JELLY TURNS 10

Happy Birthday Jelly!  

She turns 10 years old today. 

LAST MORNING WALK OF 2024

 It was a beautiful last morning walk of 2024.  The clouds cleared away to reveal a beautiful sunrise.  

Good-bye 2024!  It was fun.

It's been windy lately.  There are several trees down in Lincoln Park.  This one is across the main Bluff Trail.

Do I go under or around?

SPRUCE RAILROAD TRAIL

 We headed up to Port Angeles yesterday where we spent the night. 

We had a nice breakfast at Shirley's, which is completely packed with collectibles - license plates from everywhere, photos and memorabilia.  Plus it was decorated for Halloween.

 After breakfast, we drove west towards Lake Crescent.  

We went for a walk on the Spruce Railroad Trail in the Olympic National Park.  It was raining when we started out, but the rains receded a bit after a while. It is a Rain Forest afterall.

Coltsfoot

The lake's water is this very interesting blue color, apparently because of low nitrogen levels which inhibits the growth of algae.

A Rough-skinned Newt - they have a bright orange belly, which this one didn't show us.  Also, don't touch - their skin secrets a toxin.  Yuck.

Then we drove back into Port Angeles so we could stop at the Ranger Station and get our Passport Stamp.

Then it was time to head home.

JELLY'S PORTRAIT

I've been taking Jelly's portrait on her birthday every year in the same place in Lincoln Park.

But, unfortunately, they've torn down the wall I would place her on.

So, we found a different place in the park.

Jelly - age 9

Also on our morning walk, we saw a Barred Owl - the crows pointed him out.

SATURDAY IN SF

 Darrell would be teaching all day at Shaper Origin and I'm on my own in San Francisco.

I took the #5 bus to Golden Gate Park with the idea to go into the Conservatory of Flowers and do some sketching.

It was a beautiful morning.  I decided to not go into the conservatory (it was too hot inside) and instead walked down to the McLaren Lodge to sketch.

As it got close to lunchtime, I took the bus back to the downtown area and had lunch.  After walking around a bit and a quick stop at a big Blick Art Store, I went to SFMOMA.

I sat in the lobby of SFMOMA for a while and enjoyed the music and space.  I tried to do a little of the embroidery on my Rooted project.  But, it wasn't a very comfortable place to sew.

Darrell stayed at Shaper for dinner.  I got something from the restaurant in the hotel.  It was a long day.

Nicole has been staying at our house to keep the cats and Jelly company, making sure they are fed and loved.  She sent me this picture.

FLING IS QUILTED

 I finished the quilting on the Fling quilt.

P.S. Jelly is fine now.  She woke up this morning and the 'hives' were all gone and she doesn't appear to be itchy.

QUILTING FLING

 I decided to name this quilt Fling.  

I got it loaded onto Erik the Bold, my Q24 longarm.  I set up the program for an all over pantograph and got him going.

I noticed I had put my name on it - in blue ink.

I probably could have got the whole quilt quilted today, but there was an emergency with Jelly.  She broke out in itchy bumps all over.  I was advised to get her some Benadryl.  So, I stopped Erik in his tracks and ran to get some.  Poor baby.

BACK HOME

Back home from Whidbey Island,  I took my project out and put it up on my work wall, where I'll have more room to work on it.  And I got everything put back in place - sewing machine, tools and stuff.

Then, after I got the fabrics sorted, I put some more triangles up.  Here's how it looks now.

It's nice to be home.

JELLY IS EIGHT

 It's Jelly's 8th Birthday.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

WALK IN THE PARK

 

INT'L DOG DAY

 We stopped at Starbucks to get my morning coffee and Jelly got a Pupachino because it's International Dog Day.

She had half and we took the rest home to Jax, who saved it for after his morning Chicken Jerky treat.

PHOTO DAY

 Darrell had his studio set up to take the pictues of his Fremont Chest of Drawers.  When he was done he took pictures of some of my quilts.

'Flowers' by Barbara Brackman from 1998

JELLY TURNS SEVEN

 Today is Jelly's seventh birthday.  We stopped at our regular spot for her annual birthday picture in Lincoln Park.  I'm just getting back to taking walks in the park since my knee surgery.  I'm walking pretty slow, Jelly gets frustrated with me.

FLOWER FOURTH

Today is May the Fourth and I forgot all about it!

May the Fourth Be With You!

I messed about in the garden planting poppy and marigold seeds.  I loosened the soil and added some soil amendment with chicken manure, then spread the seeds about.  This makes a perfect place for the cats to dig around and do their business, which will attract the dogs.  So, I'm trying to fence some of it off to prevent that.  Good luck little flowers. 

I had some company while I worked.

The double-backed tape came today, but no batting - it's now saying it will be here tomorrow.  I got the centering tape on though.

PETAL TWO

 I made another petal for the Amity Baroque quilt (I named it).  That makes two, three to go.

I also got a lot of the little parts needed done, too, while enjoying the company of my Brave Patch friends.

I tortured Jelly today, too.  That was fun.

MUSHROOM LOG

 Seen on our morning walk in Lincoln Park: