Diverging Diamonds

We loaded the RV and turned north to enjoy spring break with our son, DIL and our two grandkids, and to take a break from yard/house work and projects ourselves. They are flying into NC to spend a week in Asheville, which is less than an hour from our camping oasis near Lake Lure (now that the road is open*!)

We generally skirt Jacksonville by taking Rt 301 from Ocala north, crossing I-10 and going through Eulee, FL to get to I-95 north. This year we were greeted by a new (and improved?) interchange to get onto I-95. They have constructed a Diverging Diamond Intersection here.  I think of it as 'Chris-cross applesauce'! 

Instead of the right lane staying to the right, the two lanes swap positions. Here's an Apple map view of a DDI that was constructed near Ft Myers. When we used to live there we tried to avoid this intersection at all costs....even before they began construction. After 4 1/2 painful years (delays caused by Covid, supply chain issues, hurricanes, etc) that intersection is finally complete and traffic is flowing, as is the one we traversed in Eulee.

According to Mr. Albert "I"n- stein, a DDI can increase traffic capacity by 33 1/3%

I guess that makes the construction phase worth it

* Hwy 74A between Chimney Rock and Bat Cave, NC has been closed since the 2024 raging flood waters of Hurricane Helene ran amok through the gorge, wiping out bridges, roads, shops, cars, and homes as well as denuding the beautiful tree-lined mountain sides leaving a boulder-strewn field in its wake. The new road opened last week...just in time for our visit! 

 

Changing the Rules Mid-Game

Today was the CCCQ monthly meeting, whereat I provide an update on the annual Quilt Challenge. I've posted several times about the inception of this challenge and my progress:

January:  Stepping up to the plate

February: Introducing the Challenge to the Guild

March:  My "Big Book" about the challenge: Milt

Sew...what should I do next? I thunk, and I thunk, and I thunk a bit more.

Then, I discovered/realized that we would be meeting on April Fool's Day. I could have some fun with that!

When it was my turn to speak I said something like this:  

"Ladies,  I have received some feedback from others. Some folks are saying my "Challenge" isn't much of a challenge. Heck, a person could take a quilt they made 10 years ago that had tan and green in it and declare that it was a quilt representing New Mexico because it has tan for the desert sand and green for the cacti." 

I went on to say:

"I received some suggestions that I provide a fat quarter of fabric (for the uninitiated a fat quarter is approximately 22" X 18" - it's a 1/2 yard piece cut in half on the fold) so I hunted for something that would work fairly easily with everyone's projects. Something that's....oh, how do you say it?..."

"Oh, yeah. Something that's kinda "neutral". Something that would go with any color. Oh, and by the way, since I had to use some of my budget to buy the fabric,  the prize money will be changed a bit. Instead of $75 for first place, that will now be $45. 2nd Place, instead of $50 will be $30 and third place will be $15 instead of $25."

Maybe they weren't too happy about the prize money changes!

Then I rummaged in my bag and brought out the length of fabric that I brought with me, which would be rather ugly in most quilts. It's a Route 66 themed material that I have on hand to make some journal covers for a Route 66 trip we are taking later this year.  As I held it up I explained,

"It has every color in the rainbow; red, green, blue...and oh yeah, it has some highway signs and sections of maps. It's perfect!" I said as I walked around the room showing the fabric. 

There were only a few ladies who were laughing.

Everyone else was less than impressed!

I explained that I wasn't able to get enough of that one cut of fabric, but found another with similar colors that would work just as well, and participants could pick which fat quarter they preferred. 

That's when I rummaged in my bag and pulled out the next piece:

Our guild president is in the background, laughing,

As were most of the ladies in the room by this time!

(Thanks to my bff for suggesting the sign!)

It was all fun. No harm. No foul. 

Now my only problem is...what can I do next month to inspire, instill enthusiasm, keep folks interested in participating? If you have any ideas, I am open to suggestions! 

A Tale From the Past; Thinking About Tomorrow

Do you enjoy April Fool's jokes, or pranks? When I had my Haflingers they pulled a joke on me. I posted about it....way back then. I stumbled upon the posts the other day and decided to post them again.

I used to think that my horses had the personalities (horsonalities) of Goofus & Gallant, from the Highlights magazine that was always at my dentist's office. Pippin was the goofy guy, and Doc was made of sterner stuff - he was an old stick-in-the-mud!

Here's the first post: 

Pippin's Point of View: The Haf Laugh

I pulled a prank on Mrs. Owner! ROTGL (no floor in the paddock...has to be G for ground, instead)!
This morning when Mrs. Owner came down to feed us, I didn't stick my head around the corner of the barn and whinny at her as I usually do. [Giggle] I wasn't in my stall walking in circles waiting, not so patiently, for hay. [Snigger] She couldn't find me! [Chortle] Guess where I was? Do you give up? Huh? Can you guess? I was rooming in with Doc! [Snicker...Snort] I spent the night with Doc and Mrs. Owner can't figure out how I did it! [Yuk, yuk, yuk] Yup, there we were, in his stall together! Mrs. Owner scratched her head. The stall doors were shut and latched. The stall wall was in tact. The Priefert panels were all standing, and none were bent down (as if I'd be stupid enough to try to climb up the panels)! [Guffaw...Hee...Haw] The gates between the paddocks were all latched. [Cackle] And here's the best part [TeeHeeHee] she figures I musta jumped the panel! Me?! Jumping 5 feet from almost a standstill? Now, that's funny! Well, [Hiccup] anyway, it was the best prank and I'm not telling anyone my secret! It's so deliciously funny!

Imagine my surprise when I came down and found both horses in one stall and paddock. I thought that our neighbor (not a neighhhhh-bor, since I'm speaking of horses here Hahaha!) may have tiptoed over to move the horse....he was a jokester, but I just couldn't see it. 

Here's the 2nd post....and the end to the story!

Pippin's quite full of himself after pulling the prank on Mrs. Owner. Of course, I had to put up with the pipsqueak for half the night. Thank Gawd he didn't get in early enough to eat my hay! Anyway, I'd like to set things straight and let you know that Mrs. Owner did figure it out, and pretty darn quickly! You see, we have a gate between the paddocks and Pippin, the Pipsqueak, plopped one of his size two's down on it with a bit of force, right near the hinge end of the gate. It seems that his not-so-dainty hoof, along with a little heft on his part was enough to break the weld on the hinge of the gate. After a winter of good hay and lots of rest I imagine we have both put on a few pounds here and there which may have added to his 'heft'. The end of the gate dropped down to the ground, which allowed the upper hinge to slide off the hinge pin. Pippin pushed the gate open and later, leaned his not so tiny hiny against it and shut it again. The chain that latches the gate on the other end acted like a hinge and held the gate upright. In fact, other than being a bit lower, the gate looked almost normal!

Mrs. Owner took a trip to the cowboy 'WalMart'. The good folks at the ranch supply store had never seen that happen before and gave her a new hinge piece. By the afternoon the gate was back on its hinges, ready to keep us apart.

See the pretty, new, green hinge?

Oh, I see the new hinge!

So, who's the April Fool?

I really do miss my two guys - they never failed to entertain!

Tomorrow's April Fool's day. Do you have a prank to pull? You have time to think one up! Have fun!

More Gophers

Gopher tortoises....a nuisance with whom we must coexist (but why can't you live across the street in the drainage easement? Or next door somewhere in the 6-acre vacant lot?)

And then there are pocket gophers. Cute little devils, right?

Wrong!

Another bane of our existence. These little critters, 5-14" in length, wreck havoc with our yard. They dig burrows...looongggg burrows, and deposit the spoilings from the tunnels in various size mounds in our yard. 

The Mister was at one of the local farm stores. I suggested he get a certain type of trap which may be effective. The store did not have the trap, but the Mister did have an enjoyable time commiserating with other guys perusing the anti-rodent options. He came back with a sonic stick:

I was thrilled. (Now just how many women do you think would be thrilled to receive a Mole & Gopher repeller?!)

I immediately went out and plunked that thing between two huge mounds the gopher had made the night before. 

The next morning....

what to my wondering eyes did I see? 

Another *%$^& mound right in front of me!

Gopher Tortoise

Our area is home to the endangered Gopher Tortoise. 

Of course...our 'soil' is almost pure sand,

a tortoise can dig a burrow in a heartbeat!

Our pastures have several tortoise burrows, 

(they don't make us very happy!)

although we are not certain whether the burrow openings 

 belong to one tortoise, or to several.

Their burrow systems can be quite extensive 

and are home to many other critters. 

Vickie's checking out a newly-active burrow.

With the advent of warm weather, s

the gopher's have come out of hibernation.

(We are curious...how do they know??!!)

Here's our guy...or gal. 

She was on the move,

looking for something! 

I like the beasts, but with horses around, their burrows are a

 bad accident waiting to happen.

OK...so we don't have horses now, but who's to say we won't want them later?!

 

Doing Wheelies?

 

Oops!

Apparently the lug nuts on this wheel were loose. 

They finally pulled out of the wheel hub,

and the tractor dropped onto the axle.

The Mister has some work to do to get it all put back together again.

Yard Pick-up; Round Two

Now that I have burned the yard debris closest to the fire pit, it's time to begin collecting from further out. 

I fired up the rattletrap Gator, grabbed a chain and began hauling branches over to the fire pit.

Last fall some of the trees were trimmed so the RV could fit in the driveway. 

Many Most of the branches that were trimmed, lay where they fell. 

I had my helpers with me.

Anytime we fire up the rattletrap Gator, they come running.

After I made four trips hauling large limbs, 

I hooked up the $20 wagon I found at a yard sale.

I filled the wagon and the back of the Gator with smaller

branches and debris.

Then, back to the fire pit.

It was time to get cookin'.

You can see the fruits of my labor all around the Gator.

Oh, and the red barrel? It's a pickle barrel that has been repurposed as our water hauler,

and it this case, as a reserve 'fire engine'! 

The branches all had to be cut to reasonable lengths for burning. 

And of course, the Mister has a tool for that! 

By close of day most of my morning's haul lies in ashes in the fire pit.

 

Spring

Blueberry blossoms

Dogwood blossoms

Azaleas

Crepe Myrtle leafing out

Turkey Oak leafing out

.... Live Oak leaves turning brown?

It's about to happen.  We are about to be inundated with falling Live Oak leaves. For those who don't know, the Live Oak is semi-deciduous. It keeps its leaves through the winter. In the spring the new leaves emerge almost immediately after the old leaves fall. Because of this the tree appears to be green year round. 

It's a messy time. Between the leaves falling, and the pollen coating anything outside, 

wrecking havoc for with allergies, it may not be the best season of the year down here!

It's Here!

If you play Mahjong, you know!

Each year the National Mah Jongg League sends out it's new card some time before April 1.

The card shows what hands players may use. 

Hands are similar to rummy hands, for the uninitiated. 

The cards are highly anticipated by players, 

offering a welcome change in ways to complete a Mahjong.

The new cards also help to level the playing field for newer players

as no one is familiar with the selections, the choices are new for everyone. 

Oh, and if you noticed that I have spelled Mahjong two different ways, 

Mr. A-I-nstein tells me there are:

dozens of ways to spell the tile-based game due to it being a transliteration from Chinese. Common variations include Mah-Jongg, Mahjongg, Mah-Jong, Mah Jong, and Mahjong. 

Behind Curtain Number One

My bedroom has a sliding glass door that opens onto the pool area. It's lovely to lie in bed and peer out at the pool,  the three-board fence and the woods & pasture beyond. Some day I even dream that a horse could be standing by that fence. It's nice...until the pool service tech comes at 7:15am to check the pool. Oh, he's not bad to look at - but I'm certain that doesn't work both ways!

One morning the Mister came out of the shower, only to see the 'pool boy' outside. 

It was time to make a curtain. I have the fabric, including the lining. I was going to make drapery panels for the bedroom at our previous home - and never did so. 

And sew...the fun begins!

The curtain is going to go floor to ceiling - 95"

I need to sew two pieces together to make a panel that will slide over the door. 

I began the process on the floor, but once I sewed the two pieces together, 

I didn't have floor space large enough. 

I brought in a folding table that we had.

It was the perfect height to extend my ironing table.

On this particular day it was beautiful outside,

so I let a little bit of the outside in!

Last night I was able to hang the curtain up. 

I like the tchotchke shelf above the door, but it eliminated the option to use typical curtain rods.

I purchased a ceiling mount slider at IKEA months ago, and it seems perfect! 

I will still need to do some more work on the curtain. After it hangs for a week or so I'll need to 

adjust the hem, and 'train' the pleats. 

Right now, done is better than perfect!

Sorry, pool boy...no more free peeks! 

(That, and on nights with a full moon, we will have a little more darkness for sleeping!)

 

Come on Baby Light My Fire

Our yard is a mess - all 5+ acres of it. It has been cold and windy and we have been involved in other pursuits. We do not have yard waste pickup available to us. We either cut the waste in small enough pieces to bag and put into our bin, compost it, chop it up or burn it. We do a little of all four options. We have been under a burn ban since November, so the pile has grown, or the large pieces of yard debris have lain where they fell. 

This is one pile behind the barn. It has yet to be touched.

Saturday dawned sunny, clear and most importantly, with no wind. I had a fire going by 9AM. I collected and raked debris from oak trees closest to the fire, so I could keep an eye on it. Then, the Mister began to bring in some larger branches that he had to cut to manageable sizes. I left him minding the fire so I could go further afield. 

Our Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix Roebelinii) took a strong hit this winter. 

I had the opportunity to attend a presentation by a palm tree specialist this week.

He was very informative, and I'm so glad I heard him speak.

He explained that pygmy date palms are hardy to 29 degrees. We had two nights that dipped to 14 degrees,

in a span of two weeks where nighttime temperatures were below freezing.  Apparently this was the coldest winter since 1980, and before that, in the 1800's! (So sayeth the palm tree expert.)

So, little wonder that our poor palms look like this:

It was time to trim the dead fronds off the trees.

Pygmy palms have their own brutal self defense system!

I can't tell you the number of times I've been stabbed by these nasty thorns.

The lower fronds of the palm always die back and need trimming. 

And, thanks to the Mister's obsession with DeWalt tools....

I have a tool for that!

It took no time to cut off all of the dead fronds. 

Their next stop? The fire pit!

The palms showed a touch of green...so maybe they will make it to annoy me another year!

 

Repressed Creativity?

My friend, Barbara, shared this image with me. Of course, it made me chuckle. Have you noticed that the things you are likely to laugh about are things that may describe you?

 

Sew...on Thursday I bought the fabric I put on a post yesterday. 

And also, yesterday, this arrived from eBay:

Yep, more fabric!

 I guess one might say I collect fabric. 

That's a nicer way of saying that I hoard it! 

(Amazing how one word can change the connotation of a statement!)

But, I have plans for the latest purchase, it will make the perfect backing for my hexie quilt! 

This morning while doing some long-needed yard work (more about that another day) I was listening to an audible book: "The Man on the Mountaintop" by Susan Trott. My ears perked up when the character referred to as Joes, the holy man,  shared this insight with another: "My theory about obsessive collecting is that it is repressed creativity."  

I'm not certain that I would be defined as an obsessive collector, but I can't tell you the number of fabrics I have in my 'collection' that I have chosen not to use in a project because I really like it, or I originally bought it for another project, or it was really expensive, or it has memories of where I was when I purchased it, or who I was with. I need to get over it. I really must use that fabric as then the finished product would have those attachments. Maybe, after all, my creativity is repressed by those thoughts that prohibit my moving forward with those fabrics. 

What about you? Do you collect anything? Do you collect items with the desire to do something with them...but you aren't quite sure how to go about it? Do you admire and collect items that you wish you could have made? In the book the character collected pottery from one ancient artist, because he loved it and admired its beauty. He was encouraged to learn to make pottery that would be equally beautiful, if not surpass the beauty of the artist. 

Ah, interesting thoughts. Time to get back to raking!

Life Resumes its Usual Path

 The Mister is recovering and getting back into some of his projects, as he feels the stamina to pursue. them. 

I'm back in my sewing room, juggling projects. I'm working on Lupine & Laughter, the mystery quilt I started in November. I'm using pieces I've made for the border as 'Leaders and Enders' as I sew the next step on my paper piecing project...and while I'm at it, the long arm is stitching away on a quilt for my BFF. Oh...and I'm listening to a "Meet the Candidates" meeting for folks on the ballot for joining our board of property owners in the community, and occasionally taking notes. 

Yesterday I went to lunch with my Piecemakers group.

 We also visited Sew Yours, a shop in Dunellon, FL that focuses on purse making, having all kinds of vinyl, canvas, fabric, straps, fasteners, etc. While I was there some fabric jumped into my cart! 

The shop is going to focus on purse making and the owner's own fabric designs. Almost all of their other fabrics are 40% off. These fabrics literally jumped in my cart. I know not how!  I did apologize to some of them and put them back on the shelf. But, then a few more hopped in to take their places! What's a lady to do in this case?

They came home with me. I have been cogitating on just what I might do with them in the future, and the kernel of an idea is beginning to form! 

Several years ago I visited the New England Quilt Museum  in Lowell, MA with my BFF. While perusing the quilts, and discussing what we liked about this one, or that one, a woman and her friend happened by. We chatted for a bit. The woman was Marianne Hatton, the author of "Simply Dynamic Sampler Quilts". Of course, I had to buy the book - it's no longer in print, as it was published in 2010, so that was a bit of a challenge. But I was instantly enamored with the content. Marianne's view of contemporary sampler quilts puts a new spin on a time honored practice of learning about quilting by piecing together block after block using traditional patterns. Marianne suggests a more unusual approach where the quilt not only demonstrates different historical blocks, but showcases different techniques, and different sizes, perhaps with an overarching theme, in a balanced quilt unified through color. Here's an image from her book that illustrates my description. 

Sew, now, it's time to stare at the fabric and think. And think some more. And see if the fabric evokes a theme, or if I come up with some other idea!

And, besides that, it is time to focus on dinner!