Catching Up, 10-14-20

I have 10 days to catch up on – when I left you, Tim had just finished the corn field across the road and Ellen sent me this picture of their bin operation. On this day they were drying corn – it needs to dry to 15% to keep it in the bin until it sells next July. It’s coming in from the field at 20% – farming is a tough occupation! Not only is it expensive, it takes a great deal of intelligence to keep records from planting to harvest.

Ive had a number of visitors in the last 10 days – they all wanted to see the puppies!

Kathy brought her #11 to show me – nice job!

I’m sure you can tell Nala has put on weight – she looks so much better! The puppies are going to be 7 weeks old this Saturday and they’re all fat and happy!

Dirty Dozen:

I’ll close for now with this picture of Connie’s cat, Dot. What a beautiful picture!

52 thoughts on “Catching Up, 10-14-20

  1. Sandy

    Hi mary,the cat and leaves are spectacular! I would not have been able to resist taking home one or two of the pups if i had visited you. Hope everything goes well from now,best wishes from sandy

  2. Linda Schluchter

    So glad you are back, I have missed visiting your farm and all your adventures!

  3. Betty Klosterman

    Glad you are back. The puppies and Nala are looking great. Nala even has a more relaxed, pleasant look on her face. She just looked exhausted and dejected before. The poor dog knew nothing except being beaten down and rejected. AND the quilts are beautiful. Nothing like looking at neat quilts to make us feel better. Hope you feel the same.

  4. Jenn

    Hi Mary! I’m glad you are back online. I sure enjoy you sharing your farm and quilting life with us.

  5. Brenda in IOwa

    The pictures are adorable. Love the door in Washington with the Country Threads quilt and Connie’s cat, Dot. So cute.

  6. Marj in Western Wisconsin

    You are taking such good care of Nola and the puppies. Wow, what a difference since they came to you.

  7. Donna Koch

    Wow! Thanks for the information about the corn. We raise soft white wheat in eastern Washington. It can’t be stored unless it is below 12% moisture. And it has to be at that moisture level to be cut — no possibility of drying after being cut. Plus if it is too wet it won’t thresh easily. But the daily challenges of farming are worth it. My son is now the 6th generation to operate our family farm! It is all he has ever wanted to do and I am thrilled that he has this opportunity.

  8. Amy M

    Love the pictures and especially Tim’s grain bins with the flag flying on top. As everyone else commented the puppies and Nala look so great. They truly would not have flourished like this in the shelter. Mary you should feel very proud!

  9. Launa

    Welcome back my friend! Hopefully the darling puppies and their mom are adopted by loving homes!
    Great photos today!
    As for weather up here in Idaho it has traded from sunshine to snow many times, but isn’t sticking. Going to have very cold mornings..20 degrees…the remainder of the week!

  10. Debbie Miller

    Love all the animal and quilt pictures! It took me a minute to realize the black in Vicki’s picture was a cat in front of the pumpkins. What does the dried corn become when it is sold-animal feed? I also found out after I commented this morning that I was a day off numerically-I did know it is Wed. I am having a hard time keeping them straight!

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Debbie Miller – I should put this info in a post because I’m sure others have the same questions. Four kinds of corn grow in Iowa: field corn, sweet corn, ornamental corn and popcorn. Field corn is used mainly for livestock feed, ethanol and is exported around the world. Field corn is what all my neighbors grow. We all grow sweet corn to be eaten fresh, some grow ornamental corn for fall decorating and some,not many, grow popcorn.

  11. Rita in Iowa

    Mary thanks for sticking in there. We all love hearing from you. Glad you had visitors and it looks like the puppies enjoyed them also. Many beautiful quilts made. Thanks ladies for sharing.
    Be still and safe.

  12. NancyTD

    Great finishes. Keeps me working on the piles of projects I never got to. Glad you are back. Thank you and Kayla for your hard work. Didn’t know corn had to be at 15% to store. Maybe that is why the corn behind us isn’t being harvested. Nala and the puppies look great thanks to your good care.

  13. Nikki M in Tx

    Wow!!!! Have those puppies grown & thrived!!!
    You are to be commended.
    Hope each & everyone find a loving forever home.
    Stay safe.. be calm.

  14. Ellie

    Such cute puppies! Nala looks very good. DD finishes are great! So good to have you back.

  15. Dee Winter

    I missed you! Those puppies sure are cute, mom does look so much better. She’ll be heartbroken to go back to the shelter.

  16. Sue in Oregon

    So glad to have you back complete with great photos. The DDs are fantastic.
    Vicki in Seattle…Your front porch, complete with Halloween quilt, is gorgeous!
    And, Connies cat photo! Wow. It is magazine worthy.

  17. Diane and Squeak

    Nala and puppies look great. Will any of the visitors take one? The quilts are all fun to see. It has been a wonderful Fall here in Central Ohio. It was 70* today. It is great walking weather so I have been giving out lots of treats to the neighbor dogs🐶.
    I forgot to put that my #11 is called Corona Virus! It was actually an old kit called Mardi Gras, but I think it is chaotic like the virus!!

  18. Jeanie S, Central Illinois

    Wow, Tim has a lot of bins, quite an operation.
    All the finishes are beautiful; I especially like Kathy’s in Christmas colors.
    Nala is really enjoying her nap in the lovely autumn sunshine. 🤗That must be heavenly for her.
    Thanks for this wonderful post, Mary.

    1. Kathy Hanson

      Thank you! I was doing the jelly roll project that Mary and Connie were doing and it was fabrics from 2012 so it certainly was a DD project too. It was a jelly roll and two coordinating charm square packets. Kathy

      1. Martha C Engstler

        Hi Kathy, wondering if the quilt by Kathy in Christmas colors is yours. Love it, is the pattern available?

  19. Mareen

    Nala and the puppies are very blessed to have you taking care of them Mary. I pray they all get adopted!

  20. Pat Smith

    My hopes mirror Maureen’s—hope everyone gets adopted to great homes. The puppies and Nala show such improvement in how they look. It’s all I can do not to come out there and adopt one. I’m so glad you’re back as I missed your posts so much.

  21. Sheila in WI

    it is so much fun to see the puppies and Nala again! Oh my! They sure have grown. It’s also great to hear about your farm and have a mini quilt show again. Lots of beautiful finishes. Take care and be still.

  22. Linda in So Cal

    Oh…lots of puppy breath! They’ve grown and expanded. Thanks to you & your friends they are loved. The pups should be easy to place. Hopefully Nala will go directly to a “furever” home after she leaves your home. She looks happy & healthy. Another heat wave…hi 90s. Looking forward to fall.

  23. Kathy in western NY

    Such cute pictures of all the animals. Nala sure is content now that she is receiving proper care. I still feel so sorry for her knowing she was mistreated and did not deserve that. Thinking of it makes me hugs and pet mine even more. Witches Night Out is on my to make someday list. I still love seeing that pattern. Thanks for keeping all our Lives connected together through you.

  24. Martha Engstler Gettysburg

    Welcome back. Great to see those dear puppies. That’s a lot of food to be dishing out every day. Bet meal time is a little crazy but fun to watch. Thanks so much for sharing.

    1. CountryThreads Post author

      Martha E – puppies are now eating dry food, too, so mealtimes aren’t quite so crazy – they come running whenever they hear my voice tho’.

  25. Charlotte Shira

    So glad you are back!! Nala looks great and the puppies are so cute! Love the DDs!!!

  26. Jo in Wyoming

    It looks like posts are up and running smooth again. What a lovely quilt show today.
    Nala and the kids look happy and so much healthier. Great job.

  27. Kathy Schwartz in SW MN

    Glad you have returned. The harvest is going full blast here; corn is about 13% here. Has not been that dry at harvest for years. Will save on the dryer system. Tim has a great system. Love the flag at the top. Our cows are enjoying the great fall weather. I’m waiting for a call from the Avera Great Plains Breast Clinic in Sioux Falls so I can start 4-6 weeks of radiation. I need to go 5 days a week—-90 miles one way. I am not complaining since I do not have to do chemo. Lots of driving–hope the weather holds. I remember the Halloween blizzard. Great photos of the pups and finished products.

  28. Jan VanDeWalle

    Mary glad to see you back up and running. Missed seeing all your wonderful pictures and the quilts. I am sure that all the puppies and Nala will have many people lined up to adopt them when they are ready. we have been having some rain and even snow in the mountains to help get all the fires under control or out. It has been quite a summer here in NW Oregon. with Covid-19, the riots in Portland , the fires. and not being able to travel much and then the politics, that will soon be over I hope.
    Be of Good Faith. Jan

  29. Sandy in Indiana

    so glad you are back!
    loved Dot’s photo, the puppy pictures & the beautiful Halloween quilts 🙂

    Take Care,
    Sandy

  30. Mrs. Goodneedle

    Glad you’re back; everyone’s been so productive w/ their DD’s and those fat and happy puppies are simply the best! Lovely sapphire blue autumn sky in that opening photo, gorgeous!

  31. Janice Hebert

    Oh my goodness, the puppies look so BIG! Roly poly, lol. The visitors look so cute holding them. And Nala looks great. Love all of the quilts and the picture of the corn bins, I’ve never seen those here in my area. That’s a lot of corn, haha! The foliage here in MA is starting to go by. But I am lucky that the view from my kitchen is just gorgeous still. I’ll send you a picture Mary. So glad you are up and running again. Missed you! Jan in MA

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