Almost Fall

Fall is my second favorite season, winter is my all time favorite, and there are signs that fall is almost here.  While at the cabin this past weekend, I noticed that the leaves on the dogwoods were starting to turn, along with some of the leaves on the poplar trees.







While taking a walk, I noticed a few leaves that had already turned and fallen off of the trees.  The weather was also a little bit cooler.

Acorns are also starting to fall.  At times it sounded like gun shots!!! The acorns are huge this year, this is after a poor acorn year last year.  For the first time in months, after putting out corn for the deer, no deer showed up to eat; they didn't have too!!  All of these acorns should make all of the forest creatures happy!!

After communing with nature, we went into Blue Ridge on Saturday afternoon for the Blues and BBQ Festival.  We had a great time!  This is the fourth year for this event and our second year going.  It gets better every year.  Of course there is great BBQ for many different local and some not so local restaurants, and food trucks.  The bands were great, we saw three of the five bands on the ticket for the day.  My favorite was Samantha Gray, she sounded just like Janice Joplin, wonderful voice.  If you have never been to Blue Ridge you should definitely go.  Fall is a wonderful time to go, ride the train, visit Mercier's Apple Orchard, go on a hike, or just hang out in town there are some great shops.

September, already???

Where did the summer go?  I guess technically it is still summer, but I have been back in school for  a  month so to me summer is over with.  I have been keeping busy at work getting back in the groove of school.  I have also been trying to do some projects for fall, one thing I  am working on is a  wall hanging for fall.  This is a wool qpplique  pattern that I started on a couple of weeks ago.  Hope to get it finished soon.

Out the window

This afternoon when I came home from school, DH had the sliding glass door open it was such a nice day.  I looked out the window and saw our Japanese maple in full autumn glory.  It is absolutely beautiful, the leaves range from a cheddar yellow to a rusty red color.  This is one look that inspired my colors for the new Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt.

In addition to the beautiful maple tree I also saw my bottle tree.  Bottle trees are a southern tradition, these trees are used to ward off evil spirits.  Instead of a metal tree which I have the tradition is to use an old tree in a yard and place bottles on the broken off branches.  I don't have one of those so DH bought me a metal bottle tree and I had fun emptying the wine bottles to fill my tree and ward off all of the evil spirits.

You know it is fall

 You know it is fall when you start seeing all different kinds of spiders around your house.  This little black and yellow one has been around our house for the last couple of weeks. I don't like spiders but I don't have the heart to tear down his web.  I guess it is a he, don't know for sure.  Fall is  my favorite time of year, wish this is when we had time off from school!

Love my sunflowers in the garden.

I am always amazed at the different shades of leaves that you can find in the woods.

Beautiful Saturday

Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day.  The leaves have started changing and falling, which means I was out there on Saturday raking leaves.  My goal this year is to stay ahead of them and not let them get too bad.  Luckily it didn't take too long to get them up.  After my yard work, I went in and made a huge pot of chili.  I never follow a recipe when making chili, so I never exactly how it will turn out.  I have to admit this was one of the best batches I have ever made.  DH loved it, he didn't even add additional hot sauce.  While the chili was simmering I went back to the Farmer's Wife.  I managed to get four blocks made.  I am really enjoying making these, now that I am doing the paper piecing. 

Contrary Wife, it was a contrary block, I made this one twice.

Bat Wing

Wrench

Friendship Star, this is my favorite from this week. 

Autumnal Equinox

 Welcome Fall!!!  I am definitely ready for some cooler weather.  This has been a really hot summer in Atlanta, we totally skipped Spring and went directly into Summer.  Last week I started talking to our kindergarten students about fall, and reading one of my favorite books, By the Light of the Harvest Moon by Harriet Ziefert.   The illustrations, b y Mark Jones,  are absolutely beautiful.  The students are so excited that they get to learn the big fancy word for fall, autumnal equinox.  There is nothing like hearing 20 kindergarten students try to pronounce those two words.  Fall is my absolute favorite time of year, it always has been.  I love getting out in the woods and roaming about.  Check out some of my Georgia mountain images of fall.

Hand turned wooden bowl with fall leaves.

Just looking at this makes me relax.

Pumpkin Time!

Don't know exactly what these things are but they reminded me of baby pumpkins.

Leaves are starting to turn in the mountains.

I see pumpkin pies in their future.

Out and about in Blue Ridge, GA

On Saturday while DH was out in the woods I was in the town of Blue Ridge having a wonderful time.  My first stop was Mercier's Orchards, I wanted to get there as close to the time as they opened as possible, that place is really crowed in the fall.  It was definitely a smart move, I got one of the last parking places about 15 minutes after they opened.  Look at the cute pumpkins piled up outside the door!!  I managed to get past the pumpkins and into the store for some apples, they have the best apples.  I bought, two different kinds, Granny Smith and Gala along with some fried apple pies, some candles and some Christmas ornaments.  Not for me for Christmas presents. 

After leaving Mercier's I headed into town to check out some of the antique shops.  Most of the shops in Blue Ridge really go all out for decorating.  Almost every store had a fall display outside their door, just enticing you to come in and spend your money.  I managed to contain myself and only bought things for other people, although I did seriously consider the framed quilt block below.  It was beautiful, but I am trying to be good.  If you are ever in the North Georgia area check out some of the fabulous shops.

Fall in the Mountains

Fall is definitely making its way to North Georgia.  DH and I headed up over the weekend.  I t is amazing how the  leaves have changed in just the last week.  I had been looking forward to having a long weekend, (although it would have been nice if Monday were just a regular day off and not a furlough day).   I enjoyed several long walks, just looking at all of the signs of fall.  I went in to the town of Blue Ridge on Saturday and did some Christmas shopping, there are several really neat little shops.  I always try to do some of my shopping up there and support the local merchants.  DH was excited for another reason, Saturday was the first day of muzzle loader season. oh boy.  He was out the door at 6:00 am on Saturday morning to go sit in the woods to try to kill Bambi.  Luckily I saw more deer around the cabin than he did in the woods.  He has even taken the week off and is still up there hunting away, with little luck I must add.

I never realized just how big acorns could get, or how colorful they could be.

Leaves on the dogwood trees.

Fall Cleaning

On Saturday morning DH and I headed up to our cabin in North Georgia and I was amazed to find a few of the leaves were actually starting to change colors.  Does this mean that Fall is on the way.  This has been one of the hottest summers in Atlanta.  We have had over 60 days of over 90 degree temperatures.  I usually don't mind hot weather, but this year has even been a little much for me.  I even noticed that several of the oak trees are starting to drop their acorns.  I am so ready for fall.

Most people do spring cleaning, I think I do fall cleaning if I do cleaning at all.  For the past few weeks I have been trying to get my sewing space back in shape.  It seems like I have to do that every few weeks.  Well, this year I am really cleaning, of course that might have something to do with the fact that I realized that I have more fabric than I can ever possibly use. I also have fabric that I purchased thinking, WOW that is great fabric and now I look at it and wonder why, why did I ever buy that.  One kit that I found is for a batik quilt called Titling Mountains.  I purchased this from the Great American Quilt Factory several years ago, paid really good money for it and now, have absolutely no desire to make it.  I am definitely  over my batik phase.  The fabric is great and the colors are wonderful if you like green and purple.  I paid $111.00 for it.  Anyone out there in blog land like to take it off of my hands.  It is everything except the backing.  I would like to get at least 70.00 for it.  Today when it took it out of the plastic bag to take the photo was the first time it had been touched.  Let me know if you are interested.  I am  almost afraid to see what other treasures I have lurking in the sewing room.

Fall in the mountains

What a difference two weeks can make. Two weeks ago when we were at the cabin all of the trees still had leaves. Saturday morning there was probably about three inches of leaves on the drive way, there are very few leaves still on the trees. Joe and I had dueling leave blowers, he did the driveway while I did the porch and around the house. We shouldn't have to do it again.

After leaf blowing Joe took a nap while I finished a hat that is one of my mom's Christmas presents. Her hair has started coming back after the chemo but not enough that she will be able to go without a hat this winter. She wanted one that would go with her red coat and her green coat, so I thought navy would work. Hope she likes it.

After Joe's nap, he decided to go hunting. I think I saw more looking deer out of the window at the cabin that he did in the woods. The whole time he was gone there were three to four deer behind the cabin. I managed to get a photo of a couple of them. I love to watch them and Joe loves to eat them. All in all it was a very relaxing weekend, now back to the reality of an elementary school book fair.

Pumpkins and Crows

Several people had emailed me asking about the pattern for one of the quilts from the Mountain Holly Quilts Show. The name of the pattern is Pumpkins and Crows, it is available through Log Cabin Patchwork in Hiawassee, GA. I believe that it is one of their original designs. I am looking forward to getting mine made for next fall. Happy Fall.