Bats in my Belfry

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted something moving swiftly while I was sewing in my studio today.  It was, to my surprise .... a swooping bat!   Not one to panic, I immediately thought I had to find a way for him to get back outside.  I took a screen off a window but it didn't go near the window, just kept swooping wildly.... then landed on a shelf and looked at me.  I opened the front screen door and held it open while ... er... um... hiding behind it.  Soon the bat swooped out the door and was gone.   Whew! 

It was a very handsome bat.  Rich brown furry body with black ears and wings... wingspan was about 8" - 9"..... it is called "Little Brown Bat."  Eats mosquitoes.  You gotta love 'em for eating mosquitoes.

My husband's woodworking shop is in the same building and he always works with the utility doors wide open with no screen doors .... easier to move the large projects in and out!  That's the only way we think a bat could possibly get in.   I haven't seen a bat since third grade.  I attended a two room rural school with, yes, a belfry.  The rope hung down in the entrance hallway and occasionally the teacher would let one of us swing on the rope to ring the bell.  One day a bat was loose in our classroom.  The teacher grabbed a broom and calmly guided it out the front door.   Thank you, Mrs. Gregory, for being such a wonderful example to us all.

Sunflower Fields

I was searching for a "Barn Sale" the other day and got distracted by these fields of sunflowers.

Thought you would enjoy seeing them, too.  Another week or two of hot July weather should have
them in full bloom.  I love how they truly follow the sun.  I have painted them in the past and feel
the urge again to get out a blank canvas .... not that I can improve on nature's handiwork, but there
is such joy in slopping on brushes full of those happy bright yellows!

Busy in my Sewing Room

It is a beautiful summer here in the north and the long warm days and evenings give me lots of time outdoors... gardening, walking the dogs....   I love my cozy corner of the deck for reading.  And still I am finding plenty of time to sew as well.   Here is a reversible liner of new Ava Rose fabrics I made for a great old vintage flea market cart.   I just listed this in my Etsy shop if you want a closer look. 

Happy Indepence Day!

Cherries are Ripe*Blue Angels are Here

Just a couple of quick postings of photos.... cherry trees are loaded if you care to pick your own.
The farmers are busy, busy getting the fruit harvested and to the packing plant.  With the National Cherry Festival officially beginning tomorrow, we have all been stealing away to our favorite viewing sites to watch

the Blue Angels practice.  Windows are known to shatter when they roar over our little town.  My granddaughter is coming to my house for a quiet nap tomorrow since we aren't in the direct path of the jets.  My, but they are impressive.  Someone called their noise .... "the sound of Freedom."  Happy Independence Day!

Good bye, June. Hello, Cherry Festival!

Can you believe that June is over?  Turn the calendar pages tomorrow morning.... or tonight if you can't stop yourself.  Our small town on dual bays of Lake Michigan hosts the National Cherry Festival each July.  This year, due to an unusually warm spring, the cherries are ripe in time for the festival!

I just tonight finished this sweet cherry print dress for my 14 mo. old granddaughter.  It's her first year to truly witness the clowns, music, and many events of a Cherry Festival.  Her daddy used to march in the parades as a member of the high school band percussion section.  Will she? 

Oh, and I baked a raspberry-rhubarb pie tonight.  Never tried that combination before.  Delicious!

Summer Solstice

I don't know about you, but I love the longest day of the year!  It reminds me to get better in tune with the earth, the sky, the elements.  The long, warm days of summer are with us for a while now.  It's time to steal an afternoon with a good book and head for the hammock, the beach, your favorite porch chair.  Or, like the young people fishing off the end of our dock late on the Solstice evening .... seize the moment and enjoy the beauty of the season. 

These young folks grew up fishing off this dock.  There is a wonderful fishing hole there semi-surrounded by a sandbar.  It's a natural hiding place for large bass and all sizes of bluegill.  It's a winning spot for learning to fish.  Dads bring their young children to this prime learn-to-fish location for a winning experience.  Loons fish here.  Muskrats fish here.  Happy summer!