Fire Breaks

Two Years ago  this happened:

You can read about it in more detail 

https://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/2018/06/fire-and-somewhat-sleepless-night.html

and here:

https://alyciaquilts.blogspot.com/2018/06/fire-burns-fences-and-fun.html

And we felt very blessed because we had just had a 100 ft strip re planted - so the growth was minimal, and we had just cleaned out fences.... but! Fire is Fire and it can lay to rest your best laid plans.

Saturday and Sunday last weekend - I got up and started mowing fire breaks again.  It's hard to see - our weather turned hot on us and just burned up the early spring grasses. The browner it looked - the more nervous I got.

So I used my new mower on the back of the tractor - It was actually pretty fun! My old mower ( which I still use for detail work) only mowed an 24 inch path - my New Mower - 6 FOOT!!!! Whoop Whoop!!

Took me 2 hours to do what used to take me 3 days! ha ha!

Then When I came in on Saturday - my Facebook Memories showed me the Fire Pics - and I thought - Dang!! I was thinking!!!  

I did the east pastures Saturday - the West on Sunday, and we had already practiced on the South pasture when I got the new mower ( that's the red thing back there)

I notice that when I take photos of myself - my tongue is always sticking out.... Is that because I have to concentrate so hard to remember how to do a selfie????

Quilts of Valor Colorado

I think this feels like things are starting to get more back to normal too!!

We haven't been able to meet since February for QOV - but... we all have been working on things and we all had piles to exchange - and so!!

We clandestinely met in a parking lot and had a QOV Exchange!!

It was awesome... We might have braved a hug or two!!

Anyways - my car was full, I emptied it to others, and they emptied theirs to mine - and NOW!! I have some Quilt photos to show!! We are pretty excited - we may even have a group presentation coming up, and we may be excited about it!!

So this quilt is from the Dynamic Trio - Connie Kathy and Nettie

And this one is the Mystery Quilt that we did in the beginning of the year - I Designed it and we all met and stitched together in January - Kathy had all these beautiful Batiks so she made another one!!

Julie Made this one - and I got to Quilt it!

It was a lot of fun - I did some cool spring Spirals on it.

QOV 11 for me 

can you see them?

This is just one of my Favorite photos of all times

It showed up in my Memories - and I saved it again..

It just makes my heart happy!

Here are two more by the Dynamic Trio ....  They are just so cool !

And this one was made by Nettie and quilted by Connie

So .. You have a little QOV inspiration for the week - I have a TON more photos... Which makes me so excited - that means we have Quilts that are ready to award!!!  YAY  ( and award presentations are in the works!!)

What is making you Happy Today??

Wild Animal Sanctuary

If you have been following my blog long... you may have heard me post about this before..

But just South of us is an amazing place called the Wild Animal Sanctuary.. ( if you were a part of the Exotic Joe or the Tiger King Craze.... this place rescued 40+ of his tigers)

It is so amazing - it is not a zoo - it is a wildlife habitat, and humans have a 1 mile + walkway above the habitats to see the animals, yet not interfere with them.


I have had enough "Safer at home" and all that jazz - so I called to see if they were letting people come out... and yes - using Social Distancing and masks - you could go.... so Little Bit and I went!!

It was perfect - not crowded, we were about 25 feet behind one other couple and it was the perfect outing for me!!

Little Bit and I in front of the Carnivore Nutrition Center! Don't laugh, but its pretty cool to see how they get the feed ready for the animals. They feed them at different time and different places to simulate a little more of a wild experience for the animals   - but they are WELL taken care of...

It was Power Nap time for the Tigers:

And " Just Lion Around"  She was too funny - watching the other Lions play

I am sure if this was a Puppy he would want to come home with me!

Oh and Poser bear!! haha!! he was rescued from a circus place and loves to walk all over his habitat now - he is fun to watch - a very active bear.

I did get some quilting done, though I didn't get photos yet - 

We visited here for about 2 hours, and it was so great an relaxing - we both came back ready for more work!! Great times!!

Finished (or Not) Friday.... and a pile to Iron

Welcome to Finished ( or Not) Friday!!

You made it through the week!! and Hopefully you had a little Quilty stuff happen!!


Last Saturday!! ( yes Last Saturday) I thought I had some time to sit down and plan out how my quilt was going to go with all the strips I had made.....

and then .. Our wind event happened, and I tell you what .. our week just got busy.

We had wind for a million days!! ( okay maybe 4 days... but really ... that was more than enough) Monday night the lightning came and started a fire east of us. Our friends had 8 fire crews out there, and they got it under control - right before a huge rain....

Like I said.. the week was busy - so here is My Finished ( Or Not) Friday Quilty Item:

Its a pile... just a pile... of all the things I stitched... and didn't iron yet... because to be honest... I wanted something I could do while resting my feet ...  I was a wimp!!

And this is my favorite photo that I took from our Lightning storm Monday night... ( spelling is not my first language - haha)  Isn't that cloud crazy???


Alright - It is now your turn!! Show off your Finishes ( or Not) and tell us all about them.

*Please link back so others can visit and see the cool things!
*Please Visit a lot of others and leave a comment - they would LOVE them
*Please Provide your DIRECT link to your post ( don't hate me, but! I will remove generic links)

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OnLine shopping revisited

When I Told you about my Online Shopping experiences many of you thought that was a different way to shop... and I totally agree... but .... I thought maybe you would want to go on my next shopping experience!!

This is what I see on my computer.

Notice - there are people there - so I could go in person. BUT!!!  The sales sometimes last 4-7 hours, plus the drive time for me to get there... I just decided I would stay home and shop.

The pen man moves them around, the auctioneer yells prices, and sometimes he stops to answer questions.

 And then the cattle turn the other way - and  I say HEY!! Over here - I want to see you better... and they laugh at me and no one listens.... Kinda like the way it is when I talk to my husband sometimes
( Bwahh haa haa... he doesn't read my blog..so I can pick on him!!)

 This is Buford.... Buford has taken on the job of taking care of O'liney  ( the red heifer in the back)

But Buford.. he does not respect fences, and he seems to think that it is okay to walk through them....

 Apparently the grass is greener on the other side?  And don't laugh - that wire on his chest is electric - and supposed to give him a little shock... he doesn't feel it!  ( PS - it is actually a solar fence - so sometimes doesn't have much of a kick till the sun shines)

Oops - Hi Lady.... You caught me!!

( PS - this fence is now 6 wires and re strung and he can't get his head through any more)

These are my last two purchases

These are good heifers - and work into my program just right - but can I tell you a secret?

This Black and White one.... I kinda bought her for her pretty color.  Your not supposed to think about that as the first thing you like about an animal... but when she came in the ring... I kinda hoped no one else would bid on her...

Anyways - the other benefit of shopping from home... when they bring a pen in that I am not interested in.. I iron, or piece, or cut.... It is *MY* time... I like it!!

Back to quilting - haha!!

A Little Wind Event

On Saturday the news weather people said that we would have some high Winds in the afternoon, and honestly - I have not been watching the news much... So I got on to a few on the Weather apps - and I started moving things into the barns....

Good call!

We got home from Picking up some heifers - and as I was unloading them the wind started gusting and it took my sunglasses RIGHT OFF MY FACE!!  That was crazy!

My Son had been adding some T posts to a fence line - and The Post hole Driver - which is pretty heavy metal rolled a few times.

I feel like these should have been warning signs..... Just sayin'

We penned everything in and ran into the house. This was the cloud formation coming our way.
Later we learned that is was one of the biggest continuous squall lines in our weather history - apparently it spanned from Cheyenne WY to Pueblo ( southern) CO and all of it was producing winds of 65-80 mph - sustained winds.....

We saw those clouds then I swear they just turned black and we could not see a thing. I might have yelled at everyone to go get in the basement ... don't grab a thing - just run...

and 10 minutes later... the rain started... It was so weird.

The wind died down a few hours later and we ventured out to see what all we had left - above is the corner of our roof.  That is just not too bad for those winds - the peak of the roof lost a few shingles too.  So we temporarily repaired those and will call real roofers out.

Two of our water tanks - that have survived a tornado and a few 65 mph hour winds - were gone. I went out Sunday Morning - I found one about 1/4 mile away and the heaviest one - that really shocked us that it flew - was about 3/4 of a mile away.  

I was watched by our new resident Antelopes! The big guy standing.... he got scared and ran. The doe - she stood , watched where I was going, and promptly laid back down again. I feel like she teased him later ....

My Pig barn - that has lived here ( we built it) for 25 years was destroyed. There were no pigs so nothing other than Structure.. but still... it was so old!! almost as old as me... ( see 25 - I still think I'm a kid!)

and we won't even talk about the arena - that was not a primary concern for me Sunday - so you know that while you are reading this... I have probably dragged a kid to the arena to see what panels, and stuff we need to fix there.... 

Those people that live in Tornado alley, and all those people who graciously clean up after natural disasters - I have always been amazed by them - but their value just went up a million in my eyes.

PS - do you think there is a Reboot Button for 2020???

Pretty Batiks and.... Finished ( or not) Friday

Happy Friday!!

You have made it!!!

This week has been a very intense week of Quilting on Client Quilts

It is awesome! I love all the variety my client bring!

And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the colors on this one!!

Didn't she just use THE best Color Palette!

and now!!

it is your turn to brag on what you have Finished ( or not!)

Hopefully you all had productive weeks!!







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Mystery Quilts, QOV's and an awesome Vietnam Veteran

First off!! A Mystery Quilt. This is the latest Mystery that my group did - we called it Pointed Fun, and our group started it at the middle of March.... and it was a good thing to have going on... 

This one was made by Jan - she doesn't live to far from me! I love her colors!

And check out this beauty of a Quilt of Valor.... It was made by Connie - and I have to tell you...

I am in love with this panel! I mean seriously... and Eagle - and Plaid... totally Sigh worthy!

and then... The Awesome Vietnam Veteran.  

He was medivac'd out of Vietnam 3 times  - and went back EACH time. He was a point man - so you  know... he is pretty lucky to still be here.

most of our presentations have been on hold... but this one was a little different.

and here is why..

We have been looking for a specific implement for our tractor. Off and On we thought we would find it, and then... someone would out bid us, or it just wasn't exactly what we were looking for.

Two weeks ago - I needed this implement and I told my patient and sweet husband that I was ready to just buckle down and pay what we had to.... it was time. So he got online and found exactly what we were looking for - but the man who owned it was in Washington ( we live in Northern Colorado).  

The Tool was still in Colorado ( and as patient as I am - I wanted it last week!!)

However he was okay with us going to test it as long as his neighbor was there.

This is when we met this Veteran. And lawsy mercy - a 35 minute look turned into 2 hours as we just talked and talked - and chatted some more. 

We decided that yes - we were buying this piece of equipment and after negotiations were made - we headed back with the truck to get it.... and I made sure the neighbor was there!

We loaded everything up and of course - had to talk with the Neighbor some more.  I asked him if he had ever heard of Quilts of Valor and he said no Ma'am...

You know me! I was prepared - I had this Quilt for him and proceeded right there to award him this quilt.   I told him all about the people who made these quilts, and why they were made, and that knowing how much he loved his country I really felt that this patriotic one fit his personality - and..

he cried - yep! You all know - I am in the business of making grown men cry! haha! But then he told us even more about his service, and the best was how when they were coming back to the United States - the Pilot said - men - The US is on the right side of the plane.... He said that plane banked to the right so hard as every soldier headed to go see their own country....  He had me crying!!

it was a privilege to meet him, and I believe I have made another life long friend... We set up a coffee date!!   

Linking to:

MidWeek Makers

High School Graduation Quilts

I love being a part of making memory quilts for these really fun Seniors!!

This one was a photo quilt made by her Grandma - and Oh my gosh - it was so gorgeous! It had all sorts of family photos and memory photos ( which is why it is not my place to show the whole thing)

But I took a photo of one of the edges!!! I had such fun quilting feathers and swirlies and oh la la

Check out this border!! is that fabric not to Die for!!! and again - The feathers - I listened to the best music, started quilting and just let life fade away into the background - very theraputic for me!

Another Sweet friend graduated and she really wanted a T shirt quilt - so! I met her and mom in the parking lot - they threw the bag of shirts in the back of my car ( this was late march). 

We socially distanced ( Boy do I hate that phrase anymore!) and discussed the quilt... then I took everything home and 

Her quilt was  finished and she was ready to graduate - and I loved being a part of it!

It's pretty fun being a part of other peoples quilts! They make me very happy!!

Linking to:
Design Wall Monday at SmallQuilts and Doll Quilts
Monday Making  at Love Laugh Quilt

String Quilts.... And Finished ( or Not) Friday

Happy Friday!!!

String Quilts are some of my most favorite types of quilts - I love the idea of the wonkiness of them turning into something usable... and so! Here we go - It measures 55 x 73 inches of scrappy!!

 

I think that the blues remind me of the skies around here - you never know exactly what color Blue you will get.... but something will show up!

and the yellow - because we are told that here in Colorado there is at least 300 days of sunshine...

I am not sure where they measure that - or for how long you have to see the sun... But .. I like the idea there is that much sun in a year!!

I quilted a small meander over it -

I just felt the need to not have to plan or place a pattern

Very relaxing!!

And of course - you need more yellow right?

Just made the back pop!

Alright!!! Let's see all the goodness you have been working on!!

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Linking to:

Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Beauty Pageant at From Bolt to Beauty