Another week, more travel, some mail and the wedding quilt

This week I went to Ross River, about an hour flight northeast, or a six hour drive on a good day.  Fortunately I got to fly, with the “court party” – judge, court clerk, court recorder and two sheriffs.  Here’s our plane…

The morning view was a bit hazy but so stupendous.  There are mountains as far as the eye can see….

And then suddenly there is a wide flat valley….

This is called the Tintina Trench.  DH (who wants to be a geologist when he grows up) tells me that back in the Jurassic Age this valley marks where the two land masses that became North America came together.  Because this was where the edges were, the rock was weaker and it wore away more than the mountainous area beyond the valley.  Of course it has all been covered by ice a couple of times since then.  My brain can’t really wrap around this concept, but it sure is beautiful.

Ross River is a very sad and troubled town with lots of drinking, violence and little positive to say about it.  The court party takes two sheriffs to Ross River, where they usually take only one to other communities, because of some negative things that have happened there.  It wasn’t the best work day I’ve ever had.  But I did see a “Rhino”! 

I mentioned in this post that my grandson knows what a Rhino is but I’ve never seen one.  The young man who was driving this machine told me it isn’t a Rhino, as that is a trade name for a machine made by a specific company, but it is the same idea – a “side-by-side”.  He said this model is more of a “sport utility vehicle” version, whereas the Rhino is more of a work machine.  I told him that this one looks like a golf cart….

The flight home was gorgeous too, if a little more bumpy…

I received a few pieces of lovely mail in the last couple of weeks.  My adventure block for August from Laurrie (no blog).

And 6 1/2 inch blocks from the last two months.  First from Sharon.  Her area was hard hit by Irene, but her home is intact.   She sent these lovely blocks off to me before Irene arrived so they got here safe and sound in just a few days.

And then from Linda.  These blocks took a month to get here from California.  She posted them August 1st and they arrived on the 31st.  I see the envelope has a Canada Post stamp on it from August 25th, so I suppose there was some misdirection going on.  I was thrilled to finally receive these beautiful blocks.

The wedding is tomorrow.  Wish me luck.  Dressing up and being in the front of a crowd is really not my comfort zone.  Here are a couple of snaps of the finished quilt.

 

Facts

Three charm packs of Beach House by Blackbird Designs for Moda.           Yardage of Rustic Retreat by Debbie Mumm, National Park Series # 2299 by Ro Gregg for Northcott and an unknown grey mottled fabric.                    Batting is green in colour and made from recycled pop bottles.  It feels very soft and was lovely and easy to sew through.                                      Finished size is 62 1/2 by 51/2.                                                                       Pattern – True Lover’s Knot from “Quilts from the Quiltmaker’s Gift”.         Quilting is straight line, with writing and machine embroidery in the blue border and free motion entwined hearts in the corner squares.

Janet