Quick Check-in

Just a quick check-in between our trips...

We were settled into our campsite in time for lunch and it was was so pleasant.

The river was nearby and we had shade over the picnic table area so after a quick and easy lunch of sandwiches, fruit and chips we plopped ourselves down in our chairs and began the decompression stage.

In the short time that we were "unplugged" I completed several postcard blocks for our Camping Journal Quilt and I was able to check off numerous items from the Summer Camp Sewing Log.

The Purple Mountains Majesty completed my color that I've not yet used, and the big dipper fulfilled the "night sky" challenge.

Those little pieces for the stars were a bugger to work with!  But worth every minute...

The fish that got away...  You may remember the story from our trip in June.  

I used a piece of fabric that has pine trees and sky on it to achieve the light and dark coloring of the water.  I even got a bit of a water splash!

By the way, Dave now has a fishing net to assist in retrieving the fish from the water.  No more lost fish or lures. 😉

The question of whether or not sewing at a National Monument or in a National Forest qualified for sewing in a National Park was posed and the answer was that it was indeed acceptable.  Mark that one off of the challenge list!

I have made several campfire blocks in the past few years, but this is by far the best fabric I have found for it!  This fabric was leftover from a memory quilt that I made for a high school graduate last summer.  Woohoo!

And the last one... sew outside.  Easy peasy... and it was easy to be organized with my new sewing bag and magnetic sheet attached to the back of a small cutting mat.  My scissors didn't slide all over and end up in between my legs or under me and the needle stayed put and easily accessible!  

I need to find some good, strong magnets to include in the bag to hold a few pattern pieces in place and ready to grab when needed.

We enjoyed several long walks in the forest.  

The area has had fire mitigation so it is not overgrown and hard to walk in...

The sunlight in this picture is inspiration for another postcard block...

We went for a drive on day two... We were headed for the Wild Rivers National Monument Visitors Center.  It sounded like an interesting place... but it happened to be closed for the week.  

But I got lucky with snapping this shot of some crows flying overhead...

We referred to our map of interests and went in search of the D.H. Lawrence Ranch... we found it, but we also learned  that it is only open on Thursday's and Friday's... it was only Tuesday.   

We were soon back on the highway looking for the Rio Grand Gorge Bridge.  It is a 1,272-foot long span over the Rio Grand River.  At one of the deepest spots, the river is 656 feet below.  

The third time is a charm, right?  Here we are.  

It was worth the drive... though not as high as the Royal Gorge in Canon City, CO, still impressive.  Heights don't really bother either of us, but we had to giggle (to ourselves) about how nervous some were while walking across the bridge, or marvel at how calm some parents were in letting their young children walk along without holding their hands.  

On our way back to the campground we had a herd of bighorn sheep cross the road in front of us...  I was so excited!  There were several ewes and a few yearlings and some babies!

Upon our return we had some neighbors setting up in a nearby site.  They were a fun family to watch.  There was Grandpa and Grandma, Mom and four children, ranging in age from 17 to 5 ~ Carter, Addie, Danny and Julie.  Oh, and a 15 week old puppy ~ Tillie.  We never did catch Mom's name...  

They came for a visit a few times as the kids scoped out the river for the best fishing spots.  They were a lovely family from Oklahoma and we enjoyed the chats.

The puppy spotted a chipmunk that resided under a large rock... which interested Shelby and the oldest boy.  It was hilarious to see them all watching intently.  The little chippy finally snuck away, but Shelby continued to watch... not understanding why the puppy and boy lost interest.  LOL!

It was time to load up and head home before a big rain storm rolled in, but not without a walk around town and lunch at the brewery.

Time to re-pack and go to the cabin! Fun! Fun! Fun!  

We camped for two nights... can you guess what blocks might be added to the Camping Journal Quilt to represent this trip?

Leave a comment... I'd like to see your guesses.

Stay Pieceful!

Melva

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