A Snow Day!!!

As the sun rises over our backyard, one can see the combinations
of wind and wet snow. I think my favorite photo of the morning is that of the "snow pleats". The scrunched area of snow is actually several inches from the window.

As I was making Joedy's coffee this morning I was extremely happy that I didn't have to go outside and retrieve water from this old pump.

The stream needs to be cleaned of the oak leaves that have fallen into it in the past few days. I can't think the fish have enjoyed the change in water temperature. Actually, I am sure they aren't enjoying anything about the fall weather we have had.

Bottom line it is just a cold, snowy morning on the plains of eastern Colorado. I have no idea what the cornfields look like and I know our backyard is better than those to the north of us.

Here we go AGAIN!!!!!

At this point, nothing surprises me!!! I stepped outside to take a couple of photos of the NEW SNOW, which is falling as I write this post, and saw a petunia still blooming away right up next to the house. How these plants have survived in the past few weeks is beyond me. I thought it only fitting to take a photo---Petunia in the Snow. Anxious to see how perky that plant is by tomorrow morning.

The other two photos are of our backyard. I thought the flash captured the falling snow very nicely. So nicely in fact, one cannot see the pond, only snow. Of course it is blowing over the roof of the house and onto the deck. That accounts for the look of a lot of snow.

The bottom photo is taken looking toward the flower garden. I don't think I will grill any hamburgers for supper tonight.

I had thought earlier this morning that we were going to escape this storm. That was wishful thinking on my part. We did get a few loads of corn picked before it hit. Hope we aren't still picking corn at Christmas time.

I

Fall is over!!!

Yesterday brought rain and wet snow during the night, totalling 2.15"!!! We would really have preferred to receive the moisture a little later on this fall, after the corn is all picked, but that is not to be. I was thinking back to 1997 when we had a blizzard at this time in Oct. and received 24+ inches of snow, so it could have been worse. We were able to farm in November after that blizzard.

Hopefully the fields will dry out enough to start harvesting again next week. My brother in law was working on soy beans

when this hit, not good.

New York Beauty

A friend and I have decided to make New York Beauty quilts. This is the second time I have decided this. I am using Karen Stone's pattern that came out more than a couple of years ago, let's see the copyright is 1997. One friend has already finished her quilt sometime back. It is the only reason I still want to make one of these as hers is beautiful.

I started this thing at least 6 years ago, maybe longer. I did get 6 blocks made the first time around and I am really hoping I get

all of them made this time.

I thought it would help if I chose all the fabric for each block, then cut the required amount that I need for that block. The photo shows rows 5 and 6 waiting to be cut. Notice the three blocks in row 5 that are completed.

This pile all but the block at the top of the post. I finished cutting out the pieces this afternoon and pieced the block shown in the top photo. I changed all but one piece in that block so I really hope that is not a bad omen of things to come. I really wasn't sure about the original fabric I had chosen for the block, but at this point, feel comfortable with the ones that are cut.

October!!!

I cannot believe that it is Oct. 11th!! I need to get in gear if I intend to get anything done in the way of quilt making this year.

Our guild held our every other year quilt show yesterday, Oct. 10th. The attendance left a lot to be desired, but then I can't say I blame people for staying home. There was ice on everything yesterday morning. Driving was hazardous, walking was hazardous as well. We had 69 people attend the show. We usually have 375 to 400 attend. Apparently they wanted to
stay home wrapped up in a quilt instead of seeing them hanging from quilt racks.

This was the first year at the Burlington Community Center using quilt racks to display the quilts. The past 3 shows have been held at the Old Town Museum and we placed the quilts over old buggies, wagons cars and numerous other things to display them. Everyone liked the new setting better.

Nice surprises

Most days come and go. Now and then things occur that are unexpected and turn out to be a nice surprise. Yesterday the unexpected occurred when we received hail. It was very small, but did do tear things up in the garden and the flowers are a bit tattered looking today.

I picked peppers the last two days and needed to do something with the ones we have been referring to as pizza peppers all summer even though the tag was marked 'Anaheim'. Joedy and I were examining them and we knew they didn't resemble the pizza peppers we had grown the previous year, so he decided to roast one. Guess what??!! They are Anaheims AND we have a lot of them and we didn't think we had many at all. The really nice thing about the Anaheim discovery is that I know I didn't mislabel the plants during transplanting. I was really getting a complex about it.

The other surprise of the summer has been the tomatoes. I put up another 4 1/2 pints today. I didn't expect much out of them after the hail on the 17th of July.

I have made sourdough bread a number of times in years past, but always used yeast when making it and have been disappointed that it didn't have the sour taste of the commercial bread I have tasted. I have been doing a good deal of reading about sourdough lately and found out that the real stuff doesn't have yeast in it, just the starter and has to rise for hours. Those two loaves are the first two without using yeast. I am very pleased with how they turned out. I would like to improve the looks of the crust, but the flavor and texture is great!!!!

Remembering

As I mentioned in my last post, the importance of taking one day at a time has really hit home.

My aunt passed away. Fortunately she did not have to suffer the month the doctors predicted she might live after she found out she had cancer the first part of Sept. She was at peace with dying, she was not afraid, a great testament to her faith and the way she lived her life.


She chose to have a simple burial beside her husband who died
years earlier, bypassing the usual rituals we have come to associate with death and dying. I totally agree with her choice.

The flowers are in her memory. She was a special person in my life and I will miss her.