Spring Road Trip

Happy spring greetings from the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains!

We recently took to the roads to see what we could see and visit the Mountain View Bulk Food Store in Chuckey, TN. The drive was pleasant weatherwise and we always enjoy the view of those green, green hills of Tennessee.

 The store shelves are lined with various and sundry items in an old-time atmosphere.

 Convenient mixes...

 Baked goods...

 Some bulk foods....I had in mind to find buckets of wheat, but I didn't see any so that was the only downside for me.

 Soap for the folks who love a real down to earth washup. ;)

 Love this display...

Closer look.....

To me the highlight of the day was this cool deli insidethe store. They make sandwiches, and by the time we got around to the counter we were ready for a big one. *chuckles* I ordered a double meat sandwich and they filled my order to a T.

NOT kiddin'. It was so good and filling.

Back at the home front - the grands spent several days with us recently and the oldest tried her hand at making a wallet using duct tape. (No, it's not your grannie's duct tape.)

It's wild and cute.

And makes a stylish accessory in the right hands.

Best of all, it's workin'.

I've actually picked up the crochet hook since last we visited. Wavy Rows Dishcloth

Until we meet again, keep your eyes on the prize and enjoy our fleeting spring!

Spring Break

*smiles* ...that's what I'm calling my absence from visiting here anyways, lol.  I've been busy with normal springtime chores, and I've done quite a lot of bird watching...here's a yellow-rumped warbler looking for bugs in one of the sugar maples.

She jumps around so fast it's a test of nerves to get a decent picture....

But I did! This is the best photo for showing how to know for sure you've sited her particular species. See the yellow patch where her tail feathers begin? (Click for a better look.)

The bluebirds are already nesting in a box along the pasture fenceline. They did visit the box outside my kitchen window but decided there was too much traffic in that spot, probably because one of the birdbaths is near it.

More bird news..there's a new rooster in the lot.

Our Barlett pear tree bloomed a full month early & has already set on fruit.

 We've lived here for nearly 19 years and for the first time ever we found morel mushrooms growing under some trees in the pasture. There's something new every year it seems.

I've nearly finished piecing my quilt top. The pattern is A Trip Around the World as Susan guessed in her comment last time. I've been working in the yard lately so not sure when I'll get around to finishing it... 

It's an early spring & we're taking full advantage of the warm days. Hope your spring is going well, too. See you soon... :)

Gypsy Birds

 Our birding adventures continue right from the kitchen window with this flock of Cedar Waxwings. The bird books say they don't stay long in any one spot so we were glad we noticed them when they were in the area.

 They stopped off in their wanderings to get a drink of water in our birdbath. Note the yellow tips on their tails and yellow backsides.

 They preened for a while in the sugar maples then moved on to wherever, but Goodman and I did enjoy seeing them and felt good about providing a good stopping place for them.

 I've begun another quilt that will be a bit bigger than the first one, somewhere between full and queen size.

This time I'm trying to piece an easy, well-known quilt pattern. I'm still learning about colors and everything to do with quilting really so I don't know how well it will look when finished. I'm thinking I've made a bit of a mistake with the purple fabric with yellow splotches, even if I do like it. We'll see how it turns out. This time I'm planning to try stippling the quilting part.

Have a great week, Y'all!