Have you ever seen a white skunk?

Soon after we arrived at Hillman Ferry we heard the tale of the white skunk. We've had a few sightings and fortunately for me I was able to grab some photos early one morning.

Isn't he cute? I'm told our park skunks are so accustomed to humans that they are quite complacent -- and believe me this slowly meandering fellow was quite laid back and oblivious to me following him for a photo shoot -- nevertheless I did keep my distance!

And to go along with our white skunk, how about a blue bellied lizard? That's what I'm calling him, I'm sure he has a proper and official name but I don't know about that. I don't have much knowledge about reptiles. But he is fascinating, isn't he? Look at how intricate those multi-jointed toes are. Woo - what I couldn't do that that kind of dexterity!

Things are rolling along quite well here at the campground. The last two weekends have been exciting with special visitors -- my best friend Tammy, her husband Brian and son Tyler came one weekend, then my son Kyle and fiancee Ashley were here last week. I even talked them into some photos -- don't they make an adorable couple? Wedding plans are progressing for next spring. I'm so excited!

And speaking of weddings, a big CONGRATS goes out to my Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Bob of Kirksville, Missouri who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this weekend. What a milestone!

Have a blessed weekend wherever you are!

Amos is Famous!

Friday was an exciting day at the campground when WPSD Local 6 television station came to Hillman Ferry and interviewed our very own Amos Snyder for a special interest segment about camping and things to do for the Memorial Day holiday! I was working the gatehouse when they arrived and hopped in the Forest Service truck with Amos so I could tag along and get some photos -- 'Cause you know his folks and his girlfriend needed so see this memorable event!

Explaining the process . . .

Setting up the interview . . .

Answering questions -- doesn't he look serious?! (I guess for you to "get that" you'd have to know that Amos, an Apprentice Park Ranger here at Hillman is beloved for his light-heartedness and laid-back nature -- not especially serious most of the time.)

It's a wrap Amos, you did swell!

Yep, it was an exciting day at the campground!

Here we are!

Gosh, when I finally got my camera out this week I found that it had been nearly a month since I last took a photo! I'm glad you didn't give up on me. Thanks for stopping by today, I appreciate your patience.

There are so many fun things to look at here, it's hard to know what to photo first! The wildlife is amazing. There are beautiful growing things and a couple of birds that are unfamiliar to me and I have yet to identify. I have my trusty field guides and of course the internet, so I'll be working on that!

So here are some shots of life at the campground . . .

The campsite. Our "home away from home" for the summer.
Randy I mean Rusty got me flowers for Mother's Day. The hummingbirds absolutely love the red million bells. And there are a million hummers! Ashley & Kyle and Amy (my other kids) got me hummingbird feeders and those are well loved too. I have yet to get a pic of the hummers but will keep trying.


When I began to see goldfinches, I wished for a thistle feeder and one magically appeared. (Yes, that husband of mine is a keeper!)











This little fellow waits his turn on the chain above the feeder.




Pretend I did a better job focusing on this beautiful indigo bunting who stopped by for lunch. ;)


And doesn't this lizard look healthy and content!? I've been seeing lizards pretty frequently. Not so terribly many bugs. Hmm. Thanks Mr. Lizard!
And of course - Prince Russell keeps watch over all!

I'm glad you stopped by. Catch you later - have a blessed day wherever you are!

Catching Up

Hello again. It's been such a long time. As many of you know (and if not, you may have guessed), George passed away last week. He is, of course, missed so very much. He was such a fun man - full of chuckles and more than a few stories. He knew a lot about some things and a little about nearly anything. He was one of those persons who inspire a comfortable at ease feeling - he was so easy to talk with. I will miss our talks and his unceasing amazement at Rusty's little tricks. My dear grief-stricken mother-in-law is missing him in more ways than we can possibly fathom, as is the rest of the family who counted him dear. We appreciate all your prayers, concern and support that have been offered and shared.

I've been so preoccupied, I know I've shared very little about our life at the campground. It's certainly interesting and quite a change from our regular routine. I think we are getting into the swing of it, beginning to feel more comfortable with our regular tasks. We spend most of our time at the gatehouse (my favorite) and one day a week at the Outpost, which is a general store and equipment rental facility (camping equip, bicycles, etc.). The gatehouse is a lively spot, where campers check in and out, all entrance and exits are monitored and it's just basically the "command central" for the park.
This is the gatehouse. And here's an interesting note - we use radios when we need to contact other workers, the ranger, law enforcement or other parks. I can hear some of my family out there snickering at the idea of me using a radio!


I can't say enough about how beautiful the area is or how nice the people are, both those who work in the park as well as the natives with their melodious southern drawls. Someone please tell me, where is the line you cross to enter this whole other world of The South? I love the people here! They are kind and unassuming, genuine and charming. On a recent trip to town, a gentleman about our age was on the sidewalk just ahead of us. As he reached the door, he opened it and waited for both my husband and myself. My husband greeted him with a thank you and 'how are you today?'. His response in that drawl that just makes you melt "Why, I'm just fine sir, thank you very much for asking". Sir and Ma'am are standard fare around here, and not just spoken to elders.

I have to tell you one more cute story -- the charming little town nearest us has no library so we traveled to another little town close by. (Population 3004 and they have a fabulous library!) We had planned to go to yet another little town to eat supper at a recommended restaurant so as we left my husband asked for directions. When he mentioned the town, the girl responded, "That little town? It's so little, if you blink you'll miss it - whada y'all wanna go there for?" When he told her, she began step by step directions to the restaurant and -- no kidding -- before she finished, three other girls had joined her to help explain it to him, drawing maps and noting landmarks. But the best part was this - one of the girls absolutely insisted that we could not leave without her phone number. If we got lost, we were to call. Yeah, you gotta love the South!

Pine Trees and Baby Gifts

We're here! But only at a temporary site at the moment. The site we chose to make our "home" didn't have water service yet when we arrived. Hopes are that the water issues will be resolved before the end of the week. The water and many, many other issues are continuing ghosts of the monstrous ice storm that ravished this area earlier this year. The damage is widespread and shocking. Literally everywhere you look.

Yesterday I took a walk to snap some photos. It's a challenge to stay out of the way of the work crews, so I walked up to the archery range. Right now attention is being focused on roads and campsites so this area is not a priority.

For whatever reason, it seems this hillside took a particular beating. There are standing trees in the background, however the trees you see in the foreground are not only downed but uprooted. Lots and lots of them, like a swath was taken right across that hillside.

But most shocking is that this kind of damage is not isolated. It's around every corner. The crews here are working ever so hard and making great progress but obviously it can't all be addressed. I can't imagine how many years it will take for nature to restore herself to previous splendor. Probably not in my lifetime!

Here's a typical roadside scene. This beautiful old cedar got a good pruning in order to clear the roadway. Behind is lots more that will lie, at least for the time being.

Nevertheless, the woods are coming to life with spring beauty and here are a couple of uplifting glimpses.

The thrilling beauty of rebirth . . .

So - enough camp talk! On to sewing . . .

Here are a couple more baby gift items from Lyndsay's shower that I promised I would show.

Diaper bag made for my mom to give (Daddy is a trucker, can you tell?!).

And here is a photo album that was my dad's gift.

Are you photo over-loaded?!

Hope your day is a good one!

Sweet Baby Lullabye

I've been anxious to post this one as I think it is just so darn cute. Meagan is the forever girlfriend of one my son's constant companions and very best since-childhood friends. Meagan asked me to do this set for her sister-in-law who is having a boy. You know, it's a special challenge to come up with something that is cute and fun but still boyish. When we talked I suggested the loopy-ribbon look and Meg loved that. She made a trip to Jackman's and came back with this stripe (by Timeless Treasures if anyone is interested) and a whole bag full of the most scrumptious ribbons. Those ribbons made the challenge much less daunting!

Here's the bag - XL to carry momma and sibling items as well.
This is my favorite part - what a touching sentiment, and most especially considering this is her sister-in-law. Isn't that sweet?! (Click in to get a better look.)


We also have a matching changing pad




. . . and a blankee.
It was fun to do these but I'm weary of bags. This may be the last bag I do for a long time. However there are still a few in the wings that I haven't shown yet, just waiting until the gifting dates are past. I've been doing some different projects lately and it's been a refreshing change. Quilting (my obsession of the moment) - oh, and yesterday I finally made a kitchen curtain for myself, I'll get pics of that soon.

And of course, I'm keeping an eye on the calendar as we continue to make arrangements to head off to Kentucky. Yesterday I officially became a cell phone owner. Yes, I know I am SO behind times. I should add here that my husband did provide me with one for emergencies but it was a pay-by-the-minute one and not something I actually used. Now I have a real one so will have to learn all the stuff that goes with it. I hope everyone has patience with me as I cut them off and don't know how to retrieve their messages!

On the subject of Kentucky, our friend Kathy with whom we will work this summer, sent me some photos this weekend of the cleanup progress at the campground. They have made a couple trips down there and here are photos from last week -

I don't think they went down this road, do you think?!

My heart goes out to those who are working so hard, I can't imagine how disheartening it would be to look at so much destruction and then think - where should we start?!

Have a good day, I'll be back soon.

Welcome to a new week

I love Mondays. A new start to a fresh new week with so many possibilities. I'm ready to move on. Lots has been happening in my posting absence, some bright and cheery things, some not so much.

Let's start with a happy thought. My husband and I took a trip to Kansas City to spend Super Bowl weekend with his sister and her husband (I say that like I care about the SuperBowl LOL!). It was a lovely trip, Pam and Rob are always overly kind and gracious. We had fun and laughs and good food (lots of good food!) and it was nice to get away, we hadn't done that in ages.

On a more serious note, while we are still organizing and preparing for our journey to Hillman Ferry, the news from there is less than pleasant. Remember the wave of winter storms that blew through the Midwest a couple of weeks ago? Here in south-central Illinois we made it okay. We had 8 to 10 inches of snow but snow is not a problem (and we were way overdue for a big one.) But some areas didn't fare so well -- Land Between the Lakes is in a world of hurt. A few hours to our south, the snow missed them. They got ice and lots of it. Accumulating ice with great destructive weight. It's a sad and serious situation. We're receiving regular updates of the damage and recovery progress from our park manager and in one of those updates he linked us to Sherry B's blog "Blooming Things". Sherry graciously gave me permission to share some of her remarkable photos --

Of course, I haven't seen it first-hand, but from what I understand this type of damage is widespread. One report estimated that 50 to 60 percent of trees had received "mortal damage". Staggering.

Up close -- and a fence line.

It's pretty unbelieveable, isn't it? And of course it wasn't just limited to the LBL. Thousands in that area were without power for extended periods of time. In some cases, the estimates were three weeks. Can you imagine that? I can't.

Besides trees, there was structural damage, water leaks - you can only imagine. Reports are that clean-up and repair are progressing, if slowly.

But to lighten your heart and offset some of this seriousness, here are some of Sherry's photos of the glories of LBL.

Bison calves and wild coneflower. Sherry has so many amazing photos, it was hard to pick just a couple. If you have time, click on the link above to check out her blog - it will take your breath away!

Well, I've rambled enough for this post. Just so you know, I've been sewing too. I have lots of things to show you so I'll be back soon -- I promise!

Project Improv . . . and more

Some of my blog friends are familiar with Project Improv, the brainstorm of Jacquie over at Tallgrass Prairie Studio. Jacquie creates the most incredible quilts. They are not typical traditional quilts meticulously pieced from classic patterns, but instead they are "break free" quilts where blocks take on a modern, freeform style. I've admired her quilts for some time now and when she unveiled Project Improv, which calls for participants to make an improvisational quilt block and donate it for a quilt for charity, I took the plunge and joined. I've made quilts but not like this. Making this improv block was an experience. My only guideline was the color family I chose - blue & green. This took me longer than I thought it should have - I was thinking, moving colors and pieces. But I'm very pleased with how it turned out. Most importantly, now I know I can do it and I'm seeing an improv quilt in my future! Thanks Jacquie for prompting me to discover something new. I'm excited.

. . . about a few things. I've shared this with people in my life but hadn't yet made the announcement here. Last fall my husband and I spent a week of vacation at Hillman Ferry Campground in the Land Between the Lakes. There, hours from home at a campground in Kentucky, we met Jerry and Kathy, a charming and fun couple also from Illinois with ties to our hometowns. Jerry and Kathy are seasonal workers at the campground. We had fun talking with them and by the end of the week they were sharing with us details of their seasonal work and . . . well, to make a long story short, Randy & I will be heading to Kentucky in the next few weeks to work at Hillman Ferry.

Which means I won't have many sewing projects to show you over the summer months but maybe I'll find something to blog about nevertheless. I hope you won't be too disappointed. It's an exciting time for us and we are anxious to begin our new adventure.

I'll leave you with a recalled picture from our trip last fall. Doesn't this make you want to go along?

A glorious week of vacation

Long time, no post! We took a week-long camping trip to Hillman Ferry Campground located on Kentucky Lake in the Land Between the Lakes. I spent Sept 12 & 13 (Kyle's birthday) glued to the tv, watching Hurricane Ike devastate gorgeous Galveston Island where we just vacationed this past February. It was heart-wrenching to see the damage to familiar locations in my all-time favorite vacation spot. I can't imagine the residents' emotions and struggles and how insurmountable it must feel to begin thinking about restoration. Our prayers for them.

The remnants of Ike blasted through our area, as predicted on Sunday morning. We left home as the heavy rains began to subside a bit, still battling some strong but manageable wind gusts. The 3-hr drive to Ky Lake was to take us out of the storm path so it was quite a surprise to find that area ravaged by winds. Not rain (which they actually need) but startling wind damage.
Uprooted trees like this one were a common sight. The campground suffered a lot of damage too and power was out in the entire LBL area. The nearest town, Grand Rivers, finally had power restored Tuesday; it was Wednesday evening before the campground got power. So we had an authentic camping experience!

We spent one morning at the Elk & Bison prairie. It's a relatively small prairie (compared to what we visited in S Dakota) and going in of course, you have no guarantee you will see any wildlife at all. So we were most fortunate to see elk, bison and the biggest flock of wild turkeys I've seen.
I hadn't seen elk before, so I was especially thrilled when we saw four! We watched them graze for a while, then bed down under some large shade trees. I'm so glad we spotted them beforehand, once they were down those gigantic antlers blend in really well, appearing to be jagged tree branches or scrub brush.

We saw a huge herd of bison. A sign at the entrance of the park estimated the population at 69 and we think they surely were all in this herd that spread across the roadway as we rounded a corner. Huge and majestic, their appearance is so in contrast with their placid and gentle demeanor. They ambled right up to the truck, lazily taking little notice of me hanging out the window to photograph them. One even took a particular liking to the pickup and spent a good amount of time licking the bumper. Guess he didn't notice the truck was filthy from coming in through the rain -- or maybe he just liked the taste of rain dust and bugs!
Aren't they precious!?

We're guessing this guy was king of the herd, or whatever it is that boss bison call themselves!

Here's our lick-happy friend.

Rounding another bend, here's a huge group of turkeys. We counted at least 15 in the grassy area and there were still more that were harder to pick out in the shaded fringes of the woods.

Saturday afternoon we made the short dive to Paducah to do a little shopping and go to Sat eve Mass. Randy wanted to go to Gander Mountain (an outdoor store) and I went to Hancock's of Paducah (the original Hancock's, not to be confused with the chain stores of the same name). Can you believe all these pieces were on the "end-of-bolt" remnant table?! Check out the Amy Butler, some Ginger Blossom and even a piece of Farmer's Market by Sandi Henderson! Oh happy day! Watch for these to show up in completed projects one of these days.

Rusty loved it all - the wildlife, walks on the shore, scooter rides in the park and of course all the other dogs that were visiting the campground!




And lastly, I will close with a beautiful sunset photo snapped from our campsite. I want to hold on to this peaceful and serene feeling.

Ahhh . . .