The day drawing in on itself...

like a slowly moving gray velvet curtain, being drawn across the stage. A one act play, no scenery changes....a gray and gloomy, find-me-some-color kind of day. Not the best of days, but not the worse, either. It was a day with promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep. Mid afternoon found me driving the river road, south from my little valley to another, to see my M.D. The trees stark and shaded black against what is left of the snowy landscape. No sun to cast long shadows today. The meandering little Eau Galle River, barely 8 feet across ,has become a roaring tyrant, since yesterday. Northern snow melt, of the past few days, has sent huge amounts of water southward in WI and MN. And probably other states near us , like North Dakota. A river that runs through New Ulm, MN rose 10 feet in 2 hours yesterday, putting it above 'flood' stage.
It's par for the course this time of year.
And so today I'll show you a bit of color, not much, but some. Like one lonely daffodil, that spot of yellow....*VBS* It's a little quilt I made a few years back. It's based on one I saw in Little Quilts All Through The House. I hand quilted this one. The second picture is one of my new books from Hamilton Books, and altho there are no quilts in there that I couldn't make without the book, it's fun to see the pictures and how they 'staged' the doll quilts..*VBS* If you haven't check out Hamilton Book at http://hamiltonbook.com/hamiltonbook.storefront
please give it a look-see. This particular book is a $22.95 book, and I bought it,
new, for $6.95. Lots of bargains to be had there, and the shipping is reasonable...very reasonable.
After looking through the book, I think I may make the all triangle pair one that is under the doll in the cradle.
I'm going to do some kind of amending on that outer border of the quilt I asked you about yesterday, and then will baste it for a quick quilt. About the curved piece pattern, I'll look for what information I have about it and email you..*VBS* Hope everyone had some sunshine today, it sure wasn't in my corner of the world.

The Midnight Hour....

The road before me stretches out as far as I can see. The evening had been delightful, and I have stayed too long. The world seems very dark as the midnight hour approaches. But home I need, and to it, I must go. A compelling force moves you towards your desire. Above and all around me, the night is bewitching. A full,frigid, silvery moon, stands guard, high in a bluish gray velvet sky...no stars. Tonight, it seemed, this could have been any road, leading anywhere, at any time in history.
The road winds, gently at time, abruptly at others, leading you eventually up and out of the coulee and onto a nice straight state highway. Here and there the reflective signs 'flash' a message at you...curve ahead....deer crossing. The occasional yard light tells you of the century we live in. Most of the river road is just trees, curves, rocks rolling down from hill sides, drop-off road sides that lead down to the meandering river below. It's a small river in this cold season, but it becomes a roaring, snarling monster with the spring rains.
So much of this road is just that....a road through the countryside. Tucked in between the crumbling sandstone ridges of tumbling rocks, and the river, no one lives here. It takes so little imagination to put yourself into a sleigh, behind a dark horse, who is trotting rapidly homeward to a warm barn.
It's the kind of moonlight night you see on christmas cards, and from the back of memory come the words "Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie, beneath thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars, go by".
I drive slowly, aware of the hour, the lack of a cell phone and the extreme aloneness of my journey. The road is snow packed and icy. In 7 miles of river road, only one other car. That is what makes it memorable, and an adventure. Maybe I am young Almonzo Wilder driving my faithful horse to find the homesteader with wheat to sell. Alone on this frostly night, looking for a light, looking for home.

Autumn...

The graceful dance that usually accompanies October is absent today. Instead there is some wild whirling dervish of a devil woman moaning and whistling and shaking her skirts. No gentle caresses for those tired tree limbs of summer, so nearly ready to release their burdern of leaves. But a whoop and a grab and a shake and they are not only down but sailing across the roads and sidewalks. Piling up, like so much hastily dumped trash.
I would have to say this devil woman is not a pretty sight. When she howls like this, and shakes the trees on nights when the moon is full, one feels safer with our heads under the covers.
It may only be the 7th of October, but from the look of the hardwood trees, November isn't going to have much to do when she gets here.
The dry summer and odd temperature changes seem to have robbed the maples of their glowing red color here in my part of WI. The yellow glows as boldly as possible, but after today very little will be left, except on the ground.
But of course that provides a whole new adventure for school children and small pets. Those dancing leaves have intrigued many a dog, cat or child....drifting down so lazily from above, only to whirl and shoot upward again.
The days of leaf houses in the school yard, and leaf piles to jump in seem long gone. No longer do I see fathers in their sweaters, leaning on the rake watching the slow progress of the burn pile as the dry leaves fill the autumn air with their own special odor.
No more do you see the blacken remains of the leaf pile next to the curbs the next morning.
Very few corn shocks grace the farm fields or any place else except compliments of a yard designer. A few corn stalks some pumpkins and indian corn..ala autumn.
Somehow I doubt there is even remotely a sense of adventure at being buried in a pile of maple leaves anymore. I should ask my grandsons about that, but I have a pretty good idea what the answer would be. I'm sure it's not that bleak everywhere, but to me it seems we are losing alot. When everything is mechanical and organized and tucked into a compartment, or needs special equipment to enhance it. Where did all the excitement of the season changing go to? No one stuffing leaves down your shirt anymore? There seemed to be no end to what we could think of and do with autumns 'leavings'.

Do you have "leaf" pictures? It seems to me that somewhere there is a picture of that little blond Finn sitting in the middle of a pile of leaves. Leaves in her hair and all...grinning like a goose...I'll have to see if I can find that picture..*VBS*