My March finish, a new bird and off to retreat`

I was so tired when I posted the other night that I completely forgot what I wanted to post about.  I am getting better a little bit more every day, but I tend to push myself too hard and then I get dizzy and very tired.  But you may notice I am spending more time on the computer and I have driven into town twice.  I worked today and won’t go back again until next Tuesday.  I’ll be at retreat Thursday through Sunday!! Yay!!  I bought a foam mattress and will take a pillow and blanket so I can go in the back room and lie down whenever I feel overwhelmed.  We are staying at a hotel that is about 8 minutes walk away but I don’t want to spend time when I need a break going over there.

We have had this “new to our yard” bird hanging around for about a week, but he has been very elusive.  DH managed to get a great photo of him today.  He is a Varied Thrush.  So pretty!

And here is my finish for March – a table runner that I made for DD # 2 for Easter.  Of course it didn’t reach her in time for Easter but she can use it all spring if she wants.

I used a pattern that I won from Janet at Threaded Moose.  A lovely paper pieced star. 

And fabric that I received from Kate Spain.  I blogged about that here – I won two little 2 1/2 inch charm packs and received a huge parcel of her fabric ends as well.  I used a solid purple in the border and a navy that matched the navy in the flowers for the binding.  Here is the back.

I like it as well as the front.  I love Kate Spain’s fabrics.  Here it is on my table at Easter, with the plate of Ukrainian eggs my guests made.

I quilted in the ditch around the stars and a cross through the centre of them.  And the scribble around the outside border.  All in all I was very pleased.  And my daughter likes it too. 

Janet

Another exciting day in Disneyland

“Look out the window!  Look out the window!”  I interrupted DH’s dialogue on his work.  He is an extrovert and doesn’t know it, but I do because he has to talk for an hour or so when he gets home about what he did at work that day.  But this was too exciting – I couldn’t listen to him….

When I saw this rump walking by my kitchen window, I knew immediately what it was.  They have been hanging out nearby for a while, and one of my neighbours has seen them a few times, but this is the first time they’ve been in my yard. 

Please note that I measured my window height and it is 109 inches off the ground.  That is nine feet, one inch, and the rump was crossing at the top of my window… Imagine the height of the head…

When I rushed out and starting clicking with my camera they looked to make sure it was safe, but didn’t run off… Two babies…

And their mom…

In less exciting news here are the two baby quilt tops I made on the weekend.  I have a basket at my LQS where people drop off scraps that would otherwise be put in the garbage.  Usually they are smaller pieces that I use for postage stamp blocks, or the little blocks and triangles for my never ending tiny block quilt, or strips for my colours quilt.  But occasionally I get a big bag of fabric from someone.  Often it is older fabric, but hey, I like it all.  The latest bag had enough squares for these two quilts.

I have backing for them and hope to get them quilted up this weekend.  They will go to the local nursing station and be given to a new baby in our town.

And I have to show you  the knitted plane cover that has taken shape in Whitehorse.  There is a Douglas DC-3 that acted as a weather vane outside the airport, although it was recently moved next door to the Transportation Museum.  Well it has been yarn bombed.  So much fun!

Janet

Exciting Saturday afternoon

My dog, Zeke, likes to chase things.  Particularly he likes to chase pickup trucks, motorcycle, quads, skidoos and bicycles.  Oh and squirrels, grouse, gophers, mice and any other small mammals he sees. 

Yesterday when we were out walking he decided he wanted to chase this…

I had to say no…

Around noon today I was sitting in the sunroom, having tea and toast, with my back to the sun which was being lovingly warmed.  Zeke suddenly leapt up, growled and ran out barking.  By the time I got out of my chair I saw he was chasing this…up a tree

It was a little cub, not too scary, but it took me a while to get Zeke into the house.  I had to go out and grab him, all the while looking anxiously around for mama.  Zeke sat at the bottom of the tree, alternately barking and wagging his tail.  Does he think it’s a dog?

The bear stayed in the tree for about an hour.  I watched him out my sewing room window while cutting some squares for a baby quilt.  Then he finally decided to come down.

A nibble of dandelion leaf for sustenance… and then he was off.

He was about five feet away from the house… I’m glad mama bear didn’t show up…

Now I’m back to sewing!

Janet

Sewing!

Yup, I did some sewing this weekend.  Ten blocks for my colours quilt.  All the greens, yellows and light blue blocks are done.

Sorry the picture isn’t great.  I have eighteen blocks left to do, in orange, red, purple and dark blue.  I ran out of muslin.  Yes I am sewing these onto muslin.  I ordered backing fabric for this quilt and know exactly what I want to do for the back and the binding, but I’m not sure what to do for batting.  I don’t want the quilt to be too heavy.  I read on someone’s blog that they had made their quilt on muslin and it was heavy.  I have a roll of really thin batting which I use for wall hangings; I may use it in this quilt.

Last weekend I took a daytrip to Juneau, Alaska.  I went with my friend Kim on the Fjordland Express.  It was a fantastic trip.  The owner/operator, Glen, relays lots of information about geography, history, ecology, the animals and birds, and his own experiences.  Did you know that the Lynn Canal, where Skagway, Haines and Juneau, Alaska are situated, is the deepest fjord in North America?

I have lived in the Yukon for 35 years and sad to say my excursions into Alaska have so far been paltry.  This was my first trip to Juneau.  It was a grey and rainy day but the sea was calm.  We spent lots of time seeking out sea mammals and birds.  We saw Harbour Seals…

Stellar Sea Lions….

Hump Back Whales….

Porpoises… no picture, they are much too fast….

Hundreds of bald eagles…

We saw eleven bears, ten on the road trip to Skagway and one on the road into Juneau from our docking point.

There were three of these brown coloured cubs with a black bear mama.

We also saw a moose and porcupine, as well as numerous other birds but no pictures…

As well as the boat trip and a couple of hours in Juneau, we had a side trip to the Mendenhall Glacier just outside Juneau.

I didn’t realize it was such a wild hair day for me.  

If you ever take a trip to Alaska I would really recommend this tour.  You can turn it into a several day adventure if you want to stay overnight in Juneau and check out the gazillion touristy stores.  There is a quilt shop there too. 

Janet

Spring Bear

This evening DH and I took a drive down to this place.

If you’ve been around my blog for a while you’ve seen this place in several different seasons.  It is a favourite place to go.  In the spring we go there to look for fishing lures.  Lots of people go there to fish in the summer and there is a steep drop off and lots of rocks; many people lose lures when they get caught in the rocks.  In the spring the water is low and the lures can be retrieved.  This is one of DH’s favourite spring outings and we go once or twice a week. 

Today we drove down the road and a truck pulled in and followed us.  Turned out it was the game wardens, one from Yukon and one from B.C. ( this place is about five miles from the B.C. border – you’d have to look at a map to understand).  I guess it is spring bear hunt season; they had to check out these people who were turning down a side road. 

Well it must have been good luck because on our way home we saw our first bear of the season!   A little brown bear. 

And then close to home, five caribou on the road.  I’ll show you a pic, but I did not get a good one so the picture is just for proof… I always get so excited when I see animals that I take more bad pictures than good ones.

Janet