The rain came 02-06-15

 The weather man kept saying there would be rain and finally there is; not very hard, but  a soft, steady rain.  This afternoon we had a shower accompanied  by thunder, but it didn't last long. Tomorrow seems it will be a better day to travel and the main part of the storm is supposed to roll in on Sunday.  I'd just as soon not drive I-5 south on Sunday because the traffic is heavier.   So, I will be going home tomorrow.

 

Yesterday when I went to Hollister to see Joe, I took some pictures along the way

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I think this is an apple tree, there were several in full bloom.  The Bradford Pears around the hospital are all wearing their fluffy white blossoms.

 

This being an agricultural area there are lots of critters around.  Sheep, goats, cows, horses, but I never see chickens - here or anywhere in my travels.

 

On a little side road there is this lot full of things for sale, but other than the solar panels I don't know what anything is. .

 

Here we have solar panel, "carriage lamp" and ??

 

Lots of wild mustard on the way to Hollister.

 

The grey in the middle of the picture are the dried stalks of the telegraph weeds left from last summer. 

 

Wild mustard and wild radish in a field close to the hospital.

 

Mistletoe grows in the tall trees.

 

One of the few straight stretches on the way up the mountain - lots of California Live Oak trees in this area. 

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A Visit to Pacific Grove, CA 02-05-15

Yesterday Mary went to be with Joe at the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNIF) and I drove to Pacific Grove and Monterey.  I just couldn't convince her to go with me.  But I remember how I felt when my husband was hospitalized - I wanted to be there to keep track of every pill and to be sure he was well taken care of. 

 

Lunch with Gail Abeloe and Joan Hughes was lovely.  We went to the Red House and I had their special grilled cheese sandwich - with artichoke hearts and chopped bell peppers, it is delicious, but not photo worthy.  Also had huge latte in a cup that requires both hands.  We shared all our news and talked about quilting friends and quilting in general.  And, of  course, fabric.  After lunch I went shopping at Back Porch.  Oh, dear, decisions, decisions.  I always think I would like to go into a shop and just say cut me a yard of everything, but what would I do with it, I have so much fabric now.  There were some great things on the sale table and I picked up a few yellows for my friend Liz, who is always raiding my boxes of yellows, and a couple choice pieces to send to Ruth McDowell who doesn't have easy access to any quilt shop, much less one of Back Porch quality.  Then I was exhausted from spending so much money and I drove back to  Mary's intending to take a nap, but never quite got around to it. 

 

It has been quite cool and I am definitely an old lady who needs at least 70F to be comfortable, so I stay bundled up.  The weather has been cloudy and rain is predicted for tonight and the entire weekend. 

 

Monterey Bay was mostly covered with clouds and fog, but there were several sailboats out, keeling over in the wind.  There is actually one in this picture just above the projecting rock in the middle. 

 

This crow was watching from the fence!

Heading back to Mary's on CA156 one passes several of these eucalyptus woods, planted at the turn of the 20th Century to use for railroad ties, until they learned that the wood was no good for that purpose.  All the seedlings were imported from Australia and there are many remaining wood lots all over central and southern California. .

The Acacia trees are starting to bloom, with the clouded sky it is hard to take a decent picture.

Here is another shot along US101

Mary and Joe live high up off the fertile plain on a steep winding one and a half lane road and there is no cell service.  Many people stop at the foot of the hills to make their cell calls, as I did here, just on the south edge of San Juan Bautista.  This is one of the few fields of wild mustard I saw on my trip to the coast and back. 

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Wordless Wednesday (with words!)

They didn't paint around me, it was this way when I accidentally parked exactly in the right place.  I didn't notice it until I came back to the car.

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On the Road Again 02-03-15

I haven't been to see my friends Mary and Joe in San Juan Bautista since August - what with one thing or the other.  Joe is in a rehab facility for the next two weeks, so I might not see him.  But Mary and I are chattering away.  Funny we talk on the phone and via e-mail, but there is always so much to say when one sees a friend face-to-face.

 

I drove up this afternoon and thought I might arrive before dark (the road up the mountain to Mary's is winding, and very, very dark), but as I drove over the Grapevine I developed a nose bleed!  I thought it was just a passing thing, but I soaked several hands full of tissues and had to get off the road.  The Pyramid Lake exit was next, so I used their lovely, clean bathroom facilities to clean up a bit.  I did the usual things, squeeze the nose, lay back in the seat and hold the nose, apply ice (although a block of blue ice was probably not  terribly effective), and finally packed the nostril with a tissue plug.  It seemed to stop bleeding so I ventured back out  on the highway.  The plug on top of all my other efforts worked and it didn't bleed but a little bit after that.  It is one of those "what would you do?" things.  The first requirement is to get off the road because you can't stanch a nosebleed and pay attention to driving at the same time, much less keep the blood off your clothes.   The problem is caused by a deviated septum, so I guess  it is time to have my nose cauterized again.  It's been a dozen years at least since the last time I had this problem.   

 

It was terribly hazy all the way up I-5 so I couldn't take any pictures, I tried a few, but they were mostly just white.  But as the sun set it cleared a bit, so here are some sundown shots.

Just after the sun dropped below the mountains to the west.

 

As it dropped lower it lit up the clouds.

 

Even to the east of the highway there were pink clouds.

 

And then a hazy full moon with a star to the right and highway lights below.

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Els Vereycken quilt from SAQA Auction 2014 02-01-15

I find Els' work very inventive and always enjoy seeing her quilts.  There is another one in TCQC  http://www.delquilts.blogspot.com/search/label/Els%20Vereycken

 

This one has the same sort of stark quality that I don't see very often. 

 

"Swallow"  Els Vereycken - Belgium 2014  12X12

Furnishing fabric (upholstery?), hand dyed fabric, hand and machine appliqued and quilted.

 

The white fabric that forms the border is the hand dye which feels so soft it is almost satin, but without the sheen.  There are four pieces of the darker fabric forming the background that are stitched with machine buttonhole.  Between these pieces there is a row of machine satin stitch which lends depth to the background.  The long wings are a dead giveaway that this is a swallow.

 

I  like the little "knotty" eye.

Nice label with full address and e-address, it is covered with a piece of vinyl.

For the edge, the white hand-dye is folded over and then topped with a grey iron-on seam binding.  It doesn't cover the edge of the turned under edge, so I don't know why she added that.    Quite a lovely piece with an unusual color palette.

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