Just back from a wonderful 5 day trip to Walla Walla , biking with friends Nancy and Gerry. We got in about 150 miles, all in warm sunshine.  I was too lazy to blog while we were there, so I will refer you to Nancy's blog where there a lots of great pictures and stories.

Quilts!

I am selling a couple year's worth of winter projects. Will probably sell them locally but if you're interested let me know. Otherwise, Just enjoy the pictures! They were all fun to make!

Bargello, 34 X 50, $90

Cattails, 32 X 56", $50

Ferns, 23 X 46", $40

Green and Gold, 31 X 31", $40

Browns, Blues, and Greens, 41 X 41", $50

Red, White, and Bluejeans , 36 X 56", $60

Spice Train, 42 X 55", $70

Home at Last

Got home last night as planned. It's good to be home, and I plan to spend today in front of the fireplace cuddling with the cat. 

Here's a picture I forgot to add yesterday. This is in Badlands National Park. There were two of these beauties hanging out right on the road shoulder.I stopped and they did not seem to mind at all, although it seened unwise to actually get out of the car. 

Bighorn in Badlands National Park

On the Home Stretch

Caffeine fueled, I drove nearly 600 miles yesterday in a push for home. Just after sunset I crossed the continental divide at over 6000 feet, and this morning I'm in Butte, MT. It's just about that far from here to Seattle, so another big push should get me home sometime tonight.

Here are a few pictures from my journey:

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 Badlands NP color

Badlands National Park

Devil's Tower

Devil's Tower

Goodbye to the beautiful Chippewa River, for now

And goodbye to Lake Michigan

My favorite tree, nearly shed of all it's leaves

Forest around Devil's Tower

Badlands

Badlands, black hills, and devils tower

Lunch in Gillette, WY today. I haven't made it far this morning because I took a side trip to Devil's Tower NationL Monument. It's impressive, rising close to a thousand feet above its surroundings, and I took the mile and a half walk around it, through open ponderosa forest and huge rocks that have fallen off the tower.

Yesterday i took a beautiful drive through Badlands National Park, and then through the Black Hills, with just a drive-by sighting of Mt Rushmore. Not fond of the area leading up to Mt Rushmore, as it is filled with every ticky tacky tourist trap known to Man... Reptile museums, mystery spots, "gem" collections, "genuine indian artifacts" etc....pretty much all closed this time of year, thank god, can't imagine what a mess this area must be in the summer.

However, once past the presidents, the scenery is spectacular. Hills and sharp curves, ponderosa forests, big rock formations.

Past that was the town of Wall, home of Wall Drugs, perhaps the most billboarded business in the known universe. Aside from the hundreds of billboards throughout south Dakota, I remember seeing a sign for it in Amsterdam years ago, so I had to stop. Did not stay long.

Im beginning to question whether I will make it home by Monday. Too many interesting places to see, and I'm now at the point in my life where I realize I may not be back this way again.

Pictures of much of the above coming soon.....

 

Posted with Blogsy

Westward, ho

Having breakfast in Mitchell, SD, home of the Corn Palace. Me and about a fifty guys in orange caps and camouflage. Hunting season, I'd say.

It's cold here! I left souix falls before sunrise this morning, and had to put on my winter coat to scrape ice off my windshield. A couple of days ago they had an inch or two of snow, and there are still bits and pieces of it along the freeway. The morning light made me wish I was on my bike, or at least not on the freeway, so I could stop and take pictures...gold fields of stubble dotted with black cows.

The hotel I stayed in last night was hosting the AWPGA show...not golf, as you might expect, it's the American Wire-haired Pointing Griffon show, handsome dogs that look a bit like small Airedales, and I got to pet a few.

Yesterday I went through Austin, MN, home of The SPAM® Museum. This is from their website:

"Few experiences in life are as meaningful and meaty-filled as those you’ll have at the magnificent SPAM® Museum. Referred to by some meat historians as The Guggenham, Porkopolis or M.O.M.A. (Museum Of Meat-Themed Awesomeness), the SPAM® Museum is home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of spiced pork artifacts.

The family-fun packed museum features 16,500 square feet of tastefully presented SPAM®-filled history. You won’t have to fight for tickets because admission is free. Visit and you’ll be tinkled pink by the SPAM® trivia and vintage SPAM® brand advertising. Plus numerous SPAM® displays including the World War II exhibit, SPAM™ Game Show quiz, Monty Python tribute and more. There’s even a SPAM® store so you can stock up on priceless SPAM® collectibles on your way out.

But you can’t truly ever know how great the SPAM® Museum is just by reading about how great it is. You have to come here to experience this life-altering pure pork bliss for yourself. So pack the family car for a meat-packed day of fun at the Eighth Wonder Of The World: The SPAM® Museum."

I didn't stop, as I don't really need to have my life altered.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Goodbye to Michigan, for now.

Range of colors in the oak leaves

My favorite tree in its autumn best

 Brrrrr! When I left Michigan yesterday it was close to 80 degrees. After driving under a scary-looking black cloud in western Illinois, it had dropped to the 50’s, and this morning in Davenport, Iowa, there’s frost on the ground.

In southwestern Michigan I stopped in New Buffalo for one last look at Lake Michigan, and a half-hour’s barefoot walk on the dunes and beach. Couldn’t take much more than that because I was getting sandblasted by the wind, and my neck still feels gritty this morning.

I fought that wind most of the day, made more interesting by having the kayak on top of the car. At one point I had to make an emergency stop along the freeway to reposition it and tighten up straps.

Once I got out of the pine forests of Michigan, the oil-tank forests of northern Indiana, and the big-truck forests of greater Chicago area, the landscape changed to rolling farmland. Like driving through a sepia-toned photograph, all shades of brown and gray and black, bare trees, fields done for the year, big old hip-roofed barns, cattail swamps scattered here and there.

My last few days in Michigan were pleasant. I managed to get in a bit more kayaking, paddling about 2 miles up the river from home. The river is up probably at least a foot since September, with a lot more current, and this was quite a bit harder than it was back then. Getting through some of our little rapids was a workout, but at least there was (barely) enough water to paddle in now. The float back down was quiet and peaceful, and I even managed to get out without falling into the water or sinking into the mud.

And here are a few more pictures:

closeup of my favorite tree