July 2020

It has been a month since my last posting. 

So much for my goal of posting weekly.

Here is what has happened lately.

A mama bear with three cubs came to visit.

My neighbor, who was out of town, texted me that her security camera had just gotten a shot of a bear in her yard. Immediately, I looked out my window and there was a mama bear with a cub...

then two more cubs came running behind her and scurried to a tree where one cub hustled right up it. Later that day I did look at the tree and saw the claw marks from the cub's climb.

It was brief visit and I feel lucky to get any photos at all. 

Hubby dragged me on a halibut fishing charter out of Whittier...a very small town that sits on the shores of Prince William Sound. The water is pretty smooth in the sound so no problems with sea sickness for anyone on the boat. It appears my husband expects this to be an annual event. With both sons unavailable and no out of state visitors this summer...he only had me to take on the trip. 

I don't eat fish...have never liked it...this is what makes it even more unexpected as an activity for me. 

And just to be clear...I am not much of a fisherman...I am a "reeler." The fishing charter does everything...has their secret fishing holes, baits the hook, sets the fishing poles in a very sturdy metal support, and gets the fish onboard. I just go out on the deck when the boat anchors and stand behind a fishing pole until they tell me to start reeling.

I was one of the last to get my fish...some people know what they are doing and get their fish pretty quickly. I had to let my last one go...it was my biggest but there are rules about the size and number of halibut one can keep. I am a very good tipper so I'm sure the crew was glad they put so much effort into my day. There were 12 total passengers on the trip and all got one or two halibuts. I think two was the limit per person. 

In case you vacation in Alaska and want do a fishing charter out of Whittier...

go with Crazy Rays. My husband has been fishing with him for several years. He has a nice boat with a good bathroom...very important when one is out on the water for 12 hours...but you have to make sure to request to be on Ray's boat...he has another crew operating his first boat that is smaller.

Bonus sites on the trip...Orca whales...and lots of otters.

Plaid Bucilla kit production was shut down for Covid 19. They are now open and working hard on new kits. I did get a goodie box from them but it only had one felt kit...this adorable Halloween ornament set. I sent a  request for several of the new stocking kit designs but probably won't get any those until September. 

Since I spend most of my days outside working in the yard...and a good deal of time is spent weeding...I have been turning to cross stitch projects. My sore fingers prefer cross stitch over embroidery on felt fabric.

These are not Santas...but elves that were designed by Sandra Cozzolino. 

What's Santa without his elves?

We've had a pretty decent summer in terms of weather. 

There is not a typical summer...or winter...or fall...or spring...

But this summer has been decent.

 A few sunny days and then a few days of rain. 

Works for me.

I took part in a Facebook Quilt Challenge to post a photo of one of my quilts for 10 days. Love show and tell so I jumped right to it. I realized I lacked some good quilt photos so I did an afternoon in my backyard doing a quilt photo shoot.

I had my assistants....

Pretty fun!

The rain has returned...

March 26th was the last time I quilted with my Nolting.

 It's good to be back in front of the machine. 

McKinley was hogging the quilt shots so I had to share one of my mama's boy,

Logan.

I was trying to get them to smile.

McKinley was trying...Logan...just confused.