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!
Thanks Mary. Always enjoy your animal views, the quilts, and the little girl visiting. Just makes my day. Enjoy our summer days. We wait for these days all winter!
Marian – I think about that every day – that these are the days I dream about and I don’t want to waste a second of it!
All the quilts are just gorgeous! And that little girl is just so precious. I really enjoyed all the pictures today, as always. We had a beautiful, perfect day in southeast Iowa today, too. I dug some of our potatoes that were completely dead. We got some really nice potatoes so far. More to dig, but they aren’t dead yet. Yes, we need to enjoy these wonderful summer days.
I keep hoping that you will hear from Launa in Idaho. She was getting ready to evacuate if necessary. These wild fires are nothing to fool around with. Sure hope she is alright. We’ve had several small fires, but the guys get right on them before they spread. Glad we’re not in Oregon or California. Let’s hear how the ladies are doing out there, too. What a time for a water shortage.
My sunflower is in full bloom. It volunteered in a big flower pot and I decided to let it grow. Fun to watch…..does this tell you how boring my life is? That is alright. You can almost see it grow. The birds will love the seeds.
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally starts Aug. 6-14 and the motorcycles are already here. A very good time not to make left turns. They are expecting a BIG turnout, lots of first timers.
In the meantime, take care, everybody. Hopefully things will cool off. Betty in Rapid City.
Betty K – the last we heard from Launa was that the fire crews were clearing brush and cutting timber around them – I’ll see if I can find her email.
That message was 7-14.
Did you know about the new shop that just opened in Blue Earth MN? I think it’s called Welcome Stitchery. It”s right on Hwy. 169. Apparently the owners bought their inventory from a shop that was closing in Crystal Lake, IL. I think it’s primarily cross stitch supplies – lots of stitching fabrics, I heard.
Connie – yes, we know about that shop – and I learned from my friend Tanya in Houston!!! It’s a small world, huh? She is traveling to the Chicago area and knew that the shop closed and moved to closer by me so I’m expecting her to visit me next week!!! I don’t do cross stitch at all but I know Connie T. would like to visit!!
I personally think Bryn is a cutie as well!! Hazel in the water bucket cracks me up! She’s going to enjoy that the rest of the week with temperatures in the 90’s!! The reader quilts are just gorgeous! I’ve got to spend more time in my sewing room! Heaven knows I have enough projects I could work on!!!
This is your “happy place”. I love that you share it.
I went to get a picture of the cattle drive Sunday…
I think because there is a lot of road construction in the area, it was reduced to about 20 steers!!!
There were more cowboys than cows. But, nothing wrong with cowboy.
Jo in Wyoming – oh, how disappointing – but thank you for trying! I’ve never seen a cattle drive except for Rawhide – haha!!
Hazel in a bucket–what’s not to love????
Great quilts, as always. I am continually amazed at the talent that resides in this blog!! I love seeing everyone’s finishes!!
I worked too long today, but I chalk it up to “I can just buy more fabric if I work longer hours!!!” I’ll be buying more fabric (well, truth be told, I bought a whole lot of fabric just a few days ago when I spied something that might make a cute quilt for my granddaughter who will turn 1 in about a week!)!
Diane Bauer – oh, how can she be one already???
The finished projects are all quite beautiful! Thanks for all the cute pictures of precious little Bryn and the dogs. Have fun on your Minnesota adventure, Mary. Safe travels.
The quilts are all beautiful!! Loved all the pictures. Safe travels on your Minnesota trip!
Beautiful pictures of the farm life. Wonderful quilt show, such talent you all have.
Spent some time weeding in the morning yesterday, need to do more today.
Hopefully some quilting this afternoon.
Susan K makes some amazing quilts. Thank you for sharing. Mary, as always, thank you too for sharing your life on the farm.
Thank you! You just made my day!
Hope Launa is safe. Can’t imagine a fire of that magnitude.
Have a great trip and visit with your friend.
The finishes are all very nice. Get ideas for a new project.
July has been a busy month of visits from family. Grand children and their families. A new great grandson was born on the 4th of July. We will meet him on Thanksgiving when we all get together at our daughters for a combined holiday celebration. Hope to have a quilt for everyone. Covid kept me busy sewing. Now I need to get busy with making a baby boy quilt.
Enjoyed all the beautiful quilts today!!
Love all your pictures! Brynn is a cutie pie herself and I always love seeing the animals. Fantastic quilts, too! I so wish I had a screened porch like yours. We have a deck with a pergola but it has rained so much we haven’t used it as much this summer. We’re in a beautiful spell right now too. This was Quilters ‘ Hall of Fame Celebration weekend…seems like most of the people were Iowa girls! Honoree Marti Michell, Liz Porter came as did Judy Martin. Also Bettina Havig, but she’s from Missouri 😀
Sue in Marion, IN – I need to look up Quilters Hall of Fame – did you attend?
I have no choice! 🤓 I’m on the board and in the quilt guild!
http://www.quiltershalloffame.net
Looks like heaven on earth at your farm! That little one with the animals is just too precious! Enjoy your trip to MN. It’s so good things are opening up for travel again.
I’m headed for a three day retreat with my sisters. And then next week my Iowa son will bring his baby boy to Texas!
Susan K in Texas – you’ll show us the baby, won’t you?
I, too, love all of the quilts. I haven’t had much time to quilt with hubby’s major back surgery—third laminectomy/fusion surgery and yesterday carpal tunnel, Dupynin’s Contacture—not sure how to spell that or look it up, and something in his elbow—he calls it his 3fer! All wrapped from elbow to finger tips for 2 weeks! Carpal tunnel would have been more simple, but then 2 more surgeries soooo a 3 fer! The pic of Hazel in the lead reminded me of “The Leader of the Pack”. Cute. Safe travels to MN, Mary. Thanks for sharing your days with us:)
Diane and Squeak – oh my goodness, that really is a lot of surgery wrapped up in one! Best wishes to him!!!
Your pictures of the farm are wonderful & that sweet little girl & the beautiful quilts. I mowed all day yesterday, we’re getting more rain today. I can’t believe how much rain we have gotten this month. Some of my potted plants have drown, hope August is better!! Thank you Mary
Joyce from NY – it’s feast or famine with the rain, isn’t it? Too bad you can’t share some of your excess!!!
Thanks for the wonderful pictures as always. Hazy skies today due to the fires in the West. So many places need rain including here in southeast Wisconsin. I ,too, need to work on a quilt for my new grandson Bennett. Enjoy these summer days everyone.
What a great bunch of pictures! Enjoy your trip to Minnesota.
I’m glad you mentioned RAGBRAI. I hadn’t looked it up yet this year. I rode half of it in 1978. I had a wonderful time (and never said never again but haven’t ridden it since.) I think it was one of the best years to ride it. The high temps were in the low 80’s. It wasn’t nearly as crowded as it has gotten in later years. You sure could eat your way across the state. I would have ridden the whole thing, except I had to get back to Britt for the town centennial, Hobo Day, and high school reunion.
Beryl BC – and then there’s Hobo Day – I’d better plan a post explaining that event, don’t you think? Hats off to you for riding half of RAGBRAI!!!
Ditto to all that has been said about Bryn, the quilts, the porch, and pictures around the farm! A wonderful post as always! Wish our hot and humid weather would go away so I could enjoy our porch. It’s an oven out there. Looking forward to hearing about your MN adventure!