The drive on Wednesday 02-22-19

Here are some pictures straight from the camera, no editing, no cropping, no color adjustment.  Sorry, it the best I can do currently. 

Driving north on the south side of the mountains on what is referred to as "The Ridge Route".There is lots of old snow all along the way. 

Fresher snow in the Fraser Park area and more dark clouds.

Over the top and down the Grapevine the sun is shining and a few wildflowers are up. 

Oh, Oh!  Just the beginning of periodic showers. 

The almond trees are just beginning to bloom and the sun has caught this orchard making it glow white under the low black clouds.  

The almond orchards stretch for miles and....

….miles on both sides of I-5.

The sun is setting under the cloud layer and glows wonderful colors.

This is what I get when I think I am taking a picture of the landscape and inadvertently have the phone set on selfie!  

#   #   #

Weather and TCQC quilts 02-21-19

Guess weather is the news tonight.  There was snow in Pasadena and Santa Monica today.  Of course, it was quickly melted, but the last time there was snow in those areas was 1060, according to one online report.  And I remember that little bit of snow, it was such a surprise.  

With all the rain we have enjoyed we will apparently also have a "super bloom" in various locations.  If you go to see one of these amazing wildflower displays, please don't walk on the flowers so that other can enjoy them and the blossoms will return in future years.  
Here is a site with info on where to go to see the sights. 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/california-wildflowers-where-and-when-to-find-them-during-the-super-bloom/ar-BBTUpDF?ocid=spartandhp

Today we hung the exhibit of quilts from the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection at Back Porch Fabrics in Pacific Grove, CA.   One of the joys of collecting is sharing the quilts with others.  This exhibit is titled "People and Critters" and is all the quilts with one (or more) of those depicted.   Hope you all will be able visit the shop and enjoy the quilts.  Most are made by USA quilt makers, but there is one from Bodil Gardner in Denmark and four small ones from Olga Norris in England.  

#   #   #

Just to let you know I arrived! 02-20-19

A long day on I-5, but the traffic was light and only periodic rain.  Lots of snow on the ground over the Grapevine, but no rain or snow while I was in that area.  Just going to bed in Mary's guest room and need to be at Back Porch Fabrics with the quilts at 10am.  Hope it is an exciting show for those who come to see the quilts. 

#   #   #

Heading north in the morning - I hope

I'll be driving north on I-5 tomorrow, hope the weather will be clear and sunny.  I'll stay the night with Mary Leakey in San Juan Bautista, take the quilts to Back Porch on Thursday, and help hang them.  Maybe lunch at one of my favorite spots.  And, of course, I will support the economy while I am at Back Porch! 

I cannot work out how to use this new laptop.  I do have some pictures from the past, but they seem to be in no order and there are no captions!   This new computer stuff is HARD.  Also, my cursor keeps jumping back into previous paragraphs, so I can't type very fast while I am watching every word I type.  Woe is I!  

I tried to find a picture of something that will be at Back Porch and the only one I could find is Ruth McDowell's  "Fort Morrison Jerseys".  It is one of the "critter" quilts.

She made this quilt in 2003 and it is 65.5" wide X 45" long.  Like all of her quilts it is completely machine pieced and machine quilted.  A quilter who is married to a cow farmer said her husband was impressed that Ruth got all the stanchions correct.  Most of us just want to pet the cow's necks - but no touching allowed!  

#   #   #

The rain has stopped for now and we had a beautiful blue sky.  But there were clouds over the mountains and I imagine they had snow today.  The temperature here in Placentia was down to 36F during the night and only 60F high.  It was too cold for us to walk at 7am, so we waited until about 10am and that is when I took these pictures.  Sorry I can't clean them up before posting, but I haven't figured out how to do that on this new laptop.  

Our house is right of center where you can see a lamp post sticking up.  It will have a badly needed paint job in March, but the same color.  It is a one story house, but has a huge attic.

I have always liked palm trees, they say "CALIFORNIA" to me.  But they do shed huge fronds in the wind and require regular pruning to avoid a dry "skirt" susceptible to fire.  

KoKo is going to San Clemente tomorrow to stay with Nancy Ota.  Since KoKo was her dog and spent the first two years of his life with her it is like old home week.  She is the one who taught him his good manners, but they need to continually be reinforced.  He seems to forget sometimes, guess he takes after me!

#   #   #

Quilt "Calm in Chaos" by Del 02-17-19

I'll be driving up to Pacific Grove this week to deliver and hang an exhibit at Back Porch Fabrics.  This group of quilts from the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection is

 "People and Critters". 

 Unlike last year's "Birds" exhibit, I don't have enough people or critters to fill the gallery.  So, this will be a mixed show.  

As has been my practice with these exhibits there will be some of my own quilts also.    Three of my people quilts will be included, two self portraits and one of my late husband.  You may be familiar with the one shown here as it is my online photo.  The background is composed of cuttings from many previous fused projects, creating the chaos that sometimes invades our lives. I made this in 2005 and my life is not so chaotic now and I am not so calm when it gets chaotic.   Now that I am old!

The quilts will hang in Back Porch Fabrics, 157 Grand Avenue at Central, Pacific Grove, CA, from Feb 22 until May 8, 2019, so they will be up for all the sessions of Empty Spools Seminars at Asilomar Conference Center.  

I hope you will have a chance to visit the shop during that time.  

#   #   #