Camping at Spencer Canyon in the Catalina Mountains

My first car camping trip ever!

My sweet sweetie, Ken and his sweet sister Leslie, in our camp kitchen.

On the way to Spencer Canyon, elevation 8000’, less than an hour northeast of Tucson. Windy Point, Catalina Highway on the way to Spencer Canyon in the Coronado National Forest less than an hour northeast of Tucson. You can see Tucson off in the haze in the distance.

Rock spire, or "hoodoo" at Windy Point along the Catalina Highway. Elevation: 7000':

You can see Tucson off in the haze in the distance:

 

Looking down on the 108 degree haze of Tucson from Windy Point in the Coronado National Forest, on the road to our campsite (Catalina Highway). Elevation: 7000'. Temperature: 82 degrees. Tucson elevation 2500’. 

Looking down on the city lights of Tucson from Windy Point in the Coronado National Forest, on the road to our campsite (Catalina Highway). Those lights in the lower left corner of the photo are headlights of 3 cars coming up the mountain. These nighttime photos were taken from roughly the same position as daytime photos above.

Stunning to look down on Tucson from 7000’!

Quilt back

I really love the artfulness of the reverse side almost as much as the back! Click to enlarge.

Smoochfest

Okay, I can hardly believe I am posting this ridiculous video, but since I giggled my way through it, I thought you might, too.

7 more rows to go!

7 more rows to go, then I can start on the borders!

11 of 31 rows completed!

Today’s forecast in Tucson

Weather right now at 6:00 P.M.

Check out Saturday and Sunday!

After the day’s monsoon

Lovely golden light on the trunk of this pine tree out front.

More progress on Dutch friends’ quilt: blocks up on design wall!

This is one of my very favorite steps in the process – getting the blocks up on the wall.  It gives a pretty durn good idea of what the quilt top will look like when it’s all stitched together. After that’s all done, the borders will be added.

The quilt was MUCH larger than my existing design wall (the finished size will be 96” x 112” – a bit larger than a California King), so I tacked up several large additional pieces of fabric to hold all ‘dem little blocks.

I’ve got all the nine-patches (3.5” x 3.5”) completed – YAY! All 418 of ‘em. Then there are 418 squares, same size to bridge each set of nine-patches.

The next step is to take down each vertical row in neat little stacks and sew all the blocks together!

Photo above taken with no flash, incandescent lighting supplemented with daylight. Photo below supplemented further with my big Ott-Light floor lamp (full-spectrum).

You can ALMOST see the entire thing in the two shots below. Click to enlarge any photo.

My readers who are quilters may like to know the following behind-the-scenes details. My permanent design wall is made by Block Butler. Then I added a big piece of flannel-backed tablecloth yardage from Jo-Ann Fabric. For the top three rows of blocks, I filled in the top with a long strip of yellow gauze yardage and the bottom three rows are backed by four flannel pillowcases, folded lengthwise. Phew!

I love how the little blocks magically float and flutter on the sticky wall:

Below are four shots showing the progression of blocks from the center out to the right edge. Click on any image to enlarge.

Click here and here and here if you’d like to see the earlier progress on this quilt. And click here to see where it all started.

I love Rumi

A moment of happiness,
you and I sitting on the verandah,
apparently two, but one in soul, you and I.

We feel the flowing water of life here,
you and I, with the garden's beauty
and the birds singing.
The stars will be watching us,
and we will show them
what it is to be a thin crescent moon.

You and I unselfed, will be together,
indifferent to idle speculation, you and I.
The parrots of heaven will be cracking sugar
as we laugh together, you and I.
In one form upon this earth,
and in another form in a timeless sweet land.

Rumi

Between Houses, Viens, by Susan Abbott

Loving my gray

I remember (way back) when I turned 34. It was so much more challenging than turning 30. Or 39. Or 40. Turning 34 meant I was no longer in my early thirties. I was officially in my MID-thirties.

So, with today as my 43rd birthday, I am happily celebrating my last year in my EARLY forties. Because next year, I will be turning 44, thus “officially’ entering my MID-forties.

But, for now, at least, I am STILL in my EARLY forties.

Having said all that, what is also true is that my forties have been THE best decade of my life so far.

So many of my women friends who are in their fifties say THAT is the best decade.

Which means I am on an upward trend. Clearly.

And sitting at a red light while driving the other day, I noticed several new gray hairs on the top of my head. I looked at them. Then again at the next light. Wow. That’s me, that’s MY reflection. Those are MY gray hairs. Mine.

I then had this wave of appreciation flow over me. For some reason, I just love my gray hairs. How funny.

Love shows up in strange places these days.