Saturday musings.

The spoiled cats at the studio have three window seats, one square, and two oval.  
First off, let me say that I do not take full responsibility for how spoiled ROTTEN they are.
One Miss L has had a lot to do with that, no matter how much she vehemently denies that she even LIKES them.
Anyway......they love their window seats, but they get nasty and covered with cat hair.  Cleaning them is nearly impossible.  So I went online to see if I could buy replacement covers.
I bought one for the square seat, $14.95, on Ebay.
But no oval ones.  NONE. 
So I went to Joann's Fabric Store, with my 40% coupon in hand, bought a yard of sherpa for $6.95, 
brought it home, cut the old one apart to make a pattern, and then I made two of that yard.
And I am very happy with them.
Next 40% coupon I get, I am going to buy another yard, and keep it ON HAND.

Lois is making paper birch rugs from our new stash of loopers.

These make the best bath mats ever.   These are 32"x 52", and maybe after these we will make some smaller ones.

Getting ready to live at the studio next spring, I am getting all sorts of things done over there.
So last night, after dinner, I met the man from AFSCO fencing.  My plan is to fence in the side yard for my boy Roy, and of course, any future dogs.  I will never be without a dog in my life.  It just doesn't feel right.
But being that the studio is on a state highway, safety is the number one priority.

While I was waiting for him to come, I was wandering around outside, and found this behind the barn.  It came from a florist friend who was going out of business, and it has been languishing for at least 6 years, until now, when it has a brand new purpose in life.

Oh, my how I love to repurpose things.
It was not in the chicken run for 50 seconds, before these two were up on it.

My chair is a popular hang out, too.  Of course it is.
I love sitting out there with them, they are somehow so calming.
Yes, I have clicked with my chicks.
But how do you name them, when you can't tell them apart??
 There are 5 of the yellow, buff orpingtons or buff rocks, who knows.
There are 3 of the Rhode Island Reds, and 3 of the Araucanas.
Then there is the barred rock, Vicky.
And the black Jersey Giant, Black Betty.

Life is simpler here.  I long for this place.
I think it is where I am meant to be.

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And the clock ticks.

The days fly by.  It seems that I never have enough time to do what I want to do.   I am as busy as I want to be, sometimes busier.
Two days a week, I am at the beck and call of one baby Dale.

 Still not much hair, but teeth are coming in.

 

 And she is on her hands and knees, and on the move.

Back at the studio I am doing some weaving, not nearly as much as the "old" me used to do.
But enough.

Another porch rug, this one 30"x116".  Of course, you could use it in a hall way, or in your kitchen, or just about anywhere.
But doesn't "porch rug" just sound good?

 The chicks are growing so fast, and I am not getting rid of a one of them.
So far, only two have names.
The little pecked one, that is half the size of the rest, is thriving.  But because we put Vicks on her neck to keep the others from pecking her, Lois named her Vicky.

The other one with a name is a large black one, that I am sure I did not order.  But the hatchery usually gives you extras, and while we ordered 25, we got 28.  Two died, so my bff and I each got 13.
This girl is not a barred rock.  She is solid black, and by far the biggest hen there.
And she is THE BOSS LADY.
So I called her Black Betty (bam a lam)

 

Now every night, I have had to make the trip to the studio, to make sure the chicks were in.

Even though there is an enclosed run outside the coop, I do not trust it.

It is very rural there, and there are all kinds of critters.

 

If a determined predator has all night to figure it out, I am afraid they might.
So I make the trip.
But not any more.
Thank goodness.
I found  the Automatic Chicken Coop Door
and it is amazing.

You can see by the cord, that my old hand operated door is still in place on the outside of the coop, if ever I need it.
But the automatic door is on a timer.
It opens at 7am and lets them out, and closes at 8:45pm, and shuts them in.
Ahhhhh.
It does work like a charm.

Until the day when I can make the studio my home,  this will do the trick.
In the meantime, I am preparing for that day, getting everything just the way I want it.
Moving will be a snap.
Living there will be a joy.

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Flowering Snowball

2014 may be the year of curves and quilt-alongs and using some of the long-hoarded stash.

I joined the Flowering Snowball QAL. This one has been on my list ever since I pinned it from Molly Flanders Makerie.

I started with a new collection - Emmy Grace, by Bari J for Art Gallery - and pulled from my stash in teals, pinks, greens, gold and charcoal, 50 fabrics in all.

Instagram photo

I splurged on a template set from Customplastic on Etsy. It made for some quick cutting!

And super easy to piece blocks! My 12" block has very gentle curves. Pinning the curves makes the sewing a breeze! The tutorial is here and the QAL starts here.

In other goings-on, I've pin basted and started quilting my Gypsy Kisses. So far so good!

Instagram photo

And the garden is flowering too!!!

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Come kakapo!!

Spell check.  You gotta love it.   I was chatting with my daughters via text, and my phone kept changing 'kayak' to 'kakapo'.

So I give up.  Call it whatever, but come along.


 Number 1 daughter and I went to Garnet Lake, a little jewel of a lake  in the Adirondacks.
Sorry, couldn't resist.

Just an hour drive away, so it was perfect.

Have you ever noticed how sometimes we forget to look up??

It was a lovely day, perfect to be out on the water.
Funny, how calming it is, to be out there, just paddling along.

At one end of the lake, it appears to have once been land.

There are serious stumps of old trees, everywhere.

A little island  for bugs.

The root systems were everywhere, and we were careful not to get hung up on them.

We were looking for loons, but it was hard to tell if a blip on the water was a bird, or just more wood.

My curious mind wonders how long it took for the forest to become part of the lake.

 

I wish I were one of these people who knew the names of every thing growing in the Adirondacks, but I know NOTHING.

 

 

Look how thin that girl's arms are!!   I can only wish.  And reminisce.

 

 

She took a great picture of mama loon sitting on her nest.  We stayed our distance, using the zoom lens, and we glided by quietly, so as not to disturb her.

 

 Crane Mt sits overlooking the lake.  I can't swear this is it, but it could be.
There is a trail to hike it, but as much as I would love to, I am seriously afraid of falling.
You know the deal........I already have a hole in my head.
Water seems so much safer.

We saw a total of 6 loons on the lake.

There are only a few camps on one end of the lake, the rest is state wilderness.

 

 There is something magical about loons, and about their calls.

If I could have anything I wanted, I would live on a pond or a lake with loons, and listen to them all night long.

 It was another lovely day.   I am grateful, to be here, to feel well enough to get out there and kayak,  to be able to do it with my daughter.
It's a reminder, that we don't have yesterday, or tomorrow, but wow, we do have today.
And that's an amazing thing.

 

Always say 'yes' to the present moment... Surrender to what is. Say 'yes' to life - and see how life starts suddenly to start working for you rather than against you.

Eckhart Tolle

I am saying yes.

Loudly.

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Saturday rocks.

Some of you have said you were missing the kitties.
Sydney wanted to do a photo shoot today.

As usual, she requests that you not hate her because she is beautiful.

I finished up what might be my favorite container rug so far.

And then finished a porch rug...........

 A porch rug is what you make when you just want to finish up the container.  You just grab one fabric after another, taking the chance that when they are all put together, it will work.

Then I started weaving a simple red and white rug.

I think the pattern of the fabric makes it look like chicken tracks.

 

Speaking of which..........

DH bought me a sign.

And soon, the coop will have power, and no electric cord hanging out the hole in the wall.

 

 

This door, given to me by my son in law, is perfect......the chicks get morning sun to lay in, and they can look out the window.

 I think they like their digs.

But they need a name for their house.

Chicks rule?

Suggestions?

 

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