Busy Summer Days

Here is the promised picture of the finished quilt.  I realized I was never going to get it set up properly for a photo shoot, so this is what I've got.  Sorry!  It's awfully pretty, and most of the migrated dye came out. yay!

 Before I went to Laguna Beach, I put this postcard in the mail. 

It was finally delivered to the addressee.  Note the ink at the bottom, and the tire tracks on the pink in the upper corner and across the middle.

 How about this, where apparently it was delivered to Bakersfield !!!  The unintended recipient did NOT like that, and took his/her ink pen to it in earnest.  Apparently it was deemed junk mail, not art?

 Yesterday, this field mouse was discovered cowering in the skimmer.  I was dipping in for leaves, and YIKES!  I may have screamed.

 For the next two weeks, these are the girls who are supposed to be swimming in the pool.  Penny is here for a while, as well as a friend's daughter, Natalie.  Natalie is considering vet school, so she's riding along with hubby for much of June.

Other than that, I don't have much.  Hubby was digging through old photos, and found this one from UCDavis, 1980.  wow.  I was young!  That's my dad on the left, and my mother's father on the right.  I'm guessing Mother took the photo?  I don't remember seeing this one before.

And I guess that's about it.  There won't be much quilting going on in the next couple of weeks, as I'm chasing after Penny, trying to keep us both out of trouble.  Goals are good!

Bits & Snippets

I haven't been up to much lately.  It's been hot and muggy and the energy level hovers around zero.  I'm not motivated to start anything that takes any thought, whatsoever.

I made two postcards yesterday:

And started a wee bitty "Art" quilt:

I intend to embellish it, but I kind of like it just the way it is, too.

Last night our neighbor came by.  He had a stray in his backyard and, as he said to my husband, "Well, you're a vet!  Of course I thought of you!"  Little did he know that I am the bird whisperer, not the vet.  Anyone missing one of these?

He/she hasn't eaten anything yet, but seems to be feeling okay.  Little bird is definitely better off than if Edgar had found him first!

***addendum.  Apparently Edgar, or somecat did find him first.  Later that day, he fluttered to the cage floor and passed away in my hands.  It was as he was gasping for breath that I noticed the puncture wound under his wing.  At least he knew someone had tried to help him.

Can You See?

I'm not sure if this will work - you might have to be on Facebook to see it.  But the link seemed to work when I tried it...

It's pictures of all of the quilts entered into the Thimble Towne Color Challenge.  To see them, click here.

Since my post, I've been told it's supposed to be a blind challenge.  hmmm.  I'd specifically asked more than once if it was blind (I was told no), and if I could post on my blog (I was told yes).  I told them I'd posted on my blog, they said it was fine.  But the display will remain blind through 9/14.  At that time, the "winners" will be revealed.

If you look at the quilts, you know that we're all winners.  Those are some AMAZING quilts!  All were made in less than two months.  Isn't it a wonderful collection?  So much talent in the valley!  Congratulations to all who were/are part of it.  I love it!

This week has been spent quilting-for-hire, and dog-watching.  Watching dogs is exhausting.  The pair of strays have been hanging out at my house every day this week.  We're trying to socialize them, and teach them manners.  I'm taking the day off.  I can't deal with them yet again.  I need to get something done, other than watch dogs.

They're still looking for homes.  I don't think I'm enough of a dog person to keep them.  Barking makes me crazy.

On the quilt front, I shipped a couple of quilts to the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza.  That show opens Sept 19-22.  Look for my wall quilts and say, "Hi!" to them for me, will you?

The Tulare County Fair is open 9/11-15.  I've entered 3 quilts there.  I've submitted a quilt to PIQF, and I've received my regrets letter from Houston.  whew!  I think that covers everything to date.

I'm not sure I mentioned a goal this week.  If not, it's to finish that quilt-for-hire.  I've made a lot of progress, but I'm not quite to the half-finished mark.  Perhaps by Monday?  Goals are good!

And then, next week, we'll be doing this:

Looks like fairy dust, but it's really raining walnuts.

Have a great weekend!

Still Homeless

 Now that my TT Challenge quilt is done, I have time to concentrate on placing these dogs.  Happy is a good dog.  She's calm enough to not freak at the cats every single time she sees them.  She LOVES people and LOVES attention, and will hold still long enough for me to hose her down when she comes to visit.  (It's dirty at the walnuts.)

But I have an unfenced pool, and she squeezed through the fence that we just put across the old dog run.  I was going to try her out here overnight, but the pool is just too dangerous for a dog unfamiliar with pools.

 Happy wasn't the only one visiting.  Homeless was here too.  He's a barker.  He's an excellent watch dog.  Unfortunately, he comes unglued when he sees cats, and I have 4 outside cats.  Not a good combo.  bark!  bark bark!  bark bark bark bark!  I sent him back to the walnuts.

 Pixel thinks they're fun enough to play with.  She's convinced that Happy's ear is one of her chew toys.  She spent the afternoon chasing Happy, so that she could chew on Happy's ear.  yum, yum!

Ahh, look at that fine figure of a...whatever she is.  All personality, and charming at that.

Maybe we'll end up dog-sharing Happy, the way we kind of dog-share Pixel.  Stranger things have happened.

But Homeless?  He's had 3 chances in Visalia.  He was much calmer on Day 3, than he was on Day 1, but I can't deal with the barking.  Occasional barking?  When people drive up?  That's fine.  But barking every time he sees a cat?  Give me a break!  ;)

Anyone know anyone who wants a nice little dog?  Happy is 15 lbs and spayed, Homeless is 12 lbs and looking for love.

Call me.  Email me.  Find me.  They are desperate for people of their own.

Dog Days

Did someone say "Bacon"?

 Please?

 Please?

 "We're sitting!"  Please...

 "See how good we are?  Bacon, please..."

Yes, they got the bacon.  ;)

Today we took Happy to the groomer.  Before:

After:

No one recognized her when she returned.  Sniff?

 Bark!

 Bark! Bark!!

 Sniff?  Sniff sniff?

 Homeless seems to be making the adjustment.  Pixel?  Not so much.

 And there they are:  Homeless and Happy.

 

We really don't know what to do with them.  He couldn't handle her absence, yet she obviously wants to have a person of her own.  We've been feeding them for a week now...he'll run up, tail wagging, and lick your hand, but touch him?  He screams and runs off like he's been brutalized.  I spent a couple of hours trying to catch him, but just can't seem to do it.  He's pretty fast.

Last thought for the day:  Although it may seem desirable to chew up the bill for the property taxes, it's really not a good idea to act out on that inclination.

Who's the naughty dog?

You didn't even have to see the picture, you already knew, didn't you?

Welcome Home!

It's like I never left.  But I did.  And I'll leave again, soon.  :)

But for now, chores await.  Number one priority has been to "Pixel-proof" the front yard at the walnuts.  How to do it has been the question.  How, indeed.

My sister is a Master Dog Whisperer, and cares for them deeply.  Her house is dog-centric.  When I visited back in May, I saw what she had done, to keep a 4 lb Yorkie enclosed.  She welded expanded metal to her wrought iron gate, then painted it to match.

Hers:

 Ours:

 You probably have to click on the photo, to see the expanded metal addition.  We have 10 panels to go, we still need to weld the bar across the top, and we still need to paint.  But by the end of the week, the front yard might just be Pixel-proof.

Another thing happening out at the walnuts is the latest pair of strays.  They showed up last week, looking quite ragged.  Their tails wag constantly, they are thrilled to see us, but they are skittish.  I've dubbed them "Hansel and Gretel."

They absolutely would not hold still for a picture.  Their tails wagged constantly, and they were jumping all over each other.  My guess is that they are litter mates, and they were dumped.

I was able to catch Gretel - the one with the rasta hair - and take her to the vet yesterday, hoping that she had a chip.  She does not.  He said she is a young dog, definitely under a year.  She's covered in ticks and has tapeworms, but we vaccinated her and dosed her for the ticks/fleas/worms, etc., with Trifexis and Droncit.  Same with her brother.  (He's intact, she does not appear to be pregnant.  yet.)

The plan is to take her to the groomer next week, once the ticks are dead, and shave her down.  Hopefully Hansel will be tame enough by then for the same treatment, or at least a good bath.  Then we'll take their pictures and post them with the Clinic. Perhaps there is someone out there looking for a pair of dogs.  She is 15 lbs, he's a bit smaller, maybe 12?

We're keeping them outside the fence, but giving them water and some food.  They're loving little dogs.  Want them?  They'd love a happy home.  Pixel is quite jealous of the attention they are receiving.

Back at the house house, I've basted two quilts, trimmed 4 of the 12 strips that I pieced last week, and finished the hand applique on my Thimble Towne Challenge.  I have two more quilts to baste and 8 strips to trim...and two quilts that really need to be quilted NOW.  It's hard to do only one thing at a time, and keep the momentum going.  But the fence has been waiting for months upon months, so this is the week we are focusing on getting it up.

I got home around 3pm.  When I dragged the garbage can to the back of the house, I discovered that one of my Naked Ladies is blooming!

Elaine B gave them to me at least 3 years ago.  This is the first time any of them have bloomed.  woohoo!  I can't wait to see what she looks like!  ;)

 I also found this gorgeous box waiting on my doorstep:

Elaine S., you are an angel!  Thank you!!!

It's good to be back.  :)