Thursday, March 8, 2012

The Morning Bark

A new feature is starting on Bearly Wild today called The Morning Bark.  It may not come up every morning..only when I have the urge.  After all, this is my blog.  It came to me just this morning.  You see, after Minnie has her breakfast, she hops up on the couch to settle herself down on her pillow throne and looks out the living room window and barks.
 She surveys her backyard kingdom to be sure nothing has violated her domain.  And, she'll give out a few warning barks just in case.  This happens every morning.  If I didn't hear Minnie do this, I know she isn't feeling well.   For me, I'll do the "morning bark" to start my day.  It works for Minnie.

Tuesday was a balmy day in Minnesota.  The birds are returning and critters are showing up along side the roads..some with their feet in the air.  (No pictures here).  My friend Pat has tapped her maple tree. 



She makes the best maple syrup and depending on the amount of sap she's able to collect, she will share.  (hint-hint).  The weather is perfect for tapping the trees.  Warmish days and freezing nights.  Yesterday was cold and miserable with a drizzle most of the day and strong winds.  We went to a funeral and decided not to go to the cemetery as we were half frozen sitting in the church for an hour.  No one thought to turn on the heat until the service started.  There was a thermometer hanging on the pillar in front of me (you heard me, in front of me.  It's an old church) and the temp was 52 degrees.  We went straight to the KC Hall for lunch after the service to unthaw.  I just looked up and I see a few snow flakes in the air.  Suppose to be in the 60s by this weekend, however.

I have been in a semi-funk the last couple of days as I learned my neighbors closed a deal on their house and will be moving.  They spend their winters in AZ and summers on my block.  They are Minnie's first parents and if you recall earlier posts they gave Minnie to us when they started going south for the winter.  Their condo community didn't allow pets.  Minnie became ours permanently when they returned that first winter and she has been the joy of our life ever since.  No. 38 refused to having any dog ever again but when Minnie came into our lives, he changed his mind.   Anyway, the neighbors decided they needed a smaller home when it's just for six months out of the year.  They will return to Minnesota the first of May and pack up.  It made me sad..still does.  To relieve my sadness, I holed up in the sewing room and finished up the flannel quilt I started in Dec. or Jan.  I quilted it with the leaves I learned from Frances Moore in the FMQ Challenge.   



I finished off the borders with a vine-like motif in the light green border and just a loopy design in the wider dark green border.
 I was going to show you the finished quilt here but the batteries decided to die in the camera.  I'll post it another time.

Time for my morning walk to nowhere on the treadmill.  I'll be hitting the pavement one of these mornings.  

That's all my barking for now.

4 comments:

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

My dogs bark, but, they bark at anything that moves, and it gets old, quick. Don't know what I'd do with out my dogs. Love maple syrup. We get ours at Funks Grove in Illinois. They spell theirs sirrup. They have a neat explanation on their site. It's hard when our friends move away. Hopefully the new neighbors will be really good.

One Minnesota Quilter said...

Looks good. We have a neighbor that is moving also. We don't know him very well but he has been very quiet - we hope for the same to move in. I am sure you do too.

Nice bark. If you start to howl, I'll know sumpins up.
Judy

Connie Kresin Campbell said...

Minnie is such a cutie and it sounds like she has a regular routine! Your quilting is beautiful and I really like the leaves on the white border!

Sandy said...

Minnie, is sure the watchdog-- how sweet! Your flannel quilt looks very nice--VERY nice vines on the border-- really compliments the overall leaves. Great Job!!