Cleaning Day today

Time to relax a bit since this is my hectic week with a group sandwiched between two weekend groups. Exhale....

With a little of this

and a little of that

cleaning at our house is all about stolen moments from our precious time. I don't waste too many minutes spent on the cleaning chore. With two dogs and two cats we just live with dust bunnies and hairy globs in the corners. Now don't get scared as I sweep them up eventually. It's just not my priority like the Retreat is. Now that is clean.

Some more nice photos of things about outside.

Does anyone remember these rural mailboxes? They spin around to close and open an inside tube for the mail. It took years till I found one.

Shadows lurking everywhere in the dappled sunlight.
I will leave you with that today. Getting humidly HOT today! Mid 80's and higher! We could use a little rain. ,,,,,,,,Patsy

4th annual Sister's Weekend

What fun we all had at the Fourth annual Sister's Weekend here at the Homestead Cabin Retreat. It was fun to quickly get caught up with what everyone was doing the past year. New grandbabies, new projects, and so on.

It never ceases to amaze me what folks are working on, have finished and brought to share. Barb breathed life back into these blocks she aquired and made this fantastic beauty. She will be giving it back to the block giver (I think her Uncle).

The kindness of Sisters.......Susan made us all these 'Organic' silk scarves that she dyed herself. Thanks Susan!

And her sister, Cindy made her a wonderful photo quilt.

So what does one look like after keeping her nose to the grindstone for an entire weekend and completed 800. YES, 800 I said, teeny tiny blocks for an exchange? I got them done DarLynn! This was taken at about midpoint. Glad they are done. Just need to iron them. They are now 2 inches in size.

My sister is on the outside left , me on the outside right and in between is our sister in law seated on left with her sister in law in the middle and sister seated on the right.

Just some of the great projects that passed through these doors.

Not all were quilters this weekend. We had some 'scrappers' and some 'beaders' and were they all skilled in their craft!!!

NancyJo outstanding in her field! Thanks patsy

What's Blooming @ the Homestead?

Lots of folks only get to the Homestead the same time of year, every year, so they often don't get to see the summer blooms. This is what was blooming yesterday out and about.

This is in an old tool box.

It took a few years to get the lily pond going. It is an old stainless satellite dish with rubber roofing as a liner. The frogs love it and you can hearing them singing loud every summer night.

I have lots of containers for my blooms and I enjoy hunting everywhere for them. Repurposing items is the funnest because it is least expected.

Many of you know that I have been searching for a full size windmill.

I even had flyers made up that I would drop in people's mailboxes if I thought they might be interested in selling. Well, I guess I didn't let my quest be known to Marty's brothers.

Seems they have this old one in a heap on a 'junk' pile. Marty is always up for a challenge and he thinks he can resurrect 'her'. So I want to show you the 'in found condition' in case you see her squeaking off in the horizon someday.

It wasn't easy to get to. You have to drive way out in the field, park and walk down this old farm road dubbed "The Ridge Road". Jumping downed trees and dodging the 5 foot tall nettles, we finally made it. Good thing I won't be part of the Rescue mission. Just the Search team.

This weekend I have become a guest at my own retreat. It is the annual "Sister's Weekend" and I will be joined with 14 other gals who are all sharing the weekend with at least one sister. Many are coming today, Thursday, so I best get the place ready. I had my eye on some flowers growing along the road, so I better go cut them. Later, Patsy

Do you believe in Fairies?

Sometimes you just capture the neatest shots on your camera.
The floral below has been my 'wallpaper' on my computer screen for quite some time. Do you see the little 'fairy' sitting on the right amidst the Johnny Jump Ups??? She is on the Right about mid screen. Ok, the reasoning folks will point out that it is just another flower stem this way and that. But that is how they fool you.


Anyway, I like it. I had it on the computer for weeks without noticing her sitting there. I am guessing I won't capture another on film for quite some time, but it is fun to believe.

This mossy step is in the woods below the retreat. My kids use to rest on the mossy hillside out on one of their 'expeditions'.

This particular flower brings back a very strong childhood memory for me. My Mom had these planted near the sidewalk just outside our screened in porch (Really my 'house' where all my dollys and I lived for the summer). I dug this one up at the McCauley farm near me. A couple years ago, I was driving by and spotted them. I asked if I could dig a few plants and because their son was in my four year old kindergarten class, they knew I wasn't totally off my rocker. I was so excited to see it emerge from the ground this Spring because I thought it died last year. Does anyone know the name of it so I can go buy a bunch? It is a rununcular of some sort.....flower is only 1/2" across. Folage is the leaves at bottom right on photo. Love this less humid day today, Patsy

Summer's Destiny

This life is beautiful all around us. Guests at the retreat this month have been enjoying Mother Earth's bounty. These 'black cap' berries are right by my frog pond and every day I have more to 'use'. How wonderful is that?

Wonderful sweet tasting..............

This weeks guests knocked my socks off with their talent! It seemed like a star theme going on and how appropriate for the summer! Take a look......

Karen made this for a lucky recipient in Africa. Love the map on the back where she is putting buttons for her location and the child's location.

This one isn't finished yet on the design wall.

Stars and scrappy! Isn't this lush?

Love these too ......the one on the right is made of neckties.

Thanks ladies from Door County and Illinois and Richland Center! ...............take care everyone! Patsy

Inside Baraboo Wisconsin

This is where I use to take my kids for lunch every week while I was a stay-at-home Mom. We would go threw the drive-threw of choice and take it to the park. It is a beautiful park with lots of tree covered picnic tables and a huge playground. I failed to get photos of this.

When I was little (45 years ago) all the animal park had were these metal cages with a slab of concrete for the animals to 'live' on. How I loved/hated to see those animals in there. I enjoyed seeing them but longed for them to get out of there. When my kids were little there was a "Park Committee" and they raised money to expand the cages to a grassy area and that is what is there today. There is a sign on the old cages that they are working towards replacing those. They had an 18 year old bobcat that had just died of old age the end of May of this year. His cage is empty too. Stacy loved that cat!

I loved Sikah, the wolf. You can see him or his offspring top right of the falls at the base of the tree. Sikah's cage was the first to be relocated to grass.

The two fawns pictured are a few weeks old and this enclosure was updated with pond and ducks.

The prairie dogs are great! Love them. When we traveled out west to the Badlands (Cody was 4 -now 24) we wondered where he got these peanuts he was eating. He said he reached down the prairie dog's hole and there they were. So I always get a chuckle when I see them.

There are goats, potbellied pig, bears, monkeys, deer, ducks, llamas, bobcat, exotic chickens and a few others I may have missed. Park is Free

It is worth a look see if you come through Baraboo next time. patsy