Mid-Evil Mountainjoy

We had a weekend straight out of the Renaissance days. My husband set up his forge and started to blacksmith. He had a friend over and the two of them were so happy, I couldn't believe it. There is nothing like seeing 2 angry, bitter men have a good time pounding at heated metal to force into new shapes/tools. They were off to a slow start until I told them to break up the coal a bit more to start the fire. You are given special inborn knowledge if you are a blacksmith's daughter, you know. I don't know how to smith, but I do know more than your average bear on the subject.
While the boys were smithing, I was working on a coat-of-arms for a friend of ours. He does a form of combat that starts with swords and ends up using some ju-jitsu forms. Anyway, I am currently decorating his quilted and padded jacket to resemble his chosen family coat-of-arms. It felt like all we needed yesterday was some horses, dragons, and a few more serving women here to complete the picturesque mid-evil Mountainjoy.
As for summer, it may come to a quick close for us. We saw a lone aspen yesterday that had taken on that beautiful orange/yellow. The hummingbirds are still around and the wild flowers are still in bloom. Yet, I do expect our first snow storm any day now. Traditionally, it likes to snow the first weekend of September most years. Let's see what this one brings.

Time Flies By

My goodness, it's been a month since last wrote? That is just unacceptable! I will strive to do better. Actually, that is what today is all about for me again. Does anybody else procastinate everything you can and then try get it all done in one day? Or is just me that "catch's up" every few months?
Now, I will attempt to share some of what has been happening at Mountainjoy. It has been a very rainy summer so far and there has been a lot of vegetation and wildlife. Pictured here is the one of the most attractive young bucks I've seen in a while. He strolled through one night and ate heartily from the patch of fire weed. Even though I was planning on harvesting a lot of flowers this year, I did not shoo this elk off. Have you seen how big they are? He didn't eat it all of it and he was so majestic looking that I didn't mind sharing. The are plenty of flowers for mead making anyway. It's become an annual tradition here to make Fire Weed Mead each August.
I've been working in the sun in Boulder and the studio up here too. I've made several quilts this summer actually. You see, I have taken more time to quilt and have been seeking new clients as well. I am pleased as punch that it seems to working so far. I finally managed to get through my website building boot camp. I still have much to learn and much to do about polishing my website, but it is up. If anyone wants to check it out, go to www.mountainjoyquilts.com. I would also welcome input from my readers as to the site's look/feel. I can now be reached via email to rebeccah@mountainjoyquilts.com.
Basically, it's another beautiful summer here in the Rockies. Busy as beavers and loving it.