Mountain Weekend again

We went back to the mountains on Thursday night last week for another long weekend. It is now deer season, and opening day for bow hunting was Saturday. I went along with lots of projects to amuse myself, but, turns out I didn't need a thing.

Charlie and I went on a few rides up the mountain...no bears on the stealth camera this time. We walked down a hill to some big rocks overlooking Peak Creek in a beautiful spot. Here I am perched on a rock on the ravine.

On Saturday, Charlie hunted early in the morning, and in the afternoon he got ready to mow grass and I got ready to try a project with Sculpey Clay.

I have never used polymer clay, believe it or not, although I have watched hundreds of episodes of the Carol Duvall show on HGTV. I found that it was NOT easy to soften the clay by hand-kneading. I fashioned a rolling pin from this roll of tape with a handle, but it was slow going. Now I see why they use pasta machines to condition the clay.

I had only worked with one fourth of one package, when I heard the sound of heavy equipment coming our way. I was so excited when I discovered that our neighbor Ricky and his uncle Gary decided that this was the day they would help clear off the scraggly trees and pines from our hillside above the pond and driveway. We were so excited!

When we built our cabin, we had to start from scratch with building a road, having gravel added, clearing the lot, planting grass, etc. All around the house it is just rustic woods. But when they added a pond below our cabin, we could hardly see it because of all the trees. All we wanted were the big oaks and maples, the hemlocks and rhododendron. Here is the hillside before. You can see blackberry bushes coming right up to the lawn, and lots of skinny tree trunks that could not compete for sun.

Ricky started knocking down and digging up pine trees with his shovel.

Charlie would wrap a chain around the tree trunks that had been felled, and then Gary would haul them off with his bulldozer.

Now it is nicely cleared out all along the driveway, and we have a good view of the pond. I am so grateful for friends with power equipment that are willing to help out.

On Saturday, I spent the whole day with my father, who was just getting out of the hospital last time I saw him a week ago. What an improvement a week makes! He was well enough to go out to lunch with me in Blowing Rock, run some errands, visit a friend in the hospital, and do some things he wanted help with on his computer. I am so thankful to have my daddy back in pretty good health!

This picture was taken at the parking lot at Canyons, where we ate lunch.

During the Saturday afternoon hunt, I walked around by the creek and took pictures. This is a native plant called Jewel weed, the leaves and juice of which can be used to ease itching from poison ivy or bug bites. It often grows along creek banks.


These are buds of the deadliest plant in North America...water hemlock. When it opens, it looks very much like Queen Anne's lace.

This toadstool is the largest I have even seen...a full eight inches across the top.



Once again, we hated to leave the Blue Ridge mountains. But we are going back next weekend!

Labor Day Weekend in the North Carolina Mountains

Just back from five days in the North Carolina mountains...nothing quilty to talk about today, but be prepared for lots of family and scenery pictures! I spent all day Friday with my father and family members as he was discharged from the hospital after surgery. I am glad to say he tolerated his operation well and is now back home.

Our little cabin is located on a family compound owned by my sister and brother-in-law, with over sixty acres of land beginning at a trout stream and rising to the mountain top. There are numerous logging roads that allow us to ride to the top on ATV's of various sorts. Two of the men spent a whole day smoothing the ruts out of the main road to the top of the mountain. Wow! I believe I could drive Sweet Sue the Subaru up this nice road! That's old Maggy, still making the climb several times a day.

At night we sometimes go up to the top and watch the stars or the sunset from the Christmas tree farm. Since we did not have any of our kids with us this weekend, we took Ricky and Mary's grandkids up with us in the back of the Gator.

There was a gorgeous full moon that looked orange on Saturday night. It looked large and low over the mountain from the tree farm. You sure can't tell it from this picture.

During the day we either fish in the pond, play in the creek, or just pass around whatever baby might be visiting. My niece Melinda brought her six-month old baby, Ragen, and I got to hold her a few times.But that does not happen too often when Grandma Katy is also in town!

Mama Melinda let Ragen wade a bit in the creek. She is going to be a mountain girl- she loved it!
Guess who else got to play in the creek? That's me, the only adult who opted to get in and play with some of the kids. Those empty detergent bottles make great creek toys.

There are usually one or more dogs bounding through the creek, as well. This one is my sister's border collie, Fred.

I noticed that my great-niece Hunter and niece Melinda are starting to look a lot alike! Wow, they could be sisters!

The asters are in full bloom in sunny meadows and along the creek.

as are the goldenrods. Whole fields of gold waving in the breeze.

Charlie and I spent a lot of time on the mountain on Sunday,

marking trees with "posted" signs for the upcoming deer season. Our stealth camera did not capture any bears this week...maybe he has moved on.

Deep in the woods, the light appears to be almost liquid green as it is dappled through the trees.

But the dogwood and maple trees are starting to turn red.


We hated to come home. It was starting to get rainy on Monday, which made it easier to leave.

When we did get home, we watched one of the most exciting college football games on TV that I have ever seen...Miami beating Florida State 38-34. There were many lead changes and exciting big plays- my kind of game.

I hope your weekend was a good one, too!

Mountain Beauty

Peak Creek, 5" x 7", 2009

We start today with a picture of a little art quilt that I made on my Babylock Embellisher needle-felting machine. Then, I free-motion quilted it on my Bernina. It is supposed to represent the bridge that crosses Peak Creek and leads to our family mountain home. The emerald green foliage is Dupioni silk. The tree trunks used to be the fingers from a cashmere knit glove that sadly lost its mate. The sparkle is Angelina fibers.

We went up on Friday morning and had another fabulous weekend enjoying the beauty of nature.