this week on the Watermelon Farm

   been a quiet week here on the prairie.  hot, hot and hotter.  it makes stuff grow so I can't complain.  however, I am a bit tired of the hum/whine/clank of the air conditioning units.  it is so humid today that it's an instant sweat. 

   Jean and I did a mankato run yesterday -- evidently my taste in fabric is good, $134.00 at Joanne's after the 20% discount seemed like a lot for one managable bag.  herberger's had deals -- got a pair of capri's for $7 ... lovely until I got home and the tag on the inside was not the same as the tag on the outside.  menards was fun -- she's buying for the scrap shack -- will add her blog to the favorite reading list. 

  I went back to Mankato this morning -- after all it's $3.75 per gallon of gas and what's a couple more gallons.. swapped the capri's ... hit up shopko .... and finally the grocery store since I was there ... the bigger grocery stores have everything and well ... I needed stuff -- especially the take out Chinese!  dang good stuff.

  I sewed clothing last night -- fits like a sausage casing will be on the lookout for a smaller body to fit it.  Still stitching down the bindings on the quilted quilts -- one done, one 1/2 done.  making backs for two more.  and .....

   shopping for frame and long arm quilting set up .....  ebay has lots of options ... just need to take the leap!

M

friday night tour

already nibbled on ... varmits.

I left work early (earlier) and spent some quality time on the deck with a really good book, a beverage.  I was actually staging the quilt for a scrapebook pix.  The bugs were minimal, it was warm and a bit of a breeze and I probably needed some time !

finally friday ...

well I thought it would be a wordless friday but blogger is not letting me add any photos ... blogger seems to be burping a lot lately ...

and I tried it again and up came the picture insert screen ... these pictures are from Minot ND and the recent flooding ... they were emailed to my Mom from a pretty reliable source -- sometimes we need to remember to count our blessings -- it's can always be worse ...

seriously -- have a great weekend !

Thursday ...

Wednesday (well Tuesday night)

Tuesday's Commute

the morning commute ...

Weekend Warriors ...

   well not really.  The Friday Night Sew In was so productive I started up again on Saturday.  First step was to clean.  Dang that space gets cluttered and messy fast.  Then I went to work ... I'm supposed to be using stuff up ... this project really didn't use up very much .. but it was fun.  I'm still hand sewing the binding down on #1 ... almost done. 

  as the day progressed ... post supper it was 2 hours of turning vines in the melon patch so the tractor/tiller could go thru in the morning.  and it rained and cooled off. 

   back out early this morning to finishing turning and tractor man did his job, until his tractor pooped out.  transmission -- sounds expensive.  so ...  I moved on to my new hosta bed (no pictures yet) potted up the ornamental kale (used the hosta pots) and washed the ATV (everyone needs a monthly bath).  so, I'm thinking the Sunday Night Sew In is next!

  Monday's coming and the teenager will be 17 ... holy smokes those years flew by quick eh!

waiting for the President's motorcade to pass by -- it was a really big deal... in 2004 (?)

to this Spring (note the feet are bigger!)

Friday Night Sew In ---

it was a pretty productive night ...

I got the binding sewed down on this lap robe -- with less than an inch to spare ... so not a "join it together" more like a squeeze it together and do some creative stitching

then I made the binding for this quilt -- Amy did a nice job quilting on this one ... it's adorable (Amy is my new best friend!)

I made sure I had more than enough binding for this one!  and had 3 ft too much ...

then I practiced some free motion quilting on a couple of mug rugs for the office.

I went hunting for a quilt picture and found this pic of Grandma (left) and Great Aunt Vicky ... it's got to be 25 years old ... I just love the smiles !!! 

So check out the rest of the FNSI .... FRIDAY NIGHT SEW IN 

T. G. I. F & back on the road

  This farm girl really doesn't like life in the big City.  The Wednesday trek was about at my limit -- I probably would have stayed home if it was just I on the trek, but I had carpooling buddies!  The journey home involved 100'  and 110' dew points and a whole lotta idiots on the road.

  Yesterday, I was mere passenger and it was lovely!  It is nice to be picked up and dropped off at my door.  And the weather was nice.  I did manage to chop down some grass last night -- chop being the key phase.  Quack grass was plugging up the mower.  Will need to "re-mow" today to help it along.  But first

  Back on the road this morning.   only 30 miles.  there may be a quilt shop involved.  since I'm going right past it!

bambi is our newest resident -- she's been hanging out around the yard -- literally -- I shared the goofy pix's on facebook.  On my tour of the patch -- I was yelling at her and I got the "who me" look.  She shouldn't learn to enjoy the taste of squash or watermelon for a couple of months.  Ha, I'll lose that battle.

Happy Friday

M

seriously

hell -- must be cooler ... and less humid

118' heat index is not good, not good at all.

M

so, what do ya do when it's

crappy weather  ...

In the last 72 hours I've completed more projects at the office than I have in the last month.  A month ago I put up a table to keep the projects off the floor.  If I keep at it tonight -- I'll be able to take 'er down. 

Still hot, still unbearable, more to come, lots more. 

I think the garden is out there -- haven't seen it for 24 hours.  I was sweating on my ATV ride to the Gansen's for dessert last night.  It's pretty darn stupid to sweat while zipping along at 20mph on an open vehicle.

Dessert was good -- too bad she used banana pudding ... not my favorite. 

Keep cool peeps - it's really ugly out there ... water, shade, water, more shade.

I've also declared it shorts and t shirt week -- give up the long pants for a week ... 

Diva

remember this is a mere 6 months away!!!!

.... hotter than Miami ....

  'tis good to be us.

   It's 9:00pm and it's still 91' and the humidity is at 75%, I can't calculate the dew point but I'm guessing it's record breaking.  4 more days .... it could be worse, it could be -40 with a 50mph wind.  2011 has been the weather year from hell.  One extreme to another .. and yes, I think we are in another flood warning.  

   I planted 18 pepper plants and 18 more cabbages this morning.  They immediately went into shock.  Need to do a lotta weeding but frankly, I can't.  I don't do heat well.

here's was my day ...

6:00 - 7:30 -- gardening 
8:00 - 12:30 -- office .. yes, the office
home for lunch
nap & movie
   which included 4 loads of laundry
work at home (dial into office computers)
supper & chores
dessert at Lee & Jean's (and then it had banana in it) ... she told me after I tasted it ....
trimmed up quilts -- got 'em ready to bind

ready for bed -- cause it starts all over again tomorrow

daylilies from the office -- I counted 9 different colors in the bouquet I picked today ....

sometimes it just sucks to be

     an adult.  we opted not to go to the MALL.   it was 93' with 75% humidity (and will be so for the next week) so ... I thought it not a good idea to be on the road .... instead .....

     it was Mankato -- Kohls (with 30% off coupon), pet strore (food for Nick), Hobby Lobby (where the air conditioning wasn't working very well) -- Famous Dave's for supper and Menards... always Menards.

     it was quite the trip, cat food, bra's and a new canopy for the farmers market.


    I'm headed out to weed in the patch -- only for a short while I don't do heat and humidity very well -- then I'll have to pick green beans and cukes.  oh and plant the peppers I brought home from greenhouse yesterday .....

think  cooler   thoughts  

M
 

Saturday Specials ... friday pictures

Favorite Things Friday ....

Mrs. P is again hosting Favorite Things Friday ... pop on over to her blog and check out the rest of the favorites the link is HERE !!!
if the stars are properly aligned Jean and I are going to road trip it to THE MALL OF AMERICA the shopping mecca of Bloomington MN.  for those of you down under (mrs. p - that would be you) .... the MOA has everything -- for sale -- it would be the largest (or second largest) enclosed shopping center in North America !!! 

all of this shopping and no QUILT shops!   no fabric !!  but it has everything else.

okay I stole these pictures of a website -- so they're blurry .....

below is the amusement park

fun facts ... it's not heated -- body heat does it all.  odd eh?

in the basement is Underwater World .... huge aquarium

there is a wedding chapel

there is a university

ka ching ka ching ... hear the swipe of the credit card .....

Wednesday ... aaahhh middle of the week..

so, it appears that Nick, the cat, is hungry ... must need to learn about the "red eye" feature on the camera ... he was sitting nicely next to his dish ... the howling followed

I stole this from Nick's (the kid) facebook page.   The clean up of the blown over tree began last night ...  

He's pretty far off the ground here -- big tree big mess.  But it did not land on anything important. 

Enemy #1 -- somedays I really hate this thing .. even with the ringer turned down it irritates me.  I just get into a project and  ringggg, ringgggg, ring and when line #1 is ringing -- the law of fate will make line #2 ring. ...double the irritation. 

Happy Hump Day ... it's all downhill from now!!!!

M

projects (done !)

   well I didn't finish any of the projects.  Dad did.  The melon patch has been tilled and well, it looks pretty good -- especially where my weeding happened.  He also fenced off part of the little garden.  The rabbits ate his eggplants again.  well, they don't eat them.  the varmits pull 'em up and watch 'em die.  varmit is the word of the day. 
    I've been noticing coyote poop in the melon patch and I was told "it's your imagination" -- well, today he found large coyote tracks in his newly spread gravel -- barn cats are also disappearing (that's good and bad) .. -- he did manage to shoot a woodchuck this afternoon --

   I on the other hand -- sat thru 5 hours of Nicollet County Government ... dealing with issues related to the State of Mn shutdown (more flipping varmits) -- then back to work after supper for the regular projects.

   Kathy delivered my quilts from the quilter -- one is fabulous and one is okay.  evidently she has some tension issues on the stripped one ... at any rate time for binding.

Marie

W I N D !!!

it's hard to see -- but the corn is listing at a 45' angle --- it blew and blew for 25 minutes and in the end ... everything is leaning

same spot -- different shot thru the windshield ...

not good, not good at all

the melon patch on the other hand survived well ... the vines close to the ground and small didn't get whipped around too much .. I spent several hours hand weeding and hoeing yesterday .. will turn vines again tonight and till in the morning and I'll keep on weeding ....

jean, lee and nick have a big old silver maple tree down -- snapped off about 5' up ... the trunk appeared to be a bit hollow or cheesy ... so, at least it didn't land on anything important!

might even make the market on Saturday -- cukes/greenbeans/cut flowers  .... time will tell.