BRRRRRRR! Quilting

Whoeeee. It was a cold -19 below when I left the house this morning at 0645, on my trip to town to take care of my granddaughter. My Columbia jacket was even making a crackling sound as I walked out to open the gate. I drove by a herd of black Angus beef cattle, pastured for the night on an old corn stubble field, all sporting white frost on their faces and sides, from the tell tale signs of exhalation's against their bodies. Old man winter has reared his ugly head once again, and to add insult to injury, after we had been teased with balmy 63 degree temperatures last week! Reminded me of my years growing up in Minnesota, so cold that taking a deep breath, your nostrils would stick together, or iced up eyebrows and moustaches. Or even worse, licking a fallen icicle, or sticking your tongue on the metal bars of the swing set in the school yard,something that only has to be done once in a lifetime.
Dennis had to do the livestock chores by himself today. Even though we have electric out to our barns, the sheep and the 2 little buck boys don't have heated water buckets, as they have their own shelters, with no electric.. So there was some ice chipping and water hauling in store for him. Other than that, everyone came out OK with our cold temps.
Dennis all of a sudden heard a loud commotion and all the animals were standing at attention and looking towards the sheep's shelter. Little Allie, our black sheep had tipped the water bucket and was running around with the bucket around her neck.. Luckily Dennis was there and able to free her, or there could have been a terrible outcome. Needless to say, her bucket is now snapped to the cattle panels, so this will not happen again. Just life on the farm, always need to be aware of safety issues when having animals.

QUILTING
My Saturday Sampler quilt is home from the machine quilters house. It took me a year to make this quilt, all I have left to do now is put on my binding. Well anyway, the gal who quilted it was a quilt judge and she suggested that I show this quilt at the Weld and Larimer Co fairs this year. She thought that it was quite nice. I was really happy to get the compliment. I put so much of myself into my quilts, and it was difficult for me to have someone else quilt it. The reason I had her quilt this particular quilt, is it's quite large and is getting difficult for me to do myself with arthritic elbows, and does take a toll on my back. All my other quilts I have done myself for the past 20 years. It was my one and only treat to myself after all these years.
Well anyway, here are a few different views of the quilt, it you left click on the picture, it will give you a close up of the quilting.
I am going to call this quilt Arizona Sunset. Because of the colors which remind me of Arizona. Where I wish that I were today.

I just could not resist putting in a picture or two of my granddaughter Lily, when we were at Estes Park this past fall. Something that will take the chill out of these cold winter days, and should bring a smile to any ones face.

More later......................................