Memorial Day

The Memorial Day week-end is the start of our tourist season in Estes Park. For the locals, that means doing grocery shopping and other errands very early before the parking lots and shops are crowded. The flowering trees are in bloom, even in the parking lot of our supermarket. I was there before 7 a.m. to buy food for our "at home cook-out" later today. Mom will be joining us. We'll have steak (veggie burger for me), grilled vegetables, deviled eggs, coleslaw, fruit, pickles, and chips. I popped into the new bakery, Aisle 2, while I was out and bought two loaves of bread and a small bag of macadamia nut/white chocolate cookies. We'll have those and berry sherbet for dessert - yum!

The weather is beautifully sunny with a hint of a breeze...just enough to ruffle the flag on our porch. Between kitchen chores, I'll be working on a small quilt I'm making for our nephew's baby girl due in August. It's very simple but the fabric is sweet and adorable. I also plan to spend some time on the porch with my book and tea - a perfect combination!

Lunch at The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse

This has been a perfectly lovely day. Yesterday, the wind howled and we had a few snow showers, but today dawned bright, warm and calm. I've been driving a friend to periodic medical appointments in Boulder, an hour's drive from Estes Park. She is my mom's neighbor and friend as well. Today was the last appointment and she wanted to treat Mom and me to lunch while we were in Boulder. We ate at The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, a unique and beautiful restaurant that serves delicious meals. In addition, it has an extensive tea menu, some quite exotic. The Teahouse, with it's fascinating history, was a gift from the people of Tajikistan to the city of Boulder. We had a wonderful lunch - I ordered a chicken curry wrap and Cloud Mist Green Tea. Here are some photos.

Camera Shy Hummingbirds

You can see the blur of the hummer's wings in the photo above.

The snow is gone from the lower valley and the rivers and creeks are running high. Our driveway had its own little pond for several days. The weather has been warm and sunny and I've been able to sit outside on the porch with my tea and book during the afternoons. The hummingbirds are frequenting the feeders but they are camera shy. I did get a few (less than great) shots of them.

I finished the landscape quilt and I'm planning another. I've also finished scanning my own slides and I've started on Mom's which go back sixty years! Our local quilt guild, Estes Valley Quilt Guild, has a new president and board. I've met with them twice this week to untangle a few issues and I am optimistic for the coming year. It's a great group of women with a lot of talent. I've made some of my best friends through my quilt groups.

May Snow and Creating Trees

Even though we've lived in Colorado for over ten years, I'm always a wee bit surprised by these late spring snowstorms. This was the scene from my south window when I got up this morning - beautiful, awesome, gorgeous, etc. Our grand total the last two days is 20-24 inches of heavy wet snow. The hummingbird feeders were frozen so I had to bring them in for a quick thaw in warm water before hanging them back outside. Two hummers were waiting for their breakfasts and they continue to hang around for more.

I've been busy this week and this is the one day I have nothing special on my agenda so I'll be in the loft working on my landscape quilt. I've added one border and some aspen trees. It took awhile to do the tedious job of cutting and attaching the trunks and leaves. I have a few finishing touches to add (perhaps a fallen log or rock outcrop) and the final border. Here is the quilt so far.

Landscape Quilt Class

The landscape quilt class, taught by Carolyn Mangler, was well worth the time and money. I'm very happy with my piece (so far) and I've learned some interesting and useful techniques that will apply to other projects. My piece isn't complete but it is well underway. I'll be placing a tree (don't know what kind yet, perhaps a Ponderosa Pine) in the foreground and adding a couple of borders. Then I'll have to quilt and bind it before donating it to Trail Ridge Quilters. I plan to make one for myself, as well. The technique is creative, enjoyable and not too difficult to master. The photo above shows the work in progress. I'll take another photo when it's finished.