I do know the name is actually the Stone House so why I wrote “city” is beyond me! Remember how old I am! And Father Stenzel is 81, not 83. This is what happens when I hurry.

Such a pretty day today – for cutting weeds, hosing down the garage and now for sitting on the porch. I can tell it’s fair time next week – I CAN SMELL THE CORN!

I drove to Blue Earth on Tuesday to meet up with my friend Felicia who then took me to visit Father Stenzel’s Stone City in the country outside of Wells. First I located Welcome Stitchery for Connie who wants to visit some time. As I sat in the parking lot, a customer walked out and I knew her! It was Linda B. who has been a Country Threads customer for years.

Then I found the quilt shop called Michelle’s on Main Street where I bought a single piece of fabric – I could have enjoyed shopping there but no time. Off we went to Wells.

I have to say right here that I was stunned at the beautiful rock work – my mouth hung open as Father Stenzel showed us around his yard. This lovely man is 83 years old and has been working on this project since he was 10. The grass was beautifully cut, there were flowers planted in many spots and pots of ferns were everywhere. This fern is over 100 years old!

Here is a series of photos:

I hope you got some feeling of the beauty! Tuesday night Kay, a Country Threads employee and neighbor, invite us to her garden for a quick get together but it turned out to be just 4 of us.

Breathtaking, isn’t it?

So today is feed delivery day, groceries and finish mowing. It’s going to get very hot for the next week or so – back to my sewing machine! Is anyone familiar with Tilda fabrics? Both Connie and I are using them right now and they are very beautiful florals.

Stay cool, Everybody! We’ll talk again soon!

I’ve had two extra dogs for several days now – here’s Moe.

She is the BEST girl – so easy to keep and I’d take her as mine in a moment given the chance.

Here’s Ivy.

She’s a sweet girl but prefers Top Dog status!

Moe went home this afternoon and Ivy will go home tonight. Tomorrow I’m going on a real adventure to see my friend Felicia in Blue Earth, MN and we are traveling to Wells, MN to experience The Stone City – pictures and story tomorrow.

RAGBRAI starts next week – it’s the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa and it’s been taking place for 44 years. Riders start on a route beginning at the west edge of Iowa at the Missouri River. Each year the route changes somewhat and ends up on the east side of Iowa at the Mississippi River. Connie went with Roy on one of the earliest RAGRBAIS and to quote her, “never again!” If you’d like to know more about the thousands of riders that experience Iowa firsthand, look up RAGBRAI online.

Here are the reader quilts:

This little girl named Bryn visited today from Wisconsin – every cat she saw here was called Cutie Pie.

She is just a little doll and she loved all the animals!

Look carefully – can you see Telly keeping cool under the rhubarb leaves while Rick works in the garden?

This was the hole at the base of the walnut tree where Hazel cornered a woodchuck the other night – now it’s filled with rocks so that we don’t have to go through that again.

It’s another gorgeous summer day – my favorite temps in the low 80’s!