Games Squirrels Play

Apparently Kaitlyn has a new friend. I have noticed her hanging around the base of this oak tree several evenings now. Today I watched from the kitchen and snapped pictures of her antics. 

Kaitlyn is mesmerized by the squirrel up in the tree.

The squirrel seems to be having fun moving around the tree, and teasing Kaitlyn.

First she is here....then she is there!

Kaitlyn peers around the left side of the tree....

While the squirrel comes down the other side, shaking her tail and chattering at her.

The squirrel is leading Kaitlyn on a merry chase from her 'handicapped' position on the ground. 

The squirrel is playing hide and seek!

Twice, while I was watching, the squirrel came down the tree, 

coming within a few feet of the ground.

Catch me if you can!

What a tease!

"Which way did she go?!"

Poor Kaitlyn just can't get a break!

But the squirrel seemed to have a great time!

Feeling Peevish

 I begin each morning by checking my email. Today I had five (5) more unsolicited emails, three from politically-focused entities trying to tell me how to think and two from a financial blog telling me how to invest my dwindling funds. Oh, and then there are the additional emails hawking their products simply because I have shopped at their store or online.

I could go on and list more of my peeves. I bet we all have lots of them. Many, many niggling irritations! 

Just for the heck of it I looked 'peeve' up in the thesaurus. (I remember the thesaurus that sat on our bookshelf in the hall when I was a kid. The one with the corner of the paper cover torn, and curled back. The book that had magical words in it!) I enjoyed seeing just some of the synonyms for 'peeve':

thorn

ruffle

vexation

bugbear

botheration

tribulation

fleabite

albatross

hair shirt

Ah, such fun. Now I feel better. I don't feel quite as dandered! 

Thanks for reading! What exasperates you?

Projects, Projects, Projects

Earlier in June I visited Sara's "My Sewing Room" blog.  She had many pictures of fun quilt blocks she is currently making. Her work made me think, and I commented on her post:

I stared at my stash today and decided that I really need to attack it and work up some sort of scrappy quilt in rainbow colors....

• after I finish quilting what's in by TBQ pile, 
• after I finish piecing my Judy Niermeyer quilt and king extensions, 
• after I finish the guild mystery quilt, 
• after I complete the guild challenge quilt, 
• after I make valences for the MBdr and 
• after I design and piece a quilt using the fabric I bought a few months ago....
• oh, and after I quilt some fabric I bought to make bedspreads for the guest room. 

That scrappy quilt is next in line! LOL

Since then I've run across even more projects I want to/should start and/or complete! So much to do and so little time! 

I went back to a post I made in January that listed some projects I wanted to complete. Well, I'm making some progress....but there is still a lot to do! (And some of the January projects didn't even make it to the list I so glibly created in response to Sara's post!) 

1. January: Move forward with Desert Oasis quilt

    Now: Yes, I am on the last section of the quilt. I am moving forward.

2.  In January: Create a quilted scrap backing, using blues, for the Susan Cleveland sailboat kit hanging.

    Now: Nope! Totally slipped my mind! But I did make a scrappy blue backing and started this wall hanging....it hasn't progressed much further than this, however!

3. In January: Continue using Christmas fabric as leaders/enders resulting in a Christmas tree quilt. Maybe something like this: 

Now: I made baby-step progress. I've made several yards of pieced fabric to cut into the trees, and then piece into a quilt. 

4. In January: Bind bright Apple Valley placemats.

    Now: Gone! Nope, I didn't bind them. I put them in a bag, with the binding, and put it on the "Take it, It's Free" table at the Guild! I decided that since I really didn't like how they turned out, I wouldn't even waste my time finishing them. 

5. In January: Make the  purse from "Sew Yours"

    Now: Hanging my head in shame. I didn't do it. Does it count that I pulled the pattern out again and read through it?

6. In January: Make a bag using cork material and embroidery embellishments 

Now: Yes! I did this one! 

7. In January: Quilt the pin wheel quilt

    Now: Done! I even stitched some embellishments with pearl cotton! 

8. In January: Quilt the "Quilter's Prerogative" quilt

    Now: On my machine and over half-way finished. 

9. In January: Embellish shirts with embroidery

    Now: Does it count that I made a pillow with embroidery? 

10. In January: Make twin headboards for the guest room

    Now: I decided that the beds can stay without a headboard. I did put up two large pictures to define the space...for now. So, in effect, this "To Do" is Done! 

11. In January: Create a quilt using a 'jelly roll' I have on hand. 

    Now: Nope. I have a pattern in mind, but I really think the jelly roll fabric is ugly, and unless I find a coordinating fabric that works with the pattern, I don't want to waste my time on an ugly quilt! (Any suggestions are welcome!)

12. In January: Complete the Bonnie Hunter Mystery Quilt, 'Lupine & Laughter"

    Now: YES! The quilt is pieced, quilted and has its binding! 

I have many, many more projects, at different stages of completion, that I could add to my list. But, for now, I'll just keep plugging away, taking it one day at a a time (but, not necessarily one project at a time!!)

Summer Barn Quilt

 It has been a long time since I made a barn quilt for the side of our house. I have one for Thanksgiving (fall), one for Christmas, another for winter and this one for spring. 

I happened to have a 24" x 48" canvas on hand.

I worked up a design....

and went to work.

First I put a coat of paint (sometimes I use
gesso) on the canvas.

I find it easiest to do this outside where I can use a baking bench knife to spread the paint.

I had a bit of paint left from painting my sewing room that I used for this base coat.

I began taping out the design,

and started painting the first color. 

More tape...

more paint.

More tape...

more paint.

More tape...

more paint! 

Slowly, tape begins to come off.

(See the ball of tape on the left, middle of the picture?!)

Finally, it's close to being finished.

I used a black Sharpie to put in 'seam' lines.

The final step was to add several layers of clear acrylic to protect it from the elements. 

Most barn quilts are painted on wood. 

I tried using the canvases to make it easier to handle the barn quilts. 

Since they aren't outside all year, and since they are somewhat protected by the overhang of the roof, 

this has worked for me.

Comfort Table

 Oh no! I broke it! 😢

Just under a month ago I wrote about the "Comfort Table" that I have for my long arm. It has been wonderful.  It allows me to easily raise and lower the table at the touch of a button. I have been working on a quilt for a while (years, actually!) and chose to use micro-quilting for much of it. For those who aren't quilters, micro-quilting is very dense, tiny quilting stitches used in the background. It is slow going, and I chose to move the table low enough so I could sit in a chair while I worked on the quilt. It was perfect! It surely saved my back some ache!

I finally finished the micro-quilting and was ready to move on to regular quilting. When I am doing FMQ (Free Motion Quilting) I move down the quilt fairly quickly and trying to scoot in a chair as I am quilting just doesn't work well. So, I pushed the little "UP" arrow button to bring the table up to waist-height. The table didn't move. Nothing happened. And this message showed up on the screen:

I had no clue. I looked online and couldn't find anything about this. I read about 'resetting' the table and tried that. I received two different messages; E25 and E26. Again, no information online except suggestions to unplug the motor, wait and plug it back in. 

Although it was after-hours, I sent an email to my selling dealer. She got back to me shortly after indicating she had never heard of this and suggested that I contact APQS. She also told me that she had forwarded my message to APQS. 

The next morning I grabbed some paper and a pencil and looked online for the phone number I would need to reach service techs at APQS. While I sat there I looked over at the machine, one more time....and noticed..... amidst the dust, dog hair and stray threads....

Do you see it? There is an electrical transformer box wedged under one section of the leg. I went over, yanked it out (with a bit of difficulty...it was really wedged in there) and the table suddenly moved down. The signal for resetting that I should have heard the night before sounded. I tried the up button and, voila! The table responded and moved up. It is level. It goes up and down. My problem is resolved. 

I replaced that black box back under the frame on the sticky part of a velcro strip, where it had resided previously. All was good.

And, on a positive note, a representative from APQS called me later in the day. Even though I had not contacted them, my selling dealer had forwarded my email to them. Now, that's wonderful service! 😁

Last Rites for the Pygmy Palm

Previously I wrote about damages many of our plants sustained from our colder than normal winter. 

Our Pygmy Palm was one such victim.

 I trimmed the dead fronds off in March, hoping that the wee bit of green I could see near the heart of the palm would sustain it and produce new fronds.  

New fronds did not emerge as spring progressed. 

It was time to remove the remains. 

The Mister inched down the hill in his little excavator

and began to dig around the palm. 

He quickly discovered that although the palm may have been a 'pygmy',

it's roots were not!

It had a very healthy, extensive root network.

He dug some more.

And finally, after 34 minutes he was able to wrench the palm from its final resting place.

We looked for some sort of small, ornamental tree that would like partial sun.

We didn't find any that live in this zone and would like the conditions 

and space in that particular corner. 

We came home from the nursery with a Pinwheel Jasmine shrub.

This shrub will only grow to be about 6' tall, 

and 6' around, and will flower all summer. 

It can also be trimmed to form a multi-trunk tree, if desired. 

I think it will be a lovely addition to my back garden. 

Way Down Yonder

This may take you back a few years; but the song and the singer! 

As a kid, did you ever wonder what a "Paw Paw patch" was?

We have Paw Paw trees on our property now. Dozens of them! 

We noticed them last year, and again this year, when they were in flower. 

The flowers of this native Paw Paw (Manasota Pawpaw) are a creamy yellow. They are cup shaped and hang down, limply. 

They are said to turn maroon as they age. I have not seen them with that coloration....yet! 

The trees are also insignificant looking, most of them leaning at a 45° angle, 

looking like they are doing poorly.

But we have Paw Paws! 

I have read that as the fruit ages it will turn yellow-ish green to yellow-brown.

When ripe, if the tree is gently shaken,

the fruit falls to the ground.

If you hear me singing...I might be out picking up pawpaws in late summer or early fall. 

I have read that the fruits taste something like bananas.

They don't travel well and last only a few days after picking,

which is why they are not found at grocery stores. 

Scene Along the Road - Glubbey

On our recent trek to NC I noticed something on the road up ahead that didn't look....normal! 

It wasn't! 

This pear shaped vehicle turns out to be a moped with a pear shaped covering made from 2 x 4's and aluminum cans. The owner/designer/driver is on his way across country. We passed Glubbey on US 301 just before the GA state line. I found a recent article at Road & Track, where they interviewed the owner/designer/driver in Chattanooga, TN - so he is making progress! If you are an instagram user, you can follow him @glubbey.

Highways and Byways

We Dreamers recently returned to Florida from NC. We were towing a trailer with a tiny tractor and a few other implements on it. Neither of us prefers traveling on the Interstates in SC, as in most areas the roads are substandard. They have not been enlarged to 3 or more lanes and traffic is horrendous. For too many years the state has failed to acquire enough funds for its roads and maintenance and/or new development so improvements are lagging or severely lacking. (We lived in SC for 34 years...we kinda see/understand what is/has happened!)

So, we often opt for traveling on the by-ways. The highways of times gone by. We usually take State 321 out of Columbia to US 301, all the way to Ocala, FL. These roads were some of the original major thoroughfares for travelers in the past.

Sadly, the opening of the Interstates was a death knell for the small towns on the former major thoroughfares. In areas where no manufacturing existed, or those without colleges/universities that brought young folks into the area, the towns slowly shriveled up....and died. 

As we travel on our path, from town to town, I see ghosts! Ghosts of towns that no longer thrive. Ghosts of a by-gone era when small towns thrived throughout the south. Now, the brick storefronts in town after town stand vacant, with blank, unseeing windows, many covered in boards. Buildings that will eventually fall victim to decay in the damp, humid climate.

When we get to US 301 we probably see a hundred motels..."Motor Hotels" that had their hey day in the 50's and 60's, the "Golden Era" before the Interstates and before corporate dominance. Some have reinvented themselves and are still in use, more stand vacant and in disrepair. 

My mind explodes in visual images of vacations past. Of times when the family climbed into the Vista Cruiser station wagon and headed out for a vacation! I can almost see my family stopping for a picnic along the way, and staying at any one of these motels. 

From the Internet 

There we were, the perfect little family, having our own adventures! 

Did you have similar adventures?

Saying Goodbye

I had the occasion to visit a Veterinarian's practice this weekend. Kaitlyn stepped on something while we were out for our morning constitutional. The poor girl squatted to pee when her paw encountered something. Something that really bothered her. She began to hop on three legs, stop, lick her back paw vigorously, get up, take a step, hop a few times, stop, lick and repeat. I checked her paw, numerous times. I felt in between her to toes. I checked the pads, I could see nothing, I could feel nothing. Her behavior persisted. I had to call The Mister to come pick her up - she only weighs 25 pounds, but having one dog on a leash, and another in my arms just doesn't seem to work. 

I went back to the scene of the incident. I didn't see any ground bees (yellow jackets) or ants. I didn't see any bugs. I brushed my hand through the area and didn't get poked by anything. 

Kaitlyn continued to fret about her foot. Examining it under lights we could see no reason, nor feel anything that might cause her to have such discomfort. She paced from one end of the motorhome to the other, sometimes putting weight on the foot, sometimes hopping. She was panting and wanted to chew and lick her paw. I held a towel with ice chips on it, then soaked her foot in cold, icy water. Nothing was easing her anxious behavior and obvious discomfort. 

We called the closest vet, and emergency service in Flat Rock, NC, about 35 miles from us. Off we went. About half way there Kaitlyn finally settled down. She stopped her pacing, licking and panting. Of course.... isn't it good news that whatever it was, perhaps a sting, had resolved itself and was no longer causing discomfort.  We continued on to the vet planning to assess her behavior upon our arrival, and hopefully, let them know we didn't need their services. 

When we pulled into the parking lot I noticed a young woman sitting in the back of an SUV with a sweet, hound dog's head in her lap. The dog had that skeletal look of a very old, faithful pup. She never lifted her head, nor made any other move. While we walked around the parking lot, checking Kaitlyn's gait and watching her behavior, brief glances at the SUV began to fill in the story. 

The woman was soon accompanied by a Veterinarian. She came and sat with the woman and her hound dog. They talked a bit. The Vet pet the old gal, and placed a tourniquet on her leg. We turned the corner. I found it hard to hold my emotions in check. Too many times I had been in that situation. Each story was a bit different; a story of a dog with its own tale to tell. Each time I felt such depth of sadness, while still realizing what a gift I was giving to let my best friend go peacefully.

When we returned to our car the woman remained in the back of her SUV. Hunched over her dog, cradling and stroking its head, tears running down her face and falling on the pup. My heart was with her. My heart  knows that pain. It is so hard. It hurts. But soon I hope the happy memories she has of her hound will help push away the sadness. 

Image from previous blog post

Coon Dog Cemetery

Behind Bars

 Need I write anything?

Jinxed Myself

It must have been something I said! Just about two weeks ago I mentioned the 'Itsy-Bitsy Spider' in reference to rain coming and washing the spider out. Now it's come back to haunt me as I was confronted by two not so itty-bitsy-spiders!

I am not arachnophobic, as long as something/someone has made me aware that there is a spider....there. And truthfully, I guess I'm not really phobic if I'm surprised, I just don't like it. 

As we were preparing to load the truck for a weekend getaway to NC, where our RV awaits, I grabbed a laundry basket I use for carrying stuff from the house to the RV. The laundry basket had been left in the RV garage in April. I grabbed it, put my fingers under the 'lip' of the top edge, and ran into something fuzzy. Ick. There was a complex net of webbing with a spider egg sac enmeshed in it. Ick. I didn't stop to take a picture. I grabbed a tissue and snatched the mess out of the crevice. I didn't stop to look at whether the egg sac was spiky or smooth. I did notice that the egg sac was close to 3/8" in diameter. Ick! I simply removed it, wadding up the tissue and tossed it.* 

My webbed mess only had one spider egg ball in it,
but looked kinda like this. Ick

A bit later I picked up the laundry basket and happened to notice a bulbous-butt spider. It looked a lot like this picture from the Internet. OMG - that is a brown widow spider. And, if I were a betting person, I'd put money on it...I had a close break with a brown widow - the bite isn't as bad as her cousin, the black widow, put painful never-the-less, according to the Internet. And, she is highly protective of her egg sacs, and will drape her legs around it to 'fiercely' defend it. Ick! She is crumpled up in a tissue near her egg sac. 

Fast forward two days. We are now at our RV site in NC. We arrived after a long, long drive, climbed into the RV and I was ensnared by long, thick, sticky web. It seemed to run from one side of the RV to another. Bleech. Whenever I run into a spider web, I always worry about where the web spinner might be. I didn't run into the spider, and both The Mister and I had instances throughout the evening, running into that darn web! 

In the back of my mind, I must admit, that I kept dwelling on where the manufacturer of that web might be residing. But, we had driven all day. We were tired, and we both went to bed.

I'm surprised that I didn't dream about spiders. One of my friends has a recurring nightmare where, when she opens her eyes there is a huge, black spider suspended above her head. When she sees it, she blows out a breath, like blowing out a candle, and the spider disappears! Hmmm, maybe if I blow on the next spider I see it will disappear?! 

I didn't have to wait long to find the web builder. The next morning, as I went to take the dogs out for a walk, I found the owner of that icky, sticky spider web. She was cowered in the corner of the steps of our RV. She looks a bit 'more' because of the reflective surface of the step. But, trust me....she was huge! Like, 4" in diameter. Ick! (The Internet tells me she is one of the largest spicers in North America)

To be honest, she reminded me of Marcellus, the Octopus in "Remarkably Bright Creatures" (if you haven't watched that...it's a sweet movie!), as she was huddled in the corner. I grabbed our broom, and gently swept her outside to make a web another day**....but please, not in our RV!

Again, if I were a betting woman, I'd probably win a bet that this 'little' gal is a 'Dark Fishing Spider'. 

Ick!

And, another interesting fact....both the Brown Widow and the Dark Fishing Spider females cannibalize their mates. Ick!

* I tossed the tissue wrapped egg in the trash can in my sewing room. Now....I'm worried. While I'm away could those spiderlings 'hatch'? Ick!

** The Internet tells me that the Dark Fishing Spider doesn't make a traditional web to ensnare food. She jumps on her prey. However, she does make a long dragline to find a mate, or to keep her safe if she should fall while traversing through trees (or around an RV!).