Moose at Mountainjoy

We have had a very busy week. There was a lot of work to do and a weekend getaway planned. We ended up leaving for a loaned cabin late because there was a dog bite/rabies scare earlier in the week as well. Luckily for me, casual exposure to one bite does not require treatment! Sid, however, is still slightly worried I think. The dog that bit him should be done with quarantine soon, nothing will come of it, and this story will just go into the many chapters of our life.
So, as we were about to leave for the cabin at the lake, it was dusk coming into dark. The dog was in the car with the door open. I walked out with the bagful of groceries (steak) and heard something down in the meadow. At first, I thought it was a bear. What to do? Dog is in car with door open, I'm on porch with STEAKS in hand and door locked behind me. Sid is in inside somewhere. I try to quietly find keys to open door and put groceries in house before going to close car door on dog. Just as I reach keys, Sid opens the door and I quietly fill him in that there is a BEAR in the meadow. WE look and it is actually a big old moose. So we sighed a deep sigh of relief and went and jumped in the car.
They are back today and there are three of them. They have eaten their fill of giant prickly thistles and yellow aspen leaves. Right now, the bull is lying down to nap. One of the girls is lying down as well while the third keeps watch. It is such a wonderful sight and worth coming home early for. I hope friends coming by soon don't disturb them too much. What a special place I live in.
As for quilting, winter has begun. We got our first snow storm this weekend. I only have three days of work down at the farm left and then it is quilting time! I am so looking forward to it this year. I have lots of quilts to do but always have time for more. Don't forget folks, I can help you get quilts done for the holidays or any occasion. So, please don't hesitate to contact me if you like what I do. Thanks so much for reading and have great week.

October is Here

Another beautiful fall week has passed. The aspens have been in their full golden glory. When I lived in Virginia for a short time, I was continually asked to compare the beautiful surroundings to my beloved Colorado. It is a difficult comparison like apples & oranges, they are just too different and glorious in their own right. I love the Eastern mixture of reds, oranges, and yellows. The oaks, maples, and hickories were my favorites. I feel this scene can be captured best by the Goblin Tapestry style of weaving my grandmother made. There is something very pristine though about glowing gold amid the evergreens against the clear blue sky though that really takes my breath away. As my husband & I discuss color often, he thinks he can get the color of aspen leaves by adding more orange. I maintain the belief that it is not just color that makes them special, it is also how the sunlight effects them. It makes them glow with an inner light. Fall is glorious!
We have had a visitor this week that we have yet to see. It's comes through in the evenings though and leaves it's evidence in our driveway. By the looks of it, it is a pretty big bear. We have finally realized (and put together) the different types of raised hair my hound dog gets for different wildlife. For the bear, it is a wide thick bristle all along his back and down the tail. He stays fairly calm now for elk, deer, or moose as he knows we like to watch them and leave alone. Bo gets pretty uppity for fox but not too mad. The scariest of his hair-dos is what we call the shark attack. This is reserved for very bad threats of any kind (usually dog) against us. The hair along his back raises in a very thin and sharp ridge like a shark fin. He is such a good dog though that when threatened, he still asks our permission to defend. If we say no (usually) he just stands there. My big, sweet Bogie-bear (snoring at my feet at the moment) jumped into my life to become my best friend. It's funny too, I was never a dog person. For nine years though, this boy has run my life. I'll have to take him hiking today so we can enjoy this wonderful fall day.
I plan to get out there and get inspired so I can use it when the winter snow drifts come.
Keep quilting and crafting!

Kitties, Quilts, & Computer Scams

Fall has set in here pretty quickly. The aspens are turning and owls are flying in the evening twilight. Hummingbirds are less frequent and we have begun lighting fires. This past week has been filled with quilt work and garden work. Next week proves to be the same. I am truly enjoying this fall and look forward to the winter. (Strange for me.)
I got up at 3:30 this morning because I didn't want to listen to the playful activities taking place in the 'torture dome'. Ah, love those kitties. I started quilting and before I would normally get up, the quilt I am working on was 1/3 done. There can be some good done in the wee hours.
Okay, I have something going on with my website that I would like my readers advice on. I've had some trouble with my email but I got it so people could finally reach me at rebeccah@mountainjoyquilts.com. For a long time, no one contacted me. My brother got a message to me so I knew it was working. Well, all of a sudden, I finally got some emails the other day. I was so excited until I saw that they were in Japanese or something. The only thing I could read was the date. They are all from the future! I've received 4 all together and have sent all to the junk box. I feel terrible about sending some of my first possible business connections to the junk box, but they look so suspicious. So, I want to know my readers opinions on this. Should I feel bad? Is my email just scrambling things? Or is it a virus/scam/evil thing? The one thing my husband wants to know is who wins the horse race in 2018?

Sunday Update

This will be just a quick update as I've sworn to myself to write each week.
First of all, my heart goes out to those whose memories and feelings are very strong today.
I wanted to include a nice photo this week but haven't found the time. Besides, everyone can see lots of photos of work soon as the Quilters Newsletter website extras is up (under workshops) and the subscriptions have been mailed. Whoohooo!!!
It has been wonderful here at Mountainjoy. The wildlife was quite active the other day. We had a momma moose and her two young come near the property. After we quieted the dog, Sid went out to get some photos. He got a photo of the mother but decided it would be smarter not to sneak up behind the babies. So, no photos of the smallest pair of moose we've seen. By the way, a while ago, I saw baby elk, they were all dark brown. I realized 2 things right then. The first was that I'd never seen baby elk before. The second was that just like deer grow out of their spots, elk grow into their big white behinds!
My friend gave me another few flats of plants to get in the ground before our imminent winter and I've agreed to work a lot at the farm this week. Quilt orders are beginning to roll in, I got to the other day out of the blue before 9 am. I am happy and busy as a bee.
Speaking of bees, there are only a few reasons I look forward to this winter. The cold will make the yellow jackets go away for a bit. They have been horrible the past few weeks. But I am truly looking forward to spending all my time quilting and cooking bread and stews again.
Of course I wrote longer than I thought. So I will bid you all a creative week. If you are feeling down because of the dates reminders, creativity is a great outlet. Use whatever you do to create something healing for yourself or someone else. This is what makes the world a better place.
Many Blessing!!!!

Morning Moose

This moose has been wandering through our property in the early mornings eating my cute little aspen grove. It is one of the largest moose I have seen the area. It is standing behind our ax-throwing target which is 6' tall. When it was closer, you could see its legs connected to the massive body right about 6'. It was a beautifully quiet and foggy morning yesterday when we were graced with this visitor. Happy Memorial Day every one.

Winter Has Arrived

Well, I had a lovely winter day here at Mountainjoy. The snow finally started falling in big, wet flakes from the grey sky. I enjoyed it immensely looking out the studio windows as I quilted. Dancing along to celtic music with my long arm sewing machine is so much fun. I made a table runner and placemats out of some gorgeous materials. They are to go on my Etsy site soon. I am trying to prep for the upcoming holiday season.
With the beautiful day I was given, I also decided to make split pea soup and fresh Challah bread for dinner tonight. I guess that truly means winter is here officially. The wood stove has been fed all day and it is going to be a cozy night.
On the wildlife scene, last weekend we had a mountain lion wake us at four in the morning. It was in our yard screaming with all its might. It circled the house and came right by the bedroom door. We listened to it shivering in our skins with all the animals up in bed with us. It went on for about ten minutes and then wondered off further into the woods. Wow, that was exciting. Have you ever heard a mountain lion's scream? I assure you, that it is an unnerving sound.

Happy Spring!!!!

April has begun with excitement and happiness. It is one of my favorite months, mainly because spring is really returning. There will still be snow at my house for months, but I have returned to work at my beloved iris farm down in Boulder. Digging in the dirt, being warmed by the sun, and catching up with friends is what spring is for me. Spring also brings some muscles that protest loudly when asked to work again. Well, if this happens to you, the best thing to relieve sore muscles is an Epsom salt soak.
I have spent some time this week planning and practicing long arm quilting. It really is completely different than sewing on a regular machine. The motion and control in a long arm set-up are incredible! It is so much fun, I begin to wonder if it's not bad for me. You know how fun habits turn out----Addictive!
For those keeping track of the wildlife at Mountainjoy, this weeks visitor was a red fox.
We cooked up a batch of black beans this week. I have always thought that we would need a pressure cooker to get most beans to cook at 9000' elevation. I'd also read that adding salt before beans are cooked would impede the softening. Well, I soaked the black beans over night. then we boiled them away all day with salt from the beginning. We discussed when to add the salt, and we needed it in there just to get water to boil hotter than 160 degrees. The beans were fully cooked and delicious. I guess I'll try pinto beans next.
Right now, there are a few holidays going on. As I celebrate all good things in life, I encourage other to do so as well. Rejoice in the life and love that surrounds us all.
Happy Easter, Happy Spring, & Yom Tov

Visitors

This past week, Mountainjoy saw several unexpected visitors. Four of them were dear friends that appeared earlier than we thought. It was wonderful to get to be with our friends. When you live way off the beaten track, it takes friends a great deal of effort to find you. We are so happy when they do. The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to hold on to my friends.

Some new friends that came by were three huge moose! Some people don't realize or believe that we have moose here in Colorado, but we do. These three came through the yard the other day while I was dancing in my living room. Halfway through a spin, I came around to see a big moose butt bounding off right in front of the window. He was the small, young one. The two much larger ones were not far off. They might have been mom and dad moose. The largest did have a nice rack and I could not see the third all that clearly. I grabbed my camera and ran out into the blizzard to take some photos for proof. I know better than to get off my porch when filming moose, bears, mountain lions, etc. So please, forgive the fact that this is not a great picture, just proof that moose were in my yard.

Thanksgiving, Cranberries, and Bears, Oh my!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving shared with our friends. One of my friends likes to ask if we've seen any wildlife lately. For some reason, whenever he does, a bear or two will come strolling through the property. It never fails and Thanksgiving was no exception. A small bear came to see what smelled so good. Luckily, no damage was done. I love watching the wildlife but not enough to bait it purposely. Accidents do happen though.
Shortly after moving back to the mountains, I found an old bag of cranberrries in the freezer. Well, I thought I'd be nice to the birds. It was spring and food sources were scarce for the returning birds. So I threw the berries off the porch for the birds. The cranberries glistened like rubies on top of the snow. It was so pretty. My husband came home from work and casually asked me if I thought bears liked berries. I couldn't believe that I had not thought of that possibility. Needless to say, he picked up every single little jewel-like berry and disposed of them properly. No bears visited us that time.
This year, all the cranberries were eaten by us humans. I made up a batch of my favorite Cranberries in Port Wine. Over the years, I've learned to make these with more sugar than the original recipe. Adjust to your own taste as recipes are just springboards. Great ideas that can be completely tailored to suit your life's desires. That being said, here is how I make my Cranberries in Port Wine:
1) Wash and pick over 16 oz bag of cranberries. Put in heavy medium-size saucepan.
2) Add : 1/4 Cup Port Wine of choice
Juice of 1 Orange
1/2 Cup sugar
3) Bring to a boil. Let boil until the cranberries are soft and popped. The syrup should be
fairly thick. (The more sugar, the thicker it will be.)
4) Remove from heat and add fresh orange zest and lemon thyme if you've got it.
Let this cool and keep it in a jar in the fridge. I make them before Thanksgiving and they are really good by Christmas. Don't keep past the New Year though unless properly canned.