Crossing the Line

Time for a new post, eh?

(That's Canada speak!)

The good news is that summer has finally decided

to make an appearance.
Whew!!

The bad news is that the weather decided to change 

just when I picked up my new....

...Janome Horizon 8200!!

It's kind of difficult to stay indoors to play

when opportunities like this beg to be taken advantage of!

But I spent a few minutes each evening

getting my new machine set up and ready to go.

Now I'm practicing my FMQing so I can start my first quilt.

It'll be a small one!

I'm finding that I do great when I'm just working

on a simple sandwich,

but when I try to quilt something pieced,

my FMQ foot bogs down at the seam allowances,

making for some pretty jerky movements.

Aren't I supposed to be able to 'cross the line'?

I'll figure it out sooner or later.

Update:  A screw on the FMQ foot itself?

Who knew?

I always keep a project on the work table

so I can pass by, sit for a minute, and take a stitch or two.

Here are a couple of For Pink's Sake blocks

I constructed,

compliments of 

The Crafty Quilter

Between paddling and working in the yard,

it took me four days to put them together,

but they were so worth the wait!!
I love them and

I look forward to making them in a different color.

Four more owl pillows

sit patiently upon the craft counter

waiting to be stuffed.

Once completed, that makes 7.

Only 5 more to go.

This Mourning Cloak

(Nymphalis antiopa)

has been keeping me company most mornings

while I enjoy my coffee in the early morning sun,

contemplating my day's activities.

It's so rich and velvety looking.

I hope you are enjoying some rich and velvety

summer days!

~karen

For Pink's Sake

I became aware of this project

when visiting

Julie at The Crafty Quilter

this morning.

Another great blog hop,

this one in support of Breast Cancer Awareness.

This is something we've all been effected by

one way or another.

I just happen to have an extra pink block

to donate to the cause.

and will be slipping it into the mail

when Monday rolls around.

(There are no mail services in Nova Scotia on Saturdays)

Any block 4" or larger would be greatly appreciated.

Mine is 8.5" unfinished.

I think I'll include a couple of strips of pink

in case she wants to make it bigger

by adding a border.

Read more about how you can donate HERE!

I haven't been doing very much sewing,

but did start a summer long service project of my own.

One day a week, I am going to work on Owlivia pillows -

no pressure, no stress.

My goal is to complete a dozen pillows

before I migrate South in the fall,

then donate them to our local RCMP Hdqtrs.

so they will have something in their patrol cars

when a call involves a child or two.

Here are my first 3.

My "to go" project has gotten too big

to go, so the few evenings I sit with a movie,

I've been working on this afghan.

Here's my neat little pile that sits at the foot of the couch.

This is for my friend, The Ranger, who DOESN'T 

migrate south for the winter months.

I couldn't find any coordinating yarn that pleased me,

so just went with brown.

I think it turned out okay.

Lastly, here is a UFO that I've committed to finish.

I'm trying very hard not to start anything new.

Hope you have a nice weekend!

Send me some sunshine, please.

~karen

A Bear-y Good Day

 

Whenever there is a break in the weather,

we try to go somewhere for a hike

or a paddle.

 

A few days ago, we headed to a mature hardwood forest.

As soon as I got out of the truck,

 I heard the ethereal song of a hermit thrush.

 

 

I remember the very first time I ever heard one sing.

It was so beautiful,

it stopped me dead in my tracks.

 

Have a listen!

 

 

 

   I had always been a backyard birder,

 but this was the defining moment

that turned me into a

birder-at-large!

 

As we were driving into this forested area,

The Ranger was telling me how,

the last time he was there, he saw a bear.

As he was relating his story to me,

I was watching along the edge of the forest,

looking for birds, of course,

and thought I could see the outline of a bear.

But the trees were so thick, I was sure my eyes

were just playing tricks on me.

 

He parked the truck a few minutes later,

and when we looked up,

what do you think we saw?

 

First one stepped out of the forest's edge, then another....

 

Black Bear

 

....not 75-100 yards in front of us.

Pictured here is the second one, a bit larger than the first.

Probably the mom; the other, perhaps, a two year old.

 

She did turn and face us,

but by the time I felt confident enough to quietly open the truck door

without scaring her off so I could step out to take a clear picture,

she was already ambling away, unconcerned.

 

My other photos, taken through the windshield,

didn't come out very clearly.

 

So, off we went, into the forest.

And exactly where I thought I saw the bear through the trees,

was sign that they had,

indeed,

just been there...

 

 

...foraging for a tasty treat.
Grubs, most likely.
 

We spend a lot of time in the forests all around Nova Scotia,

and this is a first for me!!

 

We also came across a lovely beaver dam.

 

 

The water level was right up to the top!

It was easily 3 or 4 feet high.

 

Birdsong filled the air and

spring flowers littered the forest floor,

with the promise of more to come.

 

It was, indeed, a bear-y good day in the forest.

 

Hope you've had the opportunity

to get out and enjoy a little of

Mother Nature's blessings!

~karen

 

 

 



 

 

 

 



Ten Reasons Why

 

Pictured here are ten of the reasons why

I've returned to Nova Scotia, Canada

for my 12th summer in a row.

 

Camping at Dover, NS after a long paddle

Relaxing on my front deck - back when
I had short hair.

Getting ready to paddle
with Little Sister at Gabarus, CB

 

A bird's eye view at Gabarus, CB

 

Pileated Woodpecker tree - my favorite

Looking out over Margaree Valley, CB

Black Brook Falls, a rain forest in Cape Breton!

Primordial Forest in Guysborough County, NS
This tree is so big, you can barely see me nestled into the bottom!

Stopping for lunch in the bog at Baleine, CB

An oil painting version of me at a stop-over
in Bras d'Or Lake, CB.
It's kind of cool!  I like it!
Bras d'Or Lake practically divides CB in half,
it's so big.













It was difficult to narrow it down to just ten! 

Cape Breton is a great place to be,

despite the man-made threats to the environment,

fueled by greed,

that grow in number every day,

just like every place else in the world.

 

(This is for you, Kathie!)

 

Thanks for stopping by today!

~Karen

 







Finally Spring!

 

I must have done something right in a previous life,

because despite working very hard to mess this one up,

I am a lucky girl in so many ways.

 

Take spring, for instance.

I get to welcome spring to S. Texas,

 

Texas Bluebonnets

 

then to Massachusetts,

Marsh-marigold

 

next in Maine,



Leatherleaf

 

and FINALLY, Siberia Cape Breton,

May 29th, 2014
Cape Breton interior

where I thought spring would

never show it's pretty face.


Spring-Beauties, first of the forest flowers

 

But there you have it!

Not many ephemeral flowers were in bloom

in the Cape Breton woods,

maybe in another week.

It's been a longgggggg winter.

 

Haven't cranked up the sewing machine, yet,

but it has been professionally serviced,

and is raring to go!

 

First up is to finish this very old UFO.

 

 

About 4 or 5 or 6 years ago,

when the Disappearing 9-patch became popular,

I thought to increase the size of the squares to 6.5"

so I could include these Colorado Blocks in the mix.

It's a wedding gift for my niece,

who's ONLY been married almost that long!!

I think she's waited long enough for her quilt.

 

However,

I foolishly thought it was time to strip, sand, and paint

the bathroom cabinets.

I'm SO sorry I started THAT project!

But, it comes first, because I know me....

....as soon as I fire up that machine,

all I'll want to do is.....

SEW!

 

Hope you are looking forward to

a wonderful weekend!

xo,

karen

 

 

Pay It Forward

 

I totally forgot

that I was participating in a 'Pay It Forward'

with Kerstin at Cookies Treasures.

 

I signed on to play

5 months ago.

I've had a lot of sleeps since then!!

 

Imagine my surprise

when I walked up to the post office this morning

and the post mistress handed me a package

from Kerstin.

I had to open it then and there!

Our post mistress, Rosie, is a quilter, too.

 

 

Isn't it beautiful?

And the most fun is,

she designed it herself!!

 

It measures 12" x 18"

and the gorgeous fabric is heavy duty.

There is a big, zippered pocket on the inside

and some smaller pockets with snap closures.

It will get a lot of use.

Thank you so much, Kerstin!!

 

So, the deal is, now I have to Pay it Forward

to three more people

sometime within the next 365 days.

Kerstin really raises the bar, but I think I can do it!

 

Anyone who would like to receive something handmade

by me will have to, in turn, pay it forward to 3 more people.

 

Any takers??

 

Have a wonderful day.

It was beautiful here, today!!

~karen

 



Jiggity Jig

 

Home again, home again,

jiggity jig.....

 

After 6 long weeks on the road,

I've finally landed in my favorite spot

and can sit tight for the next 6 months!

 

While only able to spend 2 full days in Maine,

I had the most delightful time birding and meeting a new/old friend,

birding extraordinaire and author of Kathie's Birds.

I was able to link her up with my brother-in-law and sister

for future birding adventures,

and introduce her to some of the birding hotspots of Maine.

 

 

 

Here she is with my little sister, The Fern Lady,

striking the all to familiar 'Geeky Birder' pose!

I'm sure she had Warblers' Neck

at the close of this fine, but cold, day.

 

And again, with my BIL

 

scanning the yet still wintery marsh,

hoping something new will fly in

before we make our way back.

 

On this day, we spotted a Northern Wheatear,

an arctic species that doesn't visit this far south very often,

 

as you can see from this species distribution map.

Birders from near and far have been stopping by the marsh

for a look at this beauty.

 

I have no pictures of the wheatear, and here is why...

 

she's a little brown bird somewhere out there,

best gazed upon through a scope,

 

as Kathie is doing here.

She had a much fancier camera and if I know her,

she was able to capture a beautiful image

of Mrs. Wheatear!

I hope she shares with me!

 

I haven't finished compiling my list,

but so far, between birding in TX, Mass., and Maine,

I've added 11 new birds to my life list.

 

Just between you, me, and the lamp post, I don't want to add

too many new birds 

too quickly,

because it is such a joy when you do,

and since you can only count them once,

I'd like to play it out as long as I can!

As of today, I have 327 different species of birds on my life list.

 

I'm sure I'll show you more,

later.

 

Thanks, Kathie, for joining us for a very special day

of welcoming the warblers to Maine!!

It was such a pleasure meeting you after all these years of blogging.

 

Now that I'm home, I'll be trading my binoculars

for my sewing machine.  6 weeks is a long stretch to go without sewing!!

 

Have a happy day!

~karen