Some Early Leaf Peeping

I haven't disappeared.  Just been on a little vacation and had limited internet access.  We spent this week at DeSoto State Park near Fort Payne, Alabama.  It's a wonderful place and I loved being up there.  If there weren't other obligations to bring us back south, we'd likely have  stayed longer.  

The leaves are beginning to change there.  I have more to tell but that will have to wait. 


After Monday, I'll be without internet access for a week.  Going to be RV camping still, but at more remote locations.  I'm sure that outing will produce some interesting day as well.  So, stay tuned and I'll be back when I can.  


Y'all take care.  

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

It's so easy to take readers for granted and I don't ever want to do that.  

I am always so happy when I know someone new has stopped by for a bit.  

I get a great deal of joy out of the blogs that I read, and I hope you get some enjoyment out of visiting me. 

Y'all take care. 

Procrastination and Cruising 'Round Town

I’m sitting here today knowing that I need to get busy making the backings for the quilts I’m working on.  I have confirmed that I have the proper yardages, but getting them made and pressed just isn’t what I want to be doing.  Unfortunately, the backing and the basting of the quilt “sandwich” are necessary evils before quilting.

I looked into John Flynn’s diagonal piecing method for the backs, but because of their size, there’s not a lot of difference in fabric requirements between the diagonal method and normal.  So, I’ll just do the normal backings and not attempt the diagonal on five quilts on the first try.   Oh, four tops are totally done and just need a border on the fifth to have them ready.  I’m still waiting on my batting order to arrive.  Once that happens, I won’t have an excuse for not moving forward. 

I’m finding all kinds of things to distract me from the job at hand.  Do you ever do that?

On Saturday, hubby and I went into town to the farmers’ market.  It’s a ways in there, so this is the first time we’ve been.  I think we're convinced that its worth making the trip. 

It was small but held in a lovely setting and there’s certainly room to expand if it can ever grow enough to need the space.  Very little produce was available because the gardens down here have quit producing by now.  There were baked goods, plants, crafts, soaps and toiletries, free range eggs and other good stuff. 

After strolling through, we sat for a while and just enjoyed the lovely day and the beautiful blue sky. 

Pensacola is a very old city and there is some lovely architecture in the downtown area, not the least of which is St. Michael's Catholic Church just across from the market area. 

During our travels throughout the country, farmers’ markets have been a favorite pastime for hubby and me.  Everything from two or three farmers on a corner to the one in Des Moines, Iowa which fills downtown every Saturday morning with 10,000 or so people and hundreds of vendors.

After the market and a couple of errands, we headed over to Five Sisters Cafe for lunch, our first time there.  Been hearing about it for a while but just haven't gotten over to it.  Had a lovely lunch and would love to return when the music is underway.

We have been having good weather lately.  Right now it is a bit above normal in temperature but the humidity levels have dropped and that makes it a lot more bearable.    Three of us went birdwatching in Blackwater yesterday for the first time in a while.  It’s an awkward time of the year for birding.  The winter migrants haven’t arrived yet and the residents are quiet and still.  However, as we all exclaimed, it was just good to be out in the woods with the fresh air and sunshine.   Besides, we enjoy each others company.

Y'all take care.  

Is Fall Finally on the Way?

Yesterday and today have been absolutely glorious days!!  The sun is shining, the breeze is blowing and the sky is blue with few clouds.  I have the windows open and the curtains are gently moving with the breeze.  The hummingbirds are skirmishing regularly. 

Skirmishes underway.

It is hard to be inside doing things that I really need to get done.  I'm still working on the quilt tops for my siblings and finished another top today. 

The colors don't show well here, but they are much more vibrant and pleasing. 


A bit earlier, a murder of crows was carrying on something fierce in the back yard.  I dislike crows in my yard for their effect on the smaller songbirds, so I try to scare them away when possible.  I went out back and shoo them off but they were very persistent in hanging out next to a pine tree.  Finally, I got them to leave and was wondering what they were devoting so much time and attention to. 

See that big blob in the middle of that (unfocused) picture?   That's a fat raccoon, using our pine tree as his resting and napping place for the day.  Guess I'll be taking down the bird feeders tonight to assure that he doesn't find a reason to hang around.  They can do major damage to the feeders themselves.


I hope all of you are getting some better weather.  It is time.


Y'all take care. 

Gray Day Musings

It is a very gray, dreary day here in Florida.  We are in the outer bands of Tropical Storm Lee and have been getting rain sporadically for the last 48 hours.  I'm sure more will be coming over the next 48 hours or so.  We need every drop we can get, for we were in somewhat of a drought.  Nowhere near the scope of Texas, but there are lots of places in the Southeast that need rain badly.  


I have been working regularly on the quilts for my siblings.  I have three of the tops done and am putting the sashing and borders on the other two.

I had never used black in a quilt before but it does add such a pop to the other colors.  

Can't say that I'm terribly fond of this one but perhaps it will grow on me over time.


I am so happy to report that the hummers are back!  We have only ruby throated hummingbirds around here but they are so amazing.  Even in the rain, they will dart in and out to the feeders.  The fall migration is underway and I'm hoping that the weather patterns will change so that it is more comfortable to be out and about watching birds.  Late last week Birdlady and I went over to the Naval Live Oaks area.  We had abysmal luck and nearly melted in the high humidity.  We cut our trip very short and will try again another day.

We're spent the entire summer home, except for that fated week when we tried to go to Asheville.  Turned out the elevation there (2200 ft.) caused some difficulties for Hubby, so we had to cancel those plans.  Since it was hot all over the south, there was nowhere else we chose to go and just came home.  


We have used the time to get some new hurricane shutters and to have some other storm remediation work done on our house.  The old shutters were wood and it would have been almost impossible for me to install them alone, should the need arise.  The new ones are metal and the panels are much smaller and lighter.  Hopefully, we'll never have to see how they work!!  Our house is now thirteen years old so its time for some things to be replaced or upgraded.  We dread the thought of a new roof, but this one has not lasted nearly as long as we anticipated.  That will be our next big expenditure.  


The grass in our yard is improving slowly.  Back in the early summer, we had soil tests done and it was sorely lacking.  We added the recommended items and can see a difference.  We still are looking at either sod or seeding St. Augustine a bit later to help fill in where the centipede just doesn't do well.  There's not much that's attractive to look at these days except this little area. 

We are contemplating removal of that huge sago palm.  Isn't it the way that what you'd like to die continues to thrive and what you want to thrive just up and dies on you?  

Y'all take care.