Catch up photos 05-23-18

Guess I might never catch up.  Wonder how I did this on all my past Road Trips.   Here are pictures from 05-20-18 and 05-21-18. 

When I drove into Alturas the first thing that caught my attention was a Starbuck's sign.  A Starbuck's out here in the "wilderness"?  Yes, it is located in a very old hotel right on the main street.  Of course, I stopped and ordered a venti latte to carry me through the miles ahead.  

Diagonal across the intersection is this wonderful mural of sandhill cranes flying in front of the snow capped peaks.   Unfortunately this guy parked his car in front of it and had to be in the picture!  One odd thing, notice the raggedly corner of the building in upper left.  Odd. 

One street over is this elegant Modoc County Courthouse.  In the past this town must have been much larger, mostly closed up now. 

In Alturas and further on in Lakeview, OR, there were many lilac bushes/trees in bloom.  And someone had planted red poppies in between the highway and their fence. 

The wind was giving them quite a whacking, but they seemed to be holding up.

Lilacs in pale lavender....

... old fashioned lilac color.....

...and pure white.

Whenever I am traveling in the springtime and see lilacs blooming along a fence line, not in someone's yard, I stop and pick a few to perfume the car.  I use a water bottle for a vase and put a stone in the bottom to weight it into my cup holder.  What a heavenly fragrance!  We cannot grow lilacs in SCalifornia where I live, but a sometimes I find them for sale at TJoe's and buy some to perfume my entire house.  

They cheer my entire self. 

There are places along the highway where many large rock formations are exposed, this was probably blasted away in the early 20th Century. 

I have never seen a road cut that is an actual cut, but I think this had to be cut rather than blasted.  What kind of a saw would they have to do this?  Very startling, I turned around and went back for a photo, but there was no place to pull off so I just slowed down to a creep on the highway and snapped this one.  Couldn't see a vehicle in front or behind.  

I hadn't passed any towns or buildings for quite a while when this greenhouse structure appeared.  Wondered if it is a "weed house".  There are lots of bug spots on my windshield. 

I believe this is Arnica growing wild.  A medical plant used for pain relief for centuries. 

The very long and large Goose Lake.  And the clouds are looking threatening. 

Even worse out the other side of the car. 

 OOPS!

Uglier and uglier. 

But still blue sky to the west. 

Oh, no!  Here it comes. 

A downpour near Lakeview, OR.

And then NW on Hwy 31 - the start of my low gas experience. 

And more rain, but not as heavy. 

Ahhh, the clouds moved SE and the sky cleared. 

And finally checking in to the Hampton Court in Bend where these pinks are planted along the foundation.  Very bright and very fragrant. 

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Wordless Wednesday - Along the highway 10-05-16

 

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Inspiration - Looking back 10-02-13

I am currently overwhelmed with deadlines and things that must be done - now.  But I've been looking back for some inspiration.   On a Road Trip I am always fascinated at the way the roads cut through the hills and slopes and I have made some quilts that I suppose are a series. They are all titled "Roadcut"  + whatever area or highway where it is located.


This butte is in almost the center of St. George, Utah.  Just look at those layers!  I don't think the cell tower on the top adds a lot to the view, but if I do this as a quilt I will just leave it out. I might call it "Roadcut #4 - St. George".  Very simple. 
 

I  really like the contrast on this one.  Could I do it with just fabric?  Or would I need to resort to paint or dye or ink?

 

In the top picture the fractures are horizontal.  Here they are vertical and there is a lovely tall Mullein plant growing at the foot of the cliff.  The plant is about four and a half feet tall.
In 1985 Ruth McDowell made a great Mullein quilt in an ingenious technique.  it is in her book "Inspirations" on page 74.  How I covet that one!  
 

I have no idea what they might have cut away to make space for the roadway.  The arch in the middle is created by fractures in the stone and water seeping between the layers of stone.  There is a "youngster" arch to the right and slightly higher.  How many years until it is an "adult"?

I so love a Road Trip!  It fills me with questions and answers.  AND inspiration.

Wanderlust haunts me 08-07-10

I'm still looking through back Picasa files. These images are from 2005. How I do love those open roads - there is an exultation about being in wide country with a sky filled with clouds and a road that pulls me on and on. I yearn to be out there somewhere.

This is in Wyoming on I-80 west of Rawlins.

And further east in slightly higher country, the snow fences like zippers across the rolling hills.

Heading home now - westbound on I-70 in Utah. How I admire the engineers and workmen who did this work.

Several people have comment that I could always fly to my destination. How could I? I'd miss the drive, a large part of why I go anywhere. Road trips are wonderful.

"Roadcut" 12-02-08

My plan for today was to go for coffee in the morning, followed by a stop at Target and then home to sew the rest of the day. However, a friend called me when I was at Target and ask if I could help her out in an emergency. Of course I could - and off I went. By the time I got home again it was 7pm and I was too tired to sew. I went to bed early, so now I am up prowling for an hour or so. Since I didn't get any sewing done, I am showing you a quilt I made in 2004.

"Road cut - Arizona" Del Thomas 2004 34"W x 28"L

Collection of Diana McClun

Just south of Kingman, AZ, there is a road cut that exposes many layers of soil and rock of different colors. It has always fascinated me, but it is almost impossible to take a good picture because there is no shoulder to pull off the roadway. I had several so-so pictures to help me when I was constructing this piece and it is not recognizable as that certain cut. It is the first in a series of road cuts in different areas or states.

It is heavily quilted in what I call 'strata' quilting which can give some interesting effects. I used several different, but closely related, colors of thread. I did the standard binding because I felt it needed an edge to set it off from whatever wall it was on.