Wildlife

Cow moose and a woodchuck

Grizzly bear sniffing the flowers or eating berries my camera was zoomed to the max.  There was a lake some vegetation, a road, trees and the slope of a mountain between us.  He looked like the curve of a hay bale on the mountain side without my camera.  --Ann--

Mountain goats we saw 2 adults  who seemed to be having a disagreement and 2 kids they were so cute but I only got a picture of one.  The adults crossed the trail a couple times and could have charged at us but  fortunately they were more interested in their own dispute.

--Ann--

Hiking in Glacier

I remember going to the Black Hills in South Dakota for the first time, I was probably 5 back in the days when kids could sit on the edge of the seat gripping the back of the front seat and seeing the mountains on the horizon  the anticipation that each mile they were getting bigger and bigger, I had never seen anything that big except the sky.  Driving across Montana and into the mountains you didn't know you were in the mountains until they were there.  The haze from the fires hindered visibility  but one of the days the jet stream shifted taking the smoke further north and the view of the mountains was glorious.

I did not enhance the color of those pictures.  The wind blows the smoke away the sky is blue.  There are lots of little waterfalls from the sadly melting glaciers and snow.  When the park was established there were 135 glaciers now there are 26.

A marmet along the trail it was eating wild raspberries until I interrupted with my camera clicking.

I was so glad I wore my hiking boots on my daily walks for a few weeks before we left.  --Ann--

A little adventure

Darling daughter and I did a little road trip to western Montana and Glacier National Park.  After two days of driving we spent the first day in Kalispell and Whitefish.  I found a quilt shop and a few yards of fabric that I need for my next project.  The rabbits were just too cute and they have long ears like a jackrabbit.  They will find a place in a quilt someday.  That little moose is either fabric marker or crayon on fabric and machine stitched in black then wrapped around a wooden spool for my miniature shelf.   --Ann--

Reading list #3 2021

1. The Girl from the Savoy by Hazel Gaynor working class girl makes it to the chorus line and beyond.  A good story but she has written other books that I have liked much better.
2. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters the first in a series about Brother Cadfeal a Medieval  monk in western England/ Wales. I had a hard time following/finishing this book fortunately it was short just over 200 pages, don’t know if I will read more of the series. It was recommended by an acquaintance.
3. Montana Blueprint for Love by Debra Salonen romantic fluff I will read more of her books just for fun.
4. Absolution by Ellen J. Green book 2 after Twist of Faith which I read A couple years ago. Murder mystery and a young woman searching for her family lots of twists in the plot.
5. Silent Redemption by Ellen J. Green more twists and turns to a very complicated plot but it was all sorted out in the end.
6. Meet Me in Montana by Debra Salonen book 2 romantic fluff
7. The Forgotten Secret by Kathleen McGurl a modern day story and a story about fighting for Irelands independence in 1916. The modern day character dealing with an unhappy marriage inherits her uncles farm in Ireland and uncovers some questions about the previous owners and their involvement in Ireland's fight for independence.
8. Above the Bridge by Deborah Garner a New York reporter goes to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, finds a story about hidden gold and a cowboy. I need to find something more challenging to read.
9. The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis a wonderful story about the New York City public library, a research library not a lending library. The story takes place in 1913 and modern day 1993, book theft, women’s issues in a changing world and a family mystery. I will be looking for more of her books.
10. A Dream of Death by Connie Berry a murder mystery takes place in Scotland 
11. The Linen Queen by Patricia Falvey about a young woman who works in a linen mill in Northern Ireland during WW2. This was particularly interesting to me because a great aunt worked in a linen mill in Northern Ireland but probably a decade earlier.
12. The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows story is told through the eyes of a 12 year old trying to understand adult problems, also told by her aunt reflecting on her teen years and by an outsider writing the local history for the depression era writers project. Good story 
13. Fly Away by Kristen Hannah book 2 after Firefly Lane parts are redundant because Johnny, Tully and Marah are each telling the story from their point of view. Tully’s mother tells her story which explains a lot about their relationship. It’s about friendship, mother’s and daughters, forgiveness, and moving ahead.
14. The West's Awake by Jean Grainger another great story about Ireland fight for independence from the English.  

Happy Reading --Ann--

Short socks

 

Those citrusy colors seem to be my favorite colors this summer both for knitting and quilting.  The yarn is called tutti frutti by Schachenmayer Regia it is cotton, polyamid and polyester and it is squishy like wool. Often times cotton yarn is like string because it has no stretch but this yarn has stretch and memory, it’s squishy! I ran out of the light orange yarn so has to finish the heel with the darker orange, then I knit the green and had some yarn left so knit a third pair with the leftovers they are my favorite.  I knit an icord loop on the heel so they don’t slide into my shoes.  I wanted an anklet sock to wear with my hiking boots because it is just too hot this summer to wear taller socks and I knit the slip stitch heel taller in the back of the ankle for more cush. The back of the boot hits the bottom of my ankle so I need more cush there and it’s no fun to have blistered feet and ankles when hiking.  I have been walking around our neighborhood the last couple weeks in my big hiking boots getting my feet ready for an adventure with my daughter in the near future.  --Ann--

Ta da da done the second

 

Another one done!!  Just simple free motion machine quilting from point to point.  The backing fabric is a piece of hand dyed fabric that my mother got some where local it just seemed perfect for this quilt, it was a little narrow so I had to add a strip.  Used binding scraps just sew another strip to the strip and viola' its done.  --Ann--

Ta da da done

 

The seventh day of the seventh month and scheduled to publish at the seventh hour of the twenty-first year.  7, 7, 7 equals 21.

Another one done.  These fabrics are so cheerful and bright.  Six inch kaleidoscope blocks of mostly batiks.  I think I should call it Sand Dollars or maybe Dinosaur Eggs because of the backing fabric.  The quilt is for a little boy.  Free motion quilting with a multi colored thread.  The only thing left is to sew a label. 

It rained here today and temps were not in the 90s as so many days have been another day well spent in the sewing room. --Ann--

Everything was going so smooth......

 Everything was going along so smoothly, the needle size was right, the thread tension was even, the machine was well oiled, I was in the zone machine quilting.  The bobbin even ran out on the edge of the quilt for easy changing.  I finished quilting the border.  Everything just came together right. Spread it out on the floor and admire my work. Trim the excess batting and backing, separate the fabric from the batting because I never know when I might need a bunch of batting scraps for stuffing.  Where did that scrap of fabric come from?  Look at the back.........oops........ fortunately it’s in the border. Carefully trim away with a very sharp scissors pick pick pick, clip clip clip and pick some more. One layer at a time then a few swipes with the lint roller and who would ever know.  I should clear the table better when I start machine quilting. —Ann—

Another two steps

 Two steps yesterday, the 9 patches and the side triangles on the pinwheels. It was hot again but I’m not complaining the downstairs was cool and full of natural light. Hubby pulls the shades as soon as the first sunbeam comes in the west windows making the upstairs feel like a cave. It does help keep the house cooler but I need light and lots of it so I spent the afternoon sewing.  --Ann--

Small steps

An afternoon in the sewing room……..all my 4 patches are sewn. Next to cut all the 3 1/2 squares to make it a 9 patch. Just one little step at a time. —Ann—