Smokey (Sutherlin, OR)

A lot has happened since my last post.  After leaving Blaine for the second time, I was hoping for blue skies and clean air in Monroe.  As you can see from the photo below through my bedroom window, that did not happen.  The wildfire smoke was even thicker in Monroe, but we still managed to get outside once in awhile.

Monroe, WA

A week later, we moved to Chehalis, WA.  We were pleasantly surprised to find clear blue skies and a very nice shady site considering that the campgrounds have been very busy this summer.  The cats loved our  new wooded site so much that we had to argue with them late at night that we were not going outside.  They did get to spend more time outside while we were there.

Max's new throne in Chehalis

We were able to get back into our walking routine.  This is a view of Mount St. Helens from one of the sites.  What a view!

Mt. St. Helens

The Thousands Trails park had some great trails going around the perimeter.  One of the trails led to their chapel in the woods.

The sky was so clear that we were able to view the 96%  eclipse from one of the campground's open fields.  We found out that being on I-5 wasn't such a great place to be during the eclipse with all the viewers traveling to and from Oregon that weekend.  It was bad enough that I-5 was moving at a snail's pace (southbound on Thursday and northbound on Tuesday), but Chehalis was getting an overflow of travelers trying to beat the interstate traffic caused quite a congestion for the town.  We finally decided to hideout in the campground until the traffic cleared out.

Dan was trying to get us moved down to Oregon in mid-August with no luck.  All the campgrounds were packed full of eclipse viewers.  The first openings was almost a week after the eclipse.  We are finally settled in Sutherlin, OR in the Escapees Timber Valley SKP.

.....and we are back in the wildfire smoke.  It was so smokey that the sun had a red tint to it during the day and we could not see beyond the first tree-line.  This lasted only the first few days of our stay.  It sounds like the fires are contained, but not completely out.  I hope this will be the end of wildfires for our firemen, the relief efforts, and for the locals involved.  It certainly has been a trying month for all between wildfires and Harvey.

I am actually finding it hard to adjust to our quiet surroundings after dealing with packed campgrounds since summer started.  Our new neighbors are very quiet and a little strange looking.

I'm slowly warming up to them.  They are fun to watch after all....  😄 🐰

Do you think he knows I am watching him?

I'm watching you...watching me

You should see the other neighbors....what a bunch of turkeys! 🦃🦃🦃  They keep alerting on the cats and gobbling to each other.  😆

On The Cutting Board

All right!  I quilted all four tops and I am adding the binding now.  Here are the other two that I promised to show you.  This is the first time I have tried the rounded corners.  I hope I gathered enough binding into the corners.  I'm a little worried that the corners will end up too tight or warped.  I'm working on this one tonight.   

I love the way this one came out.  It will make a cute newborn gift.  I want to make this quilt pattern again.  Maybe with different appliqués at the top.

I had enough teddy bear fabric leftover from another quilt to make a scrappy lap quilt using the Crazy 8 pattern.

I changed the fonts on the Bear Hugs.  I think it looks a lot better than the last one.

Okay, I could not resist showing off the black cats again....

....and the Showered with Love quilt as well.  Did I mention that I sewed this top by hand except for the border?  I need to put another kit together for more hand sewing outdoors.

I'm working on some new Happy Campers.  I recently had a request for a Yorkie peeking out the window.  I had to make the window a little bigger in order to keep the face from becoming one big blur of black thread.  I think this will work out well.

Well, plenty to do and more to plan so I better get back to it!
Happy Quilting!

A Southern Tale (Benson, AZ

For the last couple of days, I have been visiting with my friend from Albuquerque.  She is on her own adventure to see some of our beautiful country in her small RV.  I'm very excited for her!  I spent a lot of time just enjoying our visit with chit-chat and walks, so I haven't been taking pictures.  It has warmed up quite a bit so we spent most of our time outdoors soaking up the sunshine.  The cats have been loving this visit since they got to spend extra time outdoors during our visits!

Quilt or Innocence by Elizabeth Craig

I found a new series with quilters and a cozy murder mystery.  So new that the second book just came out in February 2013.  Set in a small town in the south, Beatrice is the main character - a retired folk art museum curator from Atlanta, GA, she decides to follow her daughter and moves to a small town for some peace and quiet with her corgi after she retires.  While the quilting guild is determined to convert Beatrice into a quilter, she is just as determined to solve the death of one of the quilters.

It is a fun quick read filled with a strange mix of quirky people in a not so quiet let alone peaceful town.  Such as one elderly driver almost hits Beatrice as she is walking down the street.  The elderly woman shakes her fist at her and calls Beatrice a "road hog!".  Apparently she is well known for her driving skills and yet, she is still driving.  Now that's an endearing quirky town....I won't even start in on Beatrice's new neighbor!!  It is also a very clean read with no swearing or sex.  They did do a lot of quilt talking in between solving the murder mystery.  This is my kind of book.  I can't wait to read Elizabeth's next book.

On The Cutting Board
Before we leave Benson, I plan to give the Park's quilt group three quilts for their children's charity.  We will be heading on down the road next Tuesday.  I'm already starting some new tops.

Well, actually some of the blocks have been sitting around waiting to be finished.  It is time to blow the dust off of them and get them done!

Happy Quilting!

Last Post for 2012 (Patagonia, AZ)

Happy New Year!

So, another year has zipped by.  The older I get, the faster they seem to gooooooo!  But..it has been a good year filled with memories of family, friends, and adventures.  I would not change a single moment.  Well, okay, maybe a few moments...like those "hay-fever" days or that "darn-headache-won't-go-away" day.

Enjoy photos of Lesser Goldfinches while you read. :0)

New Year's Resolutions?  I don't have any new ones for 2013, but I do plan to continue the ones I started last summer.  Yea, I was a little late getting started.  It only took me six months to really get motivated.

My first resolution was to cut back on computer time.  I was beginning to feel like I spent a good 7 hours on my laptop.  My neck and shoulders were telling me all about it every morning. I realized that I wasn't spending any time doing what I enjoy the most - quilting and photography.  This 2012 resolution is going well and I'm getting a lot more projects done.

Also mid-summer, I changed my eating habits to healthier lighter choices.  So far, I have lost 7 pounds.  I hope to lose another 10 pounds before the end of 2013.  Slow and easy.  This is one resolution I will keep for the rest of my life.  I certainly do feel better.

We already have plans for 2013.  We plan to meet my brother at Zion National Park.  Dan and I have been there twice, but we have never walked the Narrows.  Hopefully, we will be able to walk the Narrows while we are there.  If not, it'll still be a great time visiting with my brother and seeing the sights.

General plans include heading back to the NW coast.  We did not get enough of it last time.  We also plan to visit our families again.

This next one is for  my sister-in-law and me:  We are going to Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show!  WhooHoo!  washing-machine dance....washing-machine dance....oh sorry...I get a little excited over the idea that I will finally get to see the town of Sisters covered in QUILTS!  Ever since I saw Sisters on Simply Quilts with Alex Anderson many, many years ago, I have wanted to go.  Sigh!  This is going to be such a wonderful year!

On The Cutting Board

True to my resolution, I have been working on several projects and I am finally finishing a few of them. This is my second Bear Hugs quilt for children.  I hope to get it quilted during our next two days off.  This will be another Project Linus quilt.

Wishing everyone a safe and healthy new year.  So, what are your plans for this year?  hmmmm?

Not So Wordless Wednesday (Oregon)

Travel day!  Today, we are heading into Washington State.  We plan to visit Dan's family in Spokane and we want to be there for Mother's Day.  The weather has been cooperative.  I hope it stays that way!

Here are some photos from yesterday's travels...Enjoy!

Flowered trees at the rest area in Idaho

Time for some shut eye...nighty-night!

Oh! My! Gosh!  What is that?!

On The Cutting Board

I finished Bear Hugs!  I'm going to put the top away for now.  I'll wait until I have at least two more tops done and then I will buy more batting.  Being short on storage, I have to plan ahead for the space.

Happy Trails!

Zion National Park (Ogden, UT)

We are staying at Hill AFB FamCamp for four nights.  On one side, we have a wonderful view of the Great Salt Lake with snow-capped mountains on the other side.  But today and on my next post, I want to share our experiences at Zion National Park.

We spent two wonderful days walking the trails of Zion National Park.  The weather was in the 80s and a little breezy.  Perfect!  We could not have asked for better weather.

We started with a visit to the northern section of Zion National Park.  Because this area is separate from the rest of the park, it was a lot quieter especially on a Sunday with the Free Access Week to National Parks.  Access to Kolob Canyon is on I-15 and there is only one 5-mile road... a very red paved road and that just added to the whole Zion feel.

We walked two trails.  One trail took us to an outlook over the south valley.  

Looking towards the South Valley

The second trail (Taylor Creek) was a 5-mile round trip.  Since we already did one mile, we decided to hike to the first cabin or hike one hour in before turning around.  

Taylor Creek

The trail doesn't go along side the Taylor Creek.  Oh no, it crosses over the creek several times.  It wasn't hard to crossover since the creek was narrow and there were always a line of flat rocks to make the crossing easier.  I think I enjoyed crossing the creek the most.  A little distraction from the usual walking on a dusty trail.

Kids were certainly enjoying the creek crossing.  We came upon a Mom trying to get her two kids to cross the creek and stop playing in the water.  I could not blame them for enjoying the crystal clear water and the fact that for once Mom could not get mad about their feet getting wet!  It took them twice as long as it did us.  She said that they had to play in the water at every crossing.  Yep, water - the perfect kid-magnet!

The views were grand.  Red sandstone and red cliffs everywhere.  I wonder what it is about the red sandstone that I find most interesting.  Maybe it is the red sandstone against the brilliant blue sky and the evergreens.  I wonder if I can find some fabric in this sandstone red shade.  Wouldn't that make a lovely southwest quilt.

The one-room cabin was a surprise.  It was built in 1930.  I was expecting a cabin built in the 1800s.  Whoever built it really wanted to get away from neighbors or anyone stumbling upon their little hideaway.  We were trying to imagine how they managed to get a mattress up into the canyon.  By mule, maybe?  That must have been an interesting sight!

On The Cutting Board

I'm working on a new Bear Hugs quilt.  Here's a link to my first Bear Hugs quilt.  I made the top last year so this in another one of my UFO's.  This one is being made for charity.

 I'm almost done with the bear's face.  This appliqué is going a lot faster than most of my  appliqué work.  I swear some material fights me the whole time I work with it.  Not this time.  So, I am keeping my fingers crossed....well, not while I'm sewing......and the sewing thread stays untangled.

Happy Quilting!

Good-Bye Key West! Hello Patrick AFB, FL - uh, did you say Tornado??

On 30 March, we left sunny Key West and arrived at a stormy Patrick AFB near Melbourne, FL.  We no sooner had parked the motorhome in front of the RV Office when the high winds and driving rain hit this area.  Since our rig was getting hit from the side, it was really rocking and rolling.  On the following day, a lot of the counties in and around Orlando were in Tornado Warning or Watch condition.  What a great way to start our trip Back-to-Civilization.  Well, at least it is a little bit cooler here and we have full-hookups with a view of the Banana River.  I know our cats are a lot happier.

A very alert Hitch.  First day after storms.

Before leaving Key West, I finished two more quilts!  I'm so happy we bought the screen house with a floor.  I can keep the floor clean and I don't have to worry about my fabric flying away.  I could not quilt on Vi's quilt.  We were in dry camp for the last two weeks and Key West felt like a steam bath even at 9 pm.  We had cats sprawled all over the floor and across the table.  Anyplace that felt cool to them or had a breeze.

Bear Hugs

Upclose of appliquéd bear's face with embroidery.

Baby's Toys

RolyPoly Clown upclose.  Ribbon is tacked down so baby cannot pull it loose.

I have to say spending the winter in Key West was very inspring for me.  We have a lot of new friends and I hope to see them again.  We will probably spend next winter either in Arizona or in Texas.