We’ve all heard that old saying “A picture is worth a thousand words!”
I could write an entire book about this picture!
Jackson at age 13+ is pretty low key and spends his days napping but I got a glimpse of a younger Jackson when we started to play ball. Moe is here, too, so it was a race to get the ball. The next thing I knew was Jackson had both tennis balls – in his mouth at the same time!
And this picture tells the story of who wants the tennis balls and who HAS the tennis balls!
Moe and Hazel are good friends – even sharing the chair.
And here’s the army of geese protecting the ONE gosling!
I’m not disappointed that there’s only one gosling from 3 huge nests except that the geese pretend to be good parents and they’re really not so when they lose their one and only baby, it will be sad. The size difference between those big geese and that one tiny baby is huge and they march him all over basically wearing him out till they end up losing him or he just dies from overexertion. This is not my first rodeo.
Still working on my rug and here’s one of my baskets of cut strips being claimed by a black cat.
Remember this picture from early spring? Looks pretty hopeless, doesn’t it?
Here it is today.
And here’s the red and white quilt from Countdown To Christmas.
Having trouble – will finish tomorrow.
Love all the pictures and the red quilt. Summer time is just the best!
I need to live where summer is more than two months! Ha!
Marty Cae – Id like summer to be longer, too, but I wouldn’t move for any reason!
I like your hanging gourds. You just drilled 2 holes and threaded wire or twine through them!!!
…a thousand words! All wonderful pictures! Thank you.
-Jean ❤
Love your gardens!
I love the dog photos!!!! I can’t believe how lush your garden looks now. What a transformation!!
Lynette – I’m still on the search for that booklet you want – I haven’t forgotten!
My how the garden grows. And the weeds,lol. Love all the pictures of animals and quilts. My husband trapped a coon this morning and a turkey walked through the yard.
Spent the last couple of mornings pulling weeds from under the pine trees. Would not be a big deal but it’s right in the front yard and I would like it to look nice. Will take a few more mornings till I’m finished.
Rita S – hang in there! One weed at a time!
As usual, the pictures were wonderful. If I go on the laptop, I go to Country Threads first because I know there will be something good to see. My daughter’s Golden lab mix Ruger loves to have someone throw tennis balls for him. She found, I believe, six balls he had stuffed down in the couch. We had a downy woodpecker mom or dad bring a fledgling to our suet feeder to feed it. It was interesting to watch how carefully they were trying to teach the baby. Countdown to Christmas is a lovely quilt. Your garden area is beautiful. I have some Asiatic lilies that have not grown an inch. Last night I think a raccoon dug out my last Cardinal vine. There’s always next year. I just took a peach pie out of the oven. Hope it is good.
Re: the geese and one gosling… sounds like survival of the fittest at work in the animal kingdom!
your animals are fabulous, and the quilt being included in on this topic is just the icing on the cake!!!
Susan Ache – more tomorrow on the quilt – my site was going to crash! Can you believe this is the same quilt as in your book? Loved the fact that blocks did not have to match!
What are the purple flowers in your garden? Are they campanula? If so, I love them and hate them at the same time…..they are so invasive here in my Michigan flowers. Love the cool day today and wish it was like this all the time.
Judy P – the purple flowers are prairie mallow. My late Mother in law, Faye, gave me a tiny pill bottle of seeds when we got married but she called them miniature hollyhocks. They probably could be invasive if I didn’t like them so much. I really dislike gardening in the ground so these flowers take care of themselves. They come up in the cracks of the sidewalk. I usually collect seed but last year they froze before they ever dried up to harvest the seeds!
The seeds are definetely related to the holly hawk! If you need any, just let me know. I’ve got a bunch of the the seeds. They volunteer wherever and one is starting now.
Listening to the weather report for New Orleans, I wouldn’t want to life there for all the money in the world. Built below sea level and in the way of every storm that hits the gulf. I just don’t understand why some people think they can control the Mississippy and Missouri Rivers (for example) and protect everything that comes their way. Glad we live just a bit from the top of a big hill in Rapid City, SD!
Betty Klosterman – Rick and I wonder, too, why anyone would choose to live below sea level. Mary R. Just commented and maybe she can tell us a little more. I cannot imagine what 30” of rain must be like! We’re not near any water here on the farm so there’s no chance of flooding.
I’ll let you know if anyone wants seeds since I didn’t get any saved last fall.
Mary, Loved the before n after garden of flowers. A plethora of wonderful colors!
The local Recorder Herald lists Early Days in Lemhi County from 10 years ago to 120 years ago. 10 years ago a fabric shop named The FABRIC DELI was located not too far south of me! Love the name, but wonder when/why it closed?
Happy to report it is 82 degrees up here @ 4 pm…we’re under a weather advisory! Had 7 fires from lightning strikes this week!
Launa – would you ever be in fire danger? What a worry!
Your pictures are precious, Mary. Jackson looks like such a nice gentle guy, but he does have a good hold on those tennis balls. I laughed out loud at Hazel wanting the balls! We had Arsenic, the Irish Setter, who was very protective of the kids, but never bit anyone. He lived to be 15. The red quilt is on my “ to make “ list after I finish my Dirty Dozen. HOT and humid in Amish Country in Central Ohio today.
Your garden is beautiful!
Your garden in gorgeous!
Love that quilt, Mary! I’m a red and white girl – throw in a little blue and I;m in heaven. Looking forward to your finish of today’s blog. Darn computers they only crash when we’re in the middle of important stuff.
Julianna – guess I’ll wait till tomorrow – too tired tonight!
Jackson, you hoarder of tennis balls 🎾. Love the dogs, your greenery, the geese, Hazel, of course, and the beautiful red quilt. Enjoy these lovely summer days!
Marian Steven – got your envelope today and I’ll be happy to pass it on to someone else! Very kind of you!
So loved today’s Pictures. I have a chocolate lab and her best friend is her orange ball. She has to have it by her side at all times. I have never given her 2 balls. I wonder if her mouth is big enough? She is nine and has all the graying around her mouth and on her tummy. Dogs are the best! I love your farm. Always something going on. Love the quilt. How did you get that done so fast? I am still pulling fabric to make it.
I look forward reading your blogs. Always puts a smile on my face. Thank you.
Linda from Ocon. – Jackson’s mom said he’s never happier than when he has TWO balls! Isn’t that first picture of Jackson just the best? I love it!
What lovely postcard from Iowa today. We all enjoy it.
It was 75 yesterday, 94 today! So glad my sewing room is in the basement.
Jo in Wyoming – and that heat is headed our way!
Hi Jo and Mary,
I received your card and message today. Thank you for your words of encouragement.
I’m off to London, Ontario on Monday for four weeks of radiation treatments. (Five per week.) I’m looking at it as a little holiday as everyone says the treatments are not long and I will be able to work on my wool applique and read with not thoughts of having to cook for myself. I love Mary’s red and white quilt, thinking about starting one to have ready for Christmas. Cool here today, but more hot weather coming. Not my favourite.
Thanks again or everyone’s support.
Dianne Cook in Ontario – we’ll be thinking about you as you undergo radiation! Good idea to view it as a vacation!
It arrived today in the mail, my “free book” from you and Connie.. I got the one titled CHRISTMAS AT BUTTERMILK BASIN. I haven’t had a chance to sit down and really look thru it, just some flipping of the pages. I have been so busy with #8 !! Am determined to get it done, it was a quilt pattern and fabric not even touched since I bought them..but so far I like it…more so when done !!
I do want to THANK YOU Mary and Connie for the book..I know I shall use it and share it with others.
Possession is 9/10 of the law, or something like that. Does that go for tennis balls also? Looks like it..
We heard that MN and WI is to be hit with humidity for the week end…so back to the sewing area for me and the AC.
Again thanks for sharing your life with all of us …mary jane 85
Mary Jane Grebner – so glad you appreciate receiving the book – the folks at Martingale are very generous to their authors and are happy to see the books appreciated. I’ll pass the word on to them!
Yes, possession IS 9/10s of the law – even in a dog’s world! Jackson was so happy! I loved the opening picture so much I’m going to enter it for competition! It says sooooo much!
That first picture would be a great one of Jackson to enter in fair competition. It does have expression. Gosh what Jackson could say…
Have you ever printed any of your photos onto fabric for a project like a wall hanging?
Of course I LOVE all the dog pics. I could look at dog pics all day long I think! LOL! I’ll have to consider making that quilt. My sister is a long-time volunteer for the Red Cross (in MI) & that quilt would be perfect for her or them or whoever! Add to my quilt bucket list that already has at least a bazillion quilts on it!
Jan B from TN – I have some antique Red Cross pins – would they interest her or you for her?
I love your “count down to Christmas” quilt! And the brown patch that is now all green! Great job! Thanks for sharing.
I too love your “Countdown to Christmas” quilt. It’s late so haven’t read all the comments so my answer may be in there somewhere but I’d love to make it and wonder where the pattern is to be found. Moe and Hazel’s picture is dear and I love that black kitty. Reminds me of one we had.
That first picture, wow! It really is a great one. Love all of the animal pictures, The balls in Jackson’s mouth! Funny. And poor Hazel, Jackson wouldn’t share. Enjoy reading all of your posts, Mary. Thank you! Jan in MA
Love the quilt, flowers and animals. We are preparing for Tropical Storm Barry to hit Louisiana on Saturday. Not looking forward to all the heavy rain as we are supposed to be on the bad side of the storm here in New Orleans. We are about 5 miles from the city and experienced flooding on Wednesday from the heavy rains. Will probably loose lights and A/C.
Mary R – oh, I’m so sorry for you! We see NO and LA on the news and simply cannot imagine that amount of rain! Please comment again in the next few days so we know you’re OK and how it is down there!
I have to laugh at Hazel, just like a spoiled child wanting something. That is so funny! However, Jackson is not letting those balls go. Cats always find the best places to sleep, don’t they? Are they going to be more goslings, then? I feel bad for that baby if they are going to love him to death. Love your quilt, I have never done a pieced backing, but I want to.
I love your garden! Looks so pretty and tranquil. The purple flowers are my favorite, do they bloom all summer? I’ll have to go to our local garden store and see if they have any. I retire this fall and look forward to having more garden time and quilting time. Everyone tells me I’ll be bored, I don’t think so.
Sandy K. ,
I retired three years ago. I’m still wondering how I ever found time to work a full time teaching job. So much to do instead! Quilting, gardening, reading, hiking, fishing, cooking, and just general putzing! Enjoy your coming retirement!
I live about an hour from the Texas Coast. Totally sympathize with NOLA. We had 12” of rain in less than ten hours in May. Our house is higher up, but water still came to the top of the back porch.
The purple flowers bloom a long time from a bush that is about 2 1/2 or 3 feet high. They take NO care and grow where the seed is dropped. I have plenty if you would like some. Let Mary know and I’ll send some to you. Betty
I love your pictures of the dogs. My two dachshunds are always in my photos. Lol
The quilt is beautiful. I need to get back to my quilting but seems to be other things to do right now.
I have an old singer pinker machine. The strips in the black cat’s nest look pinked along the edges. How do you do those rug rags with the pinked edge? I like the twined rug so much. I’m thinking about it, really. But I don’t follow along in group activities, so it would be on my own time. That red and white quilt is gorgeous!! Thinking about that one too…
Perfect settings to show off your gorgeous Red & White quilt. Love the gourds! Do you grow them, harvest them, dry them, then thread them? What a happy group of dogs too — different personalities & ages having fun together. Kind of like us quilters!
Loving to read all the pet names! You are all so creative with the loving names for your furry friends/family!
Mary, the picture of Jackson is beyond wonderful. It could win an award. You can see him at 13 but his puppy face is shining through. It makes me so happy to look at him. Love your Countdown to Christmas! I’m using more dark reds in mine, too, so hope it looks as good as yours does. How on earth did you get it done so fast? Do you machine bind? Love it!
Janine – yes, I machine bind. Love to piece and when I get started, I can’t leave it alone – ha! Yes, I love the picture of Jackson, too!
At the end of summer our public pool quits adding chemicals for a while and then opens the pool for a “Doggy Dip”. Our yellow lab loved chasing the tennis balls and came swimming back with two in his mouth!! It was so fun! He’s 13 now and doesn’t get around too well but still loves the water! Jackson’s picture with the balls reminded me of the doggy dip.
Your red and white quilt is wonderful! You’re so prolific in making quilts!! My #8 is on the longarm and I’ve started quilting it.
Hi Mary,
Love your countdown to Christmas quilt!