Halloween Happiness

Sewing well into the bewitching hour.........

Girls just having fun.............

(That's me sitting with green/white hair and all the fashionable clothes)

A few of the gems I picked up lately.....

and a few more..........

Some more girls just having fun....

Even Frank got into it......celebrating that is.

Happy Halloween - YstaP

Colors of Autumn

The catalpa tree looses it's leaves in a 'snap'. A very cold snap. All at once they drop. And they did - almost all of them.

The smokey bush has such a deep mahogony color that I love.

The pond is surrendering to fallen leaves and I am too.

This is a different paper wasp hive just outside my front door. I never noticed them all year until Fall let it reveal itself to me. I think wasps would make good quilters. They use what they have available to them to finish the project. Just look at the different layers of grays and browns. It is a masterpiece!

I have been out and about still gathering my 'treasures'. I will update you with my finds next post. Patsy

New blog Look

Oh this camera and it's software are just too fun. I encourage everyone to play with theirs. Today was a busy paperwork day. Lots of mailings going out. I wanted to visit some quilt shops today but that didn't happen.

The big wood stove beast has been fired up for the season. I woke up at 4:30am and couldn't sleep and I knew the water was really hot. Now don't ask me why wood heated water is hotter than gas heated water. It just IS. And it stays the same HOT all through the shower. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Frost is on the pumpkins among other things. And the grass is crunchy beneath my feet.

Just look at the ice in the birdbath. I had to pry the Water Wiggler out so I could put that away for the season. I think the grass is finally done growing but I really should do one more cut since I let it slide and get too long.

I did bring some ferns inside. I just couldn't let them stay out there and die. I will try my best to keep them living through the winter. My Mom took one of them. I will see if the church will take a few since flowers are scarce this time of year. Each Sunday a few women of the church are responsible for altar flowers. Seems these ferns should go a long way over the winter. I will just load them up and drop them off without anyone knowing where they came from. Later , Patsy

Faithful Threads

Some great projects being worked on.......

Many "Threads were on the floor" during the weekend. Including these young knees!

Have a great week! Patsy

Fall is in the Air

Another beautiful Fall weekend shared by women from Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois!!

Just take a look at some of the projects and show n tell..........

Thanks ladies, for another great weekend!

**The "Art Tour" was going on this weekend and we had a few unexpected potential guests......I sent them on their way down the road to the Official stop on the Art Tour. They seen all the out of state cars and thought 'this must be the place'. Too funny. Patsy

Flock Addition - New Kid in Town

My Mother-in-law was having terrible Rooster fights - both wanting to be King. Well, Marty brought home the instigator of the fights to our flock. We didn't have any more roosters as one by one they sacrificed themselves defending the flock. I hope this guy will guard them too. He sure is a pretty boy. The girls seem to be ignoring him mostly. By the second night, he caught on that he should go IN the chicken house at night if he wanted to be warm.

This big tree fell last year just above our house. Huge, huh? The dogs are brave enough to crall under - not me.

Also behind our house, there use to be a fenced area for pigs 'back in the day'. This fence grew into the tree dividing where the school kids should play and where the pigs should stay.

Some Fall beautys......

Some of the pine trees are sure producing lots of cones this year. After a few leaves have dropped to expose their skeletal remains, this beautiful bees nest was discovered hanging over Prouty Road. I didn't see any bees anymore, but the nest was sure neat! Nature's masterpiece.

I have noticed quite a few of these nests hanging over the roads since I take many backroads to where ever I am going.

Nice end to another beautiful Fall day, patsy

My visit to QQ - Quintessential Quilts in Reedsburg

I mentioned I was on my way to Reedsburg a few days ago. Well, I finally made it. Here are some photos of the Reedsburg quilt shop.There is a classroom in the back of the store..........

....with many class samples to entice you with.

and more.......

There is the upstairs of the shop....

....where the plaids and Christmas and Novelty prints live.

On the main floor there are the blues/greens room, notions/patterns room, cutting area/check-out area, neutrals room, batiks and wild prints. too.

QQ is located at 940 E Main Street in Reedsburg Wisconsin. Store hours are Monday - Saturday 9-5 , Thursday 9-8pm , Sunday Noon - 4pm

Stop in and use your 'coupon' that I send to all Retreaters in the 'Newspaper' Scratch'ins. Later, Patsy

Elephant Rock in Richland County

I love stopping every year to see what's new. The current land owner , who just happened to be there, pictured on the little cart driving told me that this area use to be a lake. The area was unglaciated.

I also knew it as "the Devil's Hitching Post".

Native American's use to walk this land and the teepee is a tribute to them. Each year it is taken down and put up again in the Spring.

From the inside looking out. It is not too difficult to imagine what their lives use to be like. Scrambling this time of year, I'm sure to make their way to 'Winter camp' and making ready all the supplies you'd need to survive the harsh Wisconsin winter.

"Treat the earth well: It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children." a Native American proverb

Elephant Rock can be seen a few miles North off Hwy 14, traveling on Hwy 58. I travel past about once a week. The bricks stacked up on the bottom was a 'rustic' repair from a car crash over 40 years ago. If you go towards Richland Center from the Homestead Retreat, you will see this Historical Landmark.

Take care, Patsy

Potato + Dairy Farming

NO, not beans. Catalpa tree with seedpods. pronounced Ka-TAL-pa
Marty and his brothers were invited to pick up any pototoes that the machinery didn't pick in a Potato field by Spring Green/ Lone Rock area.

They picked up over 1 ton of potatoes and he said they didn't even put a dent in what was left! This is why I don't bother planting them in my own garden. Just look at the size of these.

Brady, my son, was headed back 'up north' with his 50 lbs of potatoes to share with his sister.

A few photos of the morning milking at the McCluskey (brothers-in-law farm). Brady and his Uncle Pat discussing something important.

Farm kittys waiting for their morning milk.

The newest kittys hiding in the rafters of the barn. I don't know how I didn't pluck one to take home.

The older cats were fascinated by the flash of the camera and all came running.

Tomorrow, a local landmark visited............later, Patsy

A bit of Autumn all Around Us.....

I find myself driving alot slower lately. By that I mean 55 mph instead of my usual 65. Yea, yea, I have a lead foot. But with the beautiful trees, I just find myself too distracted!

This weekend will probably be peak for some of the distant hills around me. Yet, there are some that have all green. Just depends on frost/temperature/ and light I guess.

The maples are stunning this year around here in Sauk County. Here are two that are especially striking in my driveway.

While out leaf peeping, I run across this little fellow. Well, I really didn't 'run across' him. I went around him as he was crossing the road. It is a snapping turtle. Don't ever reach down by this guy's head - they will latch on with a grip mightier than any pit bull!!! You have to grab them by the tail if you really want to move them.

The Canadian geese were meeting at Plenke's Pond in Reedsburg. I guess they were going over their flight plan before proceeding on. There were thousands in this little pond and will be from now until winter decends upon us. It must be a sort of "Rest Stop" from up north to south of here.

Next entry will be from my excursion to Quintessential Quilt Shop in Reedsburg Wisconsin. I stopped in to see what they were up to the other day. You can see that tomorrow.

******Take a walk on the wild side this weekend. Patsy*****

More projects from Weekend

There is much accomplished within the Homestead walls.

O.K. - some of it was just brought for "Show N Tell". Some just leave the binding so they can ring the bell when they finish.

It is all good for ME!

Thanks ladies for another wonderful weekend! Patsy

Girls having FUN !!!

Sewing isn't all there is.....to a retreat. It is meeting and chatting with new friends.

It's finding out a flashlight is 'only' a flashlight and not something else.......hmmmm.

Happy Birthday to "Country Sampler" in Spring Green. They turned 25 this past Saturday! Wow! 25 years in business. That is truely remarkable Jeanne! To many more years.....!

A challenge among friends.....take a declared "ugly" fabric and

make a wall hanging with it.....the results.

A Block of the Month and the different ways to 'set' them.

and more delightful quilts ....

Have a great start to your work! patsy

Busy Week and a half

Juice says, "Hi". Well, I feel like I put in a long week already. It was one of those rare times when we have a midweek group. Quick turnaround. Thanks to Jo, Cindy, and Nancy, we made it in time! Many hands make light work.

There was some great talent. Love the rug hooking! She was the old-school 'traditional' hooker and it was fabulous.

And look at this neat Round Robin quilt top.

The leaves are changing very fast. Although it is still green outside my office patio door. Color out back of the Retreat.

With this change, I guess I thought I was long overdue for one too. I've gone 'curly haired' again. I get bored easy with the hair thing and before I brought out my scissors again, I called Danielle quick.

It is still at that 'poodle' stage but it should relax in a few days. I hope it does! At least the dogs didn't bark at me.

Polly says, "By". ..me too, Patsy