Monday, June 20, 2016

Rain Equals Time in the Studio

We are having a fantastic summer in Alaska but we desperately need rain to abate the fire situation and we're are getting two days of it. Hopefully the sun will return tomorrow as forecast. 

Hard to believe, but I actually got my pillow shams loaded on my quilting frame and started quilting!!!


I do have one complaint...Superior Threads changed their pre-wound bobbins from cardboard to plastic. I have learned to pull off several yards of the thread from the new plastic bobbins because the thread was falling off the bobbin so readily it was jamming my machine. 


I'm to my favorite part of cross-stitch ornaments...adding the beads.


One more Jim Shore snowman ornament in the set to tackle. I'm so excited to see the new Sandra Cozzolino designs for 2016. Adorable! I love last year's Celtic Santas series. Impossible to choose my favorites but this year's Renaissance Santas are definitely in the running.


The Grizzly bear is still running around the neighborhood but this black bear has also been hanging around for the last three days. He likes to show up right when I'm first waking up...haven't even made my coffee and I'm dealing with bears! This is my neighbor's backyard. You might be able to see the gate they put on their deck stairs to keep the bears from coming up on their deck. Too many early morning wake-ups from bears trying to open their barbecue grill. 


And yesterday afternoon I came home from running errands to find evidence of the bear rummaging through my yard. He knocked over a mosquito magnet with a full bottle of propane...very heavy. Thankfully, I took Kinley with me to run my errands instead of leaving her in the dog run. 


My body needs a break from my big landscaping project. I did manage to buy plants for the tubs before the rain hit. Still have to buy all of the potting soil...hoping 40 large bags will be enough. And then of course I need to get rock ordered to complete the look. I'm getting my handyman to make some steps down the hillside. A big undertaking but when my husband got home from his trip a few days ago he loved it and I got the thumbs up to proceed.

3 comments:

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

glad your landscaping plan is working out - I sure wouldn't want to deal with bears on an almost daily basis as you do. Pillow shams look great

CecileD said...

I'm glad you have a lovely summer ! But the bears turn around your houses ....! We have lot of rain and rain and rain.... It's boring....

Sally said...

Rain is important to the environment - we are currently over 8 inches below our annual average and the farmers are afraid we won't have enough hay to feed over the winter....might need to buy hay from outside sources. Glad you have something to do while the rain is falling.