SHOPPING TRIP

While at JoAnns yesterday, I found the right fabric for the outer border for the mini petals,

and even found a nice fabric for the backing!

Look what we saw at a park recently....it is about 18' long-what's left of it.  Google pic says it is a whip snake skeleton! 

 Who knew they had ribs!?! 

And just so I don't leave you with a snake thought--here is one of the many magnolia blooms that our tree is presenting! 

 Oh, if only you could scratch and sniff!

A Day of Adventures!

Cassandra and I worked on step one of making a stepping stone. (applying tile adhesive and placing our tiles) 

Now we must wait to grout it.  Today will see it finished!

The tree crinum is doing it again (this bloom bundle is 18-20" wide).  The smell is delicious!

A lot of this happened today.  (pool temp is 82F)

In the pond out back, 

we saw this pattern in the water and knew this was around!

A water snake. 

 A permanent removal was necessary but it was not wasted-

because we hang it in the tree for a hawk or eagle!

  The camouflage is good-can you see it?!

The evening was perfect 

(except for the mosquitos which is why I am inside the lanai for the bonfire)

for fireworks!

A loud and beautiful end to a perfect day!

Saturday's Sewing

 The Starry Splendor leftovers are now in their own quilt top!

36" x 42"  

I would've loaded it onto the frame if I had a large enough piece for the backing!

Another day.

 I added another three blocks to the Summer Blooms.

I am wondering if I will break the large quilt the kit designed or break it up into lap sized quilts.

Either way, I will have to keep stitching these blocks for quite a while!

 Do you see what we spotted on a recent tour of the acreage?

Maybe a bit of a zoom in will help!

It is an indigo racer;  a young one , less than one half of his adult size, measuring only 3'.

It is non-poisonous and will hunt and eat several of its poisonous neighbors

so a nice one to spot on a hike!  

(Once you're heart rate drops back to normal after being startled by a snake!)

WildLife

 When you live in rural Florida, you teach children to run away from every sighted snake and call for help.

Will was playing the other day and did just that.

Perfectly.

 

 The snake in question was 36-40" long.

It was an Indigo Racer which is a beneficial snake to have around 

since it eats other snakes and rodents.

We enjoyed watching it for a while and then it 'raced' under a pile to hide.

 A preemie hat is now on the needles, no fancy stitches this time.

 I have 8 hanging baskets along the front porch.

Every Spring the wrens start several nests in my plants but never finish one and make a huge mess in their indecision.

Well, this time, they have not only finished building one, 

they have even laid eggs in this one!

(I found out quite by accident when watering this plant 

and almost getting hit in the face by the exiting parent!

So I stuck my finger in to see if it was 'ripe'.  

The eggs are not visible but I think once they hatch, 

I will be able to get a cute picture!) 

 In the studio, I am putting the finishing touches on my latest class exercise-

shadows.

While I work, Will paints at his own easel.

(Ethan is sleeping during this painting session!)

 My next project-it has sat in my wishlist bucket long enough.

We went and bought the yarn today and since we were in the big city; 

We stopped at the water fountain park for some fun!

And savored the 'big' beach.

(St Augustine Pier)

Thought to Product

I have seen these cross shoulder 'pockets' for your cell phone and minimum wallet essentials for shopping, etc.  I just can't bear to carry a purse any more so this is one of my ideas that I took off the drawing board and gave it a try.

It has the taller pocket for my wallet, a pocket without a zipper between the zippered ones.

The cell phone goes in the bottom pocket.  It is comfortable and convenient. 

The fabrics are from fat quarters I collected on the Shop Hop Millie and I went to a few weeks ago.

I can't wait to make another because I now have another idea to make this much easier and sleeker! 

When I have ten minutes, I whip off a pair of these blocks.

It is a great quick way to have almost instant gratification when  I put in a load of laundry, then another when I move it to the dryer and another when it's time to pull it out for folding!

This is one of the perks of having the washer/dryer in my Studio! 

Bill spotted this guy in my Porterweed Bush (Knotweed Bush is another common name).

He called me to come on out and see something and it would be worth the effort to get up to see it! 

I had to admit;  it was an unusual sight!

An indigo snake hanging out waiting to catch a lizard for lunch.

If you approach on when on the ground, they take off very quickly.

This guy just gave me the glare but didn't move so I was able to take a picture of him!

Yes, it was worth getting up to see this!

Just Stuff

 I worked on this today.   Quilting the borders on the quilt for Millie.  I take the quilt off the frame and then repin to work each of the borders separately while positioned at the top.  It is a bit more time consuming but it works for me on larger quilts!

 I let the finished part just hang out of the way and work away.

 I slide back and forth on my chair-it is nice to work free motion and not have to stand up the whole time to do a pantograph!   I will need to do more of this kind of work.

 While I was quilting, Bill was getting ready to hook up the pool cleaner when he got a surprise!

 This guy was in the skimmer and struck at Bill when he took the cover off!   Sure did get some adrenaline flowing!  This picture is of the dead pygmy rattler (which is devoid of rattles btw) because my daughter taught me that you, 'dead them first, and then photograph' .  Wise words which I employ every time!  All in a days work, huh, Bill?!  (September is a busy time for our poisonous snakes-it is mating season so they range farther looking for mates and they are very aggressive.    I had noticed one of the cats staring at the pool earlier and didn't investigate;  I am glad I missed first dibs on this adventure!

 The quilt is finished and delivered!

 And the next one is loaded on in its place!  Another quilt for Millie using antique nine patches.

And in between the usual fun times, I did this.......

The Last Shuttle Launch

 We arrived on the beach in Daytona in plenty of time to wait for the launching of the last shuttle from Cape Kennedy.  The beach was not as packed as the launch we watched in February-the weather kept many away.

 We got to see two split second views of the shuttle as it roared off the launch pad-it was a bit anti-climatic but we did get to see something!  (Click this pic to enlarge it and you will see the glow in the center just above the horizon over the scaffolding?)

 After the beach, we headed to our favorite pizza shop for some NY style pizza!  Nice to sit outside and watch all the people!

 I knit as we rode along and worked on another garterlac dishcloth with the yarn I purchased at the yarn shop from the visit to the McKees.  It is the softest cotton yarn I have ever used-just wonderful!

On the way home Bill spotted this road kill which we turned around so I could take a picture so we can learn to ID these guys.  It is a cottonmouth snake in the pit viper family (in which are most of FL's venomous snakes)  We had a great 'off to town' day!