber

3 medium tomatoes

1/3 chopped green onions

2 tsp. dry mint

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 - 1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

On The Cutting Board

During the last couple of weeks of travel, I have been keeping myself entertained with embroidering a new project from "All Creatures Great and Small" by Natalie Bird.  Aren't they adorable?  They are so tiny (4.5x7in) that I can finish one block within two days.  Once I have finished all of the blocks, I will add them to a quilt. 

Owl and the Pussycat

Elephants

Goldfish

Oh, and I do plan to start working on some more Snowmen soon

The Devil's Puzzle: A Someday Quilts Mystery by Clare O'Donohue


I finished the last of the Someday Quilts Mystery series.  I hope Clare plans to write more.  I really enjoyed the quilt talking as well as the murder mystery.  This time Nell has been volunteered to organize a quilt show during Archer Rest's anniversary celebration.  I thought this can get quite interesting since I have never seen behind the scenes of preparing for a quilt show.  Even though it was fun to read, there wasn't a lot of detail on the setup.  I did like the visions of quilts hanging from the store fronts.  Sounds familiar, doesn't it Sisters?

Of course, having a body dug up in her grandmother, Eleanor's backyard was a big distraction.  I actually found this mystery a little slow compared to the previous books.  I think part of it was that Nell wasn't fighting with the Chief of Police and she did not seem very interested in solving the case.

I did finish it and I did enjoy the story.  Most of all, I loved a couple of things Claire wrote about quilters and quilting.  Here are my two favorite quotes:  "It is our meditation, our therapy, and our connection to the soul."   "We are all joined by a love of needle and thread, by the usefulness and the beauty of a quilt, and by the friendships that form because of it."
Happy Quilting!

The Double Cross (Pacific City, OR)

Travel Day!  We are moving south to Newport, OR.  We spent time at this RV park before and I loved it.  We will be close to the beach again and near place to explore.

Robin is getting some tail wind.

Here are a couple of photos of the wild rabbits in this RV park in Pacific City.  Don't they look like domestic rabbits?

How cute am I?

I bent down to watched them and even the babies came hopping up to me.  Of course, they were looking for a handout even though someone has fed them already.  They are so cute!

Baby bunnies everywhere!

And here's a couple of beach views.  This one looks towards Pacific City and the tall dune we have to climb over to get to town.  Yea, we decided it was easier to take the car and not fill our shoes with sand.

The one below is part of the dune.  People are all over this area, but I'm not so sure I want to crawl around on the rocks.  I'll stick to taking pictures..

A walk on the beach

Sigh....It is going to be hard to go back to Arizona after a summer on the NW coast.

The Double Cross: A Someday Quilts Mystery by Clare O'Donohue

I am so in love with this series!  I hope Clare plans to write many more Someday Quilts Mysteries!  I barely finished this one and I am already reading The Devil's Puzzle: A Someday Quilts Mystery.

Nell, her grandmother - Eleanor, and Suzanne have been asked to help with the opening of a new quilt resort.  How exciting!  While Suzanne teaches a class, Eleanor will help with opening a quilt shop at the resort.

This one is filled with so many twists it was amazing I could keep them straight.  I figured out the killer quickly, but Clare did a wonderful job of making me doubt myself.

One thing that was addressed in this story was some men's attitudes towards quilters and getting asked that most irritating and condescending question:  Why cut up perfectly good fabric and sew it back together?  I usually answer with I make them prettier and more useful.  Who wants to wrap themselves in a couple of yards of cotton on a cold winter's night?

Lots of quilt talk, bizarre happenings, strange characters, and a murder to solve keeps this story moving in constant motion.

Happy Quilting!

Welcome Cat, Sunset, and Murder? (La Conner, WA)

 A Drunkards Path: A Someday Quilts Mystery

Clare O’Donohue did an excellent job on this story!  I had a hard time putting it down.  Nell has a new romance in her life.  She has decided to go back to art school with lots of encouragement from her quilt circle.  Nell isn’t the only one with a love interest.  Her grandma, Eleanor has also found love with Nell’s art professor and renowned artist.

Not everything in the little town of Archer’s Rest is so idyllic.  Two young women are found dead along the river and one was in Eleanor’s backyard.  Is it the same killer?  One of the suspects is Eleanor’s new beau and Nell is worried about her grandma being the next victim.  This time the whole quilting circle wants to help Nell and gets involved in solving the mystery.

Clare gives excellent clues, but not enough to give away the identity of the killer.   I was very surprised when they finally solved the mystery.  The art class lessons alone were fun to read since I never took art classes ..well, not since high school.  I always wanted to take were courses from a collage.  There was plenty of quilt talk too.  The way Clare merged the artwork with quilt making was wonderful.  I actually got a little frustrated because my fingers would start itching to quilt, but I could not put the book down!  I wish I could get this on my iPod.  I would love listening to this story while I quilt away the hours.

Sunset over Lone Tree Beach

On The Cutting Board

After I finished putting the top together, I was a little worried that the fabric blended into each other.  Too much of the same tone does make it hard to see the Welcome or the cat.

But, once I started the buttonhole along the edges, I knew it would be okay.  I think that next time I will use some better contrasting colors so kitty and Welcome stand out more.  I'm going to make it a little bit bigger too.  This one is only 10x16.

Well, this one is ready to be layered and quilted.

Now, I have three wall hangings to quilt: Art Nouveau, Gift Shop, and this one!  I better get a moving!

Happy Quilting!

The Lover's Knot (Plymouth, WA)

Hitch ~ oh yea, I can smell the grass

The Lover’s Knot ~ A Someday Quilts Mystery by Clare O’Donohue

I loved this book!  It's cozy.  It's filled with quilt talk.  And it's a murder mystery.  My favorite combination!

If you like Jennifer Chiaverini’s first book: The Quilter’s Apprentice, you will enjoy The Lover's Knot.

I found myself in quite a dilemma…to read or to quilt.  So I would  read a couple of chapters then my fingers would start to itch and I just had to go quilt or do some kind of hand work.  All the quilt talk in the story had me motivated to get busy quilting.  I wish this series was available in audible format so I could listen to the quilters solving the mystery while I worked on my projects.

Nell Fitzgerald is the main character.  Nell is no stranger to the quilting world, but she is not a quilter…yet.   Right after she receives her grandmother’s wedding quilt, Nell is devastated by her co-worker/fiancée admiting he is not ready to get married.  Nell decides to get away from NYC and visit her sensible grandmother Eleanor in Archers Rest.  A small town where everyone know everybody's business.  Eleanor just happens to be the owner of a well-establish quilt shop – Someday Quilts.  I love discovering quilt shops like Someday Quilts – packed to the rafters with fabrics, tools, and books with quilts hanging everywhere.  sigh! oh sorry...back to the story..

Nell meets the Friday night group – The Someday Quilters.  Soon everyone in Nell’s new life along with the return of Nell’s ex(?)-fiancée are all tangled up in a murder mystery with small town secrets.  Most amateur detectives are unwilling participates in solving a mystery, but not Nell!  She openly admits that she is having fun playing detective despite being told to stop being a snoop by a very handsome Police Chief.

Between murder and romance, Nell starts learning about quilting.  I love the way Clare smoothly added little quilting lessons into the story.  In one part, Eleanor explains to Nell the measurements of a fat-quarter starting with a ¼ yard to why the fat quarter is more useful to the quilter.  Nell soon discovers quilting can be very therapeutic for the mind and soul.

I can't wait to start the next one:  A Drunkard's Path

Travel Day

One more travel day!  We plan to spend a week in Spokane before heading west on the North Cascades Highway. 

 It is so nice to be back in the NW area.  I miss all the green, the crystal clear rivers, the tall snow-capped mountains, and the rocky coast.  Oregon and Washington will always have a special place in my heart.

Happy Trails!

Binding Quilt Stories (Las Vegas)

No Peeking!

Sonoma Rose by Jennifer Chiaverini

When I start reading one of Jennifer Chiaverini's books, I anticipate a story filled with quilters finding friendship through their love of quilting.  There are few books published by a writer that understands quilters and our love to quilt or to talk quilt.  

I can understand an author wanting to spread her wings and write about something new.  I just feel Sonoma Rose should have been marketed separate from the Elm Creek series.  The only connection to Elm Creek was a couple of flashbacks to Elizabeth from The Quilter's Homecoming.  Otherwise, this story was about Rosa's family and Lars.

As you can tell, I never tire of reading about the process of quilting - no matter what is being describe.  But, this story did not focus on the quilter's life or quilting.  Basically, the only quilt talk came from Rosa thinking about block patterns and colors for each of her children's quilts, her mother's two quilts barely get describe, and she cuddles under her own quilt.  Towards the end, Rosa started to teach a friend how to quilt, but that ended before they even got started. Great!

If you are interested in Prohibition and life on a vineyard then this book is for you.  I enjoyed Rosa's story and I learned a few things about the Prohibition era. I often read Jennifer's books more than once, but I doubt that I will read this one again anytime soon.  I'll have to run out of reading material first.

I won't give up on her though... Jennifer's next book The Giving Quilt will make up the difference since it is about the Elm Creek's Quiltsgiving Day.  Two of my favorite subjects: Quilts and Project Linus.  

But, I have to wait until the end of October...so in the meantime, I found a new author, Clare O'Donohue.  I started reading her first book The Lover's Knot: A Someday Quilts Mystery today.  Quilts! Mystery!  Now that's my kind of story!

 

 On the Cutting Board

Okay!  I got all the binding done yesterday.  Can you see that the red binding is a lot thinner than the other two?

I was a little short on red material so I made the red binding 2 inches instead of my usual 2.5 inches width.  I would rather be narrow than short on length.  I have used binding this narrow before, but it is not easy to wrap around the raw edges of the quilt.

Tuesday Treasury

Like a buffet, I pick out one or two items that strike my interest and move on to the next section.  The more eclectic - the better I like it!