Bring On The Rain (Sutherlin, OR)

We woke up to rain last weekend.  Such a welcome sound after a dry summer.  We had plenty of beautiful days to sit outside and enjoy our new home base, but everyone was hoping for rain...lots of rain with no lightning and we got it for a couple of days!  Yes!  Now we just need about a month or two more of this gentle rain. 

We started adding a few things to our site.  I bought some half barrels after receiving plants from our neighbors.  Wasn't that sweet of them?  I had planned on waiting next year since we were getting a late start and planned to leave the area in a few months.  I have to say, it was nice to have something green among all that grey gravel.  Dan bought the long container and filled it with catnip and grass.  Of course, leave it to a cat to bypass their greens for the forbidden flowers!😺😺😺  Oh and no worries, they can nibble on Impatiens.  I just prefer they didn't.

Max approves

We spent most of this summer just enjoying our site on top of the hill, visiting the local restaurants, setting up the coach's winter maintenance, and shopping online.  Oh man!  You don't know how much I missed ordering things online.  It is hard to figure out how to get those items delivered when we are traveling.  It is so nice to have our own site number for deliveries to our door and a mailbox at the park office.

At the beginning of July, we thought we were in for a summer of record-breaking heatwaves and smoke-filled days.  

One of the smoke-filled mornings

We had our share of hot days, but for the most part, it wasn't that bad.  Most of our nights were cool enough to open windows with fans to keep the coach comfortable.  We plan to add shade to our site with an awning on the shed for next summer and maybe the following year - a gazebo.  It will be nice to have more shaded sitting areas.

We did most of our walks in the morning.  One of the leaseholders is a National Forest Ranger retiree.  He shared his talent with the park by adding a one-mile trail through the woods for walkers and mountain bike riders.  He did a wonderful job and we took full advantage on hot days to walk the tree-covered trail.  At the end of the trail, there's a grass-filled meadow surrounded by blackberry bushes.  A lot of breakfast with cereal covered with sweet blackberries.  Yum!

A view of our site from the trail.

We are almost done with our medical appointments.  We are waiting for the last vet's appointment for the cats to get their teeth cleaned before we head south.  Overall, their new Vet thought all three cats were looking great for their age.  In October, she will take bloodwork to make sure there are no hidden problems.  We did find out that Dusty is developing cataracts. 

And poor Hitch might be toothless after his teeth-cleaning.  Apparently, his gums are looking swollen, but that hasn't slowed down his constant eating.

Max doesn't need his teeth cleaned, but he is showing his age with his stiff arthritic walk, loss of weight, and now we know with this second opinion that he has a heart murmur.  I'm not looking forward to hearing about the results of his bloodwork in October.

On The Cutting Board

Getting old hasn't slowed down the cats though.  Max still helps with quilting and he still has a strong opinion that I need to take frequent kitty-cuddle breaks from my projects.

Hitch has taken his self-appointed supervisor job very seriously.  

Stop taking my picture....

and finish pinning the quilt

With the help of the cats or lack of....I managed to finish three tops and have two more that are pinned and ready to be quilted.

Monster Mash

This scrappy quilt took too many years to finish and yet I would not mind making another one since it does use up my scraps in a very colorful way.

Wonky Log Cabin

I forgot all about these finished blocks.  They must have sat in the bottom of the drawer for about 8 years(?).  It was time to get this one done.  

Fancy Sue

I have a couple of tops that I would like to add some applique designs.  I'm soaking some fabrics in clean water after washing them.  Makes for a colorful photo.

So, back to getting a few more quilts done.  

Happy Quilting!

Yearning for Blue Skies (Sutherlin, OR)

2020 just keeps on giving. To all my friends being battered by tropical storms and hurricanes, I hope you and your families are safely tucked away from Sally and the storms that are following in her wake.  In the meantime, I am also hoping our west coast friends with homes in the wildfire's path are safe.

September started out with some unusually hot weather.  We have been sticking close to home due to the hot weather and our power being unpredictable.  We did not want to come home to roasted cats after being gone all day.  With temps rising into the 90s, we spent the early morning taking walks around the RV park or grocery shopping.  Usually by 9 am, it was already getting on the warm side and a good time to sit outside with the cats until we lost our shade in the early afternoon.  It sounds boring, but I have been enjoying our quiet times.

On one of my walks, I came across this doe and her fawn.  Neither one was worried about me walking nearby.

The cats were certainly enjoying our beautiful weather.  As you can see below how they were taking advantage of their time spent outdoors.

Tired Dusty

I spent most of my outdoor time reading, talking to neighbors, and working on my quilt.  Doesn't Max look impressed?

The Beast is sleeping

One evening last week, we took a short evening walk.  I noticed the sunset was an unusual hazy red.  I thought of the old sailor's adage: 

Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning

Red sky at night, sailor's delight

I guess that only works at sea because our red sunset was due to wildfire smoke from a fire north of us.  The next thing we knew we were being told there was a new wildfire about 10 miles (as the crow flies) east of us in Guild, OR.  As the day progressed, the sky became darker as the wind blew the fire in our direction.

Day 1

We were asked to prep for evacuation as the smoke turned our world yellow.  Several of the Escapees decided not to wait for evacuation orders and left early.  Yesterday after a week of monitoring warnings, our Level 1 was downgraded to normal, but for some evacuated Sutherlin residents living in the eastern areas, there will be no home to return to. 

Day 1

If you wondering why we did not pack up and leave the area, it is because we need to stay here.  Dan will be starting radiation treatment for prostate cancer for the next 2 months in Roseburg.  He had three appointments this week for consulting and prepping for his upcoming treatments.

Day 2 & 3

For more than a week we have been monitoring our alert links and watching the local news.  The Archie Creek fire stopped moving east thanks to the winds dying down.  This is good news for everyone with homes and businesses in its path, but no wind means the smoke is still hanging around.

Large pieces of ash

I honestly found it easier to do a 14-day quarantine than hiding away from hazardous smoke in our closed up coach.  At least, we could open windows, take walks, or sit outside.  Now, we try to keep our outdoor time limited because the air quality index is way beyond the hazardous level.  Very Unhealthy is 201 to 300 ppm.  Most of western Oregon has been off the charts with 400+ due to the thick smoke.  We have KN95 masks, but I still limit my time outdoors.  I just got my COPD under control with an inhaler.  I really don't want to backslide to how I was feeling last year.  

Next door neighbor's site

Thank you to all Firefighters who are risking their lives and working 24/7 to keep our community safe and the wildfires contained.

Now, if we can just explain this to our cats who are suffering from cabin fever.  Dusty especially doesn't understand why he can't do his usual 2-hour outside cat nap.  If it is raining or gusty winds, all we have to do is let him step outside.  He gets the hint and comes right back in.  Yep, that big furry baby is a fair-weather only kind of cat.😸  But smoke?  How do you explain it isn't safe to breathe?  Yea, he is not a happy camper right now. 😾  Max and Hitch are happy no matter what they do that day as long as they get fed and their share of attention.

As I finish writing this post, the sky is starting to clear.  I saw the sun for the first time in eight days and the wind is picking up a little from the west blowing east.  With some luck, the wind might blow the fire back into the burn-area.  

On The Cutting Board

I am still working on my southwest quilt, but I don't have any new photos except for this one taken 10 days ago.

One of our last days outdoors.

I'm hoping by the time I post again, I will have a couple of rows sewed together.

Happy Quilting and Please Stay Safe!

From A to Zzzz (Sutherlin, OR)

First, I want to let everyone know that the kayak owner's insurance finally paid for our damages as well as to the Tesla owner.  It only took them six weeks and a lot of emails to get them to pay, but Dan and N were diligent in getting them to admit the kayak owner was at fault, not the rack company.

View of Columbia River

We will be spending the winter having the coach fiberglass repaired and the paint touched up.  In the meantime, I have photos of our walk to Starvation Falls while we were staying in Viento State Park in July.  We were able to walk from our park to the next park on a paved trail that looked like an old road.  This made for a pleasant walk on the hillside just above the highway, but we could still hear the traffic from below.  Not so much the joy of listening to the wind or singing birds in the trees as much as the engines zooming by. 🤣🐦

Starvation Falls got its name when a train full of people became snowbound during the winter of 1884.  It sounds like the beginnings of a tragic story, but this one ends with everyone living.

They ran out of food and coal, but passengers and crew managed with what they had or could find in the nearby forest to keep warm.

With help from the locals, and male passengers risking a dangerous trek through the deep snow to bring food to the snowbound train, the passengers were able to survive for three weeks inside the train.  Passengers and crew admitted to being very cold and feeling starved but were happy to be able to live to tell their story.

Back to Sutherlin, OR at the Timber Valley Escapees RV Park.  Both Dan and I have been busy with annual check-ups with our doctors and dentists.  On quiet days, we have been enjoying the wildlife in the park.

Our next-door neighbor has an Asian pear tree that all the animals love to eat.   The jackrabbits are there every morning for breakfast.  This is the first time I have been able to get this close to them.

The squirrels usually don't stick around to eat their fruit.  We get the feeling that they don't like to hang out with the rabbits except for this guy.  He decided that he wanted a breakfast with a view and sat on the planter next to the yellow roses.

All sites back up to a green common area with grass and trees.  Dusty enjoys this area. 

We spend half our time following him to the back.  He has become quite a tree hugger lately! 

On The Cutting Board

All done from A to Zzzz!  Well, the embroidery is all done.  Now I need to spend time trimming down the blocks.

Then I need to embroider the seams and decide on a border or no border.

Plus a backing.  Hmmm, maybe I'm celebrating too early, but it still feels like a big accomplishment.

Okay, back to the cutting board for more planning.
Happy Quilting!

First Snowfall (Sutherlin, OR)

Two weeks ago I thought Spring was on its way with the flowers popping up and my allergies suddenly going out of control.

Our days were sunny and the temperatures were starting to rise.

Max soaking up the sun.

Then Winter decided it wasn't quite ready to leave us with a mild winter.  

We are finally getting much needed rain and snow.  

 Well, the snow isn't lasting, but it is nice to see it change the landscape around us for a short time.

The cats have not been too happy with the change in weather, but I'm sure this cold front will not last long.  It would be nice to have more rain before summer gets here.

Hitch is tired from being up all night.

Dan's foot is healing and he is back to walking on his own two feet without support.  Below is Dan's  itinerary for this year's travel plans:

  We have rough plans for the coming year. We will stay in the Sutherlin OR until 26 March for medical and dental appointments, then buy eight new motorhome tires locally (no sales tax in Oregon), and add one more 180 watt solar panel in Springfield OR.
  Weather over the Cascade passes permitting, we will move over to Bend OR on the east side of the Cascade mountains for a month or two.
  After that we will drift south through Nevada on back roads, into AZ spending around one month in Benson AZ near Tucson.
  After that into New Mexico to Texas. Several months in various places in east TX and motorhome work in Nacogdoches TX where our motorhome was built.
  After that towards FL, staying at several military bases in FL, perhaps Disney or Thousand Trails parks, and eventually to Key West FL for fall and winter.
  While this is somewhat backwards by moving towards hot weather for the summer months, it also puts us into low season in campgrounds for less crowding and more space/availability.

On The Cutting Board

While Dan was on crutches and space being limited in our motorhome, I decided to try sewing in our bedroom instead of using my 6x3 foot folding table in the living room which left no space for Dan to move around.  He had a hard enough time moving around without me hogging all the space.

There is no place to sit, but I do have a desk with enough floor space for my foot pedal and for me to turn around to the bed.  The desk has enough room for the sewing machine and the small cutting board if I am doing paper foundations.  The bed makes for an excellent place to lay out my quilt blocks...

....as long as the cats are not spread out across while sleeping.  The desk with the sewing machine is the perfect height for me to stand and sew.  I'm actually enjoying my new setup and the standing is easier on my back and neck.  I can move quickly from sewing to ironing in the kitchen.  Plus, I can leave my sewing sitting out while I eat lunch or take cats outside without worrying that my stuff is in Dan's way.

So, what have I been working on?  I have finished four quilt tops.  They are waiting to be appliquéd. For now, I'll show you my most recent project and will wait to show the others after they are appliquéd.  I found a cute baby pattern called Zoey's Quilt in one of my old Quiltmaker magazines.  I like it so much that I decided to make two of them.

Quiltmaker's All-Time Favorites Winter 2005 Zoey's Quilt

I thought this pattern would be perfect for the leftover fabrics I used in Sweet Pea's Garden quilt since the pattern has an appliquéd sweet pea vine growing up the side.  The appliqué will be a big project between the long vine with the leaves and sweet peas, not to mention, I will be doing this appliqué design twice.

Below is a photo of the first top.  In the second quilt, I will replace the dark blue sashings with dark pink and the yellow borders with aqua blue (in photo above).

 I also liked the way the top and side borders are wider than the other two borders.  It looks lopsided now, but when the vine is added it will be very cute.  

 I have also been working on more mug rugs for my Etsy shop.  I have not listed them yet since I am still working on the photos.

It has been a quiet month, but very productive for me and a well deserved rest for Dan.  Time for some more sewing!  

Happy Quilting!