Bears, Quilting & Birds

QUILTING
I'm making good progress on the auction quilt. I've finished the straightline quilting through all the chains and last night prepared the papers I'll use for the fancy stiching. I like to use Golden Threads papers instead of marking the fabric. You usually have to mark the fabric before you pin the quilt and I usually forget to do that. Also, I tend to pick the design as I'm working on the stitching, not before pinning it. And when I do mark the fabric, I always have a terrible time getting the marks out.

I had planned on doing a feather wreath on this quilt but found a butterfly pattern that spoke to me, so butterflies it is. Last night, I punched the design on the papers and was able to get 5 of the blocks stitched, and got up early to do another one this morning. Six down and 25 to go! yikes! It's not as bad as it sounds--I timed myself and it only takes 20 to 25 minutes to do a block so I should make good progress on it. Thanks goodness I have an extra day this weekend and no plans to do anything special for the holiday.

BEARS
This bear looks to be drinking from a bird bath but it could just as easily be eating at a bird feeder! I don't want this scene in my back yard!

In a previous post I wrote about bird feeders and bears. My neighbor, about 3 miles down the road, had bears visting her feeders last weekend! And here I thought we were past that problem. No bears at my house--yet.

BIRDS
I did see a hummingbird this morning--the first one I've seen this year--so I have to cook some food for them and get their feeders set up. Hummingbirds are one of my favorites--they can get quite tame and comfortable around people and I've been able to get some good looks at them. We have the ruby throated kind in my area. Here's one: