Quilting for "Baby Heskin"

There is great joy in our family! James and Suzie are expecting "Baby Heskin" in early November!! Babies bring such happiness and hopes for the future!!!





It seemed appropriate for me to make a special quilt for this welcome child. Knowing Suzie's fondness for things African (thanks to the time she spent there as a high school senior), and because the Heskins have opted to NOT learn the gender of their offspring until its birth, I selected an African theme. After all, don't all children love monkeys and elephants?

What fun I had making the animals come to life! The elephant has a floppy ear, the snake has a bright red tongue, the zebra is so geometrically busy he is hard to look at very long!, and the smiling hippo is guaranteed to make a child smile!
Giraffes wandering through the grass....
The King of the Beasts lounging on the grass...
The s-s-s-sneaky s-s-s-snake s-s-s-slithering s-s-s-s-ilently along...
The zany zebra contemplates the monkey's tail...

On August 28th I am off to Pennsylvania for a visit with Suzie and James. While there I have been scheduled to do some sewing for the nursery to go with the lovely new cherry baby furniture. Lucky me!!! I am liking this "grammie" thing---

Stay tuned---nursery pictures may turn up next!!!

Fly Fishing on the Rio Grande

One of my new great joys is learning to fly fish!!! My long-time friend, Lyndon Skinner, has been patiently teaching me how to "think like a fish" and "read the stream" as well as how to make that silly little fly land where I think there might be a hungry fish. No day has ever gone by as quickly as a day fly-fishing in our beautiful wilderness. I even catch a fish every now and then!

Last week we set forth early in the morning for the headwaters of the Rio Grande River, which just happen to be over the pass, right here in our own county. We stopped at the top of Stony Pass, which grants a glorious view of the sunrise, a bank of last winter's snow, and the endless mountain ranges of the Weminuche Wilderness.
Traveling down the pass we were soon on the very upper reaches of the Rio Grande River. It is a great delight to drive through the forest and the meadows where often deer and elk can be sighted, where the wild flowers are beautifully abundant, and where there is a minimum of evidence of man...
Soon we were donning our waders and boots and sliding and skidding into the deep canyon formed by the river (or maybe that the river runs through....)
This canyon is quite spectacular; note the sphinx-like formations behind me!
Who do you suppose this happy fisherwoman could be?
As the day wore on we worked our way upriver in the canyon and the walls became higher and the entire scene more spectacular---what a gorgeous place to spend a day!

The fish were sneaky and challenging to catch---

We kept trying to outsmart them---
Lyndon measured this 19" beauty before turning it loose---
Day's end on the river sort of tugs at your heart---you don't really want to leave!
Climbing up this cliff was tricky in our fishing boots (they have flat felt bottoms!)---can you see the river at the bottom? (If not, click on this photo to enlarge it.) Time to head for home---

I hope you now better understand my fascination with this new endeavor!!! Care to come to Silverton and we'll go fishing?

Springtime in the Rockies!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spring doesn't really come to the high country until June, as you can see in the picture below. As I arrived home for summer in the San Juan Mountains, this view greeted me just 35 miles north of Silverton---the Dallas Range and Mt. Sneffels, still covered with snow! The breath-taking beauty of this "every day" sort of scene still fills my prairie heart with joy that this is now home. Up the river from Silverton, my friends Doris and Dick, from Dallas, and I found lots of snow in June! Here is their vehicle parked in the roadway that leads to Animas Forks, a ghost town at the head of the Animas River northeast of Silverton.
Snowbanks and snowballs are reality here in June after a deep winter such as 2008. Here are the Underwoods enjoying the snowcut left by the plow.
So, just how high do you think THIS cut really is?
It is still amazing to me that there can be this much snow and the daytime temperatures can be so comfortably warm. If you haven't been here to visit in June, you should plan to come in 2009 just to experience this sort of thing. It really is amazing!

There still is lots of snow in the high country, even in July. I went fishing over the continental divide a few days ago and we saw wild flowers blooming right beside six-foot-deep banks of snow! Come see me and we'll fire up Scarlet (my red Dodge Durango) and head for the high country and the snow! Meanwhile, thanks for visiting my post. PDM

Meandering About Minnesota with Marie

Sometimes computers are annoying, are they not? Serious efforts have been made by this writer to post details of a delightful journey in May to Minneapolis and my computer has always opted to dump the pictures or lose the text---so I shall try again! Here is my friend, Marie King, with whom I toured China a year ago. She is standing on a balcony at the Guthrie Theatre, overlooking St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River. We enjoyed touring the theatre as well as seeing "Midsummer's Night Dream", easily the best theatrical production I've ever seen!
Minneapolis is a wonderful city, with lots of cultural features and events, enough good restaurants to keep one eating for days (the Greek brunch Marie took me to at Santorini's took me right back to Greece!), and, blessedly, mild traffic.

Marie took me along the North Shore of Lake Superior into the part of Minnestoa the locals call "The Arrow" where we saw lots of lovely, wild, lakeshore country. The waterfalls were abundant, the forests were lush, and the air was crisp and clean. We enjoyed a picnic lunch at the great iron shipping harbor at Duluth, toured interesting old lighthouses, and even saw a wolf one morning, crossing the highway, headed for the lake for a drink...just as if he went there every morning!
The little blue lady is Marie by Gooseberry Falls, formed by water rushing out of the north Minnesota hills (mountains---a little difficult for me to say, comparing them to the Rockies!)
headed for Lake Superior. (photo below by Marie)We had a wonderful hike through the woods to an area with waterfalls and a swirling pool called "The Devil's Cauldron", which is misting away in the background and I am obviously enjoying!

One overnight was at a charming Scandanavian lodge on Lake Superior---seen here at twilight. Once again, the food was wonderful and we enjoyed the breakfast as it reminded us of our travels in Norway and Sweden forty years ago.
Split Rock Lighthouse is one of Minnesota's signature places. We spent an afternoon there, touring the buildings and climbing around on the rocks along the lake front.
Of course, no trip to Minneapolis is complete without going to the Mall of America! Above you can see a view of the indoor amusement park at the Mall. Pick out the people in the foreground for perspective, please.
A lovely spring afternoon called for margaritas at one of Marie's favorite spots, "Psycho Suzie's", a sort of Polynesian bar with plenty of outside seating. (You don't have to just eat in Minneapolis---there are plenty of places to bend an elbow, too!)

Back to the Mall of America---the Lego display was astonishing! (Travis must go there someday!) Look for the man above the Gap sign to establish the size of the thing---all built with normal-sized legos.)
Last of all---here I am with a dinosaur built of tiny little legos and don't miss the green tail of another dino nearby---how many thousands?

Marie---I thank you for a great visit and I am hoping that this posting won't vanish into cyberspace as have my other attempts! I am looking forward to visit #2 in Minnesota!

Playing in Portland

Portland, Oregon was my next stop on my Spring Tour of the West, 2008. I flew there from Denver to visit my dear friend, Cynthia Francisco, who was the judge for whom I clerked in the San Juan County Courts. Here is a view from one of the city's hills, with Mt. Hood in the background. (You will have to sort of scruntch down and pretend you can see a very white mountain peak behind the skyscraper!) Cynthia had lots of delightful activities planned, and one of the first things we did was head for the coast via Ft. Clatsop, Washington, where Lewis and Clark spent the second winter of their journey. I was very happy to go there, as several years ago my students and I did an exhaustive study of their travels, including learning many details about this woodsy fort. Here I am, at the fort, with one of the trees which was being readied for demolition---it had fallen across one of the footpaths. The journals of L&C indicated they had only six days without rain, that winter, and I could better understand, after being there, what a wet, soggy existance they must have had.

Before we left for our coastal trip, we toured the Rhododendron Gardens where I saw flowers that surpassed anything I have seen before. They were utterly gorgeous! The blooms were great lush bundles of color---even one named Cynthia!
Here are some azaleas that were slipped into the garden...
Here are two more "beauties" found in the gardens that day:
Not sure why I have such squinty eyes here but you can see we were having fun!
Now---back to the coast. We went to Canon Beach, one of Oregon's most famous beaches. Here is the rock that always shows up on postcards and calendars. Our hotel was right on the beach just a few minutes from this scene and we enjoyed walking on the beach---even braving the cold Pacific breakers with our bare feet.

For some reason, this photo appears again!
Back in Portland we enjoyed shopping, sipping icy cold wine in Cynny's backyard where there were more beautiful rhodies, eating out (you could eat yourself to death in good restaurants in Portland), shopping for quilt supplies for Suzie's baby, going to see the opera "Aida", and enjoying a day at the Japanese Gardens.

Waterfalls and mist at the gardens...
It was a wonderful visit and I look forward to returning to my friend's comfortable house with the lovely flowers and a backyard that has blueberries and strawberries! Next stop: Minnesota!

Casino News From Devils Lake, North Dakota!!!

North Dakota visits included seeing Patti and Butch Goodall, long-time friends. We enjoyed a day trip to Sydney, Montana, to visit cousin Bill Davis and his wife Jennifer at their Rollin' Rock Black Angus Ranch at Sydney. (Hey Bill and Jen---a little free advert here!) Goodalls and I paused at an overlook for the North Dakota Badlands en route...

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While I was in North Dakota I journeyed to the eastern part to visit a long-time friend in Cando. Peggy and her husband, Gary, took me to the Spirit Lake Casino one evening for a sumptuous seafood dinner and a few hours of gaming. Never having played penny slots before, I was very cautious with my wagers, much to the amusement of my companions! Sometimes I bet all of nine cents!!! However, my caution worked out as eventually I had quadrupled my starting stake! Here Peggy and I are, seated at the machines...

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When driving across North Dakota's prairies, I was pleased to see a number of "wind farm" windmills. They stand out on the horizon for miles and miles and are often single mills, appearing to be providing energy for a well or irrigation system. Go North Dakota farmers!

Being welcomed home to North Dakota is always special. Thanks to all of you who made it such a great visit and come to Silverton!!!!

"Having a Ball" in North Dakota, etc. etc.

This magnificent bison bull was grazing beside the highway near the Roosevelt National Park the evening I arrived in North Dakota. I always think this animal beautifully represents the prairiesof the old west and, seeing him, I felt I was home in Dakota!


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Visiting the Hellings (cousins) in North Dakota on their ranch always offers new insights into the business of farming and ranching. Calving was in full swing while I was there which means checking the cows several times a day. Horses have been replaced by four-wheelers with cabs, which allows the "checker" to be warm and dry as well as to get close to the individual cows.

Arlene, Dean, Corky (dog) and I made such an inspection one blustery afternoon on the prairie.
While at their ranch we also celebrated my Aunt Ethel's 90th birthday! She is still in good health, uses her riding lawn mower, and loves to announce that her waist is the same size as it was when she got married, much to the chagrin of the rest of us!

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My sister-in-law, Corinne Davis, has a gift shop in Medora, North Dakota, which is the gateway to Roosevelt National Park. She organized a group of us (employees, relatives, friends) to attend a costume ball which was celebrating the birthday of the town. It was a costume ball and we went as: THE WALTONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Corinne and I were cast as the Baldwin Sisters, peddling "Daddy's Recipe." We had a great time with our Mason jars, filled with a weak bourbon/water mix. People actually accepted samples and then came back to ask how we made the mix! Here we are in our lovely Baldwin garb---you've got to love the hats!
Corinne took me for a tour around the Roosevelt Park where we saw many buffalo, deer, wild horses, and prairie dogs. En route I received a much-enjoyed Mother's Day call from Travis and Maggie, reporting that Australia continues to be good. (Figure this out: They had just returned from a vacation in Fiji! Check their blog at http://www.mooresgo.blogspot.com/).