Taking a ride

Now that gas prices have gone down a little - we are paying 1.79 a gallon most days - Don and I have started taking rides again - it is one of our main entertainments - don't go to the movies - don't eat out much - and we have nice chats along the way - such a pleasant way to spend a sunny afternoon in the winter. . . or summer . . . or fall . . . just about any time.

Our main destination was to a spot where we can have extraordinary views of some of the mountains in our area. . .

The Three Sisters - when we first moved here we were confused as to the name of this group - sometimes called the Three Brothers - so now we just call them The Siblings. There is a nice spot in the road to pull over for a view.

Getting closer - there is a lot of snow blown off some of the rocky mountainsides . . .

Even closer . . . those are some fine mountains!

And the best view of all - I am thinking of entering this photo in a local contest for calendar photos - what do you think?

Then on the way home we decided to take a road that goes along the back of the big lake. There isn't much traffic and we can daudle all we want. We saw this road sign and our minds were busy with thoughts of how it came to have this name. Was it older than all the other lanes in this area? Did older folks live down this lane? Did someone named Older live down here? Oh the fun of the imagination!!

And a new sign - what a dandy one!

A log with wonderful fungi on it - amongst the old leaves from last fall . . .

The fun things you find on a slow, old road - someone's great mailbox . Across the road from this was a house and a very old hamburger stand - all saggy and worn out - but at one time you could buy hamburgers along this road behind the lake. I can just see the kids gathering around in their bathing suits - waiting for their hamburgers and milkshakes - ahhhh summer.

And what is this? We saw it on this tree stump - out in the forest. At first we thought it was a strange bird - but at closer look . . .

We still don't know what it is. Sometimes it looks like a rock - how did it get way up there? This stump is about 20 feet all. Sometimes it looks like a package wrapped up with string - how DID it get up there?

Ohh a Green Man spirit on this fabulous mossy tree. Maybe two - do you see them?

Then - out into the sunshine along the lake - and these fabulous bird houses - can't you just see them in the summer, full of nesting birds.

It was a great ride - thanks for coming along. Where do you like to take rides and what do you look for?

The BIG Snow

A few posts ago you saw that it was snowing here again - well - it snowed and it snowed and it snowed. Most of the night it snowed. And we woke to this.

Looking out the dining room window throught a loon stained glass panel given to us by our son and daughter-in-law last christmas.

This is the Oso Berry bush behind the loons - it was heavy with snow. . .

I stepped outdoors onto the porch in the early morning with my new camera to get a few shots of the snow. I had the camera in my right hand - and reached over with my left hand to undo the latch on the storm door - and knocked the camera out of my hand - it skipped right across the steps - spurted through the railings and into a snow bank. I have on fuzzy slippers - don't move too fast in those because they are floppy and come off my feet if I hurry. Back into the house - slam on some shoes - and out I go - down the steps into the deep snow (lowcut slip on shoes really fill up with snow fast) searching - find the spot where the camera hit - come on - find it quick - your new camera is in the snow!!!!. Ok - dig around with your bare hands - figure the trajectory of the camera once it left the steps - dig some more - how come there isn't an indentation where the camera hit? - ahhhh dig more - here is the strap. Pull the poor little snow covered camera out of the snow - shake off most of the snow - blow on the rest of the snow to make it fly off the camera - ohh camera, don't die!!!! Blow off all the snow - now wipe carefully around the lens - it is extended and wet - don't want any water inside the camera.

Wheewwww - seems ok. I take some photos and go indoors - my feet are soooo cold and my hands are now numb - but the camera seems ok. I get out the special cleaning cloth from my glasses and wipe the lens and any place that I think might have moisture. Then I close the lens and the automatic cover has moisture on it - open the lens - yup - steam on the lens. I wipe it down - repeat a zillion times until there is no more moisture or steam visible and leave the camera to sit all day. As you can tell, the camera is fine. Add this to the list of things to never do again.

The snow was thick and heavy and coated everything. The car looked interesting - but underneath that fluffy coat of snow is an inch of solid ice. Don had to carry gallons of water out to pour on the windows - after scraping what he could. The driver side door was frozen shut - the handle seemed to work but the door wouldn't open. He got in from the passenger side and pushed on the door until it opened - and then it wouldn't latch when he closed it - a little screwdriver work and it finally latched when closed - what a start to a day.

Two frogs - huddled under a blanket of snow . . . ribbet ribbet

Frogs without snow . . . candles go in their tummies. . .

Inukshuk is under there someplace. . . Read more about Inukshuk - it is also the mascot for the Vancouver BC 2010 Winter Olympics.

Neighbor's bushes . . .

Snowy boat . . .

Snow ghosts - this was the first photo taken after I found my camera in the snow - you can see some of the fog on the lens. Look at the upper left corner - see that sun - I had NEVER noticed it before (click to enlarge). It is on a hanger left by the previous owner. I've used the hanger, but never saw the sun face. When I saw this photo I had to go outdoors and look at that hanger to see what it was, as I didn't remember seeing it before. Now I shall look around my yard more carefully and see what else I'm overlooking.

Trees across the road . .

Birdfeeders and suet feeder on the right with oranges for the birds - frozen solid. . .

On the way to work the sun had come out and the world looked like a fairy land - heavy snow on the trees - it was absolutely glorious!

Reflections of the glorious blue sky . . .

A Blue Jay sitting in a cedar tree. . .

Can it get any prettier?

Oh - I guess it can . . .

Those colors just make your heart sing . . .and your fingers freeze. . .

These are raspberry bushes out near our youngest daughter's new house. There are hundreds and hundreds of acres of these fields in our area. The vines are trained up and tied to wires - making it easier for the pickers to get in and harvest the berries. In the summer we go to the farmers' fields and buy flats of raspberries - 14.00 for a flat of berries - they go in the freezer for winter eating and for jam made on cooler days.

It was an amazing snow - but I don't want any more - thankyewvery much - I've had enough of winter - give me some spring and daffodils please!!!! Is your winter holding on tight? Or beginning to loosen its grip a little?

We have a bunch of winners!!!

I've finally gotten the names put on paper - cut up into little pieces and Don helped me draw some names. I enjoyed each of you that visited my blog over the past week or so - and thanks for your lovely comments on Don's health scare. He is doing great right now - just waiting for his cardiologist appointment next week to confirm that he is actually ok. Don't you just hate waiting?

OK - so you've been waiting for the list of winners - here we go!!!

We have
one set of large house blocks
one set of small house blocks
some preprinted quilt blocks
a Noah's ark baby quilt panel
and a stack of hand painted fat quarters
And one of those prizes goes to my 10,000th visitor

Sue Cahill ( no blog) was the 10,000th visitor - I do appreciate each and every one of you that made this number possible - I only wish I had something to send to each of you.
Sue will be receiving some hand painted fabrics . . .

and an angel . . .

Jackie Davis wins the Noah's Ark panel

and a hand knitted pincushion.

Purple Pam will be receiving


the pre-printed quilt blocks . . .

and a pretty purple christmas ornament - I suspect for her purple christmas tree. :-)


The large house blocks go to Dayna over at Scottie Acres.

Along with a strawberry needle keeper. . .

The small house blocks (on the right) go to The Happy Cottage Quilter
Isn't that clever - Cottage Quilter won cottages?!?

Along with a hand embroidered pincushion

Well this is so much fun I just can't stop - so Don drew another name

Vicky at Cat in the Batt (great name for a blog)

will be reciving a set of zipper bags


and an angel to watch over her new granddaughter. . .

And angels will be going out to
Julie at Spud's Excellent Quilting Adventure
CraftyHala at Simply Sage
and Teresa at Stitchin' Friends

Ok - I think I'm done. I want to thank everyone that commented and sent emails about my milestone - this has really been fun. Can't wait and see what we will do for 20,000 visitors.

Stop over and visit all the blogs listed above - you'll find some wonderful quilts and great friends.

Oh - don't forget - I need your mailing addresses all you wonderful winners. My email is on the right side of this blog.

Make it stop!!!!

I don't want any more - I've had enough - that will do - please go away - no no no no no more snow!!!!!

Those are actual snowflakes - I've never seen such big ones . . .

More big snowflakes - poor little boat is shivering!!

It started around noon, just aftger I got home - and hasn't stopped since. We have almost 3 inches now - north of us a little ways, at our youngest daughter's new house - they have over 4 - and wind. We don't have wind. I had to drive into town to fetch Don from work tonight, we stopped at the grocery store and almost didn't make it home. We have to go up a hill, down a hill, up a BIG hill down again and then up to our house. Up here we have more snow than anyone (except our daughter) I want it to stop. I want spring.


At Don's work I saw a pot of daffodils with big fat buds - I want daffodils, and pansies, and violets and sunshine and warm - I don't want snow!!!

Don doesn't want snow either - he had to get out the snow shovel - he thought it was retired for the year so he put it way in the back of the shed.

Shoveling out so he could get to the car to unload the thrift store treasures I got today. . . He's a good sport!

My crow is wearing a snow hat again . . .

So how is your spring weather? Ours is pitiful, to say the least. Ok, I know it isn't spring really - but I'm a CA girl and I just can't get it out of my head that we should have some warm sunny days in February - bulbs popping up - birds nesting. Back to reality - WA has a late spring - especially this far north, so I dream of sunshine and daffodils and robins and little boys running about in the yard - and I see. . . . . snow.

Drawing Soon - and one more great prize

So sorry about not getting to the drawing - I am still taking names.

There has been some excitement around here - on Saturday I went to a sew-in in Anacortes - about an hour southwest of here. Don goes with me and putters around the town - antique stores - thrift shops - library - lunch out, and sometimes stops by the sew-in to "chat with the girls". Well, he hasn't been feeling super lately - some little episodes of faster, harder heartbeat and a tiny bit dizzy - though never both symptoms at the same time.

While at Anacortes he had more and more symptoms and felt worse and worse after each one - sort of like the flu. It only lasts a few moments - but he decided he had had enough and we rushed off to the ER - they monitored and tested and poked and prodded - and nothing. They ruled out a lot of things - but couldn't find out anything for certain - and of course no episodes while in the ER.

So he is back to his normal schedule - has seen his primary care physician - is waiting for a visit to the cardiologist next week and things are still hectic. Seems all we have done lately is run to doctors - today I have a dermatoligist appt, and then we are done except for figuring out this dizzy thing.

So that is why no drawing - I need to get all the names written on slips of paper and do a drawing - hopefully very soon - so have patience.

I've added another drawing - since you've all been so patient about this. A small stack of my hand painted fabrics will be added to the other prizes listed in the previous post - they are just lovely. You can see some of my crazy quilt blocks made with these hand painted fabrics. The colors I'll be giving away aren't necessarily the ones in the photo (just had that photo handy) - but it will be a lovely little stack of fat quarters. So leave a comment and/or mention this on your blog - and get more chances to win. Drawing soon!!!!

Almost to 10,000 - give-away!!!

We hit 9,901 visitors this morning. I changed the counter after several blogging friends gave me advice - on how to count unique visits - and how to get stats from the counter. I guess the one I had on there was old and the stats weren't coming through any more. I've enjoyed every single visitor that has been to my blog.

So yesterday I got some great things to give away - some for the 10,000th visitor - and some for a random drawing.

Away we go - - - - -

If you leave a comment you will be included in the drawing - and even some of those who commented on past blog entries will be entered. I love comments and appreciate so much those who comment on the regular posts I do. If you list my give-away on your blog - I'll give you 2 more chances - and if someone mentions your blog as the way they found my give-away - three more entries. I'll have to be organized in my list of entries - but you know me - I love lists.


For starters - I have some preprinted quilt blocks - just the thing for a quick project - wallhanging, table topper, pillow - whatever you can think of for them. You could add some other blocks - or borders and make them bigger - all kinds of ideas come to mind when I see these pretty blocks. There are two blocks with a Victorian Doll, four Log Cabin blocks and one flower wreath block.

Also

Three block - 12" squares. . .

All the pre-printed blocks will be one prize - the dolls, the log cabin, the flower wreath and the three blue blocks.

A second drawing for a give-away - these house blocks I made. I found the pattern at Freda's Hive and just couldn't resist making them. Warning - if you go to Freda's Hive blog you may never get out. She has the cutest ideas and the best projects - and she gets so much done - you will want to wander around in that blog for a week. So please come back if you can - but be sure and enjoy her blog.


I made so many of these blocks - made some into potholders for friends - and kept some for myself (don't you just love that snazzy red binding?) These are NOT give-aways - just ideas of what you can do with the little house blocks.


I still have two stacks of blocks to give away - some the small size and some the larger size. I did the first batch according to the measurements given on Freda's Hive, then decided to make some smaller ones for the potholders I wanted to make. I really liked the smaller size. With the great instructions at Freda's Hive I was able to just cut down the measurements she gave and have the smaller blocks. There all sorts of things you could make with these blocks - more potholders - trim on aprons - quilts - tabletoppers - candle mats - oh so many ideas!!! Don't you really want them???? I knew you did. So I will draw two names for the house blocks.

We aer up to four give-aways now - the 10,000th visitor - the pre-printed blocks and two draws for the house blocks - are we having fun yet????

Ok - one more drawing and that is it . . .

I think . . .

This cute panel for a baby quilt or wallhanging. Noah's Ark is always popular and the colors are delightful. Use it like it is or cut it apart and add more fabric or blocks to make it bigger. Such Fun!!!

Just to make this more fun - I am not telling which gifts will be for the 10,000th visitor and which will be for the drawings - just to keep a little suspense.

So leave a comment - stop back and see if you are visitor 10,000 (you will have to tell me - even with the new counter I don't have that capability - so number 10,000 speak up!!!!).

Extra chances to win . . .

Post my give-away on your blog and get two more chances - and tell your friends to mention your blog for three MORE extra entries. I expect a lot of fun - and a lot of list making - and some happy recipients. I love give-aways.

Not sure of the day of the drawings - but soon - I'll let you know!!! After the 10,000th visitor I will set a deadline for the other drawings - so get your comments in - post this to your blog and get your friends to come over and visit. I expect a big party. Belinda is already dancing and singing to get us started and Pam is purple with excitement!!! I love purple!!