... and we were longing for warmer weather and an opportunity to ride some trails on our bikes.
I had been working on quilting my Let's Go Camping BOM quilt during the snow storm... I had made progress and had hoped to be able to get all of the quilting done so that I could finish the binding while on the road. Things were looking good for that plan...
We had planned to head south to Texas on Saturday, BUT because of another storm front they said would move through that area over the weekend, we chose to leave a few days early and enjoy the beautiful weather that was predicted for Thursday and Friday. The binding was not meant to happen. Oh well. It would all wait for my return...
We had some beautiful days in Quitaque, TX!
Caprock Canyon State Park has some beautiful views...
On the Thursday we rode 13.7 miles on just the park roads. We had to wait patiently for the Bison to get off of the road at one point (but who is going to argue with them?), we navigated a short section of 16% grade as we crossed the river at the bottom of the canyon, this also means we walked our bikes up a section of it since we didn't make it all the way to the top; we watched prairie dogs, listened to coyotes call out in the wee hours of the day, headed to bed at 8 p.m. and slept eleven (11!) hours with no problem.
On Friday we ventured a few miles down the road to a section of the trail system that uses an abandoned Railroad bed.
It was well maintained with crushed gravel that was well packed. We road 4.5 miles to Clarity Tunnel, which houses some bats...
Ack! It was just a short tunnel, 582 feet long, with a bit of a curve. It was fine dust and was, no doubt, comprised of years and years of accumulation of bat guano... and it was a little stinky! Gross!!
Of course, Dave told me to stop for a few seconds to snap a selfie... you could hear the bats "chirping" as they hung from the ceiling. I didn't stay stopped long once I realized what I heard!
As we rode the trail we saw lots of deer tracks, as well as tracks from the cows that grazed in the pastures on either side of the trail. And then I noticed this...
Just what do you suppose could have left such a track???
We did see one small rattlesnake on another section of the trail after lunch, but it was just a little thing... what ever left this behind must have been bigger. I shudder as I think of how many snakes we may have passed in the grasses on the edge of the trail... which is why I stayed carefully in the center of the trail!
We rode a total of 15 miles on the second day. Our bums were a little sore!
Upon our return home, after getting caught up on laundry, I settled in at my sewing table. I went to work on my feathered wreaths embellished with some vines and leaves in each block and free motion feathers in the open edge blocks.
It has been fun making these blocks, recalling many of the places we have camped, time spent around the campfire, seeing animals and their crossings; taking inventory of what to take and things you do, the food enjoyed while stirring the pot. Thinking of all the things you can camp in, the various camping activities, as well as friendships made.
My free-motion quilting is far from perfect, but I have improved sooooooo much... and you cannot improve unless you make projects that don't require perfection. I used a plaid flannel for the backing... perfect for an extra layer of warmth for those cool nights in the camper!
Somehow, I found myself involved in four different block of the month groups this year. Maybe next year I will keep it to a max of two.
How many BOMs did you participate in this year?
What BOMs have you heard about for 2019?
Sew Happy!
Melva
PS... I would love to continue my Quilters Through The Generations series. Please, let me know if you are interested in participating by emailing me MelvaLovesScraps@nolanqualitycustoms.com or you can leave a comment below.
Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
Moving It Forward Monday at Em's Scrap Bag
Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework
Friday Foto Fun at Powered By Quilting
Show and Tell Monday with Bambi
Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River
Color Inspiration at Cleave Chameleon Quilting
Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter
Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication
WIP Wednesday with Esther
Let's Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts
Needle & Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation
It sounds like your camping trip was worth heading out a few days early for, and the quilt finished up beautifully when you returned home!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun outdoor excursion. Glad to hear you stay on the path. A friend of mine wandered off to take a picture of a prairie dog and actually did get bit by a rattlesnake. She ended up in the hospital for anti-venom treatments and missed 3 weeks of work!!! One potent, ticked-off snake!
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is lovely and I think your quilting is wonderful. I too FMQ on my domestic because it is ME, imperfections and all!
What an interesting post - thank you for sharing your adventures.Your quilt is a real treasure :-)
ReplyDeleteAs for BOM options for 2019, I just read about one Christa Watson is hosting @christaquilts. I still have two unfinished from 2016 so will steer clear of BOMs in 2019!
What a fun trip!! Smart to stay out of the sagebrush where you can see the ground around you!! Your pictures are so pretty and just the sunshine I need to see as we have a major storm moving in (3 feet of snow in the mountains is predicted), so I'm missing the sun! Your quilt turned out perfect for camping and making more wonderful memories!
ReplyDeleteWhat memories this quilt holds! I love quilts like that. Thanks so much for sharing on Wednesday Wait Loss.
ReplyDeleteLove your beautiful camping quilt, and one day hope to see some of your amazing country! Thanks for showing your beautiful photos.
ReplyDelete